Differential Reporting in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Differential Reporting in Australia - Essay Example There have been arguments and commentaries on the applicability of the proposed changes to the reporting requirements in Australia. The AASB is of the view that the differential accounting standards are required to ensure adequate financial reporting for not-for-profit and government entities. This paper analyses the cases for and against this statement in the light of the proposed changes to the reporting requirements as envisaged by the AASB. The Public Sector Accounting Standards Board of the Australian Accounting Research Foundation has issued the Statement of Accounting Concept (SAC) 1defining the 'reporting entity' concept. Accordingly the reporting entity concept covers the 'legal entity' enunciated by the legislation in the private sector and also a broader concept to cover the accountability of the elected representatives and appointed officials employed in the public sector. (Australian Accounting Research Foundation) The concept of the reporting entity is based on the information needs of the users of the financial statements and the nature and extent of the general purpose of the financial reports. "The concept requires that individual reporting entities be identified by reference to the existence of users who are dependent on general purpose financial reports for information for making and evaluating resource allocation decisions." (Australian Accounting Research Foundation) Hence the reporting entity is not d ependent on the sector classification whether private or public or the manner or legality on the basis of which the entity is created. The concept is purely based on the objective behind the general purpose reporting and the concept requires all the entities (with users dependent on the general purpose financial reports for information) to prepare the general purpose financial reports for the information of the users of such reports. The present situation is that almost all not - for - profit companies are having the option to choose the status of being 'non-reporting entities'. If such companies opt for not to be reporting entities they need to prepare only 'special purpose accounts'. (Chartered Secretaries Australia) The objective of the proposed change is to revise the differential reporting regime, so that the financial reporting by both the for-profit and not-for profit organizations are made more meaningful for the users. 2.1 Rationale behind Removal of Reporting Entity Concept: The Invitation to Comment on the proposed change in the reporting regime details the rationale behind attempting to the remove the reporting entity concept. Nowhere in the world except Australia, the concept 'reporting entity' is being used for the purpose of determination of the accounting standards and the disclosure requirements. Australia is the only country which uses the concept of reporting entity for the determination of the differential reporting purposes also. Since the concept is not being the one which has an international usage and recognition the AASB proposed to remove this concept from the application to determine the accounting st

The Importance of Reading Books Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Reading Books Essay The joy of reading books cant be described in words. Its something that you can understand only by actual experience. There is much more to life than your work and spending time aimlessly with latest technology products. Reading books gives you that much needed break from the chaos in your life. It instills peace inside you, makes you relaxed and also exercises your brain in the process. When you read a book, it feels great to put yourself into a different world that the writer has created for you. Ask any avid reader about this and they too will agree that reading a book is same like watching a movie. When you spend hours and hours reading a book, creating a world with different characters in your mind, your imagination powers are sure to get a boost. Depending upon what you read, you will come out with the same experience as when you watch some really good movie. I have been a voracious reader ever since i learned how to read. Thats why i never get bored even being alone for a long time. I have found that reading books is the best medicine to kill boredom. What starts with reading story books, when you are a kid, turns into reading books for improving yourself as you grow older. From story books - technical management books - self improvement - spirituality and beyond, the journey is fantastic and you learn something with each passing day. You understand your thoughts and emotions more clearly. It makes you realize who you really are and makes your life more meaningful.Reading books will make you a better thinker and a better man. Thanks to technology you can easily find good articles to read on the internet. A great article can inspire and motivate you as much as a great book. Its not how much you read, but what you read which is more important. The only reason i recommend reading books over short articles is because when you spend hours with a thought or an idea then its more likely to stay with you for long time rather than when you spend just few minutes tinkering with it. Its easy to read a quote or an article for few minutes than discard it and continue with what you were doing. But when you invest your time in reading a good book, you end up spending at least a few hours reflecting on its contents as you read. Thus, its likely to stay with you for a longer time and have some positive influence on you. A good reader also varies his reading pace based on the content he is reading and what he wants to get from it. The purpose of reading news articles is different from reading stories, which is different from reading important documents. Over a period of time, you will understand how to vary your reading pace and comprehension based on