Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Adam Smith and His Works and Contributions Essay - 825 Words

Adam Smith and His Works and Contributions into the Economic World (Essay Sample) Content: ADAM SMITHby Students nameCode+ course nameProfessors nameUniversity nameCity, StateDate IntroductionAdam Smith, a well-known economist and philosopher, is often called the forefather of modern economics. Much of the market theory is developed by him.Though Smith wrote in many disciplines, including the history of science, literature, rhetoric, jurisprudence, and moral philosophy, the current status of the researcher is obtained due to the clarification of what roles rational self-interest and competition play in economic stimulation and prosperity. These concepts are still valuable and applicable to the present economic problems. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nationsand Theory of Moral Sentimentsare the books that deserve special attention.The Explanation of Choosing Adam Smith and His WorksThe author develops the basis for the system of morality in Theory of Moral Sentiments. The book argues that a person is self-commanded and self-intereste d. In accordance with Smith, self-control is based on the natural law principles whereas individual freedom is deep-rooted in self-confidence and the individuals ability to exercise his/her own interests (Ashraf, Camerer Loewenstein 2005). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nationsis supposed to be the first contemporary work of economics research. The author tries to disclose the nature and causes of prosperity of the nation, using real examples. The increasing division of labour is seen as a main prosperity cause by the economist. He also considers self-interests and charity as complementary instead of contradictory. While charity cannot alone make available all the necessities of life, the mechanism of self-interest can correct this deficiency. The invisible hand and analysis of mercantilism are the most influential concepts of this book. The term invisible hand was designed to show the self-regulating market behaviour. It is expected to work commonly in the free market. Smith opposes mercantilism and believes that new markets and a lower price of some goods are the main benefits of trade (Kennedy 2008).The Assessment of Their Impact on SocietyThe authors ideas presented in these two books have a great impact on society. Theory of Moral Sentiments is an essential document in the history of political and moral thought. In this work, Smith expresses the original theories of virtue, moral judgment, and conscience. Furthermore, it was a real scientific step forward, which showed that moral activities and thoughts were a product of the nature of people as social beings. The book defines the main rules of justice and prudence that are necessary for the survival of society and describes additional charitable actions that allow its prosperity (Sen 2010). It also gives a methodological, psychological, philosophical, and ethical insight into the future works of the author. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nationsis considere d to be the main book in economics, especially in the area offree-market capitalism. Today, it is observed as a theoretical basis for the free market concept that sets the limits of state intervention, redistribution of wealth and taxation. It spawned the contemporary concept of human capital. Explanation of the invisible hand is used for a variety of events, from environmental degradation to scientific progress (Kennedy 2009). With his notion of trade, Smith provides a succession of free-trade economists that paves the way for the comparative advantage theories of John Stuart Mill and David Ricardo in the future. With the majority of present free-market supporters, he supposes that the government must fulfil contracts and grant copyrights and patents in order to encourage original ideas and creations. Besides, the researcher believes that the government should be responsible for public works such as bridges and roads. The retaliatory tariff is an only significant difference between the position of Smith and most contemporary economists (Buchan 2006). Therefore, the books of Smith are a review of both politics and economics. ConclusionAdam Smith stimul...

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Stanley Kubrick Essays - 1577 Words

quot;I would not think of quarreling with your interpretation nor offering any other, as I have found it always the best policy to allow the film to speak for itself.quot; As one of the most widely acclaimed and influential directors of the postwar era, Stanley Kubrick enjoyed a reputation and a standing unique among the filmmakers of his day. He had a brilliant career with relatively few films. An outsider, he worked beyond the confines of Hollywood, which he disliked, maintaining complete control of his projects and making movies according to his own ideas and time constraints. To him, filmmaking was a form of art and unlike Hollywood, not a business. Working in a vast range of styles from dark comedy to horror to crime†¦show more content†¦After this he filmed other documentaries, including his first color film The Seafarers. Kubrick, with the aid of friends and relatives, raised $13,000 to finance his first feature film, the war story Fear and Desire. The film was silent at first with the dialogue dubbed in later. It never made back its initial investment. Then in 1955, he directed his second feature film, the gangland melodrama Killer’s Kiss. This film was more successful and was sold to United Artists. In 1956, Kubrick directed his first studio picture, The Killing with a screenplay by Jim Thompson. This was his first artistic success and it brought him to the attention of MGM production head Dore Share. In 1957, Kubricks hot Paths of Glory, which was rejected by many studios until Kirk Douglas decided to star in the film. This led to a much-needed financing deal with United Artists. The film won considerable critical acclaim and promoted Kubrick’s reputation as a rising talent. In 1958, Marlon Brando hired him as director for his Western One Eyed Jacks. Kubrick resented Brando’s constant intervening in his work and he left the film forfeiting $100,000. In 1959, Kubrick became director of Spartacus. He took the job even though he had no influence on screenplay, production and distribution. Spartacus is Kubrick’s first commercial success. The most costly film produced at that time, with a budget of $12 million, it proved to be a major hit 4 and won several Oscars and a GoldenShow MoreRelatedBiography of Stanley Kubrick 1978 Words   |  8 PagesStanley Kubrick was born on July 26th, 1928, in New York. He was the son of a successful Manhattan physician and a Rumanian mother. Kubrick admitted to be a lonely child, and a misfit in high school. Growing up, his parents had wanted him to become a doctor he didnt have the grades needed to get into medical school. His love of film began at an early age, when he would go to movie theaters twice a week to view the double features. He would later say of this experience: One of the importantRead MoreStanley Kubrick Essay1863 Words   |  8 PagesStanley Kubrick is one of the most influential and daring filmmakers to ever put his mark on the silver screen. He has created a large body of very influential works spanning several decades and many genres. Throughout his whole collection there are many elements which are repeatedly used to enhance the viewers experience. There are al so many recurring themes in Kubricks works that are commented on both by the context in which they are brought forth and the techniques used to expound upon thoseRead MoreThe Films of Stanley Kubrick Essay2151 Words   |  9 PagesThe Films of Stanley Kubrick The films of director Stanley Kubrick divert from any categorized genre upon analysis. Instead they use themes that also expand into cinematic concepts due to certain construction processes used in the making of his films. This distinguishes Stanley Kubrick as a film Read MoreThe Paths Of Glory By Stanley Kubrick955 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Paths of Glory† is the critically acclaimed 1957 feature film, which was directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie was produced by James B. Harris, and based on the book â€Å"Paths of Glory,† by Humphrey Cobb. Leading the cast were Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris and Richard Anderson. It was released on Christmas Day. The movie begins with information about World War I beginning on August 3rd, 1914. The Germans invade France and nearly reach Paris. The FrenchRead More Analysis of The Shining, by Stanley Kubrick Essay4006 Words   |  17 Pagesprimary definition of horror as a painful and intense fear, dread, or dismay. It stands to reason then that horror fiction is fiction that elicits those emotions in the reader. An example of a horror film is The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick was a well-known director, producer, writer and cinematographer. His films comprised of unique, qualitative scenes that are still memorable but one iconic film in his collection of work is The Shining. Many would disagree and say thatRead MoreA Clockwork Orange, by Stanley Kubrick1139 Words   |  5 PagesIn this essay I will be exploring how the dystopian society in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ 1963 novel, A Clockwork Orange has been used to explore c ontemporary anxieties. A Clockwork Orange takes place in an outlandish and dreary vision of future Britain governed by an oppressive, totalitarian super government. In this society, ordinary people have fallen into a dazed state of complacency, unaware of the sinister growth of a rampant, violent youth culture. AnthonyRead MoreEssay on The Auteur Theory: Stanley Kubrick1209 Words   |  5 Pagesquality thus exerting a personal creative vision and interjecting it into the his or her films. Kubrick made his first film in 1953 and has continued to make films till his death shortly after the film Eyes Wide Shut in 1999. With a film career spanning over four decades, he crafted consistent themes, and honed a highly personalized style which was woven into the films he made. Stanley Kubrick was a very stylistic film maker and paid great attention to detail in every aspect of his movies. OneRead MoreEssay on Stanley Kubrick: Artist, Explorer and Pioneer3777 Words   |  16 PagesStanley Kubrick: Artist, Explorer and Pioneer Introduction The line between art and entertainment has become malleable in the last century. Critics of fine art define its quality by its message, innovation and complexity. Both are founded on intent to communicate. Art seeks to engage the viewer and generally attempts to tap into more complicated and rarer emotions. (Krush Web Site) Stanley Kubrick uses the medium of film to convey an understanding of the world around him. I see his workRead More A Clockwork Orange, by Stanley Kubrick Essay example1522 Words   |  7 PagesA Clockwork Orange is a Stanley Kubrick film from 1971. Kubrick directed the film and wrote the screen play based on the 1962 novel from author Anthony Burgess. A Clockwork Orange was originally rated, â€Å"X† and nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Screenplay, but lost in each category to William Friedkins The French Connection (filmsite.org). The set design is by John Barry, costume design by Milena Canonero, music by Wendy Car los and cinematography by John AlcottRead MoreReview Of Stanley Kubrick s 2001 : A Space Odyssey 1591 Words   |  7 PagesSpace or 2001. Stanley Kubrick’s legendary film â€Å"2001 : A Space Odyssey† (1968) is an epic of space exploration and meditation on the possibility of extraterrestrial influence on the process of human evolution. The film is set in the near future at a time when the moon is colonised and space travel, at least around the planetary system, is quite usual. Kubrick said â€Å"2001 aspired not to the condition of a science fiction novel but to that of music† ( Baxter,1997 :215) Kubrick gave this description

