Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Finance - Essay Example Although, it is practically not possible to control some forces that operate outside a business, such as availability of the capital and the world economic conditions, management need to inspire and guide internal operations in helping ensure a secure competitive position within the marketplace. Moreover, both innovation and adaptability are essential in helping gain market share, and stay profitable in the event of fluctuating economic climates (Hill & Westbrook, 1997). Research show that for a business to remain being competitive in the market, it has to always impress innovative services and products, a market plan and a fair pricing (Hill & Westbrook, 1997). In meeting the high standards, there is need for an operation efficient to be implemented as it helps in keeping the price competitive. For a well-run business, a shared goal is often incorporated with a view to inspire a spirit of co-operation among its departments (Humphrey, 2005). In challenging times, dynamic leadership i s crucial for maintaining a profitable business. Excellent performance is credited to increased productivity to the main company. Increased or impressive productivity is the central core of many companies (Menon, et al. 1999). Therefore, the increase in the profitability capacities of a company is placed amongst the central targets of any company (Menon, et al. 1999). In the case of Berksire Threaded Fasteners Company, its profitability is challenged by several factors, amongst them internal policies and external market factors, amongst others. In this paper, an analysis of the impact that can be aroused upon deployment of various actions will be investigated. Body For a situation where the company could have dropped the 300 series as of January 1, 2000, there is an effect that action would have on the profit for the first six months of 2000. In this case, it is noted that consumers often expect value (Armstrong. 1996). These consumers demand an effective customer service given that they are accessible to data alongside product information. Given the internet services, it is possible to make comparison of features and prices. This helps consumer forces companies to change into transparent market machines. The profitability potential accorded to 300 series surpasses the potential exhibited by the other three products. This reflects on the aspects such as the cost of production, as well as the after production expense. Focusing on the initial, 300 series is the most economical in production. This reflects on both the input and the labor cost. The comparison from this dimension indicates that 300 series is the least expensive of the three. While evaluating on a summative angle, the cost of production associated to the three products amounts to $ 3433. A further analysis of this figure indicates that 300 series only accounts for approximately 26 percent, while the other two presumes the rest. 100 series has the highest share with about 40 percent. The only differe nce in terms of production of the products is the rent cost for 300 series. Over this regard, several aspects of the production line can be isolated. Amongst them is the productivity of the line, as well as the possible future dynamics. This is based on a possibility of equity in the production numbers (Armstrong,

Data communications and neetworks Essay Example for Free

Data communications and neetworks Essay What is signalling? Signalling is a term used for the use of data being transmitted or carried across a medium for example in a network this could be a cat 5 cable. There has to be a way also for the receiver to interpret the data being sent and this is controlled by whats called encoding however the word modulation also means the same thing. The signal that is sent it modified in a way for it to signify data. There are different types of transmission methods which differ from what type of medium you are using for example cables or wireless there are four which are listed below: 1. Electrical uses your cables to transport data between nodes 2. Radio Waves this would be your wireless networks and could also include Bluetooth devices. 3. Light this would use fibre optic cabling to send high speeds of data 4. Microwave Analogue Digital Signalling There are two different types of signalling and these can be done in Analogue which means it changes all time in both amplitude and frequency. For example an analogue clock which has its hands moving all the time is changing the time all the time. Whereas with digital signalling which are representations of discrete time signals. For example a digital clock shows the minutes and not the seconds. When the information is being sent over a network when communicating, the information can travel in two forms, these are analogue and digital. The difference between the two is simple that analogue signalling never stops, and the information is being sent continuously, a good example of this signalling is clocks. An analogue clock will never stop, as the second hand is always ticking, therefore one can record an accurate reading of the time to the second, or even millisecond. For example, 1 hour 15 minutes and 24 seconds. Appose this to digital signalling where one can not get an accurate reading of a clock as it will only show the minutes. And therefore is not continuous. This is because the data is consisting of separate states, which are on or off. Sine Wave This type of wave has two properties a Amplitude Frequency, the amplitude represents the strength of the signal which would be the volume of a sound for example somebody talking. If the amplitude is stronger than it will travel further. The frequency of a Sine Wave is the rise and fall of the wave from the zero to the top and then back to the zero this is known as a cycle and is measured in Hz. The higher frequency the more cycles and therefore the lower the frequency the lower the cycles. Analogue The image below shows the analogue type of signalling its constantly changing and represents all the values in the wave range, there is always a value in between a value and another. http://moodle. derby-college. ac. uk/mod/resource/view. php? id=2346 Digital With digital signalling there are no in betweens like there in analogue its simply either 1 or 0, digital represents separate states and the change between these are practically unnoticeable. http://moodle. derby-college. ac. uk/mod/resource/view. php? id=2346 Asynchronous Transmission Asynchronous transmission is when signals are not sent at regular intervals. A good example of this would be a user using a keyboard attached to a computer. The characters are sent irregularly however the bits must be sent at known intervals. This is done by having accurate clocks at both ends of the link. The receiving clock starts when it receives the first bit from the transmitter, this is also known as the start bit. The receiver then expects to receive a known number of bits every tick of the clock. When it has received these bits the clock may stop; the last bit is known as the stop bit. Synchronous Transmission However when large volumes of data are to be transferred, the waste of the stop and stop bits with every character means that asynchronous transmission is not an efficient method. With high-speed devices, and buffered low-speed devices, data can be transmitted in large, timed, synchronous blocks. The clocks, in the receiver and transmitter, are kept synchronised by sending regular groups of special characters called SYN characters. Each time one of these groups is detected the receiver re-sets its clock, the data apart from this, its transmitted in exactly the same way as for asynchronous transmission. We can visualise the data as follows: Bit Synchronisation In a digital signal, as well as on occasion, an analogue one, all the different devices must know how often the signal varies along the transmission medium. For example, if the speed of the changes goes faster then the rate at which the device checks for changes, there will be a few of the bits missed between samples. If then sampling rate goes faster then the rate at which the transmission goes, the same bit will be used for a different sample a second time. To combat this fact, the devices are made to a universal standard so that they can work together in harmony, and there are set systems in place to allow the data to be transferred correctly. A lot of the current technologies use asynchronous serial transmission. This transmission method is used when data is not sent at regular intervals, but the bits themselves have to be sent with regularity, some examples of these are keyboard, mice or even modems. During the spans of time that no signal is sent, the line or other medium is in what is called an idle state. This is defined by the constant 1 signal being sent. One there is a packet of data that needs to be sent, for example, a key on the keyboard is pressed, the receiver first gets a start bit, a 0 state instead of a 1 to define the beginning of a piece of data now being sent to the receiver, it is then sampled and at the end of the data transmission, the signal returns to the original constant 1 state. Encoding Methods Encoding simply means that the information is converted from one format to another format. This is a process that the data needs to have done to it before the computer can understand it and process it. There are different types of encoding which are   Manchester Encoding is a data communications line code which provides a way of encoding binary data sequences. Each bit is related to by at least one voltage level transition. Manchester encoding is said to be self clocking this means that synchronisation of a data stream is possible. Huffman Encoding is another algorithm used for data compression; the coding uses a specific method for choosing the representation for each symbol. Unipolar Encoding This type of encoding has 2 voltage states, one of these states is zero and because of this its also know as Return to Zero (RTZ) Unipolar encoding is used in computers logic and an example of where its used in computers is the TTL logic. Polar Encoding Polar encoding is when the digital encoding is on a level with zero volts for example the RS232 standard interface uses Polar encoding and unlike Unipolar the value doesnt return to zero, its either a positive or negative voltage. With polar encoding it reduces most of the residual DC problem.

Hoop Dreams And Rasin In The Sun - Comparison Contrast Paper

The movie Hoop Dreams shows you the difficulties and obstacles that come in the way of dreams. Although it’s said that if you believe in a dream long enough it will come true, but in Hoop Dreams and A Raisin in the Sun you are shown the harsh realities of the falseness of that statement. And that the reality of a dream not coming true hits you like a brick wall. Many obstacles get in the way of the road to dreams in both stories. In both stories, all families suffer from having little knowledge, and it doesn’t help that they’re all black. Also being poor and living in the ghetto makes things that much harder. Pregnancies also put big bumps in the road to success, in both instances it makes the families come together and try their hardest to make it through. However, there are also many different obstacles that come in the way for each family. In Hoop Dreams, both William and Arthur are given much support to fulfill their dreams of getting to the NBA, but Walter in A Raisin in the Sun is only given grief on getting his liquor store. This can point the young immature teens to giving them more hope that a very rare dream will come true. Also, the two ballplayers do have talent to help them start down the road to success, but that can be very misleading, all Walter has is the nagging of his buddies Bobo and Willy. The toughest of t he obstacles to overcome was when William injured his knee and it affected his basketball career for a long time. He never really did get over it, he...

The 1820 Missouri Compromise Essay -- essays research papers fc

The 1820 Missouri Compromise Slavery and the Civil War Research Task- Describe the role of the 1820 Missouri Compromise in the campaign against slavery! The 1820 Missouri Compromise played a large role in the campaign against slavery. In 1819 Missouri became a statehood and congress considered framing a state constitution, with this a representative attempted to add a anti-slavery legislation with it. This is what started the process of the campaign against slavery. Henry Clay made a large contribution toward this compromise in 1820, with his new ideas on how to settle the conflict between the North and the South, which lasted until 1954.All the compromise’s made from 1820's to the Kansas Nebraska compromise in 1854, were all factors which led to the civil war. The state constitution in 1819, was what began of this compromise when James Tallmadge, a representative from New York attempted to add a anti- slavery amendment to the legislation. This gave a ugly and conflicted debate over slavery and the governments rights to restrict slavery. This Tallmadge amendment restricted all further introduction of slaves into Missouri and provided setting free once they reached the age of 25.This legislation was not passed, as the House of Representatives which was controlled by the North passed the idea, but it failed in the Senate which was equally divided between the North and the South. Although the legislation didn’t pass it led to Henry Clay taking it on when Maine became a free state. When Maine became a free state, the plan was largely that of Henry Clay who became known as the ‘Great Compromiser.’ Before there was a Compromise, there was a lot of controversy as there was always a equal amount of free states and slaves states since 1789, if Maine was to become a free state (which was highly unavoidable as slaves started to migrate into Missouri and the West of Mississippi), there became a unbalance. This issue was resolved through a two-part compromise, the northern part of Massachuset became known as Maine and was made a free state, at the same time Missouri was a slave state which would once again maintain a balance of 12 slave and 12 free states. In addition to this, a line was drawn at 36 degrees 30 minutes North latitude, and any sections of Louisiana territory lying North of the compromise would be free. This act also pr... ...ving twice been a resident on Free soil. The lower court and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against him; and the case went to the US Supreme Court. The Chief Justice Rodger Taney declared that the Missouri Compromise, was unconstitutional and the congress didn’t have the power. The issue of slavery, once again, made war sound as if it couldn’t be avoided. The 1820 Missouri Compromise was known as highly dangerous and conflicting as it was trying to keep an equal balance of Free and slave-holding states between the North and the South, although the compromise did play a vital role in withholding the peace between the North and the South until the new compromise in 1854 came about. The Missouri compromise was said that it with held the Civil War for over three decades and it played a vital role in the start of the abolition of slavery in America. Bibliography- Word Count- 1112 Internet Sites Used- http://www.rosecity.net/civilwar/capesites/warmap.html - Sat 12 February, Time 12:42-1:09pm http://colfa.utsa.edu:16080/users/jreynolds/Textbooks/Abolition/Abolitionists%20Mussey.htm Sat 12 February, Time 12:12-12:56pm. Books Used

Immanuel Kant Essay

Deontological ethics are concerned with what people do and not with the consequences of their actions. It teaches some actions might be correct or wrong because of their nature, and it is the duty of the people to act accordingly, regardless of the consequences that might occur, for the good or bad. It basically means one has to adhere to the universal rules and guidelines irrespective of the consequences and act in accordance to them. Getting to the means is not important by the way or choice of getting to the mean is important. Immanuel Kant, the man who formulated this theory had a method to practice this theory and this was known as the maxims. Before testing the decisions of the product manager with the three maxims, let’s look at the decision from a business and not an ethical point of view. The product manager has chosen the Thai company and it benefits his company financially as his costs go down by 1/3 rd the price, thus making sense from a business point of view. There is another way of looking at this situation, it could be said that this decision of the product manager is providing those families with work and giving them a chance to make some money and earn a livelihood and provide for themselves. Also the decision makes sense on a personal level as he stands to earn a hefty bonus at the end of the year. In spite of the decision making financial and business sense, on his way back the product manager had an ethical dilemma as the decision questioned his morality as the situation involved inhumanity and child labour, leading him to think is this the right decision? Testing the decision against the three maxims, I will decide whether the decision taken by the product manager is ethical or not. Considering the three maxims a lot of valid points can be argued for and against the decision of the product manager. Maxim 1: The first maxim states that â€Å"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law without contradiction†. The decision contradicts the universal law as the product manager does not want to see his nieces in the same situation as the kids making the toys. He wonders about his nieces and whether he would like to see them grow up as the kids making the toys. He wants his nieces to have a good life with education, shelter and all basic necessities. According to maxim 1, even the children making the toys should have the same privileges. As a result this decision by the product manager fails maxim 1 and although it makes financial sense, ethically it will not be right and according to the universal law the decision does not support deontology theory as the product manager is not at ease with himself in the same situation. As a result according to maxim 1 it will be a non-ethical decision. BAFD2 1321A PAGE 2 Ethics in Business Studies Maxim 2: The second maxim states that â€Å"Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end but always at the same time as an end†. This means one should treat another person as one would like to be in the treated himself. The product manager would definitely not want to be in the same situation as the family making the toys, where young children who are supposed to go to school and have a normal childhood sitting all day and making toys and an old lady preparing meals for everybody as the family lives in sub-standard conditions. He would not want his nieces in that similar situation or his family living in similar circumstances. This cannot be considered humanitarian and as a result the decision of the product manager fails the second maxim of deontology and cannot be considered to be an ethical decision. Maxim 3: The third maxim states â€Å"Therefore, every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxim always a legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends. † This maxim does rationalise the decision of the product manager. These families that make the toys depend on this for their livelihood and need it for their survival. So if the product manager declines the offer some other company might take it up and the families will continue to work and live in the same situation. If the product manager declines the contract he may be depriving the families of their income. On the other hand by accepting the contract he is supporting child labour and inhuman working conditions. This makes him wonder and he would not want to see his family in a situation where he is sitting in a barn with his nieces working and his mother cooking a meal. The children that should be at school are forced to work and elderly women are forced to work too. Seeing his family in a similar situation would want to make him decline the contract on ethical grounds. However with regards to the third maxim the decision to choose the Thai company does not pass the test but neither does it fail the maxim test. The decision to decline may not be warranted as some other company might take up the contract but on a rational and ethical ground declining the contract will be a correct decision on part of the product manager. As we have seen in this essay the decision of the product manager to choose the Thai company does not pass all three maxims and as a result it should be considered as an unethical decision. BAFD2 1321A PAGE 3 Ethics in Business Studies References: †¢Bbc. co. uk, (2014). BBC – Ethics – Introduction to ethics: Duty-based ethics. [online] Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/ethics/introduction/duty_1. shtml [Accessed 15 Jul. 2014]. †¢Crane, A. and Matten, D. (2010). Business ethics. 1st ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. †¢Ethics. iit. edu, (2014). Deontological | ethics. iit. edu. [online] Available at: http://ethics. iit. edu/teaching/deontological [Accessed 15 Jul. 2014]. BAFD2 1321A.

Discuss the roles of language and reason in history Essay Example

Discuss the roles of language and reason in history Essay Example Discuss the roles of language and reason in history Paper Discuss the roles of language and reason in history Paper History is often considered as a synonym for truth and certainty. But history is such an area of knowledge that poses a number of deterrents in our quest for knowledge as the knowers cannot discover the past forthwith. This so called remembering the past is no easy nut-it is a complex web rendered difficult to disentangle given that the historical event takes place in the past; it is gone and irrecoverable!. Thus to write a history a historian has to resort to his reason, and obviously the said historian will write the historical accounts in his native language only. Thus language and reason stand as pillars for creating the foundations of history. Reasoning is closely connected with emotion, sense perception and language. In fact language is at the very core of reasoning. Language is a vast unmapped territory fascinating our intelligence and casting spells on our reason. According to â€Å"Max Mueller, there can be no language without reason, and no reason without language†2. Through this essay I would like to elucidate the roles of language and reason in history. My essay will also inquire into if language and reason as ways of knowing can pervert a historical account from the path of truth? If a historian endeavours to explore the past, his step surely is to find out all the possible facts. Unless the historian makes an exact sense of the data, it is all absurd, as we know that the fact won’t speak for themselves. We must remember that the historian is an individual, not impregnable to bias, prejudice and discrimination. His history will be dependent on his particular interests, which are in turn, partially based on his culture. It is here where the crux of the problem lies. Like a geologists the historian too has to find the weak fossils print buried deep inside the earth. For example we get a number of baffling accounts behind the death of Alexander the Great. Different historians have written their accounts in different languages. Some opine that he died of malaria; others claim that he died of poisoning while many are of the view that he was assassinated at the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. Thus the historian has to be selective and he selects on the basis of his own paradigms. It is on these grounds that history is called an act of creation. And it is of critical importance to understand, in general terms, the basis on which any selection is made, and analyzed by the historian using his language and reason. Many historians wield their imaginative thinking or reason to write history but â€Å"is not memory fallible, evidence ambiguous and prejudice common3†? According to historian Barbara Tuchman, â€Å"Each man is a package of variables impossible to duplicate. His birth, his parents, his siblings, and the variables inherent in all of these, make up that mysterious compendium, personality-which then combines with another set of variables: country, climate, time and historical circumstance.† 4 Language is closely tied to ideas about human cognition and interaction with the world. Despite its importance, language is not the perfect medium of communication as it is governed by rules; it is intended, creative and open-ended. Moreover languages are not static entities; they change and develop over time. Problematic meanings can be found in every language. The words can be vague, ambiguous, secondary (the same word may have different detonation and connotation), metaphorical and ironical. Translation of a language into other is another stumbling block. There are around 3000 different languages in the world. Every language contains words that have no equivalent in other languages. So can language be considered as a cornerstone for the historians? As a child, I was mesmerized by wars. I read the most bewitching account of war in Homer’s Iliad where he talks about the legendary Trojan War. Was it a war or only a myth? Nothing can be said as Homer derived the epic poem from primeval sources. In the epic, Helen is limned as the most beautiful woman on earth while Achilles as the grandest warrior. Now what can we say as to the authenticity of Homer’s claims? Were the characters for real or it was his national bias to portray them as Hellenic legends? I read the Greek epic through translation only. Did the translator write the exact replication of Homer’s words, or he amalgamated the facts with his presumptions, giving them a hyperbolized touch? Is the epic not twice removed from reality then?

Complete Guide to Peer Recommendations

Complete Guide to Peer Recommendations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Choose your friends wisely, they say...because they might be getting you into college. Granted, that phrase probably didn't originate in the world of competitive college admissions, but it applies to Dartmouth and Davidson, both of which require peer recommendations along with the traditional teacher and counselor recs. Your peers can (and are expected to) give a different perspective than your teachers and counselors. This guide will go over the exact requirements for peer evaluations, along with advice on who you can ask and how to ensure a strong peer recommendation for your college applications. To start, which schools want a peer letter of rec, and what are they looking for? Requirements for Peer Recommendations The only two schools that require peer recs so far are Dartmouth and Davidson (well, Dartmouth just "strongly encourages" that you send one, but that's the same as required when you're applying to such a selective school). Some students also opt to provide supplemental peer evaluations to other colleges, especially if their teacher or counselor rec letters are lacking in deep insight or information. I would advise caution about this- admissions officers usually don't enjoy too much extra material unless it really adds an important dimension to The Story of You. For Dartmouth, your peer evaluation can come from much pretty much anybody, whether it's a friend, fellow student, co-worker, or sibling. Dartmouth says, "You might ask a friend from school, or camp, or your neighborhood. It might be a teammate, someone from your community of faith, or a co-worker. Perhaps a cousin, a sibling: it doesn't matter. We don't want another letter from a teacher, coach, or other supervisory presence in your life; we have enough of those. Ask a peer who can provide fresh insight into your interests and your character. Davidson, on the other hand, seems to prefer that the peer remain outside the family and be a classmate or friend. They say, "This Peer Recommendation is to be completed by a classmate or close friend who knows the applicant well and can evaluate the applicant's strengths. This recommendation can provide useful information in ascertaining the competitiveness of the applicant. You, as a close friend or classmate, know the applicant in a different way than do teachers, counselors, principals, and advisors. Your insights will help us to understand the nature and extent of the respect accorded to the applicant by peers. Since Davidson can select only a small number of the total applicant pool to fill each year's entering class, your assessment of this applicant's strengths and weaknesses will be important in our decision." Both Dartmouth and Davidson are hoping the peer evaluation will provide fresh insight into the applicant's character and personality. Rather than speaking to your academic achievement and potential, peer recs can discuss your personal qualities and passions, along with who you are as a friend and how you'll interact and contribute socially on campus. This is an important and distinct shift from teacher and counselor recommendations, which tend to be more formal and focused on past achievements and future potential. Before delving deeper into exactly what admissions committees are looking for in peer recommendations, let's conclude these logistics with information on how to submit. Dartmouth will have you add your peer recommender using the "Other Recommender" tab on the Common Application. Your friend or relative will upload his/her letter onto the Common App. Davidson asks peer recommenders to upload their letters here. In addition to the statement of support, recommenders are asked to rank you on a number of character traits and personal qualities, such as your leadership, energy and initiative, self-confidence, concern for others, and reaction to criticism. While the additional statement seems optional, simply saying, "We welcome any additional statement you wish to make about the applicant," it's important that your peer recommender give a thoughtful response. That's the main part of the peer evaluation. Apart from getting a sense of who you are as a peer rather than as a student, what do admissions officers hope to learn from the peer letter of reference? The drama! The intrigue! The heartfelt support of a close friend! What Do Admissions Committees Look For in Peer Recommendations? Admissions officers like to emphasize that their process is a "holistic" one, meaning they're not just looking at grades and test scores, but rather trying to get a sense of who the student is as a person. Some of a student's motivations, interests, and commitments can be gleaned from their involvement in and out of school and accomplishments over the years. A student active in her school's Gay-Straight Alliance and Amnesty International likely cares about activism, social justice, and the promotion of human rights. However, one student might be involved in these clubs because she aspires to be a human rights lawyer, while another student might be driven to use social entrepreneurship to promote causes she believes in. Both these goals speak to different interests and future fields of study and plans. Recommendation letters can shed more light on why a student does what she does. They can describe what drives a student and what personal qualities make her stand out. Peer recommendations are unique, because they can speak to your character and personality from the perspective of a friend and sibling. They're not expected to be formal or to try to emulate how a teacher or counselor might write. Instead, they can reflect the relationship you and your recommender have together. Admissions officers want to know what kind of friend, roommate, and peer you'll be when you come to campus. Some skills that might impress them include strong communication, collaboration, passion, focus, resourcefulness, humor, friendliness, compassion, and resilience. Your peer is in an especially good spot to comment on your qualities as a friend, whether it include your openness, emotional intelligence, maturity, loyalty, creativity, and supportiveness, to name a few. The strongest recommendations will highlight and dive deeply into a few significant qualities. They'll also use specific examples and stories to demonstrate those qualities. Rather than simply calling you a supportive friend, for instance, your recommender could write about the care packages you put together for her every day for a month when her family was going through tough times. As the old adage of creative writing goes, your recommender should remember to "show, don't tell." Given all this, who can you ask that will write you a thoughtful, insightful, and colorful letter of recommendation? Decisions are hard. Who Should You Ask for a Peer Recommendation? The best peer recommendations come from people who know you well. Your recommender should be able to write about meaningful, touching, funny, or poignant experiences that illuminate positive aspects of you. Of course, you also want to make sure there's no conflict of interest that could potentially compromise your recommendation. If your friend is also applying to Dartmouth, has been planning her whole life to go there, and is worried about how selective it is, you might want to ask yourself if there's any chance she doesn't have your best interests at heart. Hopefully no one would purposely sabotage your application for her own gain, but just something to consider! A third important consideration is how strong of a writer your friend is, and how much time and effort she can give to your letter. While she may have the best intentions of helping you, if she has subpar writing skills or is juggling her own insanely busy schedule, then your letter might not end up as the powerful statement of support you need for selective schools like Dartmouth and Davidson. Finally, I would say that your friend's openness to suggestions and advice could be another helpful factor. Assuming your friend isn't a Dartmouth or Davidson admissions expert, you could help her out a lot by telling her about the school's culture and about what goes into a strong letter of recommendation. You can share information and advice with her, and she can learn about peer recommendation letters in her effort to write a strong one. A friend who's open to learning about the key content, structure, and techniques that go into making a rec letter stand out will likely provide a more valuable reference than one who just wants to wing it! In addition to gathering information about yourself, your college of choice, and peer recommendation letters, what else can you prepare to ask your friend for this favor? This is serious preparation (or a bad case of freshman backpack). How Should You Ask for a Peer Recommendation? Assuming you're taking my first piece of advice and asking someone with whom you're close and who knows you well, then hopefully it's easy to request this favor. In the asking, I would recommend describing exactly what it entails and all the key information. For instance, you should talk to your friend about the school you're applying to, whether it be Davidson or Dartmouth, so she knows about its profile and expectations. You should share your application with her, so that her recommendation can complement it or add a new dimension. If you've spoken in length about your commitment to volunteer work in your community, for example, then your friend could zoom in on your caring, compassionate, open nature and skill at connecting with people from all walks of life. Remind your friend that the recommendation is meant to reveal your personal qualities and indicate what kind of peer you'll be on campus. Your friend should indicate how they know you, in what contexts, and what makes them qualified to recommend you. For instance, this example shows that the recommender and recommendee have been friends for a long time, as well as gives an example to demonstrate Susie's adventurous spirit: Susie and I have been attending Happy Pine Tree Summer Camp since we were ten, first as campers and now as counselors. I knew from the first summer, when Susie eagerly volunteered to be the first to zipline over the valley, that she had a fearless, adventurous, and bold spirit. It's that spirit that drew me to her on that first day of camp and that continues to inspire me and everyone around Susie to live life to the fullest. This letter could focus on Susie's fearless nature and her leadership and motivational skills. It could also discuss her goals for the future and how these qualities will ensure that she achieves them. In addition to describing your relationship, highlighting a few specific strengths, and telling specific stories, your recommender should also know the value of using powerful language. Words like compassionate, brilliant, and energetic are usually more impactful than nice, smart, and fun. To make sure your friend knows the importance and purpose of rec letters, you could discuss these tips with her, as well as give them guides like this one. Teaching her about rec letters will both make your final letter stronger and help her approach it from a knowledgable and purposeful standpoint. Reference letters are typically confidential, so it's up to your peer whether she wants to share it and get your feedback. Even if she chooses to keep it private, you can help shape what goes into it by sharing all this input. Finally, I would encourage your friend to be creative and write in the style that's most authentic for her. Peer evaluations don't have to be formal- they can be funny or heartfelt, conversational or serious. The most important thing is that they clearly and convincingly present your outstanding qualities and show that you have a friend eager to go to bat for you. Your friend can choose how she can best communicate exactly what makes you so awesome. Since the rec letter takes time and thought, I would recommend asking your friend at least a month before your deadline. You can remind her again about a week before your deadline. Finally, make sure to thank her afterwards with hugs, cupcakes, or whatever token of appreciation she'd like best. To sum up, let's go over the key steps that got you to this point of gratitude cupcakes. Key Takeaways for Peer Letters of Rec Ask someone who knows you well, has strong writing skills, and 100% supports you and your college plans. Give your recommender plenty of time before your deadline, and educate him or her on the college, your goals, and what makes a great rec letter, like meaningful stories and examples. You may also share the rest of your application so your peer can complement it in the letter. Check in with him/her to see about any questions or if (s)he wants to brainstorm ideas. Finally, make sure your peer knows exactly how and when to submit your recommendation. A mediocre peer recommendation probably won't sink your application, but a stellar one could go a long way towards making you come alive for admissions committees as a student they want on their campus come fall. Especially at a highly selective Ivy League school like Dartmouth, every aspect of your application counts. So if you do ultimately get the thick acceptance letter welcoming you to the class, make sure to celebrate with your recommender and let him/her know s(he)'s your BFF for life. What's Next? Maybe you're not the applicant, but the writer of a peer letter of recommendation (or both! Stranger things have happened...). Read all about how to write an outstanding peer recommendation here. Are you interested in this topic because you're hoping to don Dartmouth green in a few years? This article goes in depth about how to get a great peer recommendation specifically for Dartmouth College. If the Ivy League is in your sights, you might also be seeing crimson (bear with me). Learn what makes an impressive recommendation letter for Harvard here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: