College Brochures

College Brochures October 25, 2012 Did you (or your child) recently receive a ton of college brochures? Maybe they got one from Stanford, another from Yale, and a couple from Dartmouth, Penn, and Duke. So youre all excited, right? You (or your child) is being recruited by these highly selective colleges, right? Wrong. Sorry to burst your bubble. Enjoy the bit of excitement that these college brochures bring to you, but were here to give it to you straight. Those brochures arent worth the paper theyre written on. Those brochures werent sent to your home because Stanford believes youre the perfect fit for their university. Those brochures were sent to you because schools like Stanford simply want you to apply. College brochures are not an indication that a university thinks you will get in. Not in the least. Whys that? Because by applying, theyll have more applicants. And the more applicants they get, the more selective they will be. Picking 5 out of 10 is not as selective as picking 5 out of 50. Get our point? A school like Stanford cares about its ranking in US News World Report. The more selective the school is in its admissions decisions, the better odds the university has at being at the top of the rankings. Its that simple. If this deflates you, were sorry. But were not in the business of boosting your ego. Were in the business of debunking myths and misconceptions so that you (or your child) can improve your odds of getting into one of these highly selective colleges like Stanford. So the next time that you receive a brochure, look through it. Savor it for a second. But then understand that this doesnt mean the school thinks you have a great shot of actually getting in. It just means theyre trying to get you to apply. And thats all there is to it. You scored above a certain mark on your SAT or ACT, so your name was on a list given to the college. Youre just a name on a list. Accept it and move on. While youre here, check out this post on College Athletic Recruiting.

Literary Analysis For A White Woman Essay - 900 Words

In Passing, Clare Kendry ‘passes’ for a white woman to marry a white man and, in masking her identity, loses touch with her African-American roots. Irene describes Clare as â€Å"selfish, and cold, and hard. And yet she had, too, a strange capacity of transforming warmth and passion, verging sometimes almost on theatrical heroics† (Larsen 10). Clare is charming, attractive and there’s something uncanny about her stare. She is no angel, but she does carry herself differently than the other women of her race. She has a mask of confidence and security in being married to a white man, but she is less secure than anyone else because she must keep her identity a secret. She is an African-American woman whose life began with her being controlled by a domineering alcoholic father, like Sara’s conservative father. He loomed over her like Woolf’s â€Å"Beadle†, and now she is stuck in a marriage with a racist man who believes her to be white. Clare married for financial security and the desire to be accepted, which came more easily if she ‘passed’ as white. She must â€Å"endure some things and give up others†¦everything must be paid for† (Larsen 71). Clare learns too late that the price wasn’t worth losing herself and her heritage. When Clare re-encounters Irene, she says, â€Å"’I’m beginning to believe†¦that no one is ever completely happy, or free, or safe’† (Larsen 67). She means that even though she chose the security of a white husband and a white lifestyle, she is not happy because she isShow MoreRelatedEssay on Literary Analysis on Revelation794 Words   |  4 Pages Literary Analysis â€Å"Revelation† Flannery O’Connor short story entitled â€Å"Revelation† was swayed by her personal upbringing in the South. She lived in the time where people from the South were very intolerant and narrow-minded towards people who had a different lifestyle and who were of a different race. 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While the father, David Lurie, is accused of rape because of sleeping with a student, his daughter Lucie Lurie is actually raped by three black men. The setting of this book is in post-apartheid South Africa, where we can see that the problem this setting faces is how blacks and white can live together. In this book there is the use

Essay on Tralfamadore- Truth or Imagination - 758 Words

Can troublesome war experiences really play a role in causing hallucinations? A hallucination is a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside of one’s mind. An individual who suffers from hallucinations is Billy Pilgrim. Billy, a person who can supposedly time travel, jumps between his time on the alien planet Tralfamadore, his experiences during World War II, and his captivity in a German prison camp. His hallucinations may have been caused by the airplane crash that damaged his brain. He believes that there is a planet named Tralfamadore, far from Earth, and that he has been kidnapped and taken there to be studied. Throughout the novel, Billy believes that what he sees is real while many others, like his daughter†¦show more content†¦Furthering the resemblance between Billys hallucinations and The Big Board, a girl is also kidnapped and taken to planet Tralfamadore. She is a woman named Montana Wildhack, who is also displayed in a zoo, naked, and is forced to mate with Billy. Billy’s imagination appears to be coming right out of the book because his experiences on Tralfamadore mirror what happens to the people in the book. Also he reads a lot of Kilgore Trout books and they are all about science fiction and aliens. Just like Zircon-212, Tralfamadore is not because Billy remembers what he has read in Kilgore Trouts books and makes it into his reality. Billy not only consumes the plot from Kilgore Trout books but also uses his personal experiences to trigger Tralfamadore. Billy’s similarities between his personal experiences and his life at Tralfamadore question the existence of that planet. People, when they go to war, return with very disturbing memories. Since Billy went to war, one could see that he makes a getaway from the horrors of war by letting his thoughts run desolate and creating a fictional planet named Tralfamadore. 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Adventures Of Huck Finn By Twain And Cruelness Essay Example For Students

Adventures Of Huck Finn By Twain And Cruelness Essay Throughout the tale of Huckleberry Finn as told by Mark Twain Samuel Clemens, almost every character for his or her own reasons lies. This can be considered a commentary on the morality and ethics of man kind by Mr. Clemens. Almost no person exists that has never uttered at lease one untruth. That is one of the wonderful things about this novel. It closely mimics real life. There are characters that lie for personal gain. There are also those that lie only in hopes of helping others. Though both are lies, one can be considered courteous or even heroic at times, where the other can only appear greedy and wrong no matter what light it is viewed in. Mark Twain often uses the river to denote freedom and purity, however just as many lies are told on the river as off. This is because Twain doesnt make the assumption that all lies are wicked, and can thus attach them to his symbol of pure good. Practically every good character in Huckleberry Finn lies. Huck himself lies on almost countless occasions. Miss Watson lies on at least one occasion. Jim tells several lies during the tale. Tom Sawyer is practically unable to speak the truth. Yet none of these characters are seen as morally corrupt. The villainous characters lie on a constant basis in the course of the story. The king makes lying an art at times, while the duke lies without pause for his entire appearance in the story. Pap makes up numerous tales during his time in the book. All these characters are considered evil and wrongdoers. The difference is the fact that the latter characters lie in hopes of personal gain, while the first characters lie to help others, or in order to entertain. Nearly every character lies in Huckleberry Finn; it is their motivation for their lies that defines their character to the reader. Huckleberry himself tells many a lie during the story. Perhaps his biggest lie is when he fakes his own death, and makes the whole town look for his dead carcass Clemens 32. This caused the widow and Miss Watson a terrible amount of heartache and concern. He also helped Jim escape by telling men on a passing boat that the man on his raft was his father who got the small pox rather than a run away slave Clemens 75. Although the first lie hurt some people, the reader interprets it as Hucks only choice and therefore doesnt mark him as a bad person Miner 23. The perception of Huck is that of a hero, so no matter the moral choices he makes, we tend to see him as such. Miss Watson, a picture of Godliness tells a terrible lie. She swore to Jim that he wouldnt sell him down to New Orleans, while she had full intention to until he ran off Clemens 39. This lie was the type that held gain for Miss Watson, but negative affects for others namely Jim. Yet even though she is seen as somewhat of an ogre until she eventually releases Jim, she is not seen as one of the villainous characters of the book for this lie. This has to do mostly with her being introduced with Hucks interests apparently as her main concern by giving him directions for his own good such as sit up straight and the like Clemens 8. By being brought into the readers view as a role model, the cruel lie she told is diminished and barley even dwelled upon by most readers. Tom Sawyer is a professional liar. .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .postImageUrl , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:hover , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:visited , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:active { border:0!important; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:active , .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u614ea20ed98802dfb3052551ffb1583d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella EssayTom however is considered imaginative rather than a liar for the most part. He is known well for his lies amongst the other characters. When Huck fakes his own death, Jim comments that Tom Sawyer couldnt get up no better plan since Tom is constantly lies Clemens 39. Tom also takes part in the scheme to steal Jim out of captivity; the whole time lying to Huck that Jim isnt free when he knows perfectly well that Miss Watson freed Jim on her deathbed. Toms character is a diabolical liar and is yet seen only as a mischief-maker and not a true threat to anyone. Even the lovable innocent Jim will lie for personal gain. Hisinnocence is lost when he successfully scams unwitting Huck Miner 21. He manages to trick Huck out of a quarter for the use of his magic hairball that tells the future Clemens 19. This lie was only designed to get Hucks money, not to hurt anyone. This and the fact that Jim is practically ignorant account for his being a hero in the story even though he lies to his friend and steals himself out of slavery. The King and the Duke are dubbed villains for their lies. Even the only names the reader is able to call them by are frauds. The Duke, purely to receive preferential treatment from Huck and Jim claims he is a descendant of the Duke of Bridgewater Clemens 100. Inspired by the dukes lie, the king tells his own tale. He claims to be the long lost King of France Dauphin Clemens 101. This is clearly not true to everyone except for trusting old Jim. Huck however treats them as royalty so as not to anger them. These men only lied in order to escape work and receive favors from Jim and Huck. They later deceive entire towns with their makeshift theatre presentation The Royal Nonesuch for financial gain Clemens 121. Also they play with the emotions of two girls that recently lost their uncle in order to steal his money. The king and the duke lie only toplease themselves, this is why, unlike other liars throughout the story, they are pegged as the criminals and eventually ridden out of town on a rail Miner 24. The river and the shore often have meanings in Huckleberry Finn. The river can represent purity and freedom. The shore almost always represents the things that are wrong with society and captivity. Even so, both contain an equal amount of lies. This suggests that the lies themselves are not necessarily evil, so much as the person telling them may be. The king and duke lie to Huck on the river on many occasions. This illustrates the fact that all the characters lie; it is just a question of their character that denotes the nature of the lie. Had all lies in the story been evil, Clemens never would have had any occur on the utopian Mississippi. While all characters and for the most part all people lie, it is the motivation behind the lie and the moral fiber of the person telling it that causes harm or good. The fact that a character in the story lies does not make them a bad or evil character, simply more realistic. The focus of Clemens through the social graces of his characters and their dialects was to create a true to life story. By adding the complexity of honesty to good or evil ends greatly contributes to this theme of realism.