what you read and what you want from it. Also, just reading good books is not enough. The way you read it is more important. When you come across a new idea or a different opinion, think upon it deeply. Dont accept it or reject it blindly. Try to reason with it and understand the writers point of view. Reflect upon the thoughts that come to your mind whenever you read a great book. You will know whether a book is great or not based on the thoughts it awakens inside you. As you continue this habit of reading and reflecting on what you read, you will start forming your own thoughts and values. It will challenge your mind and the thoughts, customs and traditions that you have grown up with. However, there is one thing which you should always remember when you make this a daily habit, as you are investing a part of your life doing it. Too much reading, without any thinking and action isnt of much use. When you know you are ready to do something its time to move to the next step. Act upon what you think is right and what you have decided to do. Its easy to get so much involved in the reading process, that you forget that the main purpose of reading is to make you a better person which can only happen when you act upon it. Just finishing one book after another without any real action from your side wont help you. What kind of person you want to be and what you would ultimately become depend greatly upon the type of content that you read and how much you act upon them. Reading articles that promote negativity, hatred and give wrong information is dangerous. Its better to not read anything at all than read such articles. Whether you read on some electronic device or prefer reading an actual book. Thats your personal choice. Personally, i prefer to read actual books whenever possible. I find that even after hours of reading my eyes feel fresh and full of energy. Thats something i dont find when i read too much on my computer. Before ending this article, i would like to summarize few important points and also suggest some Dos and Donts of reading: * Always read your content from a safe distance. Neither too close to your eyes neither too far away from your eyes. * Always prefer quality over quantity. Better to read one great book than hundred mediocre ones. * Understand properly what you have read and reflect upon it. * Dont accept anything blindly that you read but think for yourself and try to understand the reason behind whats been written. * Bookmark interesting pages for future reference. You never know when you will need them. * Sometimes it takes more than one reading to fully grasp some thing. Dont be disappointed if you dont understand a book in one reading. Maybe when you come back to it the next time, you will get it. * Focus completely on what you are reading. Dont think about other stuff while reading. * If possible, create a favorite spot in your house for reading books. You will feel more relaxed whenever you are there. * And above all, enjoy your reading experience. The habit of reading good content daily will act like an exercise for your mind and keep you mentally fit and flexible. If you have never given it a try then always remember that its never too late to start a good habit.

Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Differing Carbohydrate Recommendations of the Atkins Diet and Food Pyramid   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A review of the carbohydrate intake of the Atkins Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide allow a comparison of their potential health effects relative to each other.   The Atkins Diet and the Food Pyramid Guide propose different levels of carbohydrate intake. The Atkins Diet allows for an extremely limited intake of carbohydrates, as little as one serving which is roughly 20 grams. The Food Pyramid Guide allows about 120-220 grams of carbohydrates a day, which are roughly six to eleven servings. These different levels of carbohydrate intake influence the body’s metabolism because â€Å"carbohydrates are an organic compound that serves as a major energy source for the body† (Dictionary.com). These carbohydrates convert to sugars that trigger insulin production, which our body needs for certain processes, and triggers fat storage (Health-Doc.com). According to the Institute of Medicine, adults should get 45 to 65 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates. This is roughly seven servings based on a 2000 calorie/day diet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Atkins Diet, in requiring a significantly smaller amount of carbohydrates than the Institute of Medicine, attempts to realign the dieter’s metabolism.   In the first two weeks of the diet no more than twenty grams of carbohydrates a day are to be eaten. Twenty grams of carbohydrates a day is the equivalent of one slice of bread. After this two-week induction period is over the diet is allowed to slowly increase its carbohydrate increments to about fifty grams of carbohydrates a day, or about two to three servings. The benefit of this low consumption of carbohydrates with the Atkins diet is to â€Å"efficiently switch your body from a carbohydrate-burning metabolism to a primarily fat-burning (your fat!) metabolism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  [The Atkins Diet is also supposed to] stabilize your blood sugar and abruptly halt a myriad of symptoms indicative of unstable blood sugar, such as fatigue, mood swings, brain fog and an inability to function at your best. This diet also will curb your cravings by stabilizing your blood sugar and break addictions to foods such as sugar, wheat or corn derivatives, alcohol, caffeine, grain or any other food† (Atkins.com). While these claims seem somewhat sweeping, they remain claims that are not supported by scientific information provided by their website, Atkins.com. The lack of supporting information and the grandiose nature of the claims make the science behind this diet seem somewhat suspect.

When people become very angry, they are said to be operating from their `dinosaur brain`

It has been said that the thing that sets human beings apart from all the other creatures in the animal kingdom is the fact that human beings have the ability for discernment and for logical thinking. In times were animals would be ruled by impulse and instinct, human beings are able to control these urges to a certain extent. As beings capable of suppressing baser instincts and impulses, human beings are expected to be above such primal instincts.It is for this reason that people who are very angry or emotional and give in to such baser instincts are said to be operating from their â€Å"dinosaur brains. † It is not to say of course that operating from one’s dinosaur brain means that one is also capacitated with the same intellectual capacity as that of those prehistoric animals. Dinosaurs were creatures that had smaller brains than today’s creatures and as such their thinking had not evolved to the same extent.This means that these animals only followed the bas ic instincts such as eating, mating and sleeping, offshoots of which are aggression in certain cases in order to preserve and protect. Therefore, any person who is operating from their dinosaur brain is simply exercising the functions that dinosaurs used to use in the underdeveloped brains. Feelings such as anger and hunger become the ruling considerations and logic is never part of the equation.

How War Affects the Economy Essay

Countries that have experienced periods of war have had their economies mostly affected negatively. Considering war and the economic history, it is evidence that war has influenced the economic history across the world for centuries. This influence is both negative and positive. In most cases, those who win during wars have ended up getting their economic institutions and trade patterns in shape. Wars have also led to technological development, increased workforce among others (Goldstein, par. 1). However, the negative impacts of war outweigh the positive impact in terms of waste of money and resources on war, destruction of human capital, trade, resources available and labor management. Wars have also led to loss of many lives thus reducing the population which greatly contributes to economic growth at large (Goldstein, par. 1 – 2). Where possible, wars should be avoided by all means, no matter how appealing the positive impacts might seem to be, since in return they are expensive, destructive and disruptive thus greatly affecting the economies of many nations negatively. The negative impacts of war During wars, the economies of the third world countries are the ones which often get affected to a larger extent. Winning in war is determined by how powerful a nation is. More powerful and stronger nations are better placed and able to represent their interests than others. For example, The United States of America being the super power wields incredible power and influence. Before any country engages itself into war, it should consider its strength and influence and also who they are fighting with (Wade par 1-2). Some of the negative impacts of war include the following; War Causes Increased Inflation Rate According to Goldstein (par 4), waging war requires three things; ‘money, money and money’. In short, waging war requires a lot of money and therefore many nations have ended up printing a lot of currencies to finance war forgetting that the printing of more money fuels inflation. Inflation always acts as an indirect tax on a national economy. For instance, during the first and second world wars, there was the industrial warfare that in return created inflationary pressures across large economies. The governments mobilized very many societies for war which led to conscripting labor, building up prices in markets for natural resources and industrial goods, diverting of capital and technology from civilian to military applications among others (Goldstein, par. 4), During the World War I, there were numerous inflations as participants broke from the gold standard to issuing of currencies freely. This led to increased inflation, a thing that was experienced even during the US Civil War, First and Second World Wars, Vietnam War among others. War induces inflation which is strongest in war zones but also to neutral countries, causing disruption and scarcity of resources, for example the US during the World War II. In addition, as war continues in the present day, inflation continues to increase driving the currency to worthlessness. The cost of war during World War I was almost $ 40 billion in addition to 85 years of inflation. This expenditure in figures would be closer to $1100 billion in the modern terms (Goldstein, par 2-5). War Leads To Increased Government Debts  Some nations borrow money for war and what happens is that they end up in a lot of debts for the government. War related debts always drive many states to bankruptcy. An example of such a nation is Spain in 1557 & 1596 when there was war (Goldstein, par. 5). Capital Depletion Many wars create zones of intense capital as well as destruction. This destruction happens in farms, factories and cities and cause reduced economic output which in return causes famine and plagues, for example during the 30years’ war that happened between 1618 and 1648. During this time, one third of the population was killed in Germany as the mercenaries plundered civilians with the latter becoming mercenaries so as to try to survive. In addition, the First World War reduced production by nearly half and starved hundreds of thousands of Germans to death. These led to more than a decade of lower Soviet output. Also, during World War I in 1918, influenza epidemic killed millions of people thus reducing the work force (Goldstein 2003, par8-9). Some other 407,000 Americans lost their lives during the Second World War and this led to decrease in human cost or labor which would have otherwise contributed to the economic growth of America (Henderson, par. 7). In Germany, there was a massive loss of lives which amounted to 1. 7 million young men and 4. 3 millions of them being wounded during the First World War. The total casualties were thus adding up to 7 million though this also included some prisoners and also those listed as missing. The Germany economy suffered terribly during this war and its industrial output fell by over 40% between 1914 and 1918. This was because many of the working men had been killed in war and so the machinery was run by ill trained people at the end of the war. In addition, the workforce was not physically fit to work very hard as a result of the food shortage that was being experienced in Germany then. Estimates show that 35% of all trade was usually organized illegally on the black market and the economy suffered from shortages of raw materials (School of History, par 2). War Impact On Domestic Economy Wars bring about impact on the domestic economy too. This happens through reduction of the level of capital stock as well as its growth. There is usually capital flight which dramatically leads to reduced private investments. In addition, the political economy models show worsened government’s fiscal balance which results from the internal conflicts that ends up affecting the aggregate domestic economy (Imai and Weinstein, par. 1). Economically, many activities are enhanced into conduct of war through the act of the government shifting the expenditure from output to war. Politically, there is evidence of weaker incentives which help maintain the fiscal balance. This is attributed to a shorter time horizon and weaker accountability of an electoral constituency. The result of all these shows that the driving forces can be attributed to the negative effects of civic war on the economic growth which is a decrease in domestic investment and especially the private investments (Imai and Weinstein, par. 1). War Is Expensive A lot of resources are normally used to wage war and this definitely leads to a minus in the economic growth of any nation. When a government spends a minimum of 2% of its GDP on its military on average, its economy is affected as well. Therefore, no matter where the finances or resources for funding comes from (payment of taxes or debts) , the resources used in war should be used to do other constructive things in order to raise the economic growth such as, paying more wages to workers to motivate them, construction of roads, large scale farming among others. Most governments ends up using a pool of finances to buy tanks, trucks, fuel, clothing, parachutes, bullets, guns, airplanes among other equipments of war. They also hire laborers to do the job that is, hiring more military personnel which is still expensive (Henderson, par. 3-4). All the capital and labor used to do the above produces output and labor that would otherwise have been used to develop the country’s economy. The cost of all that is used in war is called opportunity cost which means the value of the highest valued opportunity foregone. Thus, the opportunity cost of the resources used in war is the value of the resources that would otherwise have been used by the government on other things other than war (Henderson, par3-4). For example, during the Second World War, the US government spent more than 7% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), on war. In addition, there was a peak of the United States government spending a large portion of its (GNP) Gross National Product on war in 1944. This government spent about 38% of the GNP on war while as much of the capital and labor used in this war would have been used to produce things like automobiles for domestic economy or even exports among other things. In short, there would have been no rationing of meat, tires, nylons eggs, butter and sugar and the standard measure of prosperity would have been much more prosperous (Henderson 2006, par 4). On the other side, the cost of war in Germany during World War I was estimated to be US$ 40 billion; this was a lot of finances all being put to war (School of History, 2004, par4 ). Also, during World War 1and World War II, consumer spending is said to have increased a lot though it was still less than the long-term growth rate. The increase in output that was experienced during World War II considerably reflected the massive rise in military spending. At the climax of this war, the US government spending had taken up over 40% of the GNP whereas the Korean War spending was more moderate with the government spending a maximum of about 20% of the GNP (Ohanian 13). Another example showing the costliness of war is the Iraq war. According to some approximations made, Iraq and some other Middle East countries are assumed to spend significantly on defense. This is represented by an increase in defense spending by OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) which is a clear indication that the economic growth of these countries is affected (McKibbin and Stoeckel 2). The Iraq war is possibly costly to the economy of the world. However the costliness is dependent on how long the war lasts and also the compounding effect of many different factors. The main economic effects include higher budgetary cost, rising oil prices and the greater uncertainty of things, leading to negative effects on economic growth. For example, the United States can experience a knock-on effect if Japan is unfavorably affected by war with Iraq. In such a case, the rise in oil prices is likely to change the prices of other energy sources like coal and natural gas (McKibbin & Stoeckel 1). In addition, when the prices of oil rise, Japan experiences high risk in terms of economic effects than either Europe or United States since it depends mainly on imported oil. Australia is also not left out since it is also affected negatively when the oil prices rise despite the fact that it exports coal and gas in large amounts. The longer the period a war takes, the more there is prolonged and uncertainty of the cost of oil (McKibbin and Stoeckel, 5). The war in Afghanistan also led to estimated loss of US $ 2-3 billions to the economy of Pakistan in 2001. This caused effects such as loss in revenue, decreased exports, reduced foreign investment as well as a slow down in private investments (Nisar, par. 18). War Leads To Increased Tax Rate The tax rate is usually increased in many nations during war so as to be able to finance the whole process of war. For example, there was increased tax during the Korean War so as to help finance the war. The capital tax rose to nearly 63% in average, the highest tax rate of capital income that has ever been heard in the history of the United States and it was sufficient to finance the Korean War efforts. Moreover, during the Second World War, the labor tax rose to about 19% with the capital tax rates ranging to an average of 60% compared to the time prior to the war, whereby the average marginal tax rate on capital was about 45% and the average marginal labor tax rate was just 9%. This high tax rate generated significant revenues and at the same time, the revenue was not enough to finance the war spending (Ohanian 13). All the above listed effects show how destructive and expensive war is to the economy of any nation. The Positive Effects Of War On The Economy The positive effects of war are not as many as the negative effects and no matter how attractive they might be the negative consequences still stand conspicuously. Some of the positive effects include the following; War Leads To Development Of Infrastructures And Technology Sometimes war creates a chance for infrastructural development like roads and thus clearing away the outdated ones. This gives way to the rebuilding of the economy world wide thus leading to long-term benefits. Technological development also rises as a result of war though not always. For example, after the two world wars, French production is said to have grown faster after 1950 than before 1914. Also the layouts of European railroad networks were strappingly influenced by the strategic military consideration. This was evident after Germany used railroads effectively to conquer French forces especially in 1870 to 1871(Goldstein, par 12-13). According to Tassava (par. 1-32) there has always been scientific and technological innovations that comes as result of war. These innovations were the key aspects in the American war effort as well as important economic factor in the Allies’ victory. During war, there is usually development of weapons among other tools of war. The American experience after the Second World War was impressive because of the scientific and technological change which positively affected almost every aspect of the war economy. There was also the Manhattan project which was meant to creating atomic weapons. However, this project was often hidden from the public view because of the wartime secrecy. The U. S. army and several private contractors gave direction to scientists, engineers and workers to build a nationwide complex of laboratories and also plants that would manufacture atomic fuel. They also gave direction to fabricate the atomic weapons. For example the laboratories at Chicago and California-Berkeley universities, the uranium processing complexes at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington among others (Tassava, par. 32). Another innovation that arose during war time is the building of ships. This was the third example of innovation’s importance to the war economy. The fighting fronts in Africa, Europe and Asia that had their plans allied in World War II were totally dependent on the movement of war material produced in the United States. Hundred merchant shipyards in the U. S produced 5,777 ships at a cost of about $13 billion between 1939 and 1945. The technology of building ship later became a low-technology compared to the atomic-bomb project and the aerospace industry a sector that was amazingly successful (Tassava, par. 35).

The Civil Rights Movements of the 60s essays

The Civil Rights Movements of the 60s essays On May 4th, 1970, four students were killed, eight injured, when shots fired out everywhere across the Kent State University Campus (www.may4.org) . This tragedy both symbolically, and chronologically marked the end of a turbulent decade the decade of discontent as some people called it (Gottlieb, 17). This incident was the result of a peace protest against President Richard Nixon, and was just one example of the many political, cultural, and spiritual revolutions that erupted from this decade. The Civil Rights Movement, the Anti-War Movement, and the Womens Rights Movement were three of the largest and most revolutionary ideas which sprung from a generation of counter-culturists. Each Movement contributed to the future American culture in varying degrees. Each had their heroes, their enemies, and their own morale. These movements were the frameworks for a young generation to build upon, who were looking to find a new way of life, and seeing the world. The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22nd, 1963 seems to be the turning point for a generation of teenagers. This was the event after which America began to change. (Gottlieb, 18). People felt that something had been taken away from them, and there was nothing to fill the void that was left. This is when the restlessness and upheaval of a culture began. There had already been instigation, during Kennedys term, of the most lasting and continual movement that has ever come out of the United States. Led by a strong, and devoted citizen, Martin Luther King Jr. The Civil Rights movement had already begun. The fight for equal rights among blacks and whites had already started to change the way America was thinking. It was affecting the way Congress, and politics in general were running. The predictability of votes, and discipline of Congress was beginning to become weak. As House Majority Leader Carl Albert ...

ACT Scores are So Important for Military Students

Why SAT/ACT Scores are So Important for Military Students SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you applying to a military academy like West Point, Naval Academy, or Air Force Academy? While military academy applications are relatively complex (what with having to get nominated by a Congressperson), their requirements for SAT/ACT scores are straightforward. Your challenge is to achieve the SAT/ACT scores you need to stand out among the fierce competition. This article reviews the SAT/ACT requirements for future cadets and how you can gainthe scores you need to attend a training academy in the "Five-Pointed Star." First, let's quickly go over your options. What Are the U.S. Military Academies? There are five military training academies in the U.S., known together as the Five-Pointed Star. If you gain acceptance, then your tuition is free (with the exception of some minimal fees of around $1,000 for the Merchant Marine Academy). Following graduation, cadets will complete 5 years of active duty service. U.S. Military Academy, or West Point is in West Point, New York. Cadets graduate from this 4-year academy to become second lieutenants in the Army. U.S. Naval Academy, or USNA, Annapolis, or Navy is in Annapolis, Maryland. Graduates are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. U.S. Air Force Academy has a baseoutside Colorado Springs, Colorado. Students go on to become commissioned second lieutenants in the Air Force. U.S. Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut. Students gain a Bachelor of Science degree and become commissioned ensigns aboard cutters and at sector offices in ports. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is in Kings Point, New York. Students are called "midshipmen" and are trained in marine engineering, maritime law, and other areas in the realm of sea transport. In order to apply to one of these academies, you must be at least 17 and no older than 23. Admissions are very competitive, sohow important are SAT/ACT scores for getting accepted? How Important Are SAT/ACT Scores? As mentioned above, the military academies are very selective.Most applicants are in the top 25% of their high school class, and SAT/ACT scores are required for all of these schools. Both your grades and SAT/ACT scores are very important to admissions officers to demonstrate your academic readiness and commitment. Either exam is accepted, though students who choose the ACT should take the ACT with Writing. Most of the academies don't emphasize the Writing multiple choice section on the SAT as much as they do the Critical Reading and Math.While this means you can focus your prep on Reading and Math, you should still take the Writing seriously and avoid having a low outlier score in this section. If you're taking the new SAT in 2016 or after, then this point isn't relevant - the Critical Reading and Writing sections will be scored together on a scale of 200 to 800. Other requirements include an official nomination from a U.S. Congressperson, physical fitness assessments, and, as described bythe official White House website, a demonstration of "dedication, desire to serve others, ability to accept discipline, sense of duty, and morality, and the enjoyment of challenge." Thus your grades, along with your recommendations and high school activities, are important for telling your story and demonstrating that you possess these essential qualities. Every aspect of your application takes time and effort to address well, and your SAT/ACT scores are no different. To achieve the scores you need, you should start early, put in significant preparation, and plan to take the test more than once. Since score reports take about 3 weeks to reach schools, you want to make sure you're aware of your deadlines and leave yourself enough opportunities to take the SAT/ACT several times. Before reviewing the scores you need for each academy, what are their application deadlines? Hang in there - you got this. Deadlines for Military Academies Most deadlines are in January, February, or March of senior year, but that doesn't mean you should wait until senior year to take the SAT/ACT. Typically, students take their first SAT/ACT in the fall of junior year, then again in the spring, and finally in the fall of senior year. If you're applying to a military academy, you have probably started planning and gathering your application materials earlier than many other students. Usually theacademies want you to fill out a preliminary application in junior year. If you have a sense of your plans and goals, then you can push this SAT/ACT schedule back and start preparing even earlier. Before delving into planning your test prep and schedule, these are the deadlines for each academy for the 2014-15 application cycle (and similar deadlines will likely apply for future years). Application Deadline West Point 2/28/2015 Navy 1/31/2015 Air Force 12/31/2014 Coast Guard 3/1/2015 Merchant Marine Academy 2/1/2015 Based on these deadlines, you want to have your SAT/ACT scores completed by November or Decemberof senior year, if not earlier. What scores will make you a competitive candidate? What SAT/ACT Scores Do You Need? At the very minimum, you need at least a 500 Verbal and 500 math on the SAT. In terms of the ACT, you need at least a 21 English, 19 Reading, 24 Math, and 24 Science. The average scores for all the academies fall between 540 and 620 for SAT Verbal and 630 and 710 for SAT Math. The following chart breaks down the average scores of the incoming class of 2015 for each academy. The Naval Academy has a slightly higher bar for test scores, and expectations for math are higher than for verbal across the board. SAT Verbal SAT Math ACT English ACT Reading ACT Math ACT Science West Point 627 646 29 30 29 28 Navy 600-650 630-680 25-32 26-32 Air Force 633 663 30 30 30 30 Coast Guard 620 650 * Merchant Marine Academy 632 652 * *Data not reported, but average composite ACT score for Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academy is 28. These are strong scores, and you may be aiming for higher than average to really strengthen your application. So how can you best prepare yourself to achieve your target scores? SAT/ACT prep is a different kind of target practice. How Can You Reach Your Target Scores? Once you have a sense of what scores you need for your school of interest, what can you do to ensure you achieve them? Preparation is key for doing well, but you want tomake sure you're studying efficiently and not wasting time with ineffective study habits or low quality practice questions. Read on for some tips for how to make the most out of your test prep and where to find the best resources for SAT/ACT strategies and practice questions. First,hopefully you have a good amount oftime before your application deadlines, because starting early will give you the time you need to prepare and take your test more than once. Start Early The process of applying to military school starts even earlier than most college applications, as you should fill out a preliminary application in junior year, along with communicating with a Congressperson to obtain his/her official recommendation. Since most students planning on a military academy are aware of this goal relatively early in high school, they should start to think about worktowards this goal by prepping for and taking the SAT/ACT early. Sophomore year is a good time to take your first test, or if you feel that 3 opportunities to test is sufficient, then you might take your first offical SAT/ACT in the fall of junior year. If you start studying for the SAT/ACT by sophomore year, then you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and fill in any gaps in knowledge. After taking a diagnostic practice test, you can do some boot camp-style studying and train yourself to conquer the SAT/ACT. Like any good training session, you should approach it with a plan. Prep With a Plan Start out with basic training. Get to know how long each section of your test is, how many questions you'll answer, and what exactly you need to bring to test day. Read about what's actually tested on the CriticalReading, Writing, and Math sections of the SAT and the Reading, English, Math, and Science sections of the ACT. Once you've gotten to know the structure and content of the test, try taking a diagnostic practice test to see how you are scoring now. This is just a baseline score. With practice and training, you will be able to improve your scores in all sections. After getting your score, go back and examine which practice questions were easy and which tripped you up. Analyze your mistakes and thoroughly read the explanations. If you're having trouble answering all the questions in time, continue to train yourself with timed practice tests. Review and try out time-saving strategies, like how to read the Critical Reading passages on the SAT and Reading passages on the ACT. Break down your test prep into small manageable goals. One week, focus on probability and word problems. The next, drill your understanding of commonly tested grammar rules. Breaking down your studying into small, manageable goals over time will help you learn, accumulate knowledge and skills, and gradually build up your scores. Below is an estimate of how many hours you should put in to see real improvement. Start with basic training. Then get more specialized. Put In the Time Whilethe amount ofstudy input and score improvement output differs for each student, the following is a rough estimate for how many hours you need to study to bring your scores up. SAT Composite Point Improvement 0-50 points - 10 hours 50-100points- 20 hours 100-200 points - 40 hours 200-300 points - 80 hours 300-500 points - 150 hours+ ACTComposite Point Improvement 0-1 points - 10 hours 1-2points- 20 hours 2-4 points - 40 hours 4-6points - 80 hours 6-9points - 150 hours+ The best way to put in the hours to really see improvement is to write down a schedule and stick to it. If you can set aside a specific time for test prep every week and make it part of your routine, then the hours and effort you put in will really add up over time. Just as you want to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and root out your errors, you also will see the most effective results if you use high quality test prep resources. Use High Quality Resources The truest representation of the SAT/ACT comes from official practice questions. You can download official practice tests, as well as find practice questions on the College Board and ACT websites. Since these are actual questions written by the testmakers, many from previously administered test, they are the best samples of what you will encounter on test day. Unfortunately, there aren't a huge amount of resources out there to practice for the redesigned SAT. Your best bet so far is to make an account with Khan Academy and find the practice questions they are offering in conjunction with College Board. You can also familiarize yourself with the changes and try to focus specifically on those skills when prepping with older practice materials. Apart from official questions, you can use online test prep programs (like PrepScholar), various books, and SAT or ACT Question of the Day. Along with studying, you want to familiarize yourself with and practice the best strategies for enhancing your understanding, saving time, and writing a strong essay in only 25 minutes on the SAT or 40 minutes on the ACT. Invest in yourself and reap the benefits when you get into your military academy of choice. I've mentioned a few times that you should plan to take the SAT/ACT more than once. Here's why. Take the SAT/ACT More Than Once Just as you want to take control of your test preparation, you also want to have a strategy for tackling your testing schedule. The typical schedule is to take the SAT or ACT in the fall of junior year and then again in the spring of senior year. Then if you still see room for improvement, you have all summer to prep and take it again in the fall of senior year. Students almost always improve their scores when they retake the SAT/ACT, and you can use the time in between tests to focus on your weak spots. If you want even more opportunities to test - in case of a fluke testing day or issue with your score report - you could push this schedule back. This will shield you from any issues that may arise, as well as take off some of the pressure since you won't feel like youcould runout of time. You can use those qualities of determination and discipline desired by the military academies to hit your target scores. If you're aiming to attend a military academy, then you must be someone who welcomes challenge. Use those same standards of rigor and motivation you hold yourself to to prep for the SAT/ACT. Not only will you further gain mastery of yourself through discipline and hard work, you'll achieve your purpose of gaining the scores you need for admissioninto one of the competitive military academies of the Five-Pointed Star. What's Next? How many times should you take the SAT/ACT?Getadvice about registeringand choosing your test dates, specific to the SAT and ACT. Are you a sophomore or junior designing your study plan? Read the full guide to your study plan here. Are you aiming for perfection on the SAT or ACT, or just curious how people achieve this feat? Read how this full scorer approached the tests to score a perfect 2400 on the SAT and full 36 on the ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 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: