Negative Effects of Medical Te essays

Negative Effects of Medical Te essays The Negative Impact of Medical Technology on Society At a glance, the very idea of medical advancements being negative seems ridiculous. It helps people, and prolongs life, ultimately making everyone happier. Although there are not many downfalls, they can ultimately outweigh the good if left unchecked. We, as a society, could be facing atrocities such as global overpopulation much sooner than previously thought. Doctors are, in fact, playing God, but nobody will admit to it. Saving lives is, without a doubt, a wonderful thing, but humanity needs to know when to draw the line. There has to be a limit. Without a doubt, saving lives is an important aspect of human nature. Nobody wants to lose a loved one to a disease, especially a curable one. Every person alive would undoubtedly rather have their friends, family, and loved ones with them their whole lives. Medical technology, at its best, can improve the length and quality of life. The biggest problem is that people need to know where to stop. This is humanitys greatest flaw. Of the possibilities, the least but most imminent problem is the consumption of healthcare. By 2030, scientists estimate that the number of retirees will double, but the working/taxpaying class will have only increased by 18%, and by the year 2050, 25% of Americas population will be over 65 (Dominus 32). This means the working class is going to have to work harder just to keep the elderly alive and comfortable. Social security will no longer be taxed to the individual, for their own future use, but will be taxed by a much larger amount towards everyone in the public. Tactics like this would be needed just to keep a fresh pool of money for the elderly. Any politician that went against this would be voted out of office unanimously by the elderly percentage of the population. It may even grow to the point where ...entire elections are won based on who has a...

Roots of the Mexican-American War

Roots of the Mexican-American War The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a long, bloody conflict between the United States of America and Mexico. It would be fought from California to Mexico City and many points in between, all of them on Mexican soil. The USA won the war by capturing Mexico City in September of 1847 and forcing the Mexicans to negotiate a truce favorable to US interests. By 1846, war was nearly inevitable between the USA and Mexico. On the Mexican side, the lingering resentment over the loss of Texas was intolerable. In 1835, Texas, then part of the Mexican State of Coahuila and Texas, had risen in revolt. After setbacks at the Battle of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, the Texan rebels stunned Mexican General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Santa Anna was taken prisoner and forced to recognize Texas as an independent nation. Mexico, however, did not accept Santa Annas agreements and considered Texas nothing more than a rebellious province. Since 1836, Mexico had half-heartedly tried to invade Texas and take it back, without much success. The Mexican people, however, clamored for their politicians to do something about this outrage. Although privately many Mexican leaders knew that reclaiming Texas was impossible, to say so in public was political suicide. The Mexican politicians outdid each other in their rhetoric saying that Texas must be brought back into Mexico. Meanwhile, tensions were high on the Texas/Mexico border. In 1842, Santa Anna sent a small army to attack San Antonio: the Texas responded by attacking Santa Fe. Not long after, a bunch of Texan hotheads raided the Mexican town of Mier: they were captured and poorly treated until their release. These events and others were reported in the American press and were generally slanted to favor the Texan side. The simmering disdain of Texans for Mexico thus spread to the entire USA. In 1845, the USA began the process of annexing Texas to the union. This was truly intolerable for Mexicans, who may have been able to accept Texas as a free republic but never part of the United States of America. Through diplomatic channels, Mexico let it be known that to annex Texas was practically a declaration of war. The USA went ahead anyway, which left Mexican politicians in a pinch: they had to do some saber-rattling or look weak. Meanwhile, the USA had its eye on Mexicos northwestern possessions, such as California and New Mexico. The Americans wanted more land and believed that their country should stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The belief that America should expand to fill the continent was called Manifest Destiny. This philosophy was expansionist and racist: its proponents believed that the noble and industrious Americans deserved those lands more than the degenerate Mexicans and Native Americans who lived there. The USA tried on a couple of occasions to purchase those lands from Mexico, and was rebuffed every time. President James K. Polk, however, would not take no for an answer: he meant to have California and Mexicos other western territories and he would go to war to have them. Fortunately for Polk, the border of Texas was still in question: Mexico claimed it was the Nueces River while the Americans claimed it was the Rio Grande. In early 1846, both sides sent armies to the border: by then, both nations were looking for an excuse to fight. It wasnt long before a series of small skirmishes bloomed into war. The worst of the incidents was the so-called Thornton Affair of April 25, 1846 in which a squad of American cavalrymen under the command of Captain Seth Thornton was attacked by a much larger Mexican force: 16 Americans were killed. Because the Mexicans were in contested territory, President Polk was able to ask for a declaration of war because Mexico had †¦shed American blood upon the American soil. Larger battles followed within two weeks and both nations had declared war on one another by May 13. The war would last about two years, until spring of 1848. The Mexicans and Americans would fight about ten major battles, and the Americans would win all of them. In the end, the Americans would capture and occupy Mexico City and dictate terms of the peace agreement to Mexico. Polk got his lands: according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, formalized in May of 1848, Mexico would hand over most of the current US Southwest (the border established by the treaty is very similar to todays border between the two nations) in exchange for $15 million dollars and forgiveness of some previous debt. Sources: Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004. Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.

Technologys Affect on Families and Society Essay

Technologys Affect on Families and Society - Essay Example The interaction amongst individuals will reduced to such an extent that they will even not recognize their neighbors. This will create an America with no social bonding amongst the individuals and people staying in their home without the concern for the overall society, city and the country. When a customer comes out of his home for shopping he generates a living mostly for the lower strata of the society by picking a taxi or a tram, eating out at restaurants or kiosks thus generating incoming not only for the small owners but for the cab drivers and loads of workers at the eating junction. While income of these comparatively lower strata will definitely reduce, the affluent online vendors and reputed food giants who will cater to online requests will become even richer thus creating a wider gap between the rich and the poor. Obama government is working hard to keep a check on outsourcing of IT related services and products to developing country. If we have a closer look then we will find out that the web based services for development and maintenance has been offered primarily by the developing nations to US and therefore curbs in outsourcing will definitely delay any such mishaps for the lower stratum of our society Our c... ook then we will find out that the web based services for development and maintenance has been offered primarily by the developing nations to US and therefore curbs in outsourcing will definitely delay any such mishaps for the lower stratum of our society -How do you see this changing the elements of our culture Our culture has been a strong supporter of the principle of equality to all nationals. This implicitly refers that everybody has the right to equality even in financial matters. By increasing a gap between the richer and the poor, we are hindering the basic rights of equality for our relatively poor citizens thus snatching them this right to financial equality. -Who will be affected the most and how will their lives change Mostly this will affect the small shop owners who are not affluent enough to sell their items via online shopping. This is because they neither have sufficient resources to start an online shop, nor do they have the brand name that a customer will trust while placing an order online. Moreover every small worker involved in transportation sector will be hit by these changes. -Are there any social movements or collective behavior contributing to this change Our increasing dependency on internet for every small affair is catching the attention of affluent retailers and food giants to sell their products online and thus contributing to this change. Reference: American Teenagers. (July 2005). U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany. Retrieved March 14, 2009, from

Power and Privilege in Conflict Resolution Essay

Power and Privilege in Conflict Resolution - Essay Example In his article â€Å"Power and Conflicts†, Coleman clearly outlines how power is related to conflict resolution. According to him, there are different ways of defining power which could be power over, power with and dependence and powerless. He says that in conflict resolution, when one of the conflicting parties feels that the solution that is reached gives the other party power over them, the resolution is not satisfactory. This means that the same kind of conflict is likely to arise in future. In order to reach a lasting resolution, competition should not be created in resolving conflicts, and the parties involved should not feel like they are in a win-lose position. There should be more emphasis on promoting cooperation, independent power and shared power. It is also evident that the people who possess power have a tendency to justify having this power and using it in the manner that they feel fit. They are also not willing to share this power with those they perceive to b e powerless. The parties with low power on the other hand are likely to show discontentment with their situation and are shortsighted. They in most cases roll their discontentment to people who have less power than them (Coleman 12). This ruins their chances of being empowered and makes it even harder for the conflicts to be resolved. It is only through coalition building and cooperation where power is neutralized that conflicts can be resolved completely. Privileges also play a vital role in conflict resolution since they give power to the privileged and take power from the underprivileged. In dealing with conflicts that come with one party having power over the others because of one being privileged, there are certain things that need to be considered. For instance, gender equality has been a source of conflict for many years. Women complain of not being equally treated in education, work and other situation. Dealing with this kind of situation would require that the men acknowled ge the fact that they are privileged and accept to lose some of the privileges in order to resolve the conflict (McIntosh 3). This is because in most cases, although it may be universally acknowledged that women are under-privileged, men would not agree to the fact that they are privileged. This could be the reason why we are still very far away from dealing with the issue of gender equality. The question of truth and morality is an intricate one and it is crucial to understand this relationship in conflict resolution. This is especially based on the fact that a person may have wrong motives but his actions lead to good results while another one may have good intention but the ends become terrible. Truth is thus the harsh reality that people have to live with while morality is judged in terms of good intentions (Kriesberg, 3). Truth and morality are related to conflict resolution in the sense that morality and truth seeks to social justice and reconciliation and conflict resolutions are part of this quest. Take the example of the situation where single mothers who do not

Pornography Essay Example for Free

Pornography Essay The rising debate concerning pornography has stirred and separated societies in the way it promotes the concept of free speech while at the same time disregarding values and morals of a particular ideology. Such variation in the spectrum of interpretation has left the debate in a controversial and difficult position. In the end, it all boils down to the capabilities of an individual to synthesize the issue not on the perspectives of bias or subjectivity, but how objectively facts will point out to the reality. The chapter highlighted and elaborated on the important arguments and facts concerning the issue of pornography in the United States. Seeking to showcase an evolutionary framework, the author has pointed out the controversial and important issues besetting pornography. By showing the different viewpoints among varied sectors in society, the reader can have an active look of the arguments that are in place. Each part can be subdivided to the several accounts of people who justify the place of pornography in society and also its relative critics who deem it to be immoral and unjust. The first part of the argument deals with the evolution of how censorship had deemed the freedom of expressing one’s idea towards a certain field or art. A typical era or period history has seen manifestation of social control over what is considered lewd and indecent. According to (‘The First Amendment’) â€Å"over the centuries different generations have defined and redefined what is considered publicly indecent. † (p. 270) The next section of the chapter focuses on the controversial film and the characterization of Larry Flynt. The movie; The People vs. Larry Flynt, has been hounded by controversy and criticisms over its detractors. Furthering the argument, the chapter focused on several comments given by members of the media that manifest a support for the film. On the other side, the points of critics were also shown in the article so as to balance and maintain an objective course. Seeing this, Flynt and its supporters including the director and staff argue on behalf of the First Amendment and free speech and the man’s dedication over things while critics’ arguments circumvent on moral and degenerative issues it creates among women, children and American society as a whole. The next section of the chapter highlights the arguments for and against controlling the propagation of indecent materials over the internet. It can be argued that the rise of technology not only gave more accesses to children but at the same time stimulated and enhanced the industry of pornography. The article shows the failure of the Communications Decency Act to promote such efforts of control pornography in the internet. The (‘The First Amendment’) chapter states that â€Å"the court, while disagreeing about some issues in the case, unanimously concluded that reducing online communication to a safe-kids standard is unconstitutional† (p. 290). This basis is again garnered and derived from the First Amendment Rule. With this, the article again presented arguments for and against the Supreme Court ruling. It showcased the positive effects it can do to create information about certain relevant things deemed immoral and obscene by several people. On the other hand, seeking the protection of the innocent and children have catapulted critics into disagreeing to the arguments presented by the court. (‘The First Amendment’) article states that â€Å"there is no reason that the laws that govern the distribution of the other â€Å"indecent† material to children in the form of magazines and videos should not apply in the internet as well (p. 94)† Analysis After seeing and reading the arguments presented by both supporters and critics alike of pornography, several issues can be seen. First is that every argument mentioned revolves around a particular principle. For supporters it involves the issue of freedom of speech and expression. While on the other hand, the issue of values and morality surround critics’ views. Second, the idea of establishing the foundation of which side is right remains to be difficult since both arguments for and against the issue of pornography hold their equivalent ground. Looking closer on the arguments of curtailing pornography, there are indeed striking wiles concerning its total control. Craven argues that â€Å"most rational people can agree that behavior that does harm could be categorized as immoral, evil or wrong† (p. 6). Such belief is rooted on several values and ideals promoted by an individual’s affiliation. On the other hand, proponents and advocates wouldn’t care less especially if the issue of pornography raises the economic status of individuals. The profitability of the new industry especially with the consistent development of technology makes it feasible for individuals to dwell in the practice. The Ethics Religious Liberty Commission says that â€Å"pornography revenue exceeds the combined revenues of all professional, baseball, football, and basketball franchises and the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC. † (p. 1) Seeing such patronage only means one thing, people tolerate pornography. I am not saying that it should be left alone. There must be a responsible practice among members of society to actively regulate the amount of information given. This especially applies to children below 18 years of age. By doing this, children are protected from whatever information that can be obtained from these websites. In addition, monitoring mechanisms must be put in place to safeguard the interest of children. In the end, though the debate concerning pornography may reach a stalemate, each individual has the capability to ask responsibly. Yes, the principles of values, freedom, and morality are all in place. What individuals must do is to create a responsible practice of these actions. By doing so, they may have an objective approach in dealing with the said issue.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

Doesn’t it always seem as though rich and famous people are larger- than-life and virtually impossible to touch, almost as if they were a fantasy? In The Great Gatsby, set in two wealthy communities, East Egg and West Egg, Fitzgerald describes Gatsby as a Romantic, larger- than-life, figure by setting him apart from the common person. Fitzgerald sets Gatsby in a fantasy world that, based on illusion, is of his own making. Gatsby’s possessions start to this illusion. He lives in an extremely lavish mansion. â€Å"It is a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden.† It models an extravagant castle with a European style. Indoors it has â€Å"Marie Antoinette music- rooms and restoration salons.† There is even a â€Å"Merton College Library, paneled with imported carved English oak and thousands of volumes of books.† There is even a private beach on his property. He also has his own personal hydroplane. Gatsby also drives a highly imaginative, â€Å"circus wagon†, car that â€Å"everybody had seen. It is a rich cream color with nickel and has a three-noted horn.† It has a â€Å"monstrous length with triumphant hat-boxes, supper-boxes, tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of windshields and a green leather conservatory.† Other than Gatsby’s possessions, he develops his personal self. His physical self appearance sets him apart form the other characters. His smile is the type â€Å"that comes across four or five times in life. One of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it.† He has a collection of tailored shirts from England. They are described as â€Å"shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel.† He has shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and la- vender and faint orange, with monograms of Indian blue.† Gatsby wears a unique â€Å"gorgeous pink rag of a suit† that sets him apart as a â€Å"bright spot.† Gatsby’s mannerisms are different too. He gives the â€Å"strong im- pression that he picks his words with care.† Gatsby is an â€Å"elegant young roughneck whose elaborate formality of speech just misses being absurd.† Gatsby also has a particularly distinct phrase which is â€Å"old sport.† Further, at his parties he stands apart from the other people. Unlike everyone else, he does not drink any alcohol. Also, there are no

Parents Need Help Essay

In today’s society parents are faced with a critical parenting question that was not necessary 20 years ago; which video games should I let my children play? Parenting is tough enough without having to deal with a child that gets upset because he cannot play a certain video game that all of his friends are playing. The values that children are raised to believe in are those of their parents, not those of the city, state or country they live in, and those family values are the most important values a child will learn. Some very influential people in our society believe that the government should be able to dictate what a child is or is not allowed to play or watch. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich believes that â€Å"Parenting is hard work and the state has a compelling interest in helping parents raise their children to be upstanding men and women. † (Whitehead, 2005). Some studies show that these violent and sexually explicit video games provide â€Å"harmful effects ranging from health problems to violent behavior. † (Rutgers University Law – Newark, 2012). The completed studies and comments from government officials have very informative information and hard evidence to support their statement of â€Å"Parents Need Help†. As detailed in many articles and polls, one of the major problems with parents allowing their child to play violent or sexually explicit video games is covered in a 2013 Harris Poll. â€Å"The findings underscore the lack of awareness Americans have about the video game rating system, as well as confusion in the market†, said Mike de Vere, President of Harris Poll. PRNewswire, 2013). If parents took the time to understand the video game rating system like they understand a movie rating, they would be better informed as to what each game consist of. Parents have no problem letting a young child watch an â€Å"R† rated movie that shows violence and sexual activity, but if that same child is showing violent tendencies or sexual behaviors they are quick to blame video games for the behavior. Many American children spend a large amount of time playing video games. As a parent, you may be confused as to whether these games are beneficial or not† (http://www. thefreelibrary. com, 2008). If a parent takes the time to review what each of the video game ratings are and what material will be in the video games along with reemphasizing family values there would be less political emphasis on parenting. There has been violent and sexual behavior from children in a ysfunctional and functional home, but if a parent takes the time to ensure their child understands the difference between fiction (video games), reality (everyday life) and monitors their child’s behavior less of these violent outburst would occur. Movies provide the same access to violence and sexual behavior as video games do but there is no political agenda to ban movies that have a less restrictive rating system than video games. Parents need help restoring parental rights and help in stopping the government from taking over their parenting rights. When the government moves in and takes charge of everything that we as citizens can and cannot do, it provides today’s children with the authority to disobey their parents because the government said something different. If the government wants to help, then they should start applying stricter fines on the video game manufacturers and the stores which sell the video games. Threatening them with a fine and not imposing that fine when a manufacturer or retail store provides content to a minor, is allowing them to continue to profit off of children. Impose the fines and make it a stringent fine, at which point manufacturers and retailers would start adhering to the video game restrictions and responsibility would fall back to the parents of which games their children play. In closing, government officials should concentrate on raising their children and guiding our country instead of worrying about how each individual raises their children. Acts of violence and sexual behavior will still occur whether children are playing video games or not; they see it every day on television shows, cartoons, movies and in the news. Parents need to be more vigilant in monitoring what their children are doing, watching, and playing as well as ensuring that your family morals and values are upheld by each member of the family. If we do not accept the role of a parent then we cannot complain when the government decides what we as a society can and cannot do.

The Dangers of Television

SUMARY The Dangers of Television by Harriet B Fuller (USA) According to Harriet in the United States, television has played in changing American values as follows. In the 1940s, television was predicted to bring families closer together. Its influence, however, has splintered family relations. The first danger of television, as the author mentions is the lack of as family outings‚ the going of the whole family together such as family take a walk, dine out, go to the cinema are constrain when one or more family members do not go by they want watching more go out.The second danger mentioned by the author is the limitation of family time together at home. The recreational activities before TV include: games, songs, and hobbies. They will replace the time of the occasion for talking in family: debate and talk with family members. The final danger as the author claims is the â€Å"domination† of TV in our daily life. This is â€Å"dominates† the family. The family acti vity depend on TV.In conclusion, the writer gives an alarm that if children watch TV for hours; it has become a pacifier and a baby-sitter. Parents' roles as educators have been replaced by TV, preventing necessary interactions between family members Reaction paragraph According to Harriet in the United States, television it now â€Å"dominates† the family and In my opinion, the writer is completely true. Obviously,I have seen the effects of television on my family and agree with the author of this article.As a child, I can remember watching very little television. The majority of my time was spent outdoors with my family gardening, playing, caring for livestock. However, I did have a younger brother who preferred watching television to joining our family activities. and bad effect to our family. In conclusion, it is significant that we need to consider the dangers of television to our life and future because it effect to family relationship.

Critical Study of Open Adoption and the Symptoms of Adoption The WritePass Journal

Critical Study of Open Adoption and the Symptoms of Adoption Introduction Critical Study of Open Adoption and the Symptoms of Adoption IntroductionReferences:Related Introduction For much of the 20th century adoption were generally closed and confidential in nature. They were secrecy. It means since birthmother signed relinquishment papers, she would never see her child again and typically would never know about the future of this child. Secrecy adoptions were phenomenon which occurred in the mid 1800s and were at its peak in the early 1900s. Confidential adoptions were primarily designed to rescue the children of unmarried woman. Secrecy about adoption was also encouraged by societal attitude about sexuality – people excluded from society unmarried pregnant women and their child. These closed and secretive practices were developed to protect all three parties of the adoption triad (birth parents, adoptive parents and children). Confidential adoptions were thought to ensure birth parents’ right to privacy and at the same time it lets protect unwed birth mothers from the stigma of â€Å"illegitimacy†. These practices also protected adopted children from social ridicule and adoptive parents from the humiliation of their infertility (Xiaojia Ge, 2008). It was also assumed that birthmother wanted to maintain anonymity and forget that she had ever given birth to the chid. People also believed that confidential approach facilitate relinquishment of the child (emotionally and legally). From the beginning of 1940s, social workers in every state (USA) convinced legislators to pass laws which were preventing adult adoptees and their birthparents from learning about each others. For decades birthmothers, adoptees and adoptive parents were protected from the stigmas of illegitimacy, unwed motherhood and infertility by stressing secrecy, anonymity and confidentiality in adoption process. With the civil rights movement of 1960s, secrecy become a synonym of discrimination. In courts some adopted children maintained that their civil rights had been violated, because they had no access to information which another people had about them. Since these time also contraception and abortion become more available – marriage were no longer viewed as an essential prerequisite for a respectable pregnancy. Today children rights to know their identity is assured by international and national lows. This right is assured for example in Convention on the Rights of the Child. The convention was adopted and opened for signature on 20 of November 1989 (the 30th anniversary of Declaration of the Rights of the Child). It came into force on 2 September 1990, after it was ratified by the required number of nations. As of November 2009, 194 countries have ratified it. It means all this 194 countries are obligated by international low to assure children right to know their origins. According to the article 7 of convention: child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and. as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents. It took long time to accept and create the low which can assure this right. There has been gradual change in societal practices and views around parenting since the 1970s. Since these time female-headed households and pregnancy without marriage had become more and more accepted. Also tracing one’s genealogical roots and ethnic heritage had gained acceptance. At this time more and more adoptees and birthparents returned to adoption agencies seeking additional background information. It was shown that adult adoptees had suffered a lot because they had no access to information about their origins and identities. Adoptees expressed their pain which appeared as a result of living in lie. The changes were causes also by birthparents. They expressed that they did not forget about the children they had placed for adoption. They also always wondered if those children were alive, well, or knew they were adopted. They said that secrecy in adoption process made their loss more complex and difficult. Another cause for changes come from adoptive parents. They expressed their frustration and feeling of helpless over their inability to help children connect with biological parents and impossibility to say their child about his/her heritage. All these different voices and desires bring changes in adoption process. Nowadays we see that frequency of open adoption increases. Open adoptions becoming norm as stigma surrounding unwed births diminished and non-martial parenthood become more and more accepted. Openness in any adoption should be based upon mutual agreement between birthparents, adoptive parents, adoption agency and the adopted child, if age is appropriate. Nowadays it is quite common for birth and adoptive families to have some degree of postplacement contact with one another. Open adoption, in contrast to closed, is characterized by contact and communication between birth and adoptive parents. We cannot, however, share adoption exclusively on open and close. The degree of openness varies widely. Some adoption have minimal openness, for example, the two sets of parents never meet or talk with each other, share last names, but before the birth they exchange letters and photographs through adoption agencies. Other adoption can be much more open, for example before placement the two sets of parents meet, exchange complete names and addresses. Sometimes they go together to the doctor, gynecologist during the pregnancy, or even they live with each other. They can continue contact through adoptees’ childhood. Of course between these two examples of contact, there exist many another variables and the number of permutations is limitless. In essence, open adoption mean exchange of information before or/and after placement, either by letters (with or without photographs), telephone calls, or in face-to-face meetings. In the case of open adoption (as in the case of close adoption) birthparents need legally relinquish all parental claims and rights to the child. The adoptive parents are the legal parents. There is no one and clear opinion about what is better: open or close adoption. Both of them have some advantages and disadvantage. For example opponents of open adoption say that continued contact between the adopted child and birth parents impedes the attachment and creating family ties between adoptive parents and their adopted child. It means that open adoption can bring destructive relationships and loyalty conflicts for adoptive family. In case of open adoption birthparents can intrude on the adoptive family and disturb their equilibrium. It can also cause the adoptee’s uncertainty about their identity. In the case of open adoption, adoptive parents can feel also less in control and less secure in their parental role. It can happen also that adoptive parents feel need to distance from birthmother’s pain, loos and regrets which they live together in case of open adoption. On the other hand birthparents don’t want to hurt birth mother more, to stop or limited their contact. One of the question which occurs in case of open adoption is: how to set limits on frequency and type of postplacement contact without hurting feelings of birthparents. Another disadvantages mentioned by adoptive parents is pressure which is put on them.   It is the pressure to be the perfect parent when members of birthfamily are around. Adoptive parents are also afraid about the influence of birthparents on adoptee. They are nervous that child can identify more with birth parents and they background than with his or her â€Å"new family†. Why they are afraid about that? Most of the birthparents of adoptee come from lower social class, they have low education level. Adoptive parents simply do not want their child fallow this way. Among opinions against open adoption we can also hear that open adoption interfere with the grieving process that is essential for the mental health of the birth mother by not allowing her to experience a finality of the separation and a full mourning experience. On the other hand some researches show that open adoption may help facilitate healthy adjustment to grief and loss. It means: relationship which develop between birthmothers and adoptive families in open adoption mediate the experience of grief. It occurs also thanks to well-being of the child from whom the birthmothers made an adoption plan, facilitated their coping with grief. Grief is defined as the range of feelings, behaviours and thoughts which can occur as a response to a loss. The reaction, responses are different. Everyone can live this time in different way. To the responses on loss we can include: anger, crying, withdrawal, guilt, sadness, anxiety or numbness. Birthmother’s feeling of loss should be viewed as healthy and appropriate, regardless of which of the feelings associate this time. Resolution of these feelings results in the birthmother forming a new, integral identity in which the past is not denied. Some researches shown that close adoption means: prolonged feelings of loos and continued mourning, depression, somatic symptoms, restless anxiety, anger and often intense attachment to and over protection of children subsequently born to and raised by birthmothers after the placement. Some researches reported even psychological impairment of mothers who didn’t receive appropriate support after adoption (Cinda L. Christian et al, 1997). Study made by Cinda L. Christian and others (1997) support the opinion that fully disclosed adoption lets better cope with grief. In this study researchers examined grief resolution. Indicators of unresolved grief including: crying during interview, denying or repressing the past, expressions of guilt or regret, depression, dissatisfaction with the placement, desire to reclaim the child, continuing nightmares about the child, and inability to move beyond the placement decision. Indicators of good resolution included among others: positive, optimistic opinions about decision, acceptance of the decision, ability to separate self from the placed child, demonstration of empathy for the child and adoptive family, ability to move beyond the placement decision and to express satisfaction from current life. The results of this study shown that 4 to 12 years after placing child, birthmothers who have ongoing contact with the adoptive family either ongoing mediated or fully disclosed adoption shown better resolution of grief than birthmothers whose contact has stopped (in time-limited mediated adoptions). Moreover birthmothers in open adoption had significantly better grief resolution than those in confidential adoptions. This studies shown that 30% of birthmothers in close adoption, 38% in time-limited mediated adoption, 10% in ongoing mediated and 11% in fully disclosed adoption had very poor grief resolution. This results show that within each type of adoption, regardless of the time since adoption, there were birthmothers who were still experiencing problems with grief resolution, as well as, there were birthmothers who had resolved their grief issues. These findings mean that here is no one good   way of placement child to another family. Birthmothers with ongoing contact with adoptive parents have better grief resolution, they are much more reassured of their child’s well-being, and feel they had made the right decision. Some of birthmothers with ongoing mediated contact reported feeling ambivalent upon receiving pictures of their child. Even though they are pleased that they have opportunity to receive updated information. Having first-hand knowledge and an opportunity to acknowledge the adoption placement through actual observation and conversation about the adoption may have led to better grief resolutions for many birthmothers. Trusting and secure relationship with the adoptive family (through direct or indirect contact) may lead some birthmothers to the gradual acceptance of the adoptive parents entitlement to the child. This situation allows also to the birthmothers to develop positive feelings about their own role with the adoptive child. There was one another factor which influence grief resolution of birthmothers – current relationship with birthfather. This factor occurred regardless of openness level. Birthmothers who were still in relationship with birthfathers were at greater risk for prolonged grieving. It is difficult for these birthmothers to stay with birthfathers after having chosen to place their child for adoption – these birthmothers may feel exaggerated guilt and blame regarding the choices they have made. Another factor which influence grieving is religion interpretation and giving birth to another child. It means accurately inability to have a child after placement one for adoption. These two factors sometimes trigger past losses and rekindle old feelings of helplessness, regret, or anger associated with placement. To sum up the results of this study: there is no one option which is the best for everyone. Some of birthmothers can feel better with fully disclosed adoption and another with confidential adoption. Another argument which support open adoption is that for a birth mothers openness in adoption allows her a more active role in the child’s future. Thanks to possibility to choose open adoption, birth mother can be assured she will receive information about child-well being. Another issue related to satisfaction from adoption process is parent’s feelings toward close and open adoption. In study made by Siegel (Siegel, 1993) respondents were asked, â€Å"Why, if any, were your initial fears, anxieties, and concerns about the adoption being open?† Most of the parents who took part in this study answered that they felt some fear on the beginning. Many of them were reluctant to deal with the pain of birth mother. Some of these adoptive parents were afraid also that that the birth mothers would want their babes back, even that babies could be kidnapped after adoption. Parents expressed also that open adoption on the beginning seemed to them weird, uncomfortable or awkward. Some adoptive parents were worried also they can be rejected by birthmothers. One adoptive mother said: A year or so ago, the idea of birth mother were so threatening to me. It was just so terrible obstacle between me and getting baby. At that point, I didn’t want to deal with birthmother at all. I wanted my own baby. And if I couldn’t have that, I wanted the closest   thing I could get to it. On the other hand the proponent of open adoption suggest that adoptive parents in open adoption benefit significantly from information about birth parents through ongoing process with them. In case of open adoption, adoptive parents can comparatively easy gain knowledge about their adopted child’s medical and mental health histories, ethnic and cultural background, and reasons for adoption. Open adoption lets parents to feel more sure about this knowledge (it is better for parents to ask all questions, to gain knowledge about the child by their own than from intermediary person). All this information can have significant influence on rearing process of the adopted child. Adoptive parents can gain also â€Å"troubling† information, for example, about lack of parental care or birthparents alcoholism, substance abuse, or genetic risk factor. This kind of information are, in truth, difficult but for adoptive parents it is better to know all of them. Thanks to these informat ion, adoptive parents can know what to expect and they can be prepare for some difficulties, troubles which may occur in the future. In this view open adoption helps adoptive parents feel more, rather than less, secure in their parental role. Adoptive parents feel that birth parents can give them important information about child and it makes adoptive parents more competent. Adoptive parents can feel also they received explicit consent to parent child from his or her birth parents. Some parents mention also the need to know that birthmother had chosen adoption freely and willingly. This knowledge diminish adoptive parents guilt about having someone else child and alleviated fears that the birthmother would come in the future and demand her rights to the child. What is also important for adoptive parents – it is the need to know that birth parents felt good about the decision which they undertook. Otherwise adoptive parents could have moral doubts and wonder if birthparents think adoption had been mistake and they regret it. Some parents in the Siegel study (Siegel, 1993) mentioned also that they felt more pleasure at knowing that the birthparents would welcome the children according to the belief that the more people love their child, the better. Openness in adoption has advantages also for children. Information about birthparents are much more accessible to the children. Thanks to that, they can decide if they want to search birthparents later in life. Adoptive parents who know last names and addresses of birthparents, feel more helpful for their adoptee. They can freely hand over this information to their children. Children can have also more adequate information about their biological heritage and about the reasons for adoption. Open adoption is perceived also as good for birth parents. First of all some people mention that it is more human and compassionate to enable the birthparents to choose the children’s family. Open adoption helps also to mitigate birth mothers’ feelings of pain and loss, which in turn resulting in less destructive behaviour and greater emotional-well being. Thanks to the direct contact which birth mothers have with adoptive parents, they can feel assured of their child’s well-being and welfare. Adoptive mothers can see their child is in safe and caring home. This knowledge is really helpful for birthmothers and their well-being. In contrast in the case of close adoption, birth mother often feel isolated, have unresolved feelings of guilt and self-blame. They feel also uncertain of the well-being of the child. Meanwhile greater certainty of the child’s well-being not only may alleviate the birth mother’s grief but even may contribute to her sense of p ride regarding the decision. Opponents of the close adoption mention that this kind of adoption is a way to punish woman for being sexually active. It can be difficult to examine the effects of openness and closeness in adoption on birth parents, adoptive parents or children. One of the reason to give clear answer on this question is that this effects may very depending on how long ago the placement occurred. So the length of time since placement may very well be a confounding factor. In the study of Xiaojia Ge and others, researches using 323 matched parties of birth mothers and adoptive parents, examined the association between the degree of adoption openness (e.g. contact and knowledge between parties) and birth and adoptive parents postadoption adjustment shortly after the adoption placement (6 to 9 months). A unique future of this studies was the inclusion of birth fathers (112 birth fathers took part in these researches). The results of this study shown that for adoptive parents and birth mothers the degree of openness in the adoption was significantly and positively associated with satisfaction with the adoption process shortly after the adoptive placement. Increased openness was also significantly related to the better postplacement adjustment of birth mothers. This finding was also further strengthen by interviewers’ reports of their impression of birth mothers’ well-being. This study shown also that levels of choice or control birth fathers had in determining the degree of openness was positively associated with birth fathers’ satisfaction toward the adoption experience. There are opinion that children benefit most from openness in adoption. Proponents of open adoption list many benefits for children. One of the arguments concern child’s identity. Adopted children need to integrate the facts surrounding their birth into their identity. Formation of identity can be more complex for adopted adolescences because of the existence of many unknowns. There is many information which adopted children desire and which are unrecognized by most of the people who have automatic access to such information. For example, knowing about one’s medical background, where one’s red hair came from, who else in family was an artistic. Access to this kind of information is underestimates but it is very important to everyone and is perceived as our basic need. Denying adopted children this information is seen by some as violation of basic human rights. It can lead to an array of emotional and identity problems. Openness in adoption can assure children access to this kind of information. Many children desire to have contact with birthparents. This contact can facilitate identity development and satisfaction with the adoption experience. Proponents of open adoption show that close adoption gives rise to more fantasies about the biological family which can be reason for some emotional problems. Jerica M. Berge et al (2006) made study about adolescents’ feelings about openness in adoption. They examined adolescents’ satisfaction from having or not having contact with birthmothers. Their findings support the idea of open adoption. We can share adolescences which took part in this study on four groups: Adolescents who were satisfied with the contact they were having with their birthmothers; Adolescents who were not satisfied with the contact they were having with their birthmothers; Adolescents who were satisfied with not having contact with their birthmothers; Adolescents who were not satisfied because there was no contact occurring with their birthmothers. First group were the largest. There were 56 adolescents who were satisfied with the contact they were having with their birthmothers. These adolescents had very positive feelings about their birthmothers. When they were talking about their birthmothers they often used terms like: â€Å"thinks she is great woman†, â€Å"like our relationship†, â€Å"love her†, â€Å"friend†. These young people emphasis especially friendship which connected them with their birthmothers. They told that birthmother have different role than adoptive parents. Birthmother was viewed like another person who love them, friend but not as a person who fill parental role. Positive relationship with birthmothers give them extra support and it was something which adolescents appreciated a lot. These adolescents mentioned that birthmother is very important to them. Another aspect mentioned by adolescents was â€Å"identity formation†. Relationship with birthmothers allowed them to ask question why they look the way they do. For adolescents knowing how they were similar in personality traits to their birthmothers is very important. It helps them to make sense of who they are. Adolescents who were satisfied with the contact they had with birthmother expressed also desire to meet other members of family, for example: siblings, birthfather, grandparents. Another group of young people included adolescents who were not satisfied with the contact they were having with their birthmothers. There were 20 adolescents who expressed they were not satisfied with this contact but at the same time only three of them wanted contact to stop. One of the reason why they were not satisfied with the contact they had with birthmothers was desire for more contact or a different intensity level of contact. It happens in situation when adolescents had, for example contact with their birthmother by email and they wished to meet them face-to-face. Another example was an adolescent who had mediated contact with birthmothers through the adoption agency and wished to talk with her by phone, but couldn’t arrange it. These adolescents desire also to have more deep contact with their mother. Adoptees who had not satisfying contact with birthmother felt gratitude towards them for what she had done for them. It means that this adolescents were thankful to their birthmothers for placing them to adoption. In point of view of these young people , their birthmothers care a lot about them and found better lives for them. So adoption was viewed as an act of selfless love. Adolescents who were satisfied with not having contact with their birthmothers. To this group belong 21 adolescents. In the opinion of these young people, adoption didn’t have much impact on them personally. For these adolescents adoption was just abstract concept not something what connect to them personally. These adolescents felt also â€Å"lucky†, they have better life thanks to adoption but at the same time they didn’t feel any gratitude towards birthmother for placing them to adoption. These adolescences simply did not feel that contact with birthmother is something what they need or want. They expressed also they could feel uncomfortable with having to face information about their adoption. Some of adolescents express also that such contact would be negative experience for them. They were simply afraid about it. Also that they could hurt adoptive parents by meeting birthmothers. The last group of young people who took part in this study belong to group of adolescents who were not satisfied because there was no contact occurring with their birthmothers. There were 26 adolescents belonging to this group. These adolescents express negative affect towards birthmothers. Among their feelings there was: anger, sadness, they were disappointed and hurt. These adolescents felt so bad because their birthmother did not make effort to contact them. Some of them wonder if their birthmother is healthy, fine. These young people express desire to contact their birthmother. Many of these adoptees mentioned wanting medical information and to know similarities – both in physique and personality – that they had with their birthmothers. This information could help them to answer questions who they are, why they are like they do and why they were placed. Many of adolescents in this group did not desire to have contact with their birthmother. Some of them made some efforts to contact them but there were not successful (for example they wrote letter to birthmother but never send it). They were also thinking their adoptive parents would not like the idea to have contact with birthmother. Findings of these study shown that searching of the birthparents, having contact with them do not change adoptees feelings towards their adoptive parents. These adolescents do not love their adoptive parents less. They rather viewed relationship with birthmother as a separate type of supportive contact. These results challenge also belief that when birthmother has a contact with her child she will reclaim the adopted child and her rights to his or her. None of the adolescents in this study who had contact with birthmother reported that she ever tried or even mention of trying to reclaim them. To sum up there is a lot of advantages and disadvantages of openness in adoption. However, many of doubts, disadvantages do not find confirmation in the recent studies. These researches showed us that all three parties of adoption triad can benefit significantly from openness in adoption. At the same time we can find people who are not satisfied from the contact which they have with each other. It shows me there is no one and good solution – everyone is different and have different needs and adoption agencies need to answer on these needs. Adoption always will be difficult process and in my opinion all actors of this process need to receive very good support from professionals, like from psychologist or social worker regardless of type of adoption. Satisfaction from openness in adoption process depend largely on the contact which children and adoptive parents have with birthparents. If they are satisfied from this contact they will be satisfied also they choose open adoption. References: Berge, J.M., Mendenhall, T.J., Wrobel G.M., Grotevant H.D., McRoy R.G. (2006) Adolescents’ Feelings about Openness in Adoption: Implications for Adoption Agencies. Child Welfare, 85, 1011 – 1038 Christian. C.L., McRoy, R.G., Grotevant, H.D., Brytan, C.M. (1997) Grief Resolution of Birthmothers in Confidential, Time-Limited Mediated, Ongoing Mediated, and Fully Disclosed Adoptions. Adoption Quartely, 1: 2, 35 – 38. Siegel, D.H. (1993) Open Adoption of Infants: Adoptive Parents’ Perception of Advantages and Disadvantages. Social Work, 38(1), 15 – 23. Xiaojia Ge., Natsuaki, M.N., Martin, D.M., Neiderhiser, J.M., Villareal, G., Reid, J.B., Leve, L.D., Shaw. D.S., Scaramella, L., Reiss, D. (2008) Bridging the Divide: Openness in Adoption and Postadoption Psychosocial Adjustment Among Birth and Adoptive Parents. Jurnal of Family Psychology, 22(3), 529 – 540. Convention of the Right of the Child

What Is the Average SAT Score

What Is the Average SAT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you've taken the SAT, you're probably curious about how your score stacks up against average SAT scores. There are lots of different ways to look at averages on the SAT. What is the average SAT score overall?How many types of average SAT scores are there? And which averages are important for you? We'll answer all of these questions and more to tell you which SAT average scores actually matter for your future. So what is the average SAT score? That really depends on which group of people you're looking at. Below, we look at national averages as well as averages by gender, ethnicity, family income, high school type, and state. National SAT Average Score According to the College Board's 2018 total group report, the national SAT average scores (for all 2018 high school graduates) are as follows: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 536 Math: 531 Total: 1068 As you can see, if you score higher than 1068 on the SAT, you’ll be above the national average and will have scored better than most test takers. If you score less than 1068, however, you'll be below the national average and will have scored lower than most test takers. Bonus: Review how to find the average of a set of numbers for yourself here. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Average SAT Scores by Gender The College Board has also calculated the average SAT scores by gender. These averages are based on members of the class of 2018 who took the SAT. There are two sections on the SAT: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW). Each section is out of 800 points and then combined for a total score out of 1600. Gender EBRW Math Total Female 539 522 1061 Male 534 542 1076 No Response 406 374 779 As you can see, males outperform females on Math by 20 points, while females exceed males on EBRW by 5 points. According to a statistical significance test (t-test), the differences in EBRW and math scores here are considered extremely significant (in technical terms, the P value is less than 0.0001, meaning roughly that it is very unlikely these differences are due to chance). The difference between genders in math* test scores has been explored by academic researchers and has been a controversial topic. It should be a goal of the educational system to close this achievement gap between genders. *I looked for research to back up the differences between EBRW scores for students identifying as male vs those identifying as females but was unable to find anything both relevant and peer-reviewed from the last 15 years. We'll update this article with more information as and when it comes out. Average SAT Scores by Ethnicity When registering for the SAT, the College Board gives you the option to specify your ethnicity, with most students opting to share it.Here are the average SAT scores by ethnicity: Ethnicity # of Test Takers EBRW Math Total American Indian/Alaska Native 10,946 480 469 949 Asian 217,971 588 635 1223 Black/African American 263,318 483 463 946 Hispanic/Latino 499,442 501 489 990 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander 5,620 498 489 986 White 930,825 566 557 1123 Two or More Races 77,078 558 543 1101 No Response 131,339 472 481 954 Total 2,136,539 536 531 1068 Source: Total Group Report 2018 The implications of these results are important to consider. The black-white test score gap, for example, has been researched extensively to try to find the root causes of it. In the other direction, Asians have the highest SAT score averages, which has led some to question whether colleges discriminate against Asians. (Of course, the disparity in sizes of the different groups taking the SAT and socioeconomic inequality also play a key role in creating these differences.) As with gender, reducing achievement gaps between ethnicities is a critical priority for educators. Average SAT Score by Family Income The College Board also allows students to report their family income. Most don’t, but there’s a definite trend among those who do. These averages are from 2016 and based on the old SAT scoring system (out of 2400), as the 2017 and 2018 reports did not release data by family income. Note that on the old SAT, instead of one EBRW score, you got two separate scores for Reading and Writing (each out of 800). Family Income Number Taking Reading Math Writing Total Less than $20,000 124,290 435 453 426 1314 $20,001-$40,000 158,909 465 477 452 1394 $40,001-$60,000 132,182 488 495 471 1454 $60,001-$80,000 115,998 503 509 485 1497 $80,001-$100,000 119,593 517 527 501 1545 $100,001-$140,000 146,434 530 539 513 1582 $140,001-$200,000 98,275 542 553 528 1623 More than $200,000 87,482 569 586 562 1717 No Response 659,426 482 501 473 1456 Source: Total Group Profile Report 2016 As you can see,a higher average score on the SAT is typically associated with higher family income. This is a trend that’s been observed for some time. There are many reasons why those from higher-income families tend to score higher on the SAT- they are likely to attend better schools and have more resources to devote to preparation, to name a couple. This is another key equity issue facing educators. One of the stated reasons for the SAT redesign was to try to make test results less correlated with income, but it remains to be seen if the College Board has been successful. Here are the average scores by income converted to the new SAT score scale for your reference: Family Income Math (New) EBRW New Total Less than $20,000 490 480 970 $20,001-$40,000 510 510 1020 $40,001-$60,000 530 540 1070 $60,001-$80,000 540 550 1090 $80,001-$100,000 560 570 1130 $100,001-$140,000 570 580 1150 $140,001-$200,000 570 590 1160 More than $200,000 610 620 1230 No Response 530 560 1090 Average SAT Score by School Type Average SAT scores also differ by school type. Again, these averages come from 2016 and use the old 2400-point SAT scale (the 2017 and 2018 reports did not release information for school type). School Type Reading Math Writing Total Public 487 494 472 1453 Religiously Affiliated 532 537 525 1594 Independent 530 579 536 1645 Other or Unknown 491 580 498 1569 Source: Total Group Profile Report 2016 As you can see, students at independent schools have the highest averages, followed by those at religious private schools, other or unknown schools, and finally public schools. This trend is unsurprising sinceprivate school attendance is typically expensive- certainly more expensive than public school! Thus, the pattern here is clearly correlated with income, which we already saw made a big difference in average SAT scores. Educational achievement is an incredibly complex issue, with environmental, social, and economic factors all at play. Reducing achievement gaps by gender, ethnicity, and income is a big priority for educators. See below for the converted average scores for your reference: School Type Math (New) EBRW New Total Public 520 540 1060 Religiously Affiliated 560 590 1150 Independent 560 590 1150 Other or Unknown 520 550 1070 Average SAT Score by State Below, I’ve given the 2018 average SAT scores by state (as well as for Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC). State # of Test Takers EBRW Math Total Alabama (6%) 2,878 595 571 1166 Alaska (43%) 3,334 562 544 1106 Arizona (29%) 20,188 577 572 1149 Arkansas (5%) 1,591 592 576 1169 California (60%) 262,228 540 536 1076 Colorado (100%) 58,790 519 506 1025 Connecticut (100%) 44,700 535 519 1053 Delaware (100%) 11,055 505 492 998 District of Columbia (92%) 4,985 497 480 977 Florida (97%) 176,746 522 493 1014 Georgia (70%) 74,240 542 522 1064 Hawaii (56%) 7,880 550 549 1099 Idaho (100)% 20,484 508 493 1001 Illinois (99%) 145,919 513 506 1019 Indiana (67%) 48,962 546 539 1086 Iowa (3%) 994 634 632 1265 Kansas (4%) 1,419 633 631 1265 Kentucky (4%) 1,925 630 618 1248 Louisiana (4%) 2,027 615 595 1210 Maine (99%) 14,310 512 501 1013 Maryland (76%) 48,040 545 535 1080 Massachusetts (80%) 59,382 562 563 1125 Michigan (100%) 115,281 511 499 1011 Minnesota (4%) 2,464 643 655 1298 Mississippi (3%) 806 630 606 1236 Missouri (4%) 2,420 633 629 1262 Montana (10%) 952 606 592 1229 Nebraska (3%) 688 629 623 1252 Nevada (23%) 5,588 574 566 1140 New Hampshire (96%) 14,834 535 528 1063 New Jersey (82%) 84,672 547 547 1094 New Mexico (16%) 3,225 552 540 1093 New York (79%) 162,551 534 534 1068 North Carolina (52%) 54,987 554 543 1098 North Dakota (2%) 148 640 643 1283 Ohio (18%) 22,992 552 547 1099 Oklahoma (8%) 3,337 541 521 1062 Oregon (48%) 17,476 564 553 1117 Pennsylvania (70%) 96,740 547 539 1086 Puerto Rico 3,783 512 481 993 Rhode Island (97%) 10,161 513 505 1018 South Carolina (55%) 25,390 547 523 1070 South Dakota (3%) 260 622 618 1241 Tennessee (6%) 4,181 624 607 1231 Texas (66%) 226,374 520 512 1032 Utah (4%) 1,425 618 612 1230 Vermont (64%) 4,323 565 554 1120 Virginia (68%) 61,576 567 550 1117 Virgin Islands, US 635 490 445 935 Washington (69%) 48,574 543 538 1081 West Virginia (28%) 5,058 513 486 999 Wisconsin (3%) 1,923 641 653 1294 Wyoming (3%) 169 633 635 1257 Source: The College Board There's a lot of variation in average SAT scores by state. This is due to a lot of factors, but one big one is whether or not the state requires all public school students to take the SAT. In these cases, scores tend to be lower because even students who might not typically take the SAT (or prepare for it) musttake it in school. By contrast, in states where the SAT is not required, students who take the SAT take it specifically to prepare their college applications. As a result, the subsample of students who take the SAT will, in general, be more prepared and get higher scores. For more info on this topic, check out our complete guide to average SAT scores by state. What Average SAT Scores Really Matter for YOU? While we've gone through a lot of interesting SAT data based on gender, ethnicity, family income, school type, and state, most of it won’t be particularly relevant to your own interests and goals. The truth is, what SAT score you need depends entirely on the schools you're applying to. The average SAT scores that matter most for you are the averages for the colleges you’re interested in. If you can score above a school's average SAT score, you'll have a far better chance of getting in. But what score should you aim for specifically? The score you need to hit to give yourself your best chance of admission is your SAT goal score. We explain more about how to find this in our article onwhat makes a good SAT score. Briefly, though, here's what you'll need to do: on a chart, record the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores (i.e., the middle 50% or average range) for each of the schools you're applying to. Once you've filled everything out, look for the highest 75th percentile score to getyour goal score. Hit this score on test day, and you'll have a great shot at getting into your dream school! What's Next? Not sure whether you should take the SAT? Here are 10 reasons to consider taking the test. Want to know the average SAT scores from past years?Maybe you want help predicting your own SAT score, or are wondering whether there's a minimum SAT score requirement for college. Need help preparing for the SAT? Then check out our total guide to studying for the test. We also have a one-month cramming planandsome tips for balancing your test prep with school! Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Personal Finance Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Finance Assignment - Essay Example The kinds of credit available can be categorized into two; short term credit and long-term credit depending on the repayment period (Chandra 56). Purchasing of a new camera and a wardrobe for business does not require a lot of cash; Sam and Judy can opt to take a short term loan for purchase of these two items. On the other hand, they can take long term credit for the purchase of a new 52 inch television and a car. Another credit available to them is personal savings. While budgeting, it is vital that things that need to be purchased be arranged in order of priority (Chandra 27). Without arranging the purchases in order of priority, a person ends up buying the wrong commodity not required within the period. It is noteworthy that Sam and Judy should consider buying what is necessary to them at the moment. Suitable clothing for business wear is the most vital commodity to consider buying. They should purchase clothing immediately since they need them when in business. In purchasing clothing, they can use personal savings or short term loans. A camera, car and television, should be purchased later after purchasing clothing. This is because a camera, car and television are luxury commodities that the two can live without (Chandra 44). If the two were to take a loan in purchasing the commodities, then they would have an extra monthly budget of the following: camera $ 900, car $11000, television $ 2500, and clothing $ 3000. These new expenses add up to $ 17,400. These expenses cannot be payable once. Hence, Sam and Judy have to appropriate the total cost into a period of twenty four months; so as to determine how much they will term as expenses per month in purchasing the items. Dividing $ 17,400 by 24 months, $ 725 is the new, additional monthly expense. From the old budget, it was estimated that total monthly expenses totaled to $ 2778. With the purchase of the new items, the old monthly budget will expand. The items that are to be purchased using loan can be