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

When Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe - 918 Words

In Chinua Achebe s fictional novel, When Things Fall Apart, the reader follows the story of a young man named Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a passionate leader of his tribe, the Igbo. Throughout the book he wishes to please the Igbo people, a one way he does that is by distancing himself from his father. To Okonkwo his father was a disgrace, lazy, poor and cowardice. Okonkwo is first seen wrestling and proving his worth to the tribe. He built his home and earned a reputation of a strong diligent farmer. His reputation is reassured by his good crop and agricultural season, and because of this he earns a large sum of cash. His wealth, influence, and reputation makes him seem like a very suitable man and he marries three women. Later in the book an†¦show more content†¦He is exiled to his mothers homeland, Mbanta, for seven years. He gains knowledge about white missionaries coming to spread Christianity. To Okonkwo this symbolizes a possible end to his tribe. More and more Igbo people co nvert to Christianity and the religion gains recognition. Okonkwo returns back to the Igbo to find out that his son converted to Christianity. Outraged he disowns his son. The Igbo try to diplomatically solve the intrusion of the white Christians but are stopped and the Igbo leaders are jailed until the villagers pay a ransom. The Igbo s hold a war meeting, in which the reader finds Okonkwo supporting aggressive action. A white missionary arrives to try to break up the council but is killed by a furious Okonkwo. He continues to spiral downward as his tribe will not support his violent antics. Ashamed of himself and his tribe, Okonkwo s hubris got the better of him and he then soon later hung himself. Although a fictional piece of work, Chinua Achebe sheds some light on some traditional African culture and society. For me personally it spoke mostly about the roles in African society and how important they are. That many Africans are worried about how the others perceive them. Okonkwo wants to be seen as a respectable, wealthy man. We learned in class that your living, and how sound one is financially can separate them as a respectable superior person. Africans take great pride in themselves and

Dr Faustus Essay Example For Students

Dr Faustus Essay Dr. FaustusDr. Faustus, written by Christopher, is the story of a man that represents the common human dissatisfaction with being human. He sells his soul to the devil for what he believes to be limitless power, with full logical knowledge as to the consequences of such a transaction. He knows the stakes of his gamble with the devil. His extensive education and his cultural environment had certainly alerted him as to the dangers associated with Lucifer. Although aware of the consequences of such a pact, he is blinded by three things that bring about his ultimate demise. His greed to know all, his pride that made him believe he was better than man, and his denial that in the end he would bring his own downfall upon himself. If Faustus had not been these things he would not have brought an end to himself. Dr. Faustus denies the existence of everything, from his eventual torture in hell if he does not repent, to men, society, and indeed the world. The only aspect of his life which he does not deny is his physical reality. When Faustus meets with Mephistopheles (a messenger of the devil) he is frightened and demands a new appearance for his devil servant. I charge thee to return and change thy shape; Thou art to ugly to attend on me. Go, and return an old Franciscan friar; That holy shape becomes a devil best. (Marlowe p.14)By choosing Mephistopheles to change his form, he is almost sugar coating the reality of having a real devil serve him. He also brought his own downfall upon himself by being filled with pride. Unfortunately for Faustus his pride was not morally healthy. Faustus would rather retain his pride than admit that he was at fault. He blames his parents, predestination, and appeals both to Christ and Lucifer. O my Christ! O spare me my Lucifer! You stars that reigned at my nativity. Now draw up Faustus like a foggy mist. Cursed be the parents that endangered me. (Marlowe p.55)His final damnation not only results from the immoral acts that he has committed throughout his life, nor his contract with the devil, but rather his pride, the emotion that condemns him into eternal hell. Last, but not least is the prevailing quality that Dr. Faustus follows throughout the book, greed. Because of his greed he had everything. However much it was, he wanted more. He was smart, wealthy, and even had an excellent well-respected job, but was not satisfied with all of his accomplishments. His overwhelming greed to best and own the best led him to make his pact with the devil. He was tempted with the ability to have whatever he desired. I’ll have them fly to India for gold, Ransack the ocean for orient pearl, And search all corners of the new-found world. For pleasure fruits and princely delicate (Marlowe p.6)Faustus had reached his height by selling himself to the devil. In receiving thepowers of magic that he desired he would be able to get the last of all the things that he was yet to achieve. Though Faustus believed his action ultimately led to his destruction. Thus his greed, pride, and denial all led this fool down the road of eternal damnation. Towards the end of his life, Faustus, began to realize the error of his ways. This results in a series of attempts to repent. When I behold the heavens, then I repent. And curse thee, wicked Mephistopheles, Because thou hast deprived me of those joys. (Marlowe p.25)Though he possessed faith, he did not perform good works, which according to the Catholic church, are essential for salvation. Dr. Faustus’s life ends with his sole request for gods forgiveness , as he waits in agony for the devils to bring him to his final damned fate.

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Quinton Richards Essays - Guggenheim Fellows, American Literature

Quinton Richards Professor Towe English 101 section 1 October 2017 How did I learn to write? well l earning how to write was not an easy task for me It has taken me a lot of practice to hone in and acquire this skill. I been through a lot of difficulties, s truggles and challenges to learn how to become an effective writer. I am going to state three reasons on how I became and effective writer in high school . W hat where my difficulties and challenges and how I overcame those difficulties and lastly why do I enjoy writing now compared to back in high school. As you are reading I hope you come to understand how I started writing effectively. To begin with I had difficulties in writing I was not a good writer I literally hated writing the only thing I enjoyed writing was lyrics to my songs that I wrote. In fact, if you had put an essay in front of me and told me to write three paragraphs on something I could not do it I just hated writing. The difficulties and struggles I would have was how to properly word and list things. I would always have run on sentences never knowing where to place a period or a semicolon, colon or a dash I did not know. The challenges I would face after I would give my essay into the teacher he or she would give constructive criticism and that would be the part where I would just feel like I never did a good job and to remind you I had low self-esteem in that time of my adolescence so I was always judging myself. I would always beat myself down and think low of my writing but looking back it was just the period placement and run on sentence and spell check that I had challenges and difficulties with. How I overcame these difficulties I just started practicing writing every day to hone my skill. I would look up new words and find out the meaning to them and incorporate it into my writing. Initially I was not I repeat I was not an effective writer no not at all but my first real writing experience happened my sophomore year at Irvington High School. It was the second to last day of school of my freshman year, I happened to be flipping through the course descriptions book with my guidance counselor , and was thinking of an English class to take next year. Well, I sat there and sat there looking through the pages and finally found one class that appealed to me. I thought, "WOW, this is a class I should take but I still decided to register for American History anyway. Well, the school year finally ended, and I wasn't too happy for next year's school year to begin. I mean, American History was going to be boring with all the reading not to mention all the writing too But I didn't consider the writing to be a big problem, because I had gotten to be pretty good at it by my freshman year or so I thought. On the first day of my American history class my teacher Mr. , Wilcox had us write a three page paper on democracy from home work and it was due in 5 days so it was due on Tuesday because school started on a Tuesday so I did the paper and the next day I turned it in and Mr. , Wilcox promised the class to give our papers back on Thursday of that week so Wednesday go by and its now Thursday, Mr. , Wilcox gives us all back our papers and I was so excited because I wanted to know what my grade was so when Mr. , Wilcox had come over to my desk and hand me paper I turned it over and it had the grade letter D on it I was shocked my face had dropped I was in denial I was dismayed like why and how did this happened. So, class had ended and I asked Mr. , Wilcox how did I get a D

Monday, March 16, 2020

10 Deliberately Misspelled Words

10 Deliberately Misspelled Words 10 Deliberately Misspelled Words 10 Deliberately Misspelled Words By Maeve Maddox If all English speakers left school having mastered English spelling conventions, the deliberate misspellings seen in movie titles and various products might not bother me as much as they do. As it is, I dread the effect of the relentless modeling of incorrect spellings in the marketplace. Here are ten of these deliberate misspellings. 1. Misspelling: Biutiful Correct: Beautiful Biutiful is the title of a 2010 movie starring Javier Bardem. The dialogue is in Spanish with English subtitles, but biutiful isn’t a correct spelling in Spanish either. 2. Misspelling: sez Correct: says Simon Sez is a 1999 comedy starring Dennis Rodman. 3. Misspelling: inglourious Correct: inglorious 4. Misspelling: basterds Correct: bastards Director Quinton Tarantino was asked more than once to explain why he decided to misspell the title of his 2009 movie as Inglourious Basterds. On one occasion, he called the misspelling â€Å"a Basquiat-esque touch.† On the David Letterman Show, he said the misspelled title â€Å"is a Quentin Tarantino spelling.† Correctly spelled, Inglorious Bastards is the English title of a 1978 Italian movie directed by Enzo G. Castellari. The Italian title is Quel maledetto treno blindato, â€Å"That Damned Armored Train.† Note: Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist who often misspelled words in his graffiti-esque drawings. 5. Misspelling: happyness Correct: happiness The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 movie starring Will Smith. The misspelling in the title replicates a misspelled day-care sign. This title is especially pernicious because it reinforces what is already a common misspelling. 6. Misspelling: genisys Correct: genesis The 2015 installment of the Terminator movies uses this misspelling as its title. 7. Misspelling: sematary Correct: cemetery The 1989 movie Pet Sematary is based on Stephen King’s 1983 novel of the same name. The misspelling in the title derives from a sign lettered by children. Like happiness, cemetery is a frequently misspelled word. 8. Misspelling: steemer Correct: steamer An early steam-propelled automobile manufactured by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company (1902-1924) was known as â€Å"the Stanley Steamer.† A carpet-cleaning company founded in 1947 adopted the name â€Å"Stanley Steemer† as a play on the well-known name for the car; the company cleans carpets with a process referred to as â€Å"steam cleaning.† 9. Misspelling: lite Correct: light Various companies use this spelling for products. Two examples are Miller Lite (a beer) and Lite-Brite (a light-box toy). Note: Brite is a nonstandard spelling of bright. 10. Misspelling: kreme Correct: cream Several words that begin with the sound /k/, but which are spelled with the letter c, are popular targets for misspelling. For example: Krispy Kreme, Rice Krispies. Bonus Misspelling: biskit Correct: biscuit A line of Nabisco snack crackers uses this misspelling: Chicken in a Biskit. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Rhetorical Devices for Rational WritingOne Fell SwoopPresent Participle as Adjective

Saturday, February 29, 2020

How to Write University of Wisconsin-Madison Essays 2017-18

The University of Wisconsin–Madison (the official state university of Wisconsin) is a public university that was founded in 1848, directly following Wisconsin’s acquisition of statehood. Wisconsin is well known not only for its excellent academics, but also for its hugely successful NCAA athletic teams. The 936-acre campus is located right next to downtown Madison, which is consistently ranked as one of the best college towns in the country. With nearly 5,000 unique courses and over 200 distinct majors, it’s no wonder that the University of Wisconsin–Madison attracted 32,887 applicants to the Class of 2016. The 52.6% acceptance rate necessitates strong supplemental essays, and we at are here to help you break them down step by step! Students can apply online, using either the Common Application or the University of Wisconsin Application System. Both application options require two supplemental pieces of writing: a short prompt and a long prompt. Below, you’ll find the two prompts along with our take on the best way to tackle the essays, as well as some tips on what you should (and shouldn’t) include in your supplements. This prompt shouldn’t be too difficult — with a limit of 100 words, you’re going to be writing no more than a few sentences. While you should use this short essay as an opportunity to elaborate on the activity that portrays you in the best light, make sure that the selected activity is actually â€Å"important to you.† If the extracurricular that you select appears impressive (think three-time section leader in your all-state band, or coordinator of a peer tutoring program that works with nearly one hundred kids), but you’re not able to articulate why it’s relevant to your life and your journey through high school, the admissions committee won’t be impressed. Don’t feel like the activity you write about needs to be one in which you held leadership; while leadership in the activity is of course looked highly upon, the genuine story you tell about its importance to you is key. Take this scenario: You were elected student body president as a junior and presided over all student council meetings. While you enjoyed the position, you’re planning on majoring in biology and not government. Last summer, you were one of the few interns at a local research hospital, where you helped discover a previously unknown bacterium. Even though you’ll likely put â€Å"student body president† as the first item on your activity list, you may want to write the short essay about your experience at the hospital, which led you to decide on a biology major. If you participated in any type of volunteer work, at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter, and feel that those experiences had a profound impact on you, you could write about the volunteer work. That being said, you don’t necessarily need to write about volunteer/community service activities! If you were the president of your high school’s school store, or the captain of your town’s travel soccer team, and that significantly defined your past few years, you can absolutely choose it as your activity. The key is just to make sure admissions officers get a more in-depth look at who you are through the lens of the activity. Whichever activity you choose, be sure that your writing is clear, concise, and effective. There’s no need for complex metaphors, nor overly intense descriptions. As long as it’s evident to the reader that your activity had a meaningful impact on your development as an individual, you’ve done your job! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. In the long essay prompt, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is looking for a modified version of the â€Å"why us† supplement. Even if Wisconsin isn’t your top choice, for the purposes of this essay, you should put yourself in the shoes of a student that’s wanted to attend Wisconsin for the past few years. If you have family ties to the university, or live in Wisconsin and have grown up rooting for the Badgers in sporting events, don’t hesitate to mention it! The admissions committee wants to see commitment and genuine interest in the school—they should instantly feel your passion for Wisconsin as they read through your essay. While the prompt appears to pose two questions: â€Å"Why Us?,† and â€Å"What opportunities would you take advantage of as a student?† you should be blending the two questions together throughout your supplement. Show your passion by mentioning specific courses, clubs, or programs that you are interested in. The university website will be your greatest resource for this — there’s a wealth of information available! Explain how your experiences throughout high school qualify you for admission to the University of Wisconsin. Articulate how those experiences demonstrate, in the words of the admissions website, â€Å"leadership, concern for others and the community, and achievement in the arts, athletics, and other areas.† Try to provide an example of each of those three areas (or, better yet, find an activity that combines multiple). Serving as the captain of a school athletic team demonstrates both leadership and athletic achievement while selling handmade crafts at charity auctions demonstrates concern for community and artistic achievement. Don’t try to make the entire essay just about these three facets of your personality, but do make sure that you adequately explain how your activities exemplify each character trait. Also, don’t be afraid to talk about experiences unrelated to your major: If you’re applying to the School of Education, you can absolutely bring up an organization in the School of Business that focuses on entrepreneurship, like the WAVE or WEB program, or a research opportunity, like the Grainger Institute in the School of Engineering — the more well-rounded your interests are at Wisconsin, the more likely you are to be accepted. The last, and optional, component of the prompt asks you to explain any â€Å"circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement.† Be very careful with what you write here, and remember that it’s completely optional. If you choose not to include it, there’s really no harm done (and, if anything, it eliminates the possibility of writing something that could decrease your chances of admission). If there was a situation throughout high school that was thrust upon you (think family/personal medical emergency or moving schools), you can absolutely write about that, as it will help to establish sympathy with the reader. If you’ve had any experiences that could reflect negatively on you, including them in the essay may not be wise. Writing about depression, drug/alcohol use, or criminal activity could raise red flags and prevent you from being accepted. If you feel strongly about including one of these topics (or something similar), definitely reach out to a guidance counselor, teacher, or trusted adult to ensure that you’re crafting your message in the best possible way. We hope our analysis of the two supplemental essay prompts has helped you to fine-tune your plans for your Wisconsin-Madison application!