Staying on Track with College Admissions

Dont worry parents you are in the home stretch.It may be hard to believe, but college admissions deadlines are already approaching. In some cases, the original round of early applications may even be closed, but there is still time to get in for secondary early applications (or simply early admissions for some schools) from universities and colleges still accepting early applications. And if your child is on the fence, some universities have deadlines as late as summer.However, that doesnt mean your child shouldnt be hustling right now, especially if they are interested in highly competitive schools or popular degree programs that fill up quickly.There are many college admissions deadlines that occur on December 1 and January 1.For example, the deadline for Harvard Early Action candidates is November 1st, but Regular Decision candidates have until January 1, 2019, to get their application materials in.And, it is important to mention, that I have only mentioned issues with college ap plications, and not everything required for admission into your school of choice/acceptance.If tracking all of these upcoming dates seems a bit challenging, or downright mind-boggling,here is a roadmap to help you keep it all straight.SATs and ACTsMost college-bound seniors should already have their SAT or ACT scores available as they are oftena key factor incollege admissions. But, if your child delayed taking on of the most critical tests related to their college career, they actually still have time to make it work.SAT test datesare still available for this December, January and March. You can see registration deadlines below from College Board:Depending on the college, your senior may want to register for the December test date now (late registration is online is open until November 20th, so jump to it!).While I mentioned a March test (there is also a May and June option, but those wont help seniors looking to start college in the fall), those results may be received too late to be accepted by some schools. For example, Harvard expects scores no later than January. To meet that deadline, the December test date is the best bet.Similarly, the late registration date for the December ACTis November 26th. If your child misses that deadline, the next testing opportunity is in February (say goodbye to Harvard for 2019). Anything beyond that may not be completed in time for consideration by some college admissions departments for the fall 2018 semester.College ApplicationsIt is also time to actually apply to schools, so gather up the application fees, have your senior prepare college admissions essays, and lets get started.Now, SAT and ACT deadlines are set by their individual organizations, so the required registration dates are the same for people living in New York to California. College application deadlines are different; each school can set their own standards and requirements regarding when applications will be accepted.That means your child needs to examin e the schedules for every school they are considering. While I have mostly made an example of Harvard during this piece, their deadlines arent necessarily the gold standard. To help you (and your senior) get a better idea of the range of dates that may apply, here are some dates from colleges that were selected at random:Arizona State University May 1, 2019Cal Tech January 3, 2019University of Minnesota January 1, 2019Florida State University February 7, 2019Johns Hopkins January 2, 2019Midwestern State University August 1, 2019As you can see, there is a lot of variance between schools. On a good note, that means there are plenty of options even if your child isnt accepted by their original top choices that have earlier application deadlines than some of the other colleges and universities they may be open to considering.To simplify the application process, it is often safe to assume that the above deadlines reflect when ALL materials are required, such as applicable test scores, hi gh school transcripts, essays (if needed), and recommendations (if necessary).ScholarshipsScholarships also have varying deadlines. Academic scholarships offered by individual universities, or larger systems, will their own application requirements and due dates to be considered. Additionally, opportunities available through different organizations, such as trade groups, unions, and non-profits, can also set the requirements how they see fit.Generally, your childs best bet is to apply as soon as possible (yes, deadlines are already passing for the next school year!)Research which opportunities may work for you, review any application requirements, and make a plan to submit once they have all of the materials together.Since some scholarships receive only a few applicants, the odds of being chosen can be much better than those offered by large organizations and educational institutions.If you want some more help on scholarships, join us for our free webinar for parents:6-Steps to Secu re College Scholarships (Graduate Debt-Free).You can grab a spot at thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar.FAFSA DeadlinesThe FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the core document that determines your eligibility for, well, federal student aid. This includes access to need-based awards like Pell Grants and general awards, like the right to obtain federal student loans.While the federal deadlines focus on June 30th of the applicable school year, those arent the only deadlines you have to contend with. To complicate the time limits involved, they can also differ based on your state of residency.And, one more fun (and critical) fact, some awards are first come/first serve. That means, even if your senior qualified for certain grants, it is possible the government will run out of funds before they have a chance to use any.So, the moral of the storycomplete your FAFSA as soon as possible.To complete your FAFSA, your child will need certain pieces of information. Firs t, theyll need personal information that identifies them as a person. Most notably, this involves their legal name, address, and Social Security Number. They may also need information pertaining to their parents depending on their legal status.Income tax information,including parents information, is another requirement. Fortunately, with the recent changes, you now use the tax return from 2 years prior (so for 2019-2020 school year, you will use 2017 tax returns.) This greatly reduces the pressure on parents.Click here for our5 Quick Tips to Maximize Financial Aid with FAFSA.Luckily, your FAFSA does not have to be completed with your college applications though, again, the sooner, the better! But for now,focus on the test scores and applications. Make sure to check the individual deadlines set by your childs preferred schools, and they can be well on their way in a matter of days.Good luck to the Class of 2019! Youre new college life awaits!

Challenges of Governance and Democracy in East Timor - 2750 Words

Challenges of Governance and Democracy in East Timor (Essay Sample) Content: CHALLENGES OF GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY IN EAST TIMOR (CORRUPTION)Authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Name:Instructorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s Name:Course:Date due:CHALLENGES OF GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRACY IN EAST TIMOR (CORRUPTION)Democracy is seen as among the ultimate ideals which modern civilization strives to preserve or create. As a system of governance, it is worth noting that democracy is supposed to permit extensive inclusiveness and representation of many people as well as their views so as to feed into the functioning of a society that is just and fair. The principles of democracy run in line with the universal freedom ideals like the freedom of expression. The most important thing about democracy is that it serves to check power that is unaccountable as well as manipulation by few individuals at the expense many people. This is because democracy is fundamentally viewed as a form of governance for the people and by the people. Usually, this is implemented via representatives who are electe d, whereby a free, fair and transparent election is required for the achievement of legitimacy.In the context of East Timor, governance include a new nation being build, the structure and the role entailing governance basic pillars configuration. Initiatives that are successful in the promotion of development and democratization rely on the devotion of enough resources and capacity to strengthen lower government levels, particularly the institutions of local government as well as on excellent communication entailing the mutual respect and recognition between different government spheres.The government of East Timor has faced renewed criticism from the public after it granted a contract to a company owned by China to have Timorese schools supplied with furniture. For a country with gas and oil wealth, a contract worth over one million dollars is relatively small. However, the contract has a larger significance. The same Chinese company was granted by Gusmao Xanana a three hundred mil lion dollar contract in 2008 to power plants and the electricity grid for the nation. This was actually the largest contract in Timorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s history. There was a wide criticism on the Nuclear Industry construction company of China because it failed to fulfill contract terms, resulting to the reassignment of a big portion of the job to another company, hence delaying the projects for many years with increased cost by millions of dollars. There was serious flaw on the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s concept, community relation, implementation as well as work quality. There was also repeated failure by the company to meet its commitment in regard to quality of materials, worker safety, environmental management, hiring of workers from Timor as well as keeping schedule. WikiLeaks later released a December 2008 cable informing Washington that the decision of having the contract awarded to the Chinese company again was approved by East Timorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s prime minister without having consulted th e line minister fully.["1. ARPA: East Timor, Oil, and the Challenge of Nation-building." Australian Review of Public Affairs. Accessed AugustÂ16,Â2015. /digest/2006/04/ghazavi.html.2. Casas Pardo, JoseÃÅ' , and Pedro Schwartz. Public Choice and the Challenges of Democracy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2007.] The choice of the prime minister follows the long history of Beijing help helping East Timor generously, such as donating three buildings constructed by the Chinese in Dili capital city. These buildings include a defense headquarters, building for ministry of affairs and a palace for the president. Another contract was recently awarded to the same company, hence reviving questions about the relationship of the company and the government. For instance one would ask; why should the government opt for an international construction firm to acquire chairs and tables for the school? Again, why would the government not consider patronizing local suppliers instead of impor ting the furniture-therefore generating job opportunity and having the money kept within the country?Absence of transparency.Those who have observed East Timor for a long time concludes that a limited process of tendering for contracts offered by the government usually leads to mismanagement, corruption and inefficiency. There are more problems resulting from this lack of transparency, and in case the government is out to ensure that corruption is combated, then there is need of it increasing accountability and transparency. Corruption culture pervades the fragile democracy of East Timor, from transparency absence at top government levels to an anticipation among some media personalities of payment so as to be covered in the news. Revenue from gas and oil raised spending, increasing the annual budget from six hundred million dollars five years ago to one point six billion dollars currently. Leaders in government splurge the available resources on power trappings. According to Alkat iri, who was the prime minister from two thousand and two to two thousand and six, and later became an opposition leader, leaders who engage in corruption practices know each other. For instance they know if someone was rich a few years ago and became rich suddenly. This was due to corruption; No miracle happened for to become rich suddenly. Some of the commonly cited instances of abuse of resources include but not limited to generous travel, housing as well as other allowances given to Ministers as well lifetime remunerations given for members of parliaments who are newly elected prior to finishing their first term in office.Accusations of Collusion, nepotism and corruption are common place. Currently, the finance minister, Emilia is currently under probation by the Anti-corruption Commission of East Timor for allegation of steering a contract of the government to the company of her husband. On the other hand, the former minister of justice, Lobato Lucia is a prisoner after having been convicted for offering her husband a contract of the government. Anti-corruption initiatives in East Timor are listed by the United State embassy and Non-Governmental organizations as a top priority. Presently, East Timor ranks one hundred and thirteenth out of one hundred and seventy for countries in the annual index of corruption perception of the Transparency International. In many ways, self-governance challenge is proving to be harder compared to the long fight for freedom and independence, especially for a new nation that is trying to build its institutions and traditions from nowhere. Most of the Timor citizens are fond of considering Gusmao as a hero of resistance hero who was prisoner in Indonesia. However, others regard him as a person whose style of leadership was a flop. Other persons regarded as resistance hero of East Timor include Ramos Jose, a Nobel laureate and former head of the nation who works and lives in Guinea Bissau as a United Nations special envoy.[Fed eration Of American Scientists -. Accessed AugustÂ16,Â2015. /sgp/crs/row/RL33994.pdf.3. Islam, Nasir. Governance, Democracy Human Rights = Gouvernance, DeÃÅ' mocratie Droits De La Personne. Ottawa, Ont: University of Ottawa, 1996. 4. Lundahl, Mats, and Fredrik SjÃÆ'holm. "The Oil Resources of Timor-Leste: Curse or Blessing?" Pacific Review, 2008. doi:10.1080/09512740701868898. 5. Mainwaring, Scott, and Timothy Scully. Democratic Governance in Latin America. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 2010.] To accomplish the openness that straightforwardness and responsibility gives, there is an imperative requirement for a free squeeze, autonomous from government. Such a media frequently speaks to the standard of the all-inclusive right to free discourse. This blend should permit individuals to settle on educated decisions and choices in this way adding to political verbal confrontation, productively. Transparency and responsibility likewise requires more administrat ion as choices and procedures should be recorded and made accessible for the overall population to get to, civil argument and talk about, if essential. This appears to be anything but difficult to overlook thus it is regular to hear concerns raised about the wastefulness of some administrative division. Proficiency, then again, ought not to so much be measured as far as how rapidly a particular activity is finished or even the amount it costs. However these can be vital as well.Curse of resource?East Timor turned into Asia's freshest nation in Two thousand and two and stays among its poorest. A petroleum store set up as a sort of trust is currently worth near fourteen billion dollars, however numerous stress that what financial aspects call the asset condemnation will see the nation lose its recently discovered riches to waste, inability, and defilement, as have different nations, for example, Zimbabwe and Angola.Petroleum from the Timor Sea gives ninety five percent of the nation's state incomes and eighty percent of Gross Domestic Product. The International Monetary Fund calls East Timor a standout amongst the most oil ward economies on the planet. The nation's oil riches is not coming to the base a large portion of the populace that lives beneath the neediness line of one dollar a day, however all the more essentially, it is not going to gainful social venture. By falling flat now to reserve instruction, medicinal services and framework, the nation is not situating the economy well for the day when the oil runs out. Case in point, spending on instruction is lower than on liberal veterans' advantages for the resistance warriors and their families who removed Indonesian occupiers in nineteen ninety nine. Gatherings like Hamutuk say that at last, it is dependent upon the administration of East Timor to foil debasement.It is necessary to expand open inputs into the running and heading of public services and gove...