Saturday, May 30, 2020

Business School Admissions The uphill climb to success on the GMAT

The GMAT, for many test takers, poses a major challenge on the route to business school admissions. If you’re feeling bummed out by your first attempt at a high score on the test and didn't do as well as you hoped (in spite of months of standardized test preparation), remember that the GMAT is hard for most test takers. Why is the GMAT such a beast? It’s computer adaptive, so it actually gets harder as you go if you’re doing well! It may just be high school math, but the questions are set up in ways that aren’t so straightforward. The test last 3.5 hours and tests many types of thinking: writing, data analysis, problem solving, reading comprehension, logic, and grammar. Switching between modalities while staying focused can be tough in of itself! Finally, like all standardized tests, it’s taxing emotionally and psychologically given the enormous pressure many students put on themselves before the test, and its implications for future the MBA application. Now, you’ve taken the GMAT once and came away unhappy with your score. So, what can you do now? 1. Remember that it’s OK to take the GMAT more than once. It’s not fun to sit for a 3+ hour test, but the experience of having taken the test once will actually help you the second time around. (Keep in mind that many students take the GMAT multiple times). 2. Understand how this first score fits into the bigger picture of your test prep: Was your score consistent with practice test results? If so, then think about fine-tuning how you study. Talk to an experienced test taker or GMAT tutor about ways to improve your test prep strategy moving forward. Or... Was your score totally off-base (i.e. was it much lower than your practice test scores)? If so, then give yourself a break and consider it a fluke. However, it’s still important to think back to what went amiss and let it inform your next attempt. 3. Set a second, realistic test date in the future. You can only take the GMAT once a calendar month, so that will build in a break between sittings. Make sure, though, that you aren’t personally rushing into the next test date. Allot yourself sufficient time to be as prepared, and confident, as possible heading into the test. (Review the application deadlines for your target schools and work backwards from there). 4. Take some time off from studying. A short vacation from the GMAT will allow you to let go of the disappointment or anxiety that resulted from your first try. Forget about the test for a few days, reset your study schedule and dive back in once you’re feeling refreshed. 5. Finally, maybe you should consider taking the GRE instead. Take a practice test to see how you do on the GRE. All that GMAT test prep will actually contribute to your success on the GRE, so it won’t have gone to waste. Check out this blog post and this article to learn about how GRE and GMAT scores are considered in business school admissions decisions. If you’ve read through this blog post, then you probably fall into the category of test takers described in #4 above (i.e. you deserve a short rest from the GMAT!). For the next few days, do anything but think about the test: read a good book, go to the beach, see a couple movies, whatever makes you happy. Remember that having taken the GMAT once will only improve your chances the next time around! ;

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Enquiry Concerning the Priniciples of Morals Essays

In his Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, Hume offers up a number of virtues and qualities which are valued for any of four reasons: they are useful to the individual, useful to society, agreeable to the individual, or agreeable to society. One of the qualities which Hume elucidates is justice. This quality, however, according to Hume, is valued solely for its usefulness and not upon any agreeability to anyone. Hume explains his position thusly. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hume imagines a scenario in which all things are both readily available and easy to obtain. In this situation, he says, justice is worthless, as there would be no squabbling or conflict over property rights, as replacing that which someone takes from you is†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To proceed in Hume’s own order, we must first examine the example of the Golden Age, the situation when all things are easily obtained. In this situation, Hume argues, the need for justice would be gone, as anything taken from you can be easily replaced. There are, however, numerous examples of this being entirely incorrect. Take, for example, Hume’s statement that this even applies to land, when it is in extreme abundance. However, you recall the Kansas Land Rush of 1889. In this situation, land was in the millions of acres, all waiting to be had, and yet dozens were killed over one small parcel of it. Jealousy and envy are not dispelled by mere abundance. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A troubling factor in Hume’s explanations of justice is that they all entail property justice. And what a small part of justice that is! In Hume’s utopia, then, a man whose wife leaves him for another would merely shrug his shoulders and go order a new one? And what consideration would be given, in absence of â€Å"useful† justice, to a man who was stabbed in an argument? Mere abundance of resources is hardly a thing to alleviate all problems. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The second example I discarded immediately, and I will explain more fully for my reasons in doing so. By creating a world in which there is absolute benevolence, Hume has

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Financial Analysis of McDonalds Company - 1482 Words

