Workplace Motivation Success - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Workplace Motivation Success - Introvert Whisperer Workplace Motivation Success Having motivation within the workforce is a must if you want your business to be successful. Motivating your employees can be tricky and employee motivation has always been a central problem for leaders and managers. Motivation is driven, so employees will always need something to boost their motivation when they start to lose sight of it.   Employees who are unmotivated are very likely to avoid work as much as they can, for example, taking time off, putting no effort into their job and producing poor quality work. However, employees who are motivated are likely to show the opposite, for example, be persistent in their job role, show creativeness and high levels of productivity, producing high-quality work and willing to undertake any work that is given to them. Every employee has their own personal preference to get motivated; however putting employee goals in place will catch everybodys attention. Motivation is the key to success in work and in life, but before you try to motivate your employees, you should really get to know them and try to see what would drive their motivation within the workplace. You need to get to know them on a personal and professional level as you need as many different tactics as you can to trigger motivation. You need to establish their wants and needs and what they expect from you and the business. Take time to find out from each team member what motivates them. This can be very difficult to do but you can do this by using Disc Assessment. Disc Assessment can help you establish all of these things and help you understand your employees individually. Disc Assessment is one of UK’s leading personal assessment tools that can improve your work productivity, teamwork and communication within the work place. Disc never judge and are purely there to help you and your staff to distinguish your behavioural contrasts and identities. Taking their personal assessment tool, you will be able to understand all of your employees and how to communicate with them effectively. So how does this help motivate my employees? This will help motivate your employees as it will help you distinguish each individual and what drives their motivation and how they can become more successful. Work with your team and Disc to find out what your employees would love to hear from both their supervisor and their colleagues. You need to show your employees that they are appreciated and that you honour the work that they do for you. You can do this by rewarding them when they have been working hard and reminded you why you hired them in the first place. By showing employees they are appreciated through some form of reward or recognition, their confidence will take a boost which will motivate them to make a big difference in the workplace. Once your employees are motivated you will be able to see a big change in them and better yet, the business. Having high levels of motivation will enable your employees to meet deadlines, get tasks done quickly and efficiently, be more productive and slowly become more successful within the business. It will also help your business because this can increase revenue, reduce business costs and boost morale within the office. It is highly important that managers see how important motivation is when it comes to being successful and how setting goals and rewards can affect this. If a business doesnt have any goals or reward programmes put in place then this will result in an unhappy and lazy workforce. You need to make sure you set goals that relate to the companys direction and the employees. When you have clear and achievable goals put in place, this will make your employees want to prove themselves to the company by achieving these goals and also they will be much more motivated, productive and successful in the work that they do. Author Bio Isabella Sinkinson  is a writer for Disc Assessment. She shares tips for both employers and employees in working to the best of their ability together. Her specialist areas are motivation and team building. OFFICE POLITICS Power-Influence-Office Politics: it comes down to your Strategic Relationships and understanding of how you build each one of these elements. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that outlines all of this and meaningful actions you can take today! Start watching now: CLICK HERE!

Easy Tricks To Keep Your Voice in Tip-Top Shape

Easy Tricks To Keep Your Voice in Tip-Top Shape Suzy S. Singers, do you know how to care for your voice? Ignoring your overall health may lead to vocal cord problems and more. Here, Hayward, CA teacher  Molly R.  offers her easy tips to start practicing today We singers have it easy in some ways. For one, we don’t have to go out and buy a pricey instrument! However, since we ARE our instrument, we have to take extra precautions every day to make sure things work! Here are some easy tricks to help keep that marvelous voice of yours in great shape. 1) Get plenty of rest! A tired body means a tired voice simple as that. We all lead busy schedules these days, but it’s crucial to do your best to get a reasonable amount of rest, especially before performance and voice lesson days. That doesn’t mean you need a full eight hours every night everyone’s different and may feel energized and be healthy with less. Know what you need in general to feel ready to go! 2) Stay hydrated. Guzzling tons of water right before a performance or lesson won’t really help you. In fact, you can over-hydrate this way. The rule of thumb is to stay hydrated throughout your day for both general and vocal health. One thing I suggest to my students is to bring an apple (cut into fourths) to their lesson or performance. Its the perfect ratio of water and enzymes to keep you hydrated as well as break up unpleasant stuff on your vocal folds! 3) Use it or lose it! Even a little bit of vocalizing goes a long way. Make sure you do a little something for your voice every day, if possible. Even a few minutes of sirens and slides (no piano required, and perhaps the simplest vocal warm-ups of all!) will help you keep everything in shape. Going too long without vocalizing means it will take longer to warm up your voice. 4) Protect yourself from poor speaking habits. It’s not worth it to shout! If you find yourself at a party with lots of background noise, for example, never force your voice in order for someone to hear you. This can cause a lot of vocal cord problems. Try stepping away from the noise to someplace else if you can. If you’re a sports fan, control your emotions at the games! Plenty of people find themselves voiceless the next day due to screaming for their favorite team. Again, its not worth it. You just caused phonotrauma (ouch!) and your favorite players can’t hear you, anyway! We are only given one voice, so it’s super important that you nurture it. By doing so, you can continue singing for years to come! If you ever have any questions or concerns about good vocal hygiene, do make sure you address them with your voice teacher. He or she will be more than happy to encourage good habits! Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013.  Learn more about Molly  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by CSUF Photos

What Can You Do With a Music Degree Tips for Singers

What Can You Do With a Music Degree Tips for Singers Suzy S. Is it worth it to get a degree in music? Find out one teachers take, in this article  by San Diego, CA voice teacher  Reina M... The voice is a very versatile instrument and while most young artists aspire for fame on a global level, as a singer you can do many things. You can become a prima donna in the opera, you can sing at the opening of the World Series, or you can go on a world tour like Beyonce or Madonna. You can become the voice of a Disney princess, record an audiobook, or provide voiceover talent for radio and television commercials. If you’re nearing college, you might be wondering: is it worth it to get a music degree? Should I go to a prominent music school to receive a degree in Vocal Performance, or will I be just as successful finding gigs on my own? In this post, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned. Musician or Hobbyist? Deciding if You Should Get a Music Degree As you’re trying to decide about a music degree, my advice is this: If you plan to become an artist who can sustain a lifestyle with music, it’s important that you apply yourself to learning as much as possible. This commitment to lifelong learning is what will solidify your status as a musician! This especially applies to vocalists. Music is a language you learn, just like any other foreign language, and there are many vocalists who “speak” conversational music. They get by and can be quite convincing. They can sing what is sung to them, they can recite what they hear, and they may even have original song ideas. Unfortunately, these song ideas will ultimately become a byproduct of the other musicians they are performing with, because conversational singers cannot clearly articulate what they are trying to convey. On the other hand, there are fluent vocalists who learn their preferred key signatures to the songs they sing, they lead the band on when to change and what to change into, and they may even be able to transcribe the thoughts in their heads for the musicians they play with, enabling them to rehearse more efficiently. Getting a music degree exposes you to an array of opportunities, and allows you to educate yourself in all areas of the voice. There’s a caveat though. Getting a Music Degree: What You Can Expect to Learn I went to school to study how to be a singer. I received a BA in Music with a Vocal Performance emphasis. I thought I would be taken more seriously by instrumentalists if I were educated, and if I could tell a guitarist or keyboardist what key I was singing in. This did prove to be true, but I soon realized that it didn’t matter how much I knew if I did not walk into an audition or performance without confidence and a clear idea of what I wanted. I spent four years learning all the background knowledge, but the truth is, there’s always more to learn as you work toward your music career. It has been 10 years since I graduated college. At first I was convinced it was a waste of time. It was the first eight years after college that I learned how to book shows for myself, how to market myself as an artist, and how to write the music I really wanted to sing. I diversified my instrument repertoire by learning the ukulele; I continued learning and growing. What Can You Do with a Music Degree? My Personal Outcome Having experienced college and the life of a starving artist, I am thankful that I went to school and can rely on music to financially support myself in my ongoing musical endeavors. With grand hopes of becoming a star, I did not foresee becoming a music teacher, a title I now wear proudly. It can feel like a prison to have to work a “real” job and only get to live your passion on nights and weekends. While obtaining a music degree will not guarantee you the success you may be hoping for currently, in the long-run a degree will allow you to use music in other ways if, by some twist of fate, fame is not in your stars. Post Author:  Reina M.. Reina M. has taught  singing lessons in San Diego, CA since 2005. She  earned her B.A. in music from Seattle University and currently sings jazz, RB, and soul for her original band The Dynasty. Learn more about Reina  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

How Introverts Can Shine in the Workplace Without Saying a Word - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / How Introverts Can Shine in the Workplace Without Saying a Word - Introvert Whisperer How Introverts Can Shine in the Workplace Without Saying a Word For many years, I thought that my impact in the workplace would be tied to the frequency and speed of the creation of ideas that I presented to my colleagues. Trying to work under this radical idea as an introvert caused me a great deal of bouts with anxiety. I prefer to think before I speak and am focused on collecting evidence in order to present information in a clear and concise manner. I knew that overcoming these habits that have been the core of my existence wouldn’t happen overnightâ€"and I didn’t want to risk receiving a bad performance review because of it. What’s worst is that I feared others would start to question my value if I didn’t adapt quickly enough. Fortunately, the workplace is evolving and employers are looking at the unique skills that different personality types bring to the workforce. We’re realizing there’s more than one way to contribute in today’s shifting workplace; you don’t have to be a carbon copy of your extroverted colleagues in order to be recognized in the work place. Leveraging your natural strengths could be the key to making a big impact without making a lot of noise. Being social or talkative is not a prerequisite to win in the workplace; you just have to be intentional about your nonverbal communication. Because when it comes to building trust and credibility in the workplace, it’s not what you say but what you repeatedly do that creates your professional reputation. Although you do not need to change yourself in order to win in the workplace, you need to consider how your natural strengths can be the key to success that you are seeking. Here are six ways your non-verbal communication can help you to shine bright in the workplace: Send Powerful Emails. How many emails do you receive during a work-day? Better yet, how many times a day do you have to respond to email messages or have to initiate email conversations where you have a chance to create a memorable digital footprint among people who have never seen you before? Your emails say a lot about you, and the thoughtful introvert knows how to make the most of this communication tool. Brevity is key. And  with every email you send, the content has the ability to add to enhance, or diminish, your professional brand. Allow your emails to communicate how competent you are in the workplace. Managers and colleagues can gain a clear idea about an introverted leader’s knowledge, ideas, and strategies through their written messages. Document Critical Work Processes. So many people spend so much time talking that they miss out on the value of documenting. And companies are losing millions of dollars and hours of valuable time because this task is not prioritized. Companies are audited on the transparency of their processes, procedures, and ability to create a back up plan if business operations were interrupted. Most companies fail miserably and are scrambling to get employees to document processes at the last minute. This increases the stress levels among employees and reduces productivity when everyone is trying to do this at the last minute. Introspective and intuitive introverts tend to be gifted writers who are willing to take the time to break down the most complex processes into instructions that a commoner can master. Capitalize on this, because there are few in the workplace who have the patience to document processes that new employees will value later. Create a Blog and Post Frequently