Thursday, May 28, 2020

The Secret to MA/MS and PhD Admissions Contacting Potential Advisors

As admissions consultants, we talk a lot about writing great statements of purpose, putting together an impressive curriculum vitae (CV), and approaching potential recommenders. However, we don’t always discuss what sort of contact applicants should try to make with potential advisors and professors at their desired schools. If you get one thing out of this article (and hopefully you’ll get more than that!), it is this: Reach out to professors with whom you’d like to work! 3 tips for reaching out What do I mean by â€Å"reach out†? I mean three things: Send an email to professors By â€Å"send an email,† I don’t mean a two-line email in which you simply send greetings to a professor and express the hope that they review your application favorably. Use this email as an introduction, your chance to begin your relationship with this professor. Here, I want to elaborate a little on what an email like this might look like; a surprising number of people have never learned email etiquette, and this is definitely a situation in which you want to put your best foot forward. A few tips: †¢ Address the professor as â€Å"Dear Professor X.† Not â€Å"Hi,† And definitely no first names. †¢ In the body of the email, it’s always nice to begin, â€Å"I hope this finds you well. My name is Y, and I am currently a student at Z University.† You might add another line or two about things you’ve been studying in your current program, or related work experience. †¢ Be straightforward: tell the professor you are applying to graduate school and are interested in his or her program. Explain why you are interested: usually, this means directly relating your interest to the professor’s interests. E.g., â€Å"One of the things that attracts me to your program is the emphasis on X. Your work, in particular, is focused on X. When I read your article ‘XYZ,’ I appreciated your analysis of Y. It caused me to think more about†¦ (etcetera).† †¢ Express interest in having a phone call or other type of meeting with the professor (see #2 below). Sign your full name with your contact information below. Offer to meet with the professor By â€Å"meet with a professor,† I mean some sort of contact that is more personal or face-to-face than an email exchange. When I applied to graduate school for an MA, I had email and phone exchanges with potential advisors. When I applied for my PhD, I had Facetime meetings with two potential advisors, and I flew from Chicago to Boston just to meet with other potential advisors in person. Any of these forms of deeper contact demonstrate your interest in fostering a relationship with a given professor, and can be used as a marvelous way to demonstrate your own maturity and intellectual abilities. Mention the professors with whom you have a relationship in your statement of purpose Towards the end of your statement of purpose, discuss the particular program to which you’re applying and name one to three specific professors whose work you admire and with whom you’d like to work. Name a publication or two, and use this as an opportunity to make it clear that you have done your homework and know the main players in the field, their contributions to it, and your desire to be a part of their future work. WARNING: Be sure to tailor this section to each school you apply to; there’s no better way to insult a potential advisor than to state how you hope to work with a professor from a different university. Making connections distinguishes you With these steps outlined, you should be well on your way to building successful and personal relationships with professors and enhancing your chances of acceptance at a program that genuinely reflects your interests. Connecting one-on-one with professors who can guide you and your research can distinguish you as the applicant who has a genuine interest in that program. That communication is the unspoken rule of the admissions game! For guidance on this and every other step of your graduate school application, check out our one-on-one Admissions Consulting Services. By Rachel Slutsky who has as served as a writing tutor, consultant, and adjunct professor teaching writing. Rachel has assisted applicants in applying to an array of MBA and graduate programs. She earned her masters from the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing her PhD at Harvard University.  Want Rachel to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch! Related Resources: †¢ 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Graduate School Statement of Purpose, a free guide †¢ Connections Count. And You Can Create Them. †¢ Fully-Funded PhD Program at Harvard University: How I Got In

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Adoption For Prospective Or Current Parents - 1241 Words

Adoptive Parents Adoptive parents share in the joys of parenthood, which may also include challenges that impact their family dynamic. However, the reasons for adopting a child vary among couples, with a central one being infertility, but can include a desire to care for orphans. Therefore, couples might approach the subject of adoption with a bittersweet mentality, particularly if the natural ability to conceive is the issue. The choices concerning adoption for prospective or current parents are not light in nature, including, but not limited to, finances, the type of adoption, and selecting a lawyer or agency. Receiving professional counseling before finalizing a decision is also beneficial. Aside from the technical aspects, there is the raising of a child that will entail explanations of why there are noticeable differences between him and her and other family members, along with recognizing difficult transitional periods the child might encounter (Pertman, 2011, pp. 169-170). Thus, adoptive parents have distinct concerns they will encounter, with one being grieving the inability of having biological children, as well as childrearing issues. Adoptees An adoptee represents a person who is not raised by the woman that gave birth to him or her, which may also exclude the birth father. He or she is part of a unique, yet, similar group of individuals that have differing experiences concerning being adopted. Similar to the other parties in the triad who experience joysShow MoreRelatedPregnancy Related Expenses, $ 0- $ 10000986 Words   |  4 Pages300. (Independent Adoption Center). Of course there are reasons for these fees. There are good reasons for the fees that accrue during the adoption process. Adoption agencies are fully equipped with well-educated social workers to provide counseling for the adoptive parents and the biological parents due to the emotionally grueling process, and also to complete the home studies to ensure that the homes are emotionally and physically safe for the children joining the prospective families. AdditionalRead MoreSynthesis Essays1243 Words   |  5 PagesGay/Lesbian Families Adoption is an extremely sensitive subject,(insert dash) especially for individuals who are Gay or Lesbian. There is much controversy on the topic. There are a variety of ways to which it isn’t possible for a couple to adopt. Infertility is becoming a greater problem in our time. In Gerald P. Mallon’s article, â€Å"Assessing Lesbian and Gay Prospective Foster and Adoptive Families: A Focus on the Home Study Process,† in 2007. He introduces a few different ways gay men and lesbianRead MoreEssay On Foster Care In Texas820 Words   |  4 PagesCounty) From: Preetha Swamy, LMSW Date: September 25th, 2017 Subject: Disastrous Impacts of Current State Policies on Foster Care Youth in Texas The foster care system in Texas is broken and policies like SB-4 and HB-3859 continue to fracture the system even more. The high volume of children entering into the system and the substantial number of caseloads for social workers are exacerbated by the current policies. It is our job as policymakers and policy analysts to address this issue so that ALLRead MoreOpen Adoption : A Growing Trend1440 Words   |  6 PagesOpen Adoption: A Growing Trend in the U.S. In the last four decades, the concept of the American family has undergone a radical transformation, reflecting society s growing openness. Among all segments of society, there is a greater acceptance of a variety of family structures from single parenting to blended families to same sex parenting of children. The introduction of openness into the process of adoption offers new opportunities for children in need of a parent or parents and prospective parentsRead MoreAccounting Principles And Its Impact On Accounting1210 Words   |  5 Pagesentity to another. Two approaches to reporting accounting changes are retrospective and prospective. When using the retrospective approach, all financial statements issued in prior years are revised to reflect the impact of the change so that all statements are prepared on the same basis. The prospective approach requires no modification of previous statements, only implementing the change for the current and future years. Changes in Principle Most changes happen because companies must make estimatesRead MoreAdoption Research Paper1556 Words   |  7 PagesOpen Adoption: A Growing Trend in the U.S. In the last four decades, the concept of the American family has undergone a radical transformation, reflecting society ¡Ã‚ ¯s growing openness. Among all segments of society, there is a greater acceptance of a variety of family structures  ¨C from single parenting to blended families to same sex parenting of children. The introduction of openness into the process of adoption offers new opportunities for children in need of a parent or parents and prospectiveRead MoreAdoption Outline1472 Words   |  6 PagesOutline Adoption in the U.S. I. INTRODUCTION A. (attention grabber): According to www.adoptionfacts.org, Approximately 140,000 children are adopted by American families each year. B. (thematic statement): Today we are going to inform you about adoption in the United States. C. (establish significance/credibility): According to www.childrensrights.org , The majority (42 percent) of children currently in foster care waiting to be adopted were removed from their parents or caretakersRead MoreAdoption Application And Pay An Application Fee1512 Words   |  7 Pagesgetting adopted? While adoption requirements can vary by state, most states have the same basic requirements in place. First, a person looking to adopt must fill out an adoption application and pay an application fee. These applications are then reviewed by a local adoption agency or government agency. These applications can get quite personal and typically ask for personal information about the applicant s work history, family history, medical history, religious affiliations, current home life situationRead More800,000 people in UK have been adopted and it is reckoned that millions of others are affected by2200 Words   |  9 Pagesothers are affected by adoption. Adoption became legal in En gland and Wales in 1926. In some European countries there is practically no adoption. With exception of Indonesia, Malaysia, Somalia, Tunisia and Turkey, laws of most Muslim-majority states do not currently permit legal adoption. Islamic law does not even recognize the concept of adoption. In US 14% of adoptions are by relatives, whereas most adopters in Britain are people formerly unknown to the child. The Adoption and Children Act 2002Read MoreSocial Work Reflection1338 Words   |  6 Pageslearned in this field is that one will have to deal with all types of people and their different personalities and behaviors. In my current position as a foster care social worker, I have been disrespected as a worker by biological parents, foster parents, and kinship parents. I address this challenge by communicating with the individual (client, foster parent, or kinship parent) that in order for me to provide services effectively, our relationship must have mutual respect and show dignity and worth of

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Accounting Financial Analysis Report Capital Structure

Question: Write about theAccounting Financial Analysis Report for Capital Structure. Answer: Introduction A capital structure of a company is the source of funds that are generated by the company to invest the same in the operations and earn profits out of it. It is the decision made by the companies wherein the company have to maintain a balance between the funds that will be borrowed from the market and the funds that will be invested by the company itself. In this report it is discussed that how the investment policy will be managed by the company. Also the ancient theory of Miller and Modigliani who presented the in depth details of capital structure is also discussed in the report. The discussion on the importance of debt favouring and of an equity oriented structure is also discusses. Miller ad Modiglianis theory- Capital Structure Choices Affect a Companys Real Investment Policy A company spreads its business by applying its assets for the generation of revenue from it. After the revenue is generated, payment of taxes is done and the remaining money is retained in the business. It depends on the structure of the company, if the company is an equity base, then the retained amount will be distributed amount the shareholder in the form of dividend. In case the company has debts which are to be repaid by the company, then it be the obligation to repay the same first ad den the remaining part of the earning will be distributed to the shareholders. The discussion was made in order to understand the basic structure of the company. The money that is used by the company for funding the operations is the capital structure (Ardalan, 2017). The allocation of the earning in form of investments in order to earn profits is decided keeping in mind the capital structure of the company. The total market value of the company is dependent on the capital structure (equity and de bt) of the company. It is observed that the when the company have a higher debt structure or it believes in increasing the amount of debt in the company. Then the value of the earning will increase till a point but after that it will increase the cost of the company resulting in reducing in the final market value (Tesfaye and Minga, 2014). Miller and Modigliani where the two experts who studied the concept of capital structure and its effect on the investment of the company in depth. According to the concept which was shared by them the value of the company in the market completely depends on the risk factor and on the financial instruments that are underlying in the derivate market i.e. the underlying assets (Hackbarth and Mauer, 2012). It was considered that the value is not dependent on the method that is considered to fund its investments. The theory was established in a situation of assumptions. No taxes, no transaction and bankruptcy cost, no different cost borrowing for the company and investors. No effect of the debt obligation on the earnings of the company was some of the assumptions associated with the theory. This means that no matter how much are the borrowing of the company there will be benefits of tax out of the payment of interest. There is no benefit from the increase in the debt of the company; the s tructure opted for the capital of the company does not affect the value of the shares of the company (Baker and Martin, 2011). On a whole this would mean that the capital structure of the company would not be relevant for the share prices or the investments of the company. In the real world scenario there is no stage where there are no taxes, no transactional cost, no bankruptcy cost and no difference in the rate of borrowings. Taxes are right of the government and with the payment of taxes there are various benefits that are available for the company. In the real world the companies are more successful with the high debt ratio in the capital structure (Zhang and Zou, 2016). Which helps in generating the funds for the company? With this the company earns profits with investing less amount of its own in the capital. Also this affects the value of the company as a whole. The cost at which the money is borrowed from the market is different for different person depending on their creditability of paying the same back (Peter, Tatiana and Natali 2014). Hence, it is not viable that the cost of borrowings is same for the company and investors as this cost affects the decision of investment in future projects. It is observed that no investor have a complete kno wledge about the information that is accessed by the companies. This will make it difficult for the companies to work in the market. Therefore, the concept of symmetric information with the companies and investors is not viable for the working (Cortez and Susanto, 2012). Investments that are made by the companies are to a great extend dependent of its capital structure. If the company has a structure in which the share of the equity is more, then the earning remained after the distribution of dividend will be more as compared to structure in which there is more debt ratio. This gives an upper hand to the companies to decide over the investment strategy as the availability of funds will be managed according to the capital structure (Apos, Mello and Farhat, 2008). Conclusion During the preparation of the project it was observed that the theory of Miller and Modigliani was based on assumption which does not stand relevant in todays scenario. The capital structure of the company which is the combination of debt and equity by the way of which the company raises its funds to operate the working, is a help for it to make decisions of investments and maintain better profit margins. It is also observed that the perspective of the business working today is not just equity base but also the companies make it viable for them to borrow monies from market and repay the same within time. References Ardalan, K., 2017, Capital structure theory: Reconsidered. Research in International Business and Finance, vol. 39, pp 696-710. Baker, H., Martin, G., 2011, Capital Structure and Corporate Financing Decisions Theory, Evidence, and Practice (Robert W. Kolb Series). Chichester: Wiley. Cortez, M., Susanto, S., 2012, The determinants of corporate capital structure: evidence from Japanese manufacturing companies. Journal of International Business Research, vol. 11, no 3, pp 121-134. DAmp;Apos, Mello, Ranjan, Farhat, Joseph., 2008, A comparative analysis of proxies for an optimal leverage ratio. Review of Financial Economics, vol. 17, no 3, pp 213-227. Hackbarth, D., Mauer, D., 2012, Optimal Priority Structure, Capital Structure, and Investment. The Review of Financial Studies, vol. 25, no 3, pp 747-796. Peter Brusov, Tatiana Filatova, Natali Orekhova., 2014, Mechanism of formation of the company optimal capital structure, different from suggested by trade off theory. Cogent Economics Finance, 01 December 2014, Vol.2(1). Tesfaye T. Lemma, Minga Negash., 2014, Determinants of the adjustment speed of capital structure: Evidence from developing economies. Journal of Applied Accounting Research, vol 15, no 1, pp 64-99. Zhang, Cao, Zou., 2016, Exuberance in China's renewable energy investment: Rationality, capital structure and implications with firm level evidence. Energy Policy, vol. 95, pp 468-478.