Financial Analysis of the McDonald’s Company MCD, exchange where traded NYSE 2111 Midwest Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 623-3000 PART 1, COMPANY OVERVIEW: a. McDonald’s is an American fast food chain that sells a variety of fast food alternatives, but most notably has earned its reputation and success for the hamburger. It is the largest fast food chain in the world, with globally recognized â€Å"golden arches† symbolizing a reliable meal can be had in over 119 countries. McDonald’s has continued to develop their menu to reflect the desire/demands of their customers. The current CEO of McDonald’s is Mr. Don Thompson. b. McDonald’s was started in the 1940s as a BBQ restaurant owned and operated by Richard and†¦show more content†¦In order to increase their profit margin, McDonald’s must continue to try and find ways to reduce COGS. This is because many of the other expenses are much harder to influence. Selling General and Administrative (SGA) expenses have most likely already been trimmed to the minimum over the company’s life, taxes are required by the Government, and interest expense makes up only a small portion of expenses. The company may need to do a cost-benefit analysis to determine what may be done to reduce COGS. One idea may to better vertically integrate the company, or to remove menu items which are unpopular and/or seasonal. c. Assets Distribution: Year-end FY 2011 Assets:  Cash 2.3 Accounts Receivable 1.3 Inventory 0.12 Fixed Assets (PPE) 22.8 Other Assets 1.67  PIE CHART OF ASSETS, Year-end FY 2011 COMMENTS: As depicted in the chart, the companies’ assets are largely fixed. This comes as no surprise since the company consists of over 33,000 restaurant locations worldwide. The percentage of fixed assets as compared to current assets does mean though that the company is not liquid, which means it cannot quickly convert its assets to cash. The low inventory which actually makes up just 0.4% of the asset distribution is normal due to the fact that the company is a restaurant chain, and much of the product has a quick shelf life. c. Capital Structure: Year-end FY 2011 Capital Structure:Show MoreRelatedMcdonald s Corporation International Financial Performance Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper analyzes McDonald s corporation and Wendy s corporation international financial performance. Data for various financial ratios have been adopted from income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. The biggest fast food chains and widely known are McDonald s and Wendy s. To compare these two companies financial capabilities we will have to look at current ratio, earnings per share, earnings/price, equity/debt ratio and divided yield all need to be carefully thought out toRead MoreMcdonald s Corporation : The World s Largest Chain Of Fast Food Restaurants Essay1600 Words   |  7 Pagesworldwide (McDonald s, n.d.). 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Mc Donald has many strengths and resourcesRead MoreMcDonalds Wendys Financial Statement Comparison Essay1693 Words   |  7 PagesMcDonalds Wendys Financial Statement Comparison Financial Statement Analysis Project The two companies that I will be comparing in this project are McDonalds and Wendys. Both of these companies are competitors in the same industry. I am using the information from their 2005 Financial Statements. Debt-to-Assets Ratio When comparing the debt-to-assets ratio of McDonalds and Wendys, you have to divide the firms total liabilities by their total assets. EssentiallyRead MoreMcdonald s Business Strategy Analysis1465 Words   |  6 PagesEven McDonald has built in America but in recently, to describe McDonald’s restaurant, it is one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world. Today, McDonald has cover more than 100 countries, more than 30,000 restaurants and serves more than 50 million worldwide in one day. McDonald use letter M with golden color for their logo, the logo is really important because the company show the brand quality and company has developed for customers for many years ago. However, the McDonald has beenRead MoreMcdonald’s Case Analysis Essay606 Words   |  3 PagesMcDonald’s Case Analysis Lera Ford BUSN412 Business Policy October 19, 2011 CASE ANALYSIS McDonald’s COMPANY NAME: McDonald’s INDUSTRY: Fast Food COMPANY WEBSITE: (www.mcdonalds.com) COMPANY BACKGROUND: Richard and Maurice McDonald started the first restaurant to sell hamburgers, fries, and milk shakes. Then Ray A. Kroc opens his first McDonalds and decides that he could make more money by selling them milk-shake mixers. (Dess, 2010). Overtime they were able to continue to profitRead MoreBurger King : The Financial Analysis1016 Words   |  5 Pages McDonald’s V.s. 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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Problems with Education in America Essay Example For Students

Problems with Education in America Essay Many people believe that there is a crisis in the educational system in America right now. People are especially worried about the low scores that high school seniors recently received after taking an international placement test. The U. S. was ranked very low in comparison to forty other industrialized nations. Because of this, a large group of politicians and educators want to increase the standards expected by high schools for their students. However, there are several reasons why this sort of change would be difficult for schools to accomplish. There is some question about whether or not these test scores truly reflect the mathematical abilities of todays students. Two of the bigger problems expected originate from the issues of public school funding and child poverty, although there are several other factors contributing to the problem. The tests are taken by fourth graders, eighth graders, and twelfth graders. The children in the lower grades scored higher nationally within their respective test levels than the high school students, but the scores were still fairly low. Students were tested in four subjects: general mathematics, general science, advanced mathematics, and physics. In general mathematics, American 12th graders did better than those in only two countries, Cyprus and South Africa (Times 1998:2). In physics and advanced mathematics, no country performed more poorly (Times 1998: 2). Because the fourth and eighth graders did better on the tests, experts argued that American pupils start out ahead of their foreign peers in elementary school but as they move through middle and high school are challenged less and less because the curriculum tends to be repetitive (Times 1998: 3). In an attempt to raise the overall average math and science scores of U. S. seniors, certain authorities want to initiate a new set of higher standards in these subject areas. They believe that the trouble stems from poorly trained teachers who do not understand or care about their jobs (Times 1998:1). This is not the case. The real issues are out of the control of educators. One example of these issues is poor school funding. The majority of public schools receive funding locally from property tax; therefore, students who live in wealthier neighborhoods will have access to schools with higher funding because the tax payers in that area will have more to give. On the other hand, students who live in poor, impoverished communities will not have the benefits that more affluent schools have. This creates a problem because until there is some sort of equity in funding for all public schools, raising the standards of education will not be realistic. In a poor school, teachers are scarce and the teacher to student ratio is highly disproportionate. There are often an overwhelmingly larger amount of students than there are of teachers at main public schools. Without the money needed to hire more teachers, update textbooks, and renovate old and decrepit facilities, raising academic standards will not only be a futile venture, it may also put underprivileged students at more of a disadvantage than they already are. If are told that they must meet higher standards, orworseif they are chastised because they cannot do so, then they will have been punished for events beyond their control (Biddle 1997: 6). One proposed solution is referred to as the foundation program (Kozol 1991: 207). According to the specifications of this program, there would be a few different steps in raising more money for public schools. First, there would be a local tax upon the value of the homes and businesses in a given district that would cover some of the funds (Kozol 1991:208). .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .postImageUrl , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:hover , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:visited , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:active { border:0!important; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 { 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; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:active , .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .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; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8 .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc8af3b4f6f7f4c9b165ba67969fa3bf8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: After the Civil War ended, chaos engulfed the stat EssayThis would probably be enough for wealthy neighborhoods but in the other cases, the state will then provide sufficient funds to lift the poorer districts to a level () roughly equal to that of the richest districts (Kozol 1991: 208). Although this plan has merits and could perhaps work, it is unlikely that the state would be willing to budget that much money to help fund poor school districts. Until students are able to go to equally funded schools, they will not receive the same quality of education as those students in wealthier districts. The same sort of argument applies to the issue of child poverty. When children grow up in impoverished homes, they are often exposed to chronic pain and disease and communities that are afflicted by physical decay, serious crime, gangs, and drugs (Biddle 1997: 4). They are not able to attend schools that offer quality a education, and therefore will never be able to succeed academically. Even if poorer students are able to go to schools with higher funding, they are generally tracked into lower level courses and designated as at risk students. If this is in fact the case, those students will have to work extremely hard to move up to a different level because their homes provide little access to the books, writing materials, computers, and other supports for education that are normally present in middle-class or affluent homes (Biddle 1997: 3). Therefore, these students often become labeled early on in their lives and teachers tend to expect less of them than they would of those students labeled differently. Raising the standards for these children would be nearly impossible. However, there are some people who believe that the math and science tests which have so many officials worried are not necessarily that important. It is the opinion of some educators that, although education probably does need some improvement, these tests may not need to be the focus. Fourth and eighth graders who took these tests scored significantly higher than the twelfth graders did which may show that recent attention to standards and better schools had begun to pay off but had not reached the upper levels of schooling (Bronner 1998: 2). Others argue that the colleges in America are widely known to be the best in the world; therefore, something had to have gone right in the earlier years to constitute such excellent universities. Other sources say that we should offer a wider variety of math and science courses and that in these courses, we should emphasize problem solving and the application of mathematical knowledge, rather than math that on one mode of computation and usually precise answers only (Brodinsky 1985: 28). American schools seem to offer a more creative foundation of knowledge than other nations. Although the core subjectsmath, science, reading, writing, etc. are important, it is also essential to offer subject such as humanities, foreign languages, and fine arts, in order to produce a well-rounded education. There is no resolution in sight for the problem in American education and, therefore, the debate about what sort of action to take will continue. The opposing sides are equally matched and the students are now left to bear the consequences of any decisions made by politicians and policy-makers about the future of their education. But until we can work out the problems associated with the economic positions of public school students, nothing can be accomplished. We will not make progress through the rigorous testing of students in math and science. These tests are not as necessary as improving the quality of the overall education and learning experience of American students.