Complete List Which Colleges Require ACT Writing 100+ Schools

Complete List Which Colleges Require ACT Writing 100+ Schools SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve just signed up for the ACT. But did you know that there is an optional Writing test for the ACT?More importantly, do you know if your dream schools require or recommendthis ACT section? Check outour regularly updatedlist of schoolsto find out if the Writing ACT is worth your time and money. We'll then give you our top tips for acing the ACT Writing section. What Is the ACT Writing Test? The ACT Writing test is an optional essay test you can take immediately after the other sections of the ACT. It costs an additional $16.50 and 40 minutes of your time. It's available to take after the ACT on all seven national testing dates in the USA. Keep in mind when deciding to take it or not that you cannot just take the ACT Writing test on its own- you can only take it while suitably exhausted after taking all the other ACT sections! The writing test is meant to measure the writing skills you should have learned in your English classes throughout high school.It also claims to be a measure of how you might do in entry-level composition classes in college. So, what exactly is the test like? First, you'll be given a prompt that tells you about an issue. You will also be presented with three possible points of view on this topic. You then must write an essay on your point of view. You can either borrow and elaborate on one of the ones provided, or offer up a fourth viewpoint. (Sound tough?See this article for some top ACT Essay strategies.) Your ACT Writing score (which is scored on a scale of 2-12) is not part of your composite ACT score (out of 36), which consists only of your English, Math, Reading, and Science scores. Instead, your essay score is added to your English and Reading scores and then averaged to give you what is called an English Language Arts (ELA) score. Read our guide for a full breakdown ofhow the ACT is scored. Why Do Some Schools Require ACT Writing? You might be surprised to learn that not all schools require the ACT Writing test! In fact, in recent years many schools that previously required ACT Writing have opted to make the section optional or not even review it at all if students choose to take it. However, those schools that do require it think they have a pretty good reason to do so. These schools think that your essay score, combined with your English and Reading ACT scores, can help them understand your grasp of English and your ability to produce a sample of writing under pressure. This is quite a different skill compared to what they see when you submit your personal statement and other essays in your applications. They are assuming that those have been proofread by 50 of your closest friends and family members, and that they have been heavily edited and reviewed for hours on end. So while your personal statement is more like a heavily photoshopped selfie in flattering lighting, ACT Writingis more like a candid snapshot of your writing abilities. Specifically, these colleges want to get a better idea ofyour reasoning skills and your ability to defend a point of view.Can you write logically and coherently? Can you use proper sentence structure without Microsoft Word telling you what you've done wrong? The Writing Test is your chance to prove you have all these skills. Apart from your application, the combined English Language Arts score has another use for many schools. For example, colleges might use your score to help place you in different levels of English classes.So thiscould potentially save you the trouble of having to take a placement test once you arrive at college in the fall! What Kind of Colleges Require ACT Writing? Now then, what colleges actually require ACT Writing? The answer to this question might surprise you! Read on to learn which schools require the Writing section of the ACT- and which don't. Fact Check: Most Top Schools Don't Require ACT Writing Perhaps surprisingly, most top-ranked colleges and universities do notrequire ACT Writing. In recent years, many top schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Brown, and Stanford, have stopped requiring the ACT Writing test. Currently, none of the Ivy Leagues require ACT Writing. Many top public colleges, including the University of Michigan, and University of Texas,have also stopped requiring ACT Writing, althoughtheUC systemstill does require the ACT Writing section. Do Top Journalism, Humanities, and English ProgramsRequire ACT Writing? Some do, but there are quite afew notable exceptions to this.Pepperdine and George Washington University, which are known asgreat journalism schools, do not require ACT Writing (though the latter recommends it). Similarly, Georgetown and the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts offer great English degrees and do not require the ACT with Writing. Hamilton College in New York, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Iowa, and Colorado College all have great writing programs and do not require the Writing ACT. Several well-known, smaller liberal arts colleges do not require (although they might recommend) the ACT with Writing; these include Amherst, Wellesley, Swarthmore,Bowdoin, Pomona, Haverford, and Davidson College. Finally, the University of Chicago is great all around for humanities and doesnot require it. Do Top Technical/Math/Science Schools Require ACT Writing? As you might expect,most of the top tech/math/science schools don't require the ACT Writing,including Caltech, MIT and the University of Michigan. Yes, tech schools also care about your writing ability. Why Should You Care About ACT Writing? Below, we've broken down by state and territory every college that either requires or recommends the ACT Plus Writing. Keep in mind that although you don't have to take the ACT with Writing, unless you want to apply to a college on the list below, you still have the option toif you wish. You can usually submit the Writing test to colleges even if they don't require it. By doing this, you allow them to consider your essayalong with the rest of your application. Some schools will treat ACT Writing as equally important to the other ACT sections, whereas others will give it less weight. But the bottom line is this:a strong Writing score will almost always help you out. If you opt to take the test and score well on it, it could be a great way to enhance your application and give you an edge! Fortunately, this is a real possibilitybecause just like every other part of the ACT, the essay can be taught so that you can excel on it. So if you're thinking of taking the ACT Plus Writing, either because you have to or because you just want that extra bright point in your application, it is definitely worth your time to study and practice so that you canmaster the ACT Essay. Another point: you might change your mind about what colleges you want to apply to, and that is another reason it's a good idea to take the ACT Plus Writing. If your plans change, you don't want to have to retake the whole ACT just because you didn't think ahead! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Where are your dream schools on the list? Full List of Colleges That Require ACT Writing This comprehensive list of four-year universities is broken down by state. The first colleges in each section are those that require the Writing ACT; these are then followed by schools that recommend it. Recommend means that the college doesn't require it, but that scoring well on it will improve the strength of your application and help you reach equal footing with other applicants who do take it. To find your favorite schools, either scroll down to the state in which they're located or use ctrl+F to search for a specific school name. Keep in mind that school requirements frequently change (especially with the recent rise in test-optional admissions), so it's always a good idea to check with individual schools before you apply. All data comes from the official ACT, Inc. website. ALABAMA Recommended: Alabama AM University Alabama State University Auburn University Miles College Oakwood University Spring Hill College Troy University University of Alabama ALASKA Recommended: University of Alaska Fairbanks ARIZONA Recommended: Grand Canyon University University of Arizona Grand Canyon University, Arizona ARKANSAS Recommended: Crowley's Ridge College Hendrix College John Brown University CALIFORNIA Required: Chapman University Golden State Baptist College Scripps College Soka University of America UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Merced UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz University of La Verne University of California at Berkeley Recommended: California Christian College California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo California State University- Bakersfield California State University - Northridge Cogswell Polytechnical College Columbia College Hollywood Dominican University of California Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising- Los Angeles Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising- San Francisco Fresno Pacific University Holy Names University New School of Architecture Design Oak Valley College Occidental College Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Providence Christian College San Diego Christian College Stanford University Thomas Aquinas College University of Northern California University of Redlands Westmont College Whittier College William Jessup University Pepperdine is one university thatneitherrequires nor recommends ACT Writing COLORADO Recommended: Art Institute of Colorado Colorado School of Mines Johnson Wales University- Denver Rocky Mountain College of Art Design University of Colorado- Colorado Springs CONNECTICUT Recommended: Lincoln College of New England New England Baptist College Post University Trinity College - Connecticut United States Coast Guard Academy University of Bridgeport University of Connecticut Yale University DELAWARE Required: Delaware State University Recommended: University of Delaware DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Recommended: George Washington University Howard University Trinity (Washington) University University of the District of Columbia American University does NOTrequire the ACT Writing FLORIDA Required: Florida AM University Florida Atlantic University Florida International University Trinity Baptist College Recommended: Ave Maria University Bethune-Cookman University College of Central Florida Emmaus Baptist College Florida Baptist College - Tampa Florida College Hobe Sound Bible College Johnson Wales University- North Miami Keiser University- Pembroke Pines Naaleh College Palm Beach Atlantic University Reformation Bible College Rollins College Saint Leo University University of Tampa Webber International University Whitefield College Theological Seminary GEORGIA Required: Morris Brown College Recommended: Berry College Covenant College Fort Valley State University Morehouse College Oglethorpe University Toccoa Falls College University of West Georgia Emory University used to recommend ACT Writing but now does NOT HAWAII Required: University of Hawaii at Manoa Recommended: Hawaii Pacific University O.P. Jindal Global University IDAHO Recommended: Boise Bible College New Saint Andrews College ILLINOIS Required: Morthland College St. Joseph College Seminary VanderCook College of Music Recommended: Benedictine University Christian Life College Columbia College Chicago DanEL Christian College East-West University Eastern Illinois University Greenville College Lake Forest College Lincoln Christian University Loyola University of Chicago Methodist College of Nursing National Louis University Northern Illinois University Robert Morris University Southern Illinois University - Carbondale University of Illinois - Chicago View of the Loop from University of Illinois Chicago campus INDIANA Required: Fairhaven College Indiana University East Recommended: American Conservatory of Music Anderson University Art Institute of Indianapolis Crossroads Bible College Franklin College Holy Cross College Huntington University Indiana State University Indiana University Kokomo Indiana University Southeast Indiana University - Purdue University at Columbus Indiana Wesleyan University Purdue University Purdue University - North Central Taylor University Union Bible College University of Evansville University of Indianapolis University of Notre Dame University of Southern Indiana Valparaiso University Wabash College University of Notre Dame IOWA Recommended: Ashford University Divine Word College Faith Baptist Bible College Grand View University Iowa Wesleyan College Mercy College of Health Sciences Morningside College KANSAS Recommended: Barclay College Haskell Indian Nations University Kansas City College and Bible School McPherson College KENTUCKY Required: Louisville Bible College Simmons College of Kentucky Recommended: Campbellsville University Centre College Northern Kentucky University LOUISIANA Recommended: Louisiana State University AM - Baton Rouge Loyola University New Orleans Our Lady of the Lake College Tulane University World Evangelism Bible College Xavier University You never know where Mike the Tiger is going to show up at LSU(Derek Jensen/Flickr) MAINE Recommended: Colby College Husson University Maine Maritime Academy University of Maine at Fort Kent Universityof Maine University of New England University of Southern Maine MARYLAND Required: Washington Adventist University Recommended: Antietam Bible College Maryland Institute College of Art MASSACHUSETTS Harvard campus Recommended: Amherst College Bard College at Simon’s Rock Bay Path University Becker College Bridgewater State University Elms College Emerson College Endicott College Lesley University Massachusetts College of Pharmacology and Health Sciences Massachusetts Maritime Academy Mount Ida College Northpoint Bible College Regis College Simmons College UMass Amherst UMass Boston Wentworth Institute of Technology MICHIGAN Required: College for Creative Studies University of Michigan Recommended: Andrews University Baker College Online Baker College at Allen Park Central Michigan University Cleary University Compass College of Cinematic Arts Concordia University - Ann Arbor Cornerstone University Grace Baptist College Grace Bible College Grand Valley State University Great Lakes Christian College Madonna University Sacred Heart Major Seminary Spring Arbor University University of Michigan- Ann Arbor University of Michigan - Flint MINNESOTA Required: University of Minnesota- Rochester Recommended: Augsburg University Bethany Lutheran College Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Martin Luther College McNally Smith College of Music University of Minnesota - Morris University of Minnesota- Twin Cities University of Northwestern- St. Paul MISSISSIPPI None MISSOURI Required: Urshan College Recommended: Baptist Bible College College of the Ozarks Drury University Logan University Missouri Baptist University St. Louis Christian College Webster University William Jewell College MONTANA Required: University of Montana Western Recommended: Carroll College Montana State University- Bozeman Montana State University- Northern Montana Tech of the University of Montana University of Montana University of Providence Yellowstone Christian College University of Montana wins most dramatic campus location NEBRASKA Recommended: Saint Gregory the Great Seminary Summit Christian College Union College York College NEVADA Recommended: Art Institute of Las Vegas Western Nevada Community College NEW HAMPSHIRE Recommended: Keene State College New Hampshire Institute of Art Northeast Catholic College Plymouth State University Saint Anselm College NEW JERSEY Recommended: Caldwell University Centenary College Rider University Rutgers- State University of New Jersey Princeton used to require ACT Writing but now does not- lucky you! NEW MEXICO Recommended: University of the Southwest NEW YORK Required: CUNY- John Jay College of Criminal Justice Concordia College List College- Jewish Theological Seminary Molloy College SUNY College at Old Westbury SUNY Maritime College United States Military Academy (West Point) Recommended: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Bar-Ilan University Binghamton University- SUNY CUNY- Medgar Evers College Canisius College College of New Rochelle Cooper Union Culinary Institute of America Dominican College Farmingdale State College Globe Institute of Technology Hobart and William Smith Colleges Iona College King's College Mercy College Morrisville State College New York Institute of Technology Parsons The New School for Design Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Rochester Institute of Technology St. John’s University SUNY College at Buffalo Stony Brook University - SUNY Touro College University at Buffalo- SUNY Webb Institute of Naval Architecture Wells College NORTH CAROLINA Required: Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University North Carolina Central University Queens University of Charlotte University of North Carolina School of the Arts Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State University The chapel at Duke University Recommended: Barber-Scotia College Bennett College Brevard College Davidson College East Carolina University Grace Baptist Bible College Johnson Wales University- Charlotte Laurel University Mars Hill University North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina Wesleyan College Salem College University of North Carolina at Pembroke NORTH DAKOTA Recommended: Dickinson State University Mayville State University Trinity Bible College OHIO Required: God’s Bible School and College Lake Erie College Recommended: Allegheny Wesleyan College Bowling Green State University Cedarville University Cleveland Institute of Music College of Wooster Columbus College of Art and Design Heidelberg University John Carroll University Kent State University- Salem Kent State University- Stark Kent State University- Trumbull Miami University- Middletown Mount St. Joseph University Ohio University- Athens Ohio Wesleyan University South University- Cleveland Tiffin University University of Rio Grande University of Toledo Urbana University Ursuline College Walsh University Wilberforce University OKLAHOMA Required: East Central University Recommended: Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College Oklahoma Wesleyan University Saint Gregory’s University Spartan School of Aeronautics I wonder if you can still send this in? OREGON Required: Portland State University Recommended: Corban University Oregon State University Western Oregon University Willamette University PENNSYLVANIA Required: Muhlenberg College University of the Sciences in Philadelphia York College of Pennsylvania Recommended: Bryn Athyn College Bryn Mawr College Central Penn College Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Delaware Valley University Elizabethtown College Gettysburg College Gwynedd Mercy University Holy Family University Lancaster Bible College Lehigh University Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Lycoming College Messiah College Millersville University of Pennsylvania Rosemont College Saint Francis University Seton Hill University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Waynesburg University May Day at Bryn Mawr RHODE ISLAND Required: Rhode Island College Rhode Island School of Design Recommended: Johnson Wales University- Providence SOUTH CAROLINA Recommended: American College of the Building Arts Charleston Southern University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston Furman University Lander University North Greenville University South Carolina State University Southern Methodist College University of South Carolina - Aiken Voorhees College SOUTH DAKOTA Recommended: Black Hills State University TENNESSEE Recommended: Bethel University Carson-Newman University Cumberland University Fisk University Lincoln MemorialUniversity Martin Methodist College Memphis College of Art Mid-South Christian College O'More College of Design Tennessee State University University of the South TEXAS Required: Hardin-Simmons University Paul Quinn College Southwest School of Art St. Edward’s University Stephen F. Austin State University Tarleton State University University of Dallas University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Welcome! Recommended: Abilene Christian University Arlington Baptist College Art Institute of Houston Austin College Dallas Christian College Huston-Tillotson University Jarvis Christian College McMurry University Messenger College Mexican American Catholic College North American College Schreiner University Southwestern Assemblies of God University Texas AM International University Texas AM University - Corpus Christi Texas College Texas Independent Baptist School Texas Southern University Texas State University University of Houston - Main Campus University of Houston- Victoria University of Incarnate Word University of North Texas University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas at Tyler UTAH Recommended: Brigham Young University George Wythe University Neumont University Weber State University Westminster College VERMONT Recommended: College of Saint Joseph Johnson State College Middlebury College Saint Michael’s College University of Vermont Vermont Technical College VIRGINIA Recommended: Hartland College Hollins University Old Dominion University Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College University of Mary Washington WASHINGTON Required: University of Washington Tacoma Recommended: Art Institute of Seattle DigiPen Institute of Technology Eastern Washington University Saint Martin’s University Seattle Pacific University Seattle University University of Washington (Seattle) University of Washington Bothell WEST VIRGINIA Required: West Virginia University West Virginia University Institute of Technology Recommended: Bluefield State College Very dramatic, West Virginia WISCONSIN Recommended: Cardinal StritchUniversity CarrollUniversity MarquetteUniversity Saint Norbert College Silver Lake College WYOMING Recommended: Wyoming Catholic College VIRGIN ISLANDS Recommended: University of the Virgin Islands What’s Next? Now that you know whether you need to take ACT Writing, make sure you do well on it. Learn the prompts that ACT Writing tests, 15 strategies to improve your ACT Writing score, and how to get a 12 on the essay. Ready to work for a killer ACT English Language Arts Score? Make sure to remind yourself of what’s actually tested on ACT English and ACT Reading. For top strategies for scoring a 36 on ACT English, check out this article. Don’t forget the rest of the test- here are tips for getting a perfect ACT score, by a 36 full scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Conjugating the French Verb Rire (to Laugh)

Conjugating the French Verb Rire (to Laugh) In French, the verb  rire  means to laugh. Its a fun and simple word and, hopefully, youll have plenty of opportunities to use it while studying French. The key to using  rire  properly in sentences is learning the most common conjugations so you can use it in the present, past, and future tenses. This lesson will show you how thats done. The Basic Conjugations of  Rire Rire may be a short word, but its also an irregular verb. This means that it does not follow the same pattern for the infinitive endings as most other French verbs. However, it is similar to sourire (to smile), so you can study the two together to make each a little easier. To start any conjugation, we need to identify the verb stem. In this case, that is simply   ri-. With that, youll add the various endings that match the subject pronoun as well as the tense of the sentence. For example, I am laughing is  je ris  and we laughed is  nous riions. Present Future Imperfect je ris rirai riais tu ris riras riais il rit rira riait nous rions rirons riions vous riez rirez riiez ils rient riront riaient The Present Participle of Rire In French, the  present participle  is most often formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem. Rire  follows this rule to form  riant. Rire  in the Past Tense Rather than use the imperfect to indicate the past tense of laughed, you can use the passà © composà ©. To form it, you will need the auxiliary verb avoir and the very short past participle ri. It is rather easy to construct this common form of the past tense. For example, I laughed is  jai ri  and we were laughing is  nous avons ri. Notice how  avoir  is the only word that needs to be conjugated and that it is in the present tense. This is because the past participle indicates that the action has already happened. More Simple Conjugations of Rire The verb conjugations above are most common, but you may need to know more forms of  rire  as you become more fluent in French. For instance, if theres a doubt as to whether someone is laughing, you can use the subjunctive verb mood. In a similar fashion, if someone wont laugh unless something else happens, use the conditional verb mood. There may also be times when youll encounter either the passà © simple  or  the imperfect subjunctive. These are, however, most often found in formal French, particularly literature. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je rie rirais ris risse tu ries rirais ris risses il rie rirait rit rt nous riions ririons rmes rissions vous riiez ririez rtes rissiez ils rient riraient rirent rissent When you wish to use  rire  in short commands or requests theres no need to include the subject pronoun. This is called  the imperative verb mood  and rather than saying  tu ris, you can simplify it to  ris. Imperative (tu) ris (nous) rions (vous) riez

The Benefits of Single Parenting vs Two Parents Essay

The Benefits of Single Parenting vs Two Parents - Essay Example The parents tend to bring their ego in petty matters and argue with each other. This makes the environment in the family not only uncomfortable for the child but also for the parents. A single parent does not have to go through all this. He/she is independent in his/her decisions and there is no one to challenge them. â€Å"When I call out, "Bedtime," there's no one to say, "Aw, let them stay up another half hour."† (Mohler, 2011). Accordingly, the parent enjoys complete right over the child. Stronger Bond with the Child A child’s bond with a single parent is usually stronger than it usually is with either of the two parents when he/she has both. Single parents are often the role models for their children. Children grow up imitating the attitudes, activities and ideology of the single parent. â€Å"A single parent is also more readily available to observe changes in the child's behavior and attitudes, as well as getting to know the peer group the child chooses to surro und her/him† (Squidoo, 2011). Having both parents, children tend to be careless towards their parents. They know if the mother scolds, they can side with the father and when the father is outrageous, they can seek refuge in the mother’s lap. But having a single parent means no escape whatever the parent says or does. There is nobody the child can look up to for any kind of help but the single parent. Over the time, such a bonding between the single parent and the child proves very beneficial for the parent. Many children escort their old parents to the old houses when they grow up and get married themselves. Children think that the couple would take care of each other’s needs. But a child would think a thousand times before doing this to a single parent considering he/she has been the child’s only guardian all life long and must be taken special care of now that he/she is old. The life-long struggle of the single parent pays off in the end in a vast majori ty of the cases while the opposite is true for the dual parents. Development of Solid Child Identity Single parenting develops a solid identity in the child. Single parent is like an open book. The child reads the book and does accordingly. Children who grow up under the supervision of dual parents have the tendency to become confused because of the conflicting views, beliefs and opinions of the two parents. Let’s take a case for example in which the two parents belong to different religions. The father is a Christian and the mother is a Hindu. The father goes to the Church while the mother goes to the Temple. The father eats beef burgers while the mother worships the cow. The father does not worship the idols while the mother does. All of this is very confusing for the child. Parents are supposedly the role models for the children. When the two role models display different and often conflicting characteristics, the child becomes confused and is not able to work out which of the two is correct and which is not. Such marriages have frequently inculcated such a culture in the home, wherein the child starts believing in both the religions. The mixture of the two religions gives rise to a third religion that has extremely subjective foundations and whose beliefs and perceptions are entirely challengeable. The child having multiple beliefs himself is very confused. On one occasion, he worships the cow and on another, he eats it. This

Alien Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alien Culture - Essay Example So to overcome this fear and to push myself out of my comfort zone I chose to sell. Negotiating is often not considered an imperative part of leadership but it is, for instance, if a student needs to ask the university to add a course in their curriculum, the leadership needs to negotiate (. I purchased back-support cushions that one puts on their office chairs. The logic behind these cushions is they support the back when the person needs to sit for longer hours for work. I purchased 10 of these and tried to approach people outside an office in the hopes of selling them. I put the bag that had 10 cushions aside and picked out one. I literally went up to people in suits and tried to sell these. The idea was not to sell at a profit, the idea was just to sell! This challenge taught me that the most daunting aspect of selling is the approach. The feeling one gets right before approaching someone, whether it is asking for a raise or asking to buy a product. There is another lesson that I learned that no matter what you are selling a person needs to stay calm, relaxed, confident and has to look the potential customer in the eye. However, one should not appear challenging or intimidating the customer. This challenge proved more difficult than I had imagined. I thought that people would buy these cushions when I offer them a discount, but that wasnt the case. Simply, people were not interested in them. But I stood committed. There was a moment during the day when I asked myself ‘am I wasting time?’ ‘Is selling, persuading and negotiating not my thing?’ But then my commitment compelled me to finish the task and I ended up making a certain profit which I wasnt even aiming for. After asking people for two hours without a positive response I got angry but more importantly, I became determined. I overcame the anxiety of having a difficult conversation. I realized that there isnt much to

Scheduling And Progress Monitoring Analysis Construction Essay

Scheduling And Progress Monitoring Analysis Construction Essay Effective project management is important in order to ensure that projects are delivered within budget, time and to the agreed quality. It demands a comprehensive understanding of the key stages, which are critical to success, in the life cycle of a construction project. In aid of achieving good planning takes time, but it ensures that the project will be on budget, on time and also risks are minimised. It makes sure that organisational values and client requirements are clear and understood. Good planning has as a result to reduce waste deliver better design. Furthermore, it helps the project team to manage better with risks as they happen, which otherwise possibly will cause greater delay and increased costs (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). This section describes the scheduling and progress monitoring activities for managing the project with supporting processes like as change control. The schedule is also known as the time plan. The project sponsor, through the project manager, is responsible for scheduling and monitoring progress. A programme, in the context of construction projects, is a schedule that identifies the work to be carried out as a series of activities and plots the time periods required to execute and complete each activity and the interdependencies between each activity (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Schedule is a diagrammatic representation of activities and their time relationship. Also, schedule is known as project programme. (Construction Industry Council, 1996). A programme also controls resources needed and their availability. It is essential to know possible risks or problems. The project manager must check the schedule and progress monitoring against progress already achieved in aid of understanding where difficulties and risks are possibly to arise and to establish different course of action in order to reduce their impact. (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Risk management is a core process within any business or organization regardless of size, activity or sector. Individuals and organizations can lose substantial sums of money as a result of not paying sufficient attention to the identification and management of threats to their goals and to the projects they commission. Similarly, full advantage cannot be taken of potentially beneficial opportunities arising in the course of their activities if these are not recognized in good time. The project sponsor must be capable to identify those tasks that lie on the critical path. Critical path is the shortest possible time based on hypothesis about the tasks to be carried out and the resources available. Time for the processes should be integrated as specific activities in the schedule of the project. The schedule is an estimate that is based on considered assumptions on issues such as likely risk (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Some estimation might prove to be wrong. Some deviations might be expected but these will accepted if they do not affect the critical path and the project is finished on time. Techniques include bar and Gantt charts and network planning help with progress monitoring. Bar and Gantt charts define an uncomplicated view of activities aligned with timetables. Network planning is especially useful for complex projects because it links dependent activities in a logical order (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). The project sponsor must make an effort in order that final schedule to be simple and straightforward. The networks of activities of the final schedules, and the interrelationships between them should be sophisticated and comprehensive. They must be rapidly understood of the project sponsor that is why color-coded bar charts are used as management control documents (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Schedule planning tasks The project manager must report on schedule planning to the project sponsor on behalf of the project team. The project manager must produce a work breakdown structure (WBS). WBS defines the work content of the project in terms of basic elements, work packages, generic tasks and detailed tasks (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). The main schedule planning must show how elements affect each other. It defines activities and also establishes the logical relationships of the activities. It determines the work content, the duration and the required resources of each activity. Furthermore, it also defines the critical path, which determines the duration of the project. Finally, it can optimize the time plan by resource leveling. Resource leveling compares the calculated requirements with those actually available and recalculates the network to spread resources more evenly (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Progress monitoring Progress monitoring includes reviewing monthly progress reports produced by the project manager with others in the integrated project team (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Progress monitoring must focus on critical activities and warn the SPOs attention in the proper time in order to appropriate actions to be taken as soon as possible. The project sponsor must understand the total rate of the whole progress in order to judge the forecast completion date. In order to measure the progress, the percentage completion of an activity can be measure in terms of cost and time. The planned progress must be compared with the actual progress. Also progress can be measure the work in progress by taking account of milestones of the project. Any impact on critical must be checked in order to finish the project on time. Furthermore progress can be monitored by the payment progress and from resources still required. (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). An essential element of process monitoring is the process of tome control. A time control system can cover time budget, time plan and time checking. Time budget represents the overall project duration as developed by specific constrains of the project in the contract strategy. It is the period which fixed one time and from that moment becomes one of the most important parameters for management of the project. Time plan is a division of total time into interlinked time allowances for identifiable activities, which can be defined start and finish points. Time checking is monitoring the time actually spent on each activity and compared it with the allowance in the time plan. If any divergence is identified, it must be reported as soon as possible. (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). In the case that an activity on the critical path exceeds its time allowance later activities must re-sequenced, or try to shorten the planned time for future critical activities by increasing the resources (extra cost) for the specific activities. If neither is possible to be done, the project will finish late. The project sponsor must understand that time control is as essential during the planning stages as the construction stages of the project. (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Progress reports Progress reports are essential reports in the whole process of the project, because they keep the project sponsor informed about the project progress. They discover problems and choices for their resolution. Additionally, they provide the necessary information to enable the project sponsor to make decisions on time. Progress reports demonstrate that the integrated project team executes their responsibilities properly and that the management processes procedures and controls are operating successfully. They provide an authority, and a communication tool in a simple and comprehensive format, for the whole project team. Furthermore they provide a time reference for meetings and plans. In addition the gathering of statistics by the department permits external monitoring and identify best practice and support of improvement in performance. (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Change control Change can be handled most successfully through project planning and control. Change for any reason must be treated as a project risk. Changes to design, especially after contract award, are one of the major causes of time and cost overruns and poor value for money. Changes arise mainly as a result of unclear or ambiguous project definition, poor communication, inadequate time spent in project planning and risk management, or changing circumstances (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). Changes can be reduced by making sure that the project brief is comprehensive and has the stakeholders agreement. They can be minimized by taking account of present and proposed legislation. Furthermore, early discussions with stakeholders must be done in the early stages in order to anticipate their requirements. Site investigations and conditions surveys must be undertaken early in the stages. The designs must adequately develop early in the project and definably before constructions plans are committed. Finally, a proactive project management in order to identify and managing risks will have as a result to minimize changes (Office of Government Commerce, 2003). A change control procedure must consider the factors, which will mention below, before approval is given for the change. It must taking account of the reasons for the change, and for its source, which is responsible for wanting the change. The consequences of the change in terms of quality, cost and time. It must consider the risks and their impacts associated with the change. In addition, alternatives to the proposed change must be evaluated properly. It must checked proposals for avoiding time overrun and source of funding of any cost overrun. Finally, it must consider client approval for the change. After a detailed evaluation of the change confirms that it offers value of money and that the client accepts any impacts the approval of the change is given by SRO. Furthermore, the investment decision maker will approve any additional funding which exceeds the amount allowed in the risk allowance.

Is Liberal Autocracy the Optimum Form of Governance for Lesser Developed Countries?

Is Liberal Autocracy the optimum form of governance for Lesser Developed Countries? Andre Lim, Joshua Tjahjadi August 2011 1743 Words Hypothesis: Liberal autocracy is the optimal system of governance for lesser-developed countries (LDCs) Democracy at home, and abroad: In this essay, the authors aim to compare the systems of governance in Indonesia and Singapore, as well as how their differences have led to varied repercussions in both countries; those (repercussions) that will be closely examined here are the growth/development of stable governmental institutions, as well as the just rule of law.These are relatively newly-decolonized states existing side by side, in recent years taking different paths of governance. This resulted in wildly different outcomes. What was it about their different political paths that caused the difference? Is the fault with the democratic process, or with their implementation? Is there a certain developmental threshold within which democracy is just doom ed to failure? Many of these questions traverse along peripheries of political doctrine and liberal ethics. Certainly, democracy is an unpredictable, and often messy process.Only by answering hard questions like these can it be better understood, and refined. This is what the authors hope to achieve. To start off, however several key terms first have to be defined. Liberal autocracy refers to a non-democratically elected government founded on the principles of liberalism, that is a fundamental belief in the importance of liberty and basic fundamental rights. Notably successful examples include Singapore, and in the past Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as Japan. Lesser developed countries are nations exhibiting low levels of socio-economic development.Criterion include- low economic development (GNP of less than 905 USD, per capita) as well as human resource weakness (indicators include Adult literacy, nutrition and education). Liberty vs. Democracy- Rise of illiberal democracies? As Faree d Zakaria once brilliantly put it, ‘there today exists two strands of liberal democracy, both inextricably interwoven into Western political fabric- liberty and democracy. ’ The former is floundering even though the latter is flourishing. What is the significance of this co-relation?Democracy at its purest essentially means the rule of the people, whatever it may entail. Liberty recognizes that every man is born with certain unalienable rights- rights to religion, to life, to own property and be free from unfair prosecution. These are rights that cannot be infringed upon. Thus the crux behind constitutional liberty is the construction of institutions such as an independent Judiciary and Treasury to safeguard these rights. Only with a firmly-established Constitutional Liberty can democracy become a force for good.People frequently understand these concepts in reverse. Without the restrictive tenets of a strong Constitutional Liberty, the democratic process will end up ma nipulated and reinforcing corrupted/tyrannical/incompetent governance, elevating mediocrity and triggering stagnation. This is made apparent with Indonesia’s example. Without the checks and balances provided by libertarian governance, elections more often than not grant victory to illiberal forces. Contrast with Singapore’s single-party rule that gave rise to political stability and little corruption.A lack of liberty turn erodes the egalitarian and majoritarian principles casted by founders of modern constitutional-democracy doctrine- Madison, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu. After all, the democratic system obviously has many admirable qualities. It allows a peaceful transfer of power, and renders tyrannical rule impossible. In both Singapore and Indonesia, this conundrum has been made apparent, time and again. 1960s to 2000: Emerging from the upheavals of 1960s, both the LKY and Suharto regime placed utmost emphasis on stability and order.Thus a common tactic was to st ifle political opposition; co-opting whoever they could, and proscecuting the rest. For instance, in the 1980s a group of Indonesian intelligentsia composed of former military men, public intellectuals and officials signed the Petition of 50(Petisi 50), criticizing the regime’s authoritarian tactics and following a 1984 accusation that Suharto was building a one-party state, the group was cracked down upon and many of its leaders were jailed. In Singapore, many prominent opposition leaders such as Chee Soon Juan and Joshua Jeyaretnam were proscecuted and jailed for their political activities.In both nations, the government also played a major role in different sectors of society; be it religion, social or economic. The results were astounding. Between 1960 and 1990, GDP/capita increased four-fold. After the debacle made by the Sukarno regime of economic affairs, Indonesia slowly regained trust of investors, and foreign markets. Hyper inflation was brought under control, and a s slew of measures were implemented to make Indonesia competitive again. By early 1980s Indonesia had achieved self-sufficiency of rice production, as well as basic education for all and successful family planning measures.The Golden Age of Autocrats? In the 1960s-1980s, in midst of the Cold War, amidst the geopolitical turmoil engulfing South Asia then, strong leaders were required maintain unity, as well as stability. In a sense, the turbulence of those years gave legitimacy for autocratic rule. In developing countries where the populace was mostly uneducated and politically illiterate/susceptible to radicalism, the strong hand of an Autocrat was required to provide the stability vital to building the economy, creating strong instutions, pushing forth important reforms. These would in the future be key to building a working Democracy.If there was one thing men like Mahatir, Marcos, Chiang, Lee and Suharto agreed on, it was that in an LDC, the strong, unwavering hand of autocratic rule was necessary to temper populism and keep check radicalism. 2000 onwards: Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, Indonesia evolved into a full-fledged democracy. However, democracy has brought about a whole slew of problems. For instance, the judiciary’s impartiality and reliability have often been questioned. In June 2011, a judge was caught receiving bribes from a lawyer that amounted to Rp250 million in various currencies.In addition to this, the country also faces problems such as crumbling infrastructure, falling tax revenues, environmental degradation, corruption as well as religious tensions. Singapore on the other hand has been powering forward, be it in terms of education levels, or the economy. Its political elite, un-encumbered by electoral demands is able to make long-term decisions that otherwise would have been rendered impossible in a full-fledged democracy. For example, Singapore fiscally is exceptionally disciplined.Its population exists on little subsidies, and through measures like the CPF, whereby people pay for their own compulsory healthcare insurance, it has large surpluses and little deficit. This allows the MAS and GIC to invest in new technologies and facilities vital to Singapore’s long-term growth, such as the Petrochemical facilities on Jurong- Island, or Biopolis biomedical facilities. Contrast this to Indonesia, whereby the electorate is unwilling to give up on fuel and food subsidies they once enjoyed during the boom years, but are nowadays unsustainable and detrimental to Indonesia’s economic growth.What constitutes good Libertarian Governance? Having looked at the preceding case studies, several correlations can be made between democracy, governance and progress. Firstly, it is that democracy can only become a force for progress and stability were it to come hand in hand with strong governance. When left to itself, democracy by no means lead to consensus and effective decision making. Instead, it will end up getting manipulated and corrupted by infighting, vested interests and corruption. Take the Indonesian Parliament. It is an archetypal example of the democratic process getting hijacked by corruption and ideology.Given that Indonesia lacks strong governmental institutions and mature civil society, the democratic process frequently ends up as a medium for parties in power to battle out their vested interests and for racial, ethnic groups to push forward their own agendas. Some may ask, what is the value of strong institutions? The crux behind Constitutional Democracy lies in checks and balances. No single party should have all the power, instead; power and the decision making process should be diffused among the different branches of government.This way, it would render cronyism, patronage politics and in general bad governance less likely. Were this accomplished, decision making rests not so much on who is in power; but rather the institutions that formulate and implement them. T hus the underlying problem with immature democracies like Indonesia. Without a civil society and strong institutions to balance out the powers of the executive, there is nothing preventing irresponsible governance on the part of those who seek to use democratic institutions to push forward their undemocratic agendas.For instance, with the presence of a strong judiciary and treasury to formulate and implement a just tax code, it would be impossible for Indonesian conglomerates and their cronies in Parliament to push for tax breaks and other concessions. This is inherently undemocratic. What Democracy thenceforth would end up doing is aggravating conflicts and instability, as can be seen in places like Lebanon and Iraq, whereby the advent of democratic elections have given rise to an ethnically, politically polarized electorate. Secondly, a certain amount of economic growth has to be achieved before a stable democracy can be established.There exist several reasons for this. On one han d, a government capable of producing sustained economic growth is more likely to be stable and effective, possessing the strong institutions required for this. Their presence increases the chances of a Liberal Democratic regime surviving. Economic prosperity also means that a society is more stable, with an educated, empowered population likely to hold government account to their actions. Paradoxically, as inherently undemocratic the PAP regime may seem today, Singapore 45 years after independence is closer to becoming a successful Liberal democracy than ever before.Having a motivated, uncorrupt elite in more or less total control of public policy means that Singapore had been able to enjoy decades of sustained economic, political and social growth. This has created stability, as well as strong institutions and a flourishing civil society. With its vast ruling majority, the PAP regime has also been able to build legislative and judicial institutions that counterweigh the power of th e ruling body, since it has no need to cope with frequently detrimental populist sentiments or political infighting.The legislative body can then focus solely on advancing national interests. Therein lies the crux behind effective governance. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be surmised that establishing the pre-requisites required for a strong Democracy is a complicated process. Developing countries lack these pre-requisites, and trying to develop Liberal institutions in these countries under democratic circumstances is arduously tough. When this process fails, as it often does, the Democratic process loses its value as a force for stability.Herein lies the value of a Liberal Autocracy; to build the foundations for a working democracy. Certainly, liberal autocratic rule has its disadvantages. With such a high concentration of power within the ruling government, things only work out if the government is able, uncorrupt and works to build the institutions required for future transit ion to democratic rule. This was the case in Singapore. In Indonesia, the establishment of growth, stability and Liberty came hand in hand with cronyism and patronage politics. This is undemocratic; a possible offshoot of autocratic rule.Like America’s founding fathers, Lee and Suharto were both elitists with a democratic cause; to improve the lot of as many people as possible. They had one consensus- Democracy has to be meticulously built, rigorously defended. Developing countries require autocracy first, were a strong democracy to be conceived. However, with the advent of internet and a new generation of young people eager for rights and freedoms, this formulae may not work in other developing countries today. After all, any system needs to be revised from time to time. No system last forever.This thus, is the dilemma developing countries face today. They face the problem of consolidation, of making a democratic regime successful, because self-government is never easy. Afte r all, democracy can be entrusted to any society, but not everyone can make it work. (1743 words) Bibliography Hard copy sources: 1. â€Å"Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 2. â€Å"Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew: Citizen Singapore-how to build a nation† by Tom Plate.December 1 2010, Marshall Cavendish Corporation, ISBN-10 9812616764, ISBN-13 978-9812616760 3. â€Å"Lee Kuan Yew-Hard truths to keep Singapore going† by Ignatius Low, Chua Mui Hoong, Han Fook Kwang, Zuraidah Ibrahim, Lydia Lim, Rachel Lin and Robin Chan. February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 Soft copy sources: 1. Is Media Helping or Hurting Push for Democracy Ismira Lutfia, May 9 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/arts/is-media-helping-or-hurting-push-for-democracy/440043 2. LeeKuanYew-istan Forever Parag Khanna, May 24 2011 3.Indonesian Democracy at Standtill John Macbeth, Str aits Times Indonesia May 10 2011 4. A Replacement for Suharto’s Iron Fist Mohamed Iqbal Ahnaf April 08, 2011 5. Liberalism and Democracy: Cant Have One Without The Other Marc Plattner, 1998 http://www. foreignaffairs. com/articles/53815/marc-f-plattner/liberalism-and-democracy-cant-have-one-without-the-other? page=show 6. The Thinker: Indonesia Unplugged? Mahpud Sujai, May 27 2011 http://www. thejakartaglobe. com/opinion/the-thinker-indonesia-unplugged/443379 ——————————————– 1 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 2 ]. http://www. indonesia-digest. net/3300suharto. htm [ 3 ]. ibid [ 4 ]. Jakarta Post, November 5 2009 [ 5 ]. Future of Freedom- Illiberal Democracy, At home and Abroad† by Fareed Zakaria, W. W. & Norton Company Inc. 2003, ISBN0393047644 [ 7 ]. 6 ibid [ 8 ]. 7 ibid [ 10 ]. Conversations With Lee Kuan Yew February 2011, The Straits Times Press, ISBN 978-981-4266-72-7 [ 11 ]. ibid [ 12 ]. ibid [ 13 ]. Foreign Policy, May 2007

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