Juxtapositions for Creative and Critical Thinking Essays

Juxtapositions for Creative and Critical Thinking Essays Juxtapositions for Creative and Critical Thinking Essay Juxtapositions for Creative and Critical Thinking Essay Essay Topic: Critical Thinking Juxtapositions for Creative and Critical Thinking On September 20, 2012 I attended the Core Convocation held at St. Catherine University in the O’ Shaughnessy Theater. The topic of the Core Convocation was entitled Juxtapositions and Mental Gymnastics, instructed by Geri Chavis. Chavis is an English Professor at the University of St. Catherine. She has been teaching at the university for some thirty five years or so. She is involved in therapeutic use of poetry for healing. She exclaimed her love for literature of the Romantic period and her fascination of multidisciplinary or integrated education. Chavis refers to her approach to education as â€Å"horizontal interactions†. This Idea of â€Å"horizontal interactions† basically describes what she calls the juxtaposition, where two or more completely opposite ideas, subjects, media, excreta can be linked somehow. In education this linking becomes important. I think it helps the students actually learn verses just memorizing material in order to pass a test. When subjects are presented in a manor so that they can be linked it creates not only repetition but also a new light in which to view things, like that â€Å"ah ha moment† in which one truly understands something for the first time. Last semester I attended the University of Minnesota Rochester. There, they pride their college courses on being integrated. All my classes from Calculus, to Biology, to The History of Terrorism could be linked in one way or another. I found this concept that Chavis also described as â€Å"linking knowledge across fields† to be extremely useful based on my own experiences. I am very good at memorizing material. I typically get good grades in school, but I feel that in the past I have actually â€Å"learned† very little. If I had to retake some of the tests I aced then I would fail miserably. I found that I actually â€Å"learned† more last semester; I was able to make that linkage and apply it to my studies to which I actually understood the material. I found that I have carried that ability to link my courses into my first semester at St. Catherine’s and it has greatly improved my ability to understand subject material, to be able to produce well educated opinions and to allow my thinking to be both creative and critical. Chavis discusses how spontaneity or creative thinking and ogic or critical thinking goes hand and hand. She used a visual of overlapping circles to show how the subjects can be linked and promote creativity with language. Chavis challenges the viewers to write about their shoes. I had fun describing the color, texture, design and comfort of my shoes. She then adds more criteria, telling us to talk about where our shoes have taken us. I loved this writing. I usually h ave difficult time thinking about what to write but I found that literally describing my shoe led to giving it personality. Once my shoe had personality my writing turned into a story of a journey through the perspective of my shoes. Everyone knows shoes don’t think or have feelings, but they do all have a story and it was fun to dive into what that story might be. Chavis then read a poem called Poison Tree by William Blake. The poem describes anger as though it was a tree. The author water his tree with more built up anger until it grows with in him until it becomes self-destructive. She then played a song that was inspired by the poem she had just read bringing new light onto the meaning of the poem. I found it interesting how I was able to connect with the meaning of the poem more through the musical version verses the poem. I think many people can relate to this poem. We are often more likely to express our emotions with those we love. Getting issues off our chest, so to speak, allows us to move on. But deep rooted anger that is not released only grows until it becomes self-destructive or explosive into something far darker than the issue itself. I enjoyed the Core Convocation. I don’t think I realized the â€Å"links† between the topic and my life until I put my thoughts into this reflection paper. I would have liked to have driven deeper into some of the topics Chavis was discussing. I felt we only scratched the surface of many ideas. Once one is able to make connections between multiple ideas it was kind of fun to try and find more. Although, I still find expressing my thoughts through writing Chavis’s exercises helped me to allow creativity to flow, especially the shoe exercise. I wish I had someone there to help me do that all the time. Writing would be much more fun and less of a chore for me.

GPA, SAT, and ACT Admissions Data for the Ivy League

GPA, SAT, and ACT Admissions Data for the Ivy League The eight Ivy League schools are among the most selective colleges in the country. This doesnt mean that you need a 4.0 GPA and 1600 on the SAT to get in (although it doesnt hurt). All the Ivy League schools have holistic admissions, so they are looking for students who will contribute more than good grades and test scores to the campus community. A winning Ivy League application needs to present a strong academic record, meaningful extracurricular activities, glowing letters of recommendation, and a compelling application essay. Your college interview and demonstrated interest may also help, and legacy status can give you an advantage. When it comes to the empirical part of your application, you will need good grades and standardized test scores to get accepted to an Ivy League school. All of the Ivies accept both the ACT and SAT, so choose the exam that works best for you. But how high do your grades and test scores need to be? Follow the links below to learn more about each Ivy League school, and to see admissions data for accepted, rejected, and waitlisted applicants: Brown University Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown is the second smallest of the Ivies, and the school has more of an undergraduate focus than universities such as Harvard and Yale. Their acceptance rate is only 9 percent. The great majority of students who get into Brown University have a nearly perfect 4.0 GPA, an ACT composite score above 25, and a combined SAT score (RWM) of above 1200. Columbia University Located in Upper Manhattan, Columbia University can be an excellent choice for students looking for an urban college experience. Columbia is also one of the largest of the Ivies, and it has a close relationship with neighboring Barnard College. It has a very low acceptance rate of around 7 percent. Students accepted at Columbia have GPAs in the A range, SAT scores (RWM) above 1200, and ACT composite scores above 25. Cornell University Cornells hillside location in Ithaca, New York, gives it stunning views of Cayuga Lake. The university has one of the top engineering and top hotel management programs in the country. It also has the largest undergraduate populations of all the Ivy League schools. It has an acceptance rate of about 15 percent. Most students accepted at Cornell have a GPA in the A range,  Ã‚  SAT scores (RWM) above 1200 and ACT composite scores above 25. Dartmouth College If you want a quintessential college town with its central green, nice restaurants, cafà ©s, and bookstores, Dartmouths home of Hanover, New Hampshire, should be appealing. Dartmouth is the smallest of the Ivies, but dont be fooled by its name: it is a comprehensive university, not a college. Dartmouth has a low acceptance rate of 11 percent. To be accepted, students tend to have A averages, an ACT composite score above 25, and a combined SAT score (RWM) of above 1250.   Harvard University Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with dozens of other colleges and universities nearby, Harvard University is the most selective of the Ivy League Schools as well as the most selective university in the country. Its acceptance rate is just 5 percent. For the best chance of acceptance, you should have an A average, SAT scores (RWM) over 1300, and ACT composite scores above 28. Princeton University Princetons campus in New Jersey makes both New York City and Philadelphia an easy day trip. Like Dartmouth, Princeton is on the smaller side and has more of an undergraduate focus than many of the Ivies. Princeton accepts only 7 percent of applicants. To be accepted, you should have a GPA of 4.0, SAT scores (RWM) above 1250, and ACT composite scores above 25. University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is one of the larger Ivy League schools, and it has a roughly equal population of undergraduate and graduate students. Its campus in West Philadelphia is just a short walk to Center City. Penns Wharton School is one of the top business schools in the country. They accept about 10 percent of applicants. To be accepted, you should have a GPA of 3.7 or higher,  a combined SAT score (RWM) of over 1200, and an ACT composite of 24 or higher. Yale University Yale is close to Harvard and Stanford with its painfully low acceptance rate. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale also has an even larger endowment than Harvard when measured in relation to enrollment numbers. Yales acceptance rate is just 7 percent. For the best chance of acceptance, you need a 4.0 GPA, SAT score (RWM) above 1250, and an ACT composite score above 25. A Final Word All of the Ivies are highly selective, and you should always consider them to be reach schools as you come up with your short list of schools to which you will apply. Thousands of extremely well-qualified applicants are rejected by the Ivies every year.