Q A with The Morningside Posts EIC COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Q A with The Morningside Posts EIC COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog After a short break, SIPAs student-run newspaper  The Morningside Post  (TMP) was restarted last Fall in a new and revamped fashion.  Foreign Affairs columnist Mohamed Zeeshan, MIA 2018,  sat down for a chat with Conor McCormick-Cavanagh, the newspapers current Editor-in-Chief, for a sneak peek into what the newspaper does, and what its aims and visions are. So what exactly is the guiding vision behind  The Morningside Post? The guiding vision of TMP is to provide a medium for SIPA students to voice their thoughts, feelings, concerns and analysis. TMP stays as neutral as possible and publishes a range of different thoughtful submissions. What kind of topics does TMP cover? TMP focuses on SIPA issues, on-campus news, human interest stories, world news, opinions, and the SIPA classroom experience.  Some of my favorite pieces this past semester were the human interest stories about SIPA students who come from low-income backgrounds. They spoke about the obstacles they overcame in their paths to the Ivy League. I thought that was the sort of journalism that really captured the essence of what SIPA is all about. I also have appreciated pieces which focus on specific countries or specific leaders. I learned a lot about Eritrea, which I knew very little about before. What are some of your favorite articles from last semester? The post we ran about the obstacles people overcame on their paths to the Ivy League was a huge hit. Similarly, we had articles that touched upon the situation in Gaza and the debate over secularism in France and looked at these important issues through a different lens. Another article that I personally enjoyed was the story on the President of Tanzania not a topic that really dominates mainstream journalism in this part of the world, but a fascinating story nonetheless. Its the kind of writing that we are looking to encourage. What role do you think journalism, which TMP brings to SIPA, plays in a policy school? Journalism plays a large role in a public policy school like SIPA. Student government provides the physical, in-person representation. TMP provides the pen and paper version. Nothing is more powerful than the written word and as future policymakers, we ought to get familiar with the significance of journalism. Right now is both the best and worst time to be a journalist. Governments are cracking down on press freedoms and stifling free speech throughout the world. At the same time, we are living in a fascinating time and there is so much to write about and comment on. Do you have any ideas or plans for the coming semester and year that you want to share with incoming students? This semester, we are adding a team of cartoonists to produce satire. We also hope to continue expanding our video production, so that we are covering more issues around campus and in the New York City area. As the Editor-in-Chief of TMP, what message would you like to convey to students just coming into SIPA? For aspiring journalists or writers,  The Morningside Post  is the best way to get ones feet wet or continue honing his/her craft. Writers and content producers of all levels are encouraged to join and become a part of the TMP family. How can students get involved with TMP? All students need to do to get involved is to email a writing sample to  tmpsipasubmissions@gmail.com  with a few paragraphs saying why they are interested. We encourage a diversity of perspectives in order to help readers think about the world in different ways, so I strongly encourage people to use this platform to air their opinions and views freely.

Essay Theodore Roosevelt One of Our Greatest President

Theodore Roosevelt was one of our greatest presidents. He created the FDA and improved the position of the presidency greatly. Before Theodore came to be president, the position of presidency was slow and wasn’t very interesting so he made the executive branch more powerful by starting new reforms and a strong foreign policy. The life of a president is hard. It is full of stress, responsibilities, and a strong dedication the welfare of your country. Theodore had to deal with all of these presidential stresses, taking up much of his time. Do you know, though, that despite being a president, he led a life of excitement and freedom that many other presidents had never before experienced? Theodore, â€Å"Teddy† as his first wife Alice called him,†¦show more content†¦They got into a relationship and married later. Alice and Teddy’s time together was, sadly, brief. In 1884 a double tragedy struck Teddy (Theodore Roosevelt the White House). On February 12, Alice gave birth to a daughter, Alice Lee. Two days later, Roosevelts mother died of typhoid fever and his wife died of kidney disease within a few hours of each other--and in the same house. (Miller Center) After the death of Teddy’s mother and Alice, Theodore moved out to the Dakota Badlands to escape his grief. Once there, Teddy â€Å"soaked into the frontier lifestyle† and bought two ranches, the Maltese Cross Ranch and the Elkhorn ranch, and invested $40,000 in cattle for the Maltese Cross Ranch (Unites States. National Park Service. History: Theodore Roosevelt: Rancher). â€Å"He flourished in the hardships of the western frontier, riding for days, hunting grizzly bears, herding cows as a rancher, and chasing outlaws as a frontier sheriff† (Miller Center).Teddy also was suited to the rancher look; he wore spurs, belt buckles, and had some pearl handled revolvers made by Tiffany’s, which was a famous jewelry store. He also had a fring ed cowboy shirt made from buckskin. The whole outfit would have cost $100 which would amount to $1,000 today (Unites States. National Park Service. History: Theodore Roosevelt: Rancher). Theodore headed back to the East after a harsh winter killed off most of his cattle in 1886 (Miller Center). One of the reasonsShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Theodore Roosevelt s The Arena 1099 Words   |  5 Pageshe â€Å"Man in The Arena† is a poem written by President Theodore Roosevelt. Surprisingly, â€Å"Man in The Arena† is a very short poem, despite the amount of material presented. President Theodore Roosevelt was known for remarkably long winded speeches, which contrasts with the style and length of the poem. Theodore Roosevelt conveys a motivational message that has a vast impact our nation is founded on. The poem is relatable to a picture on google art project by â€Å"Ettore Bugatti†, depicting a Bugatti thatRead MoreTheodore Roosevelt : A Visionary Leader1554 Word s   |  7 Pagesensure the welfare of society, we have two parties that control almost everything. This was not how Theodore Roosevelt led our country. He was a visionary and ethical leader. This paper explains why by describing Theodore Roosevelt’s use of visionary leadership to protect America’s natural resources by being an emotionally flexible leader and using his inspirational motivation. Theodore Roosevelt was an Ethical Leader because he put service before self by resigning from the position of AssistantRead More A Human For Nature Essay1585 Words   |  7 Pagesand nature throughout history, one significant figure stands out in my mind: Theodore Roosevelt. Without him, the most beautiful and serene places in North America may have been destroyed or fallen to the hands of developers. Development and conservation of land have been issues that we have faced since Europeans first landed in America. Today, environmental issues are a concern that any contendin g political candidate must address. In focusing on Theodore Roosevelt, we will find a basis for preservationRead MoreTheodore Roosevelt And The Great Depression1203 Words   |  5 Pages Each president from Theodore Roosevelt to Herbert Hoover faced his own unique set of situations during their tenure, ranging from railroad regulation to the Great Depression. Though each presidency required different solutions for which the public had to be shaped, through spin, in order to resolve a situation in a manner the president saw fit, some presidents such as William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding are not as well known for their use of spin. Due to the varying technological and communicativeRead More Comparing Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesComparing Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt During the 20th century many different presidents went in and out of the doors of the White House serving the country the best they could. However, two of these men hold a place in American history as perhaps the greatest leaders that had ever served our country. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson are two extraordinary men that symbolize the hope and aspirations of the American people during such a tumultuous time in United States historyRead MoreThe Bull Moose3345 Words   |  14 PagesMoose America has seen the likes of some of the greatest, most dynamic, most influential leaders to walk this earth, but one of the most electrifying of them all seized his opportunity and created a history and a legacy like none other. A man so influential, in fact, that his niece’s husband, another president of the United States, looked up to him as his idol. An unfortunate turn of events left a window wide open for this outstanding man, Theodore Roosevelt, to follow his destiny and leave a lastingRead MoreThe President Of The United States1783 Words   |  8 Pageshave been appointed to the very important role of proving to you that Theodore â€Å"Teddy† Roosevelt remains our nation’s finest President, and is more than deserving of the monument that will serve as a testament to his achievements as our country’s greatest leader. Serving as the 26th President of the United States of America, Roosevelt was in office from September 14, 1901, as a result of the d evastating assassination of President William McKinley, to March 4, 1909, when his second term came to an endRead MoreHistory Of The Monroe Doctrine Of 1823 Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pagesdocument helped the Mexican President Juarez in successfully revolting against the Emperor Maximillian of the French. I will also cover how the British affected the document and also how President Roosevelt wanted to extend the Doctrine with his â€Å"Roosevelt Corollary.† This document all began with the 5th president of the United States, James Madison. He tried to come up with some ideas to prevent Spain from repossessing the Western Hemisphere. So he went to former presidents Jefferson and Madison forRead MoreThe Achievements Of The Nobel Peace Prize1906 Words   |  8 PagesWinning the Nobel Peace Prize is an amazing feat and accomplishments that very few people receive. Only two US presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, and Barack Obama have received the award. Roosevelt was the first ever American to win this award. His life story and eventful experiences help shape him as the person we recognize as an impactful person in history. Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27th of 1858 into a Dutch family living in New York. As a child, he struggled with his asthma. ManyRead MoreTheodore Roosevelts Shaping of America Essay1080 Words   |  5 PagesTheodor Roosevelt, our 26th president, was a gruff politician who had a huge impact on America. He is known for his accomplishments in the political, social, and business world during the Progressive Era. His accomplishments helped shape America, and because of this influence, he is one of the faces found on Mount Rushmore. Theodor Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, in New York, New York. As a child he was frail and timid, and as a result, most of his education was through tutors in his home

The Importance Of Being Earnest By Oscar Wilde - 1293 Words

Tyreece Lockhart Ms. Mabry British Literature 9 May 2015 Little Secrets The life of the Victorian people was a time in which people were prude because of their repression. Many of the people of that time had a lot of pent-up emotions, there was a time and a place for something and it solemn did any good for anyone, depending on your class you had to have a curtain way of carrying yourself, many of which was not the must enjoyable of ways and lacked some fun that many need in their life. This forced many to split their Public life from the Private one. Written in the Victorian Era, the works of The importance of being earnest by Oscar Wilde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson ,and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley displays how†¦show more content†¦Some people felt trapped by society and some needed a fuse to unwind. In Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, the character Jack Worthing is a upstanding member of his society. He is a responsible and respectable man and the guardian to a young girl named Cecily. He is considered to be a very dependable person. However, Jack would grow bored of his role and wanted to escape for a little fun, creating his irresponsible younger brother, Ernest. Who he use to escape to London to â€Å"bail† his brother out of trouble. Jack pretends to disapprove of his bother’s behavior to keep up his responsible and respectable look. Jack represents many of the Victorian values: He is a man of duty and honor, but becomes a hypocrite as he flouts those notions. Jack uses his alter-ego, Ernest, as a escape from his boring and prude life, however as duty starts to call append itself and Jack seeks to marry a woman he met,Gwendolen, and he now wishes to rid his alter-ego but not without consequence. As, Gwendolen’s fixation on the name Ernest and Ernest alone, Jack has to choose between his two worlds, and his lies eventually become his undoing. Wilde’s play and the character Jack Worthing was meant to expose the Victorian Era’s repressive and suffocating norms, The classes care so much about being respectable that they are willing to lie about it, The Importance of Being Earnest reveals the differences between the behavior of the people and the

Disneyland Resort Paris Free Essays

Disneyland Resort Paris: a development after understanding local cultures The case Disneyland Resort Paris: Mickey Goes to Europe introduced readers to the development of Disneyland Paris during fifteen years. Even though Disneyland Paris had a terrible start in 1994, it had a great improvement and bright future in 2007. The reason for its failure and success is the same: culture. We will write a custom essay sample on Disneyland Resort Paris or any similar topic only for you Order Now Forgetting to respect local culture caused Disneyland to lose market and revenue in Paris, while adjusting its operations with culture issues put Disneyland Paris in a successful position. The success of Disneyland in America As a cartoon company which was founded in 1923, Walt Disney Company started its business in America. During the period to develop its business to Americans, Disney created its core values such as innovation, fun and magic. Disney movies which evoked these values are welcomed by audiences and make the company the world leader in animation (Martha, 2011). For the same reason, Disneyland theme park, a resort to make â€Å"magic† real and tangible, also had big success in America. The universal strategy of Disney Company is to use Disneyland resorts to connect the real world and the magic world. First, the company shows audiences a wonderful and magic world in its animated movie. Second, with the popularity of the movie, the animated world reappears in Disneyland resorts by those famous characters and sidewalks (Martha, 2011). All these factors can provide guests with comfortable experiences of magic and fun that helping them to forget worries in the real life. To adopt above strategy in operation, Disney cares about both the internal and external management. For internal management, Disney offers its employees excellent treatments which create a high employee loyalty to the company. For the external management, Disneyland cares about details in its management and confirms that it transfers core values to its customers through quality services. In this way, Disney received high customer satisfaction and won great success in America. Both the core values and operation strategy are universal about Disney. Factors such as fun, magic and innovation can capture positive emotions of human beings and make them be touched. Then Disney uses its high quality services to transfer these emotions to guests in the theme park and drive them to become loyal customers. This is the reason Disneyland did great job in California and Tokyo. However, Disney faced failures in Paris at the beginning of the resort opening. The Reason of Failure in Paris The reason of failure in Paris is forgetting to consider the effects of culture different. Disney is not an aggressive company that explores new market blindly. It aware the risk of operating a theme park out of America and thinks carefully about how to spend money and transfer core values to guests in Tokyo. Tokyo Disneyland is the most profitable Disneyland in the world. The park in Tokyo completely copied the business model of the American one. However, due to the success case in Tokyo, the company forgot to consider about cultural differences and lost its market in Europe. What the company states is the strategy works in Tokyo will also works in Europe. However, Disney forgot to consider two kinds of culture differences, the difference between culture in Europe and Japan and the difference between culture in America and Europe. The former difference means even though America model worked in Japan, the same model may not success in Europe. For example, customers in Japan like their park have â€Å"the real thing† (Martha, 2011) not means customer in Europe will also welcome it. For the similar reason, a mode works well in America may not also works well in Europe. For example, the wine issue put Disneyland in Paris in a negative position and brought it infamous effects. An Effective Improvement to Make the Resort to Survive in Europe Disneyland in Paris had five approaches to improve its business: * Change the name of the park from â€Å"Euro Disney† to â€Å"Disneyland Paris†. This approach weakened the image of park in Europe and strengthened the image of a theme park in Paris . As a result, the effects of culture differences will have lower power to stop guests feel Disney’s core value. * Reduce cost to increase net income under a condition of lower revenue of Disneyland Paris. The culture in Europe restricts the ability of Disney to absorb money form customers. Since it’s hard to change the culture in Europe, a better choice is to adjust financial approach to reduce the lose caused by culture. Redesign services to attract more customers. Disney studio park and Val d’ Europe are two examples of services which capture more customers. The former one tries its best to include European elements in it. The approach provides guests something they were familiar with and attract more tourist to visit the Disneyland park. The latter one created a center to draw customers’ attention and affected their travelling preferences. Both of the se two buildings were near Disneyland Paris and work as a transportation to connect the European culture and â€Å"Disney culture†. Buildings with familiar elements will make guests feel comfortable and reduce their unfriendly feelings to Disneyland Park. Therefore the park will get a chance to cross the cultural boundary and bring its customers excellent experiences. * Improve services to bring visitors back. In addition to existing services, Disneyland is doing kinds of improvements to satisfy customers and making them find new attractions in the park. This approach will increase the customer loyalty and get them back to the park. In my opinion, Disneyland Paris did right process to resolve its crisis. At one side, Disney didn’t give up its core values. At the other side, the park improved its operation and management to create an environment which can comfort European visitors and expend businesses. Disneyland Paris indentified its main problem, cultural blunder, clearly and reacted to it quickly. Take the Walt Disney studios park as an example, this approach adopted the MBI model perfectly. * Mapping: Notice the culture differences between America and Europe. * Bridge: In â€Å"prepare stage†, Disneyland Paris already understood its customers and plan to use the studio to make it understood by customers. In â€Å"decenter stage†, Disney Company evolved European elements in its products since the empathy made it to offer customers services they like. In â€Å"recenter stage†, an example of inviting European designer to design stunt show expresses its high emotion of establish a common reality (Martha, 2011). * Integrate: the opinion of Peter McGrath (Martha, 2011) illustrates the studio park has high awareness of handle cultural differences and face new cultural challenges. Disneyland Paris also adopted MBI model to its other services and the park generated customer loyalty successfully. The company reprogrammed and reopened existing star attractions to bring visitors back and also draw attention of new customers. The high benefits Disney Paris offering to its employees creates a positive internal company culture and helps employees to provide visitors with high quality services. The high quality services with innovation transferred core values of Disneyland to its customers. For example, the â€Å"summer camps† service, which launched in 2003, brought low cost and high return to the company and at the same time welcomed by customers. A balance of local culture and America Style I will advise Disneyland Paris to adapt the park in a balance of local culture and American style. Completely copying American model is proved to be a failure case therefore moving Disneyland Paris to this mode is just putting the company in the wrong track of development. A total local cultural mode will cause the park lose its characteristics. If Disneyland doesn’t have any Disney features, why customers prefer Disneyland rather than its competitors? At one side, features like Disney characters and buildings differentiate Disneyland from other theme parks. At the other side, the company needs to design and organize services in a more local way to guarantee that its core values can be transferred and accepted by visitors. To connect Disneyland with local events will be a good choice. For example, Paris will hold music festival every July. Sending band which consisted with Disney characters to play music on the festival can remind people the existence of the park and attract them to visit it. In 2009, German visitors are just 3% of whole visitors (Maznevski, 2009). Therefore to increase German visitors can extend visitors and boost revenue. When Oktoberfest festival is held in German, Disneyland Paris can also hold beer festival in the park to make Germany feel happy and glad to visit the park as well as spend money. Bibliography Harry w. Lane, Martha l. Maznevski, Joseph J. DiStefana, Joerg Dietz. (2011). International Management Behavior. Chippenham, Great Britain: CPI Abtone Rowe. Karsten Jonsen, Martha Maznevski. (2009, 06 25). Disneyland Paris – ANNO 2009. Lausanne, Switzerland. Karsten Jonsen, Martha Maznevski. (2011). Disneyland Resort Paris: Mickey Goes to Europe. In M. l. Harry w. Lane, International Management Behavior (p. 137). Chippenham: CPI Antony Rowe. How to cite Disneyland Resort Paris, Essay examples

Business Organisational Strategy for Adelaide -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Organisational Strategy for Adelaide and Sydney. Answer: Introduction: 13Cabs is the taxi network service provider that operates in different regions of Australia like Hobart, Adelaide, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne. 13Cabs is owned by Cabcharge that operates about 7, 400 taxis throughout Australia (13cabs.com.au. 2017). The service is operated using the cab apps available in various app stores. The cab facility service has chosen the right technology in order to carry out their business they use apps to connect with the customers. The black taxis under this organisation are well known for the service provided by 13 Cabs. Brief description: Value proposition: 13 Cabs app is the most popular Australian taxi app that has connected the largest fleet of cabs around the different regions of Australia anywhere and anytime (13cabs.com.au. 2017). 13Cabs has also won the Monash Business Awards that shows the efficiency in their business. Customer relationship: The customer care service is always available and any smart phone user can easily get access to the service of the taxi apps. The customer service is always available and the company is well known for the service that it provides. Customer segments: The cabs are grouped together by the means of apps and mobile systems in order to create a large segment of taxis. The customers from the segments like Sydney, Melbourne and other regions fall under the customer segments of the cab service (13cabs.com.au. 2017). Channels: The channels used for the purpose of connecting with the customers are through the web and any apps available in android or apple phones. Key Partners: The key partners of 13 Cabs are ABC Taxis, Black Cabs Combined Pty Ltd, Yellow Cabs, Maxi Taxis and others (13cabs.com.au. 2017). Key Activities: The cab service maintains and develops the market based on ride sharing activities. The service is available in the inner city and for long journeys as well. The idea is to share the rides of the taxi among the users in order to avoid the higher rates to be paid by the consumers. Key Resources: The key resources are the IT platform or the software that is used for carrying out the business activity (13cabs.com.au. 2017). The idea is to utilise these resources in order to attract more consumers in the market. Cost structure: The company operates in more than 76 locations and has huge fleet of drivers. The cost structure is depended on the employees and the partnership that the company has to maintain with others. The fixed costs include the rent and the utilities and other costs needed for the marketing and partnership activities of the organisation. Revenue system: The current revenue of the company is 121, 000 AUD (13cabs.com.au. 2017). Overall comment on strategic business: The business model used by the organisation is to create a wide network that would attract the maximum number of passengers or customers (Yellowadelaide.com.au. 2017). This would definitely add to the profitability of the business. However, the business model does not consider other aspects of the business like sustainability and competitive measures to improve business activities. Strategic issue to be faced: Environmental sustainability could be the most challenging issue faced by 13Cabs in the near future. It has been evident that greater approaches have been made towards improving the business activities that it would not cause harm to the environment. There have been no such implications in the business strategies of 13 Cabs that would support sustainability of the business and so this is the upcoming challenge faced by the organisation. The organisation needs to support the sustainability approach in the coming 3-10 years of its business. References: 13cabs.com.au. (2017).13 Cabs. [online] ProductReview.com.au. Available at: https://www.productreview.com.au/p/13-cabs.html [Accessed 29 Aug. 2017]. 13cabs.com.au. (2017).13CABS App @ 13CABS. [online] Available at: https://www.13cabs.com.au/IphoneApp [Accessed 29 Aug. 2017]. 3cabs.com.au. (2017).Taxi Cab Service @ 13CABS. [online] Available at: https://www.13cabs.com.au/ [Accessed 29 Aug. 2017]. Yellowadelaide.com.au. (2017).13CABS Adelaide. [online] Available at: https://www.yellowadelaide.com.au/ [Accessed 29 Aug. 2017].

Violence in The Kite Runner Essay Example

Violence in The Kite Runner Paper In The Kite Runner, violence plays a large role to develop both the characters and the story. Scenes such as rape, murder and extremely violent corporal punishments are cheerfully depicted and you can clearly see how those scenes come to affect the character development. The novel describes the life of Amir and his involvement with the violent scenes in the book. The novel also describes how much significance a single event in somebody’s life can have on their future self, especially rape. The first time rape is portrayed in the book is the scene where Hassan, Amir’s childhood friend, are raped by a known bully known as Assef. Amir and Hassan had just participated in a kite fighting tournament and they luckily won. Hassan runs away to find the kite for Amir and finds him being held down by Assef and his friends. Here, Amir can either interfere in the rape, or run and hide, and he chooses the latter one. This choice will come to affect and shape the rest of his life. The memory of witnessing Hassan being raped, and him not helping his friend will build up guilt inside of him. The guilt will continue growing until he cannot handle it anymore and feels like he has to redeem himself. This particular rape is not the first instance where rape occurs, and Amir is later reminded of his choice whilst escaping to Palestine with his father Baba when a woman is nearly raped. His father prevents this and Amir is reminded about his foul decision and also about how different Amir is from his father. About the same time, Amir is told about the rape of Kamal, a boy Amir used to know. These two events enriches the guilt he already felt and it grows even more. Later in life, Amir will look back at the scenes of rape in his life and will compare it to a coin only showing the upside when thrown; â€Å"What was the old saying about the bad penny? My past was like that, always turning up† (Hosseini 2003, p.281). Later in the story, Amir and his father arr We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in The Kite Runner specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in The Kite Runner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Violence in The Kite Runner specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

4 Tips for Duke Essays That Will Get You Accepted

4 Tips for Duke Essays That Will Get You Accepted SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want to be a Blue Devil? If so, you’ll need to submit strong Duke essays as part of your application. Duke requires its applicants to answer two to four essay and short answer questions when they apply. In this article, we’ll break down each of those questions and explain exactly what you need to do to write amazing Duke supplement essay. What Is the Duke Supplement Essay? Duke requires that you submit two to four writing samples as part of your application. You’re required to answer one longer essay prompt and one short answer question. You also have the option of answering up to two more short answer questions. Duke requires the Duke supplement essay questions as part of its application process for a couple of reasons. First of all, written essays are a great way to assess your preparedness for college. Duke wants to see that you can write clearly and concisely and can follow all of the necessary grammar conventions. Duke also wants to get to know you more as a student and possible member of its campus. Essays are a great way to learn more about who you really are beyond your test scores and other credentials. Finally, your Duke essays are a great place to demonstrate your affinity for Duke itself. Why do you want to go there? Your essays can highlight your passion for the university. It’s extremely important to put time and effort into each one of the Duke supplement essay prompts so that you’re able to meet all of these needs. Duke Supplement Essay Prompts You’ll have to answer at least two and as many as four Duke supplement essay prompts for your Duke application. All students are required to write one longer essay. The essay you write will be determined by whether you’re submitting the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Duke accepts both). You’re also required to answer at least one short answer question. There are two more short answer questions that are optional for all applicants. If you apply to Duke via the Coalition Application, you’ll select one essay prompts to answer. For more information on how to ace your Coalition Application essay and an analysis of each prompt, check out our in-depth guide. If you apply to Duke via the Common Application, you’ll need to select one essay. For more information on how to craft an amazing Common Application essay and in-depth look at each prompt, check out our blog post dedicated to that very topic. 2018-19 Required Duke Essays All Duke students are required to answer one short answer question for their Duke admissions essay. The short answer question you respond to is determined by which school within Duke you’re applying to. If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words maximum) If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts Sciences as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (150 words maximum) 2018-19 Optional Duke Essays You also have the option of responding to two optional Duke essays. Duke makes it clear that these Duke admissions essay prompts are completely optional. You won’t be penalized if you don’t answer them. Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better- perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background- we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum) Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. (250 words maximum) Required Duke Essays, Analyzed If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words maximum) 150 words isn’t a lot of words to describe your love for Duke and your passion for engineering! You’ll need to be clear, succinct, and honest in order for your Duke admissions essay to stand out. Because the word limit is so constrained, it’s better to focus on one or two specific ideas, rather than trying to cram as many thoughts as possible into your short essay. While you may be enamored of Duke’s entire engineering faculty, choose one specific professor whose work you admire and expand on that. Any depth you can achieve in this small space will go a long way. Be sure to answer both parts of this question: you need to explain why you want to study engineering and why you want to study engineering at Duke. While the two answers might be intertwined, both should be clearly present in your response. When discussing why you want to study at Duke, pick things that are unique to Duke’s program. Don’t just say you want a great engineering education - you can get that at dozens of universities. Instead, specify what makes Duke’s engineering program different than all of the others. If you’re stuck, try perusing their course catalogue and looking at the program’s website and any recent publications. Chances are, you’ll catch something that stands out. If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts Sciences as either a first-year or transfer applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (150 words maximum) This Duke admissions essay question is also constrained in word count and focuses more on Duke’s merits than the engineering question. You’re not required to have any particular major in mind here, but it may be helpful to consider your academic course of study as you’re looking for reasons why Duke stands out to you. Duke is asking this question because they want their admitted applicants to enroll, so you need to demonstrate why your passion for this university would result in your attendance next fall. Convince the admissions committee that Duke is the one school for you. You can do this by researching specific facts about the university and its community. Because this question doesn’t ask you about your course of study, you don’t need to limit yourself to academics. If there’s something about Duke’s campus or culture that really stands out to you, now is the time to talk about it. Better to be honest and true to yourself than spew a bunch of platitudes that you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Optional Duke Admission Essay Prompts, Analyzed Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better- perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background- we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum) Treat this question as an opportunity to share more about yourself. If you have something real and important to write about, do so. But don’t try to invent an experience that doesn’t actually belong to you - it’ll come across as fake and insincere. Unless you really have nothing to say, I’d suggest including something. If you choose to answer this question, lean into authenticity. Don’t be scared to be vulnerable or honest. While the question talks about Duke’s commitment to diversity, don’t feel like you have to invent diverse experiences just to fit in. Share about your unique perspective. Be sure to indicate why this point-of-view belongs to you, and you alone. Your perspective is made up by your experiences and interactions, so you can highlight how these have affected you. Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here. Don’t answer this optional essay unless you have something real to say. Don’t feel intimidated or scared that ignoring this question will reflect badly on you. It won’t. You should really only address this prompt if you’re a member of the LGBTQ community. What will reflect badly on you is making something up that comes across as insincere, or worse, ignorant. Speak truthfully and from the heart. Similarly, if you do have reflections on gender identity and sexual orientation, don’t feel like you have to share them. Remember, this essay is optional. It’s completely fine if you’re not quite comfortable enough or ready to talk publicly about these topics. If you choose to answer this question, only speak about real experiences that happened to you. It’s better to keep them personal. This essay isn’t the place to reflect on the overall political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, especially if those issues don’t relate to you. It is, however, the space to talk about your specific identity and journey. How to Write Great Duke Essays If you want your Duke essays to stand out and help you get admitted, follow these tips! #1: Use Your Own Voice The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person. You should, then, make sure that the person you’re presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don’t try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you’re not. If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Duke wants you to be. #2: Avoid Cliched or Overused Phrases When writing your Duke essays, try to avoid using cliches or overused quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, â€Å"Be the change you want to see in the world.† Strive for originality. Similarly, avoid using cliches, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. Don’t speak in platitudes about how the struggle for gay and lesbian rights has affected you†¦ unless it actually has! #3: Check Your Work It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Duke essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Duke application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays. Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your Duke essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven’t missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be. That being said, make sure you don’t rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work. #4: Only Answer What You’re Comfortable With Remember, Duke’s optional essays are just that - optional. It can be tempting to respond to everything on the application and if you have an important story to tell, you definitely should. However, if you have nothing to say, don’t feel like you need to make something up. You’re better off answering less, honestly, then you are answering more, dishonestly. What’s Next? Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet? Not sure which one you’ll do best on? Read our guide to choose the test that’s right for you. If you've taken the SAT and want to improve your score, check out our guides to improving your Reading, Writing, and Math scores. Not sure what you want to major in?Don't worry! With our advice, you'll figure out what you should study as an undergrad. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: