Should You Retake the GMAT

Perhaps the most often-asked question during the entire  MBA application process is,â€Å"Should I retake the GMAT?†Ã‚  The answer to this question will differ  from case to case depending on an applicants score, their target schools, and their  overall profile. If you are considering retaking the GMAT, doing a short cost-benefit analysis,  similar to a business endeavor, can aid your decision-making: 1) Recognize the Investments Needed Apart from the test-taking fee that you will incur for a retake, think about  the hours you will need to put in to re-prepare for the GMAT, and whether this will  affect the timeliness of your MBA applications. Make sure you consider whether or not you have the availability and the energy to put into this endeavor. Often ignored, but just as important, factor in the opportunity cost of the hours you will need to spend preparing for your retake.  Could you spend those efforts somewhere else to strengthen your profile? Maybe you could get involved in productive activities at work, volunteer in the community, or polish your essays. If your application is already strong in these areas, then a GMAT retake could be a better use  of your time.  As such, engaging a test prep service may be the right way to go   taking  a GMAT prep course or spending time with a private tutor  will  optimize the hours that you put into studying, and will  be an investment that pays for itself in the long run. 2) Evaluate the Probability of Success The next  step would be to evaluate how likely you are to achieve your desired results. The most straightforward consideration (that requires a truly  honest self-assessment) is how you have already performed on  the GMAT  relative to your potential: Did you prepare well enough? Did you get enough sleep the nights leading up to your exam? Were the test day conditions conducive? If you believe there’s a reasonable chance that you could have done better than you did, you should seriously think about a retake. 3) Weigh the Potential Benefits Researching the class profile of your target program, and how you compare to the schools average GMAT score, should give you an indication as to where you stand. The standardized nature of the GMAT allows for the most straightforward and objective comparison between applicants, so ideally, you will want to score higher on the GMAT than the school’s average. All things equal, a higher score should improve your chance of admission, and even your opportunities for scholarships. Thus, the expected value of increasing your GMAT score could be high and really worth investing in. Knowing that you didn’t leave too many potential GMAT points on the table can also simply help you be at peace. This is an important benefit, as it will allow you to focus on the next steps in the application process, and know that you have given  the GMAT  your best shot. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation  for personalized advice for your unique application situation! And as always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+  and Twitter. Written by Edison Cu, a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for  INSEAD.

Exegesis on the Story of the Good Samaritan - 832 Words

Anonymous October 26, 2012 Mr. ------ Luke 10:25-36 The passage of Luke 10:25-36 is an essential story because it applies to every Christian today the same way, but in order for us to follow the example Jesus made, we must first understand what the story would have meant to the Jews in Jesus’ time. The first step in understanding the story of the Good Samaritan is to understand the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans of the time. The Samaritans were considered unclean by the Jews, because they saw the Samaritans as a corruption of God’s chosen people, therefore the Jews were not supposed to make contact with the Samaritans whatsoever. Not only were the Samaritans considered unclean, the Jews would have seen them as†¦show more content†¦Jesus was instructing the Jews to be an example to the nations by loving all people the way Christ did, which is why he changed the Jews’ understood meaning of neighbor, from someone who was righteous, to all men. The two religious people were una ble to do what God wanted from them in the parable, because they were unable to look past the law for the greater good, unlike the Samaritan, who was up and ready to help because he was not blinded by obligations that would cause him a slight disadvantage, because what was important to him was helping the broken man on the road. This parable is a great example of Christ’s love for us, since we are all corrupted with sin, yet he loves us and is merciful to each of us, although it is not deserved. Bibliography 1. Gaebelein, Frank. The Expositors Bible Commentary: Volume 8. Grand Rapids, Zndervan:

Impact Of Colonialist Values On Perceptions Of Native...

The Impact of Colonialist Values on Perceptions of Native Americans in Green Grass, Running Water Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King largely deals with the consequences of the conflict between Native American values and colonialist foundations. In particular, King examines the reasons behind the misconceptions and false perceptions of aboriginal people within the dominant European North American culture. In the novel it is asserted that the problems of the Native American people are due to a narrowed perception caused by the influence of domination and colonialism. To prove his point, King uses metaphors and allusions, intervenes in literature with colonialist views to see how it differs compared to Native American traditions, and uses a clever narrative style to further echo his message. King allegorises the cultural conflicts between natives and European North American society by using his character’s situations to his advantage. In his novel, Lionel, the main protagonist, is continuously haunted by misconceptions of unfortunate past incidents. First, during his childhood, Lionel devised a plan to skip a few weeks of school by having is tonsils removed by faking tonsillitis (King 30-36). His plan goes awry when nurses confuse his identity with a heart surgery patient. Even long after this incident, it is still assumed that Lionel has a heart condition. Second, he is falsely accused of being involved of a violent activist group in the United States (King 57-64). EvenShow MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s Dystopian Classic, 19841878 Words   |  8 Pagescelebrated and fought for in first world countries such as ours, but counter-ideologies are suppressed when inconvenient for those in control of the present. Zinn illustrates this oppression in his piece about the nat ive and the colonialist perspective of Columbus’ story. 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Leadership for Strengths - Weaknesses - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theLeadershipfor Strengths, Weaknesses and Strategies. Answer: According to Miller (2001), leadership refers to the capacity to translate vision into reality. Global history presents great leaders who possess a zest for change, dazzling social intelligence, and above all, a vision that guides them on various missions and works on things that truly merit attention. Moreover, leaders have the mandate of developing a vision by establishing what matters and push people to take that particular direction by inspiring others (Plowman et al., 2007). This report will highlight the characteristics of world-famous leaders with associated theories in addition to exposing how those qualities relate to me including real-life examples. Further, the report will highlight my culture, strengths, weaknesses, and strategies to overcome the weaknesses. Leadership characteristics Partnership building Good leadership has the ability to get people to work together as there is that compelling feeling to do so. Such leaders gain the cooperation of others, friends, and enemies, by making a commitment to get along well with everyone. They tend to build long-lasting relationships with friends and enemies alike (Obama, 2007). In his second term in American leadership, Barack Obama visited Cuba to create a partnership that was long lost after the Second World War. A good leader recognizes that every country or individual is very important in building our society. Through partnerships, Obama endeavored to consolidate peace in the world. Effective-communication Effective communication has the power to keep individuals working on a project continue with the right attitude. When a leader communicates effectively while giving advice, on issues and expectations, the followers will respond positively and help meet the desired goals (Barrett, 2006). In many occasions, good orators have become leaders in our society. They speak with a vigor which tends to persuade followers on what they believe in. For example, Barack Obama won the heart of Americans through his marvelous speeches on the campaign podium. As a result, he got the majority believe in his campaign line, Yes We Can. Through his communication skills, he solved problems and even ruled with the minority in Congress without going through an impeachment process. Self-confidence Self-belief is very integral in leadership (De Cremer Van Knippenberg, 2004). It is the driving tool on which leaders bank on in times of crisis. Having a strong vision and willingness to persevere the storms and life challenges distinguish strong and admirable leaders. Leaders who believe in their thought, vision, and mission and work towards them is a resource and an inspiration to his or her followers. A leader like Nelson Mandela had the confidence of delivering South Africans from the apartheid rule. He believed in what he was doing and his belief inspired people. As such, even when he was in prison, South Africans continued to fight for their liberation. They fought in the footsteps and belief of Nelson Mandela. Courageous According to ?en, Kabak, and Yang?nlar (2013), undisputed leaders possess the tenacity to stand alone and not to succumb to any pressure. Besides, they also possess the patience of keeping fighting for what they believe in until they succeed. Despite facing opposition and threats, they keep on fighting without giving up. For example, Fidel Castro kept on fighting for the rights of Cubans amid criticism and war from the United States. He expressed his dreams on every stage he set his foot and stood his ground to the end. High locus of control Great leaders have the ability to command control of who are under them irrespective of challenges or problems that befall them (Spears, 2010). Taking control and not giving up is key to sustainability. Control also work hand in hand with influence. Having the gist to gain following even if enemies strike distinguishes leaders and dictators. For example, the late Cuban President, Fidel Castrol took control of his country despite unending fights from American soldiers. He managed to consolidate his people to support him in the midst of propaganda peddled by the United States Army. Servant leadership Servant leadership entails working for the benefit of the people (Spears, 2010). It involves dedicating resources and time serving people's interest, needs without fear of favor. Listening to people's problems and coming up with strategies to meet them. One of such leaders is former Uruguay president Jose Mujica who dedicated his life and resources to serve his people. In many societies, many people who are in power use that opportunity to grab wealth but Jose used his power and position to serve the interest of less fortunate in Uruguay. A rare quality in the modern day leadership (Bolden Gosling, 2006). My strengths and weaknesses in relation to the leadership characteristics Strengths One of my strengths is courage. I often possess the tenacity of facing my fears head-on. When I encounter any challenge, I do take a deep breath and handle it with sobriety. I tend to push my vision and mission even in the midst of opposition. Acting on my instincts have helped me weather various storms, more so in my academic journey. My courage played a crucial role during my primary education. Despite being the youngest in our class, I contested for the class managers post which I successfully won. Self-confidence is one of the key drivers of our daily life (De Cremer Van Knippenberg, 2004). It took confidence to enroll in this program despite my friends discouraging me. I usually believe in my abilities and does not succumb to pressure from people who are often timid and lazy to stand for anything. I believe with this program, I will transform my society by acting as a role model to the younger generations. Weaknesses Even though am very good at communications, I often find it a challenge to address a congregation more so if they are visitors on my sight. Despite being able to articulate words correctly, I do develop stage fright when it comes to the multitude of people. But since good leaders like Barack Obama can speak good English, full of appropriate interjections and choice of words, they are also able to talk publicly without fear. As such, I have started training on strategies to overcome stage fright by watching on YouTube. Most recently, I have also taken a role in my church to sing in the choir. This will help me face a big number of people and develop the courage to overcome stage mania. Despite being a leader, it is my weakness to consolidate control. I attribute this weakness to being humble and soft-spoken. Control requires some degree of aggressiveness and is rare for me, owing to the fact that I fear to talk to a multitude of people. Plans are underway to gain control of people whom I lead by overcoming stage fright by participating in drama and cultural dances. Analysis of my cultural context and how they impact my leadership abilities My culture encourages people to believe in themselves. Children are today encouraged to participate in cultural dances and drama to boost their self-confidence. As such, they grow with high self-esteem, an attribute of good leadership (Eddleston, 2008). Besides cultural dances and drama, our culture believes in nurturing children to get to know how to perform various duties. Parents who have business engage children during free time to orient them with real-life activities. Intrinsically, we get to acquire skills to interact with people and accommodate divergent opinions. In my community, fathers are perceived as the head of the family. As such, we learn early enough to gain high locus of control even beyond family boundaries. Such skills come in handy, especially while we are carrying out class discussions (Judge Piccolo, 2004). On the other hand, we are taught in our culture to be mindful of other people. Greeting our friends and neighbors is the norm. During these periods, we get to know their health status, whether they have troubling challenges or not. On instances that our friends have problems, we encourage one another. In essence, we develop empathy for one another, which is an aspect of servant leadership. Comparative analysis of my strengths with leadership characteristics of Fidel Castro Fidel Castro remains one of the greatest revolutionary leaders in the world. His courage to stand firm on his principles and belief to defend his people made the Cubans stick with him regardless of the immense outside political pressures (Blight Kornbluh, 1998). Castro staged unwavering stance in the United States for over fifty years. That leadership ability to stand for something distinguishes great leaders and others. I can relate my strength as being courageous to stand for what I believe in as Fidel Castro did to protect his people. For instance, we were one day late for school and the teacher on duty was very ruthless on latecomers. My friends opted to go back home, but I dared them and just approached the teacher and explained myself, and luckily the teacher did not punish me. On that scenario, were it not for my courage, I would have gone back home and missed that day's learning experience. Self-confidence entails expressing what you believe in. Fidel Castro, had a strong conviction in his communist party and stood for the Cuban people regardless of different political views, and often protected the national interest of the Cuban people (Blight Kornbluh, 1998). Great leaders have an inner conviction of their belief, they champion it on any stage despite facing immense opposition. My self-confidence is slightly at per with that of Fidel Castro. I pursue what I believed in no matter the circumstance. At the beginning of last semester, I had the conviction of scoring at least 4 grade A. fortunately, I ended up scoring three grade A. this surely shows that self-confidence is a tool to achieving greatness. Comparative analysis of my weaknesses with leadership characteristics of Fidel Castro Despite being a great leader, Fidel Castro had a challenge of effectively communicating his plans and agenda to the Cubans (Malici Malici, 2005). Consequently, American soldiers infiltrated communications channels to spread propaganda on Fidel. One day, I failed to inform my teacher prior that I will be late in submitting my assignment. The teacher ended up penalizing me by deducting ten percent of my score. Were it that I was privy of effective communication strategies, I would not have been penalized. Therefore, I endeavor to learn effective communication strategies to avoid such problems in the future. Since Fidel was in charge of Cuba, he had a weakness of consolidating control of both the communist and the capitalist party. And this made it easy for American soldiers to penetrate their territory. Leadership recommends bringing different groups together when faced with an external challenge (Bunck, 2010). In one particular time, I failed to take control of my younger brothers who were in a constant fight over a toy. I lacked the skills to exercise high locus of control over them. And I am working on skills to command control in whatever I do. Rationale for development Personal development entails overcoming weaknesses and finding ways of improving key strengths (Mumford Gold, 2004). To overcome my weakness, I can take the following rationale; being honest with myself, thinking at what point I started developing those weaknesses and trying to figuring out some of the reasons that contribute to my weaknesses. Besides, I can also create a rationale for development by listing my plans for the future to adjust accordingly. And finally, seek the necessary support to overcome my weaknesses and strengthen my abilities. Opportunities for development Time management is essential for progress in any aspect. Therefore, I will endeavor to create time to enhance my leadership skills. Mumford and Gold (2004), note that time management and leadership go together. I will plan my time appropriately to avoid wastages during weekends and engage in constructive activities for personal growth. Enhancing collaborations through participating in communal activities will be very vital in strengthening my abilities and overcome my weaknesses. Better collaboration with my elders will give me an opportunity of learning and acquire new skills. I will also have an opportunity to follow their footsteps to be a better leader. According to Greenstein (2009), respect is a crucial attribute for leaders. Therefore, I will ensure that I maintain a good relationship with my fellow students, teachers, and even elders in the society. Through this, they will accord me opportunities and conducive environment to nurture my leadership ability. This will go further to enhancing my tolerance to accommodate divergent opinion at any point in my life. Relevant strategies for development Overcoming stage fright while communicating with people requires strategies like watching films that model conversation skills (Lee, 2002). For example, as I have started watching from YouTube and TED. From the films, I will learn body language, how to maintain eye contact, summarizing, and responding to questions. I can adapt using technology such as audio books and mobile applications to master diction and pronunciation of different words. Besides, I can reinforce active listening to my teachers and offer group presentations and assignments which will enhance my delivery skills. Finally, I can participate in reflective learning opportunities to build confidence and courage when presenting too many people. By enhancing my communication skills, I will be able to exercise stage control which is also integral in promoting high locus control (Maguire Pitceathly, 2002). Being confident goes further to improving our authoritative nature. More and more presentation in drama, cultural dances, and assignments will boost my self-confidence, courage, creating partnerships, and acquire servant leadership techniques. Enhancing my self-confidence may involve taking more challenges in the society. For example, I can take the responsibility of teaching Sunday school children in our church. This will help me learn more on presentations and handle diverse behaviors. In addition, I can also take an initiative of offering to teach the congregation during youth seminar and coordinate bible study. It will go a long way to improving my leadership skills like those of Barack Obama, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Junior among others. Great leaders banks on coming up with innovative ways doing things (Surie Hazy, 2006). As such, I will work extra hard by carrying out research to improve my innovation skills. Solving societal problems by coming up with simple ways will be a way of promoting change. In the words of Obama, change is possible when we believe. When we believe in ourselves and in what we do, other people will learn from us thus we grow and develop the society. Indicators of success for the strategies Communication indicator It will be evident that I have learned and acquired good communication skills if I will address a congregation, crowd, or class without fumbling (Maguire Pitceathly, 2002). It will also be evident when I will accommodate diverging opinion without having to snub any person. Moreover, I shall have horned my skills if I can present seamlessly, including asking and answering questions. Self-confidence indicators My confidence in whatever I do will be a bear fruits when I take challenges and find ways of solving them instead of dodging. Self-confidence entails believing one's actions no matter the circumstance (McCormick, 2001). It will also be evident how I present my items on stage, be it drama, cultural dances, or teaching children in Sunday school without fear. Innovation indicators My innovation skills will be clear when I create new ideas in solving social problems and achieving my goals or even inventing new ways to teaching Sunday school children. Furthermore, my innovative skills will be claer when I inspire the imagination of people as they come up with strategies of doing daily activities (Barsh, Capozzi Davidson, 2008). Locus control indicator Locus control will be evident when I will be able to organize my peers or even adults to execute an activity successfully. Resources and support needed to execute the strategies To execute any goals successfully, there should be time and commitment. Therefore, to achieve the strategies, I will need time as a resource. Through better time management, I will plan my training on presentation, communication, innovation and exercising locus control. Additionally, I will need money to enhance my dressing since leadership requires smart people. The money will also go a long way in enabling me to access audio books and watch films online in a bid to improve my communication. Above all, I need leadership skills which will guide my interaction with other people as I endeavor to learn. Time frames for implanting the strategies Being a student, I will be practicing communication in every lesson I take thus I shall enhance that skill in the course of my academic journey. Besides, I can practice drama and dance in the evening in our school hall and more so during drama and cultural festivals. Furthermore, during Sundays, as I go to church, I will horn my presentation skills as I teach Sunday school children and bible study groups. Thus, I will be covering those aspects as I go to church. In our church, we conduct corporate social responsibility once a month by engaging in clean-up exercises. It is during these periods that I will coordinate my fellow youth to harness my locus control ability. Simultaneous, I will come with innovative ways of giving back to the society which ultimately will enhance my innovative skills. References Bunck, J. M. (2010).Fidel Castro and the quest for a revolutionary culture in Cuba. Penn State Press. Barrett, D. J. (2006). Strong communication skills a must for todays leaders.Handbook of business strategy,7(1), 385-390. Bolden, R., Gosling, J. (2006). Leadership competencies: time to change thetune.Leadership,2(2), 147-163. Blight, J. G., Kornbluh, P. (Eds.). (1998).Politics of illusion: the Bay of Pigs invasion reexamined(p. 59). Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. Barsh, J., Capozzi, M. M., Davidson, J. (2008). Leadership and innovation.McKinsey Quarterly,1, 36. De Cremer, D., Van Knippenberg, D. (2004). Leader self-sacrifice and leadership effectiveness: The moderating role of leader self-confidence.Organizational behavior and human decision processes,95(2), 140-155. Eddleston, K. A. (2008). Commentary: The prequel to family firm culture and stewardship: The leadership perspective of the founder.Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice,32(6), 1055-1061. Greenstein, F. I. (2009).The presidential difference: Leadership style from FDR to Barack Obama. Princeton University Press. Judge, T. A., Piccolo, R. F. (2004). Transformational and transactional leadership: a meta- analytic test of their relative validity.Journal of applied psychology,89(5), 755. Lee, L. (2002). Enhancing learners' communication skills through synchronous electronic interaction and task?based instruction.Foreign Language Annals,35(1), 16-24. Miller, D. (2001). Successful change leaders: what makes them? What do they do that is different?Journal of Change Management,2(4), 359-368. Mumford, A., Gold, J. (2004).Management development: Strategies for action. CIPD Publishing. Malici, A., Malici, J. (2005). The operational codes of Fidel Castro and Kim Il Sung: the last cold warriors.Political Psychology,26(3), 387-412. McCormick, M. J. (2001). Self-efficacy and leadership effectiveness: Applying social cognitive t heory to leadership.Journal of Leadership Studies,8(1), 22-33. Maguire, P., Pitceathly, C. (2002). Key communication skills and how to acquire them.Bmj,325(7366), 697-700. Obama, B. (2007). Renewing american leadership.Foreign Affairs, 2-16. Plowman, D. A., Solansky, S., Beck, T. E., Baker, L., Kulkarni, M., Travis, D. V. (2007). The role of leadership in emergent, self-organization.The Leadership Quarterly,18(4), 341- 356. ?en, A., Kabak, K. E., Yang?nlar, G. (2013). Courageous Leadership for the Twenty-First Century.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,75, 91-101. Surie, G., Hazy, J. K. (2006). Generative leadership: Nurturing innovation in complex systems.Emergence-Mahwah-Lawrence Erlbaum-,8(4), 13. Spears, L. C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: Ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders.The Journal of Virtues Leadership,1(1), 25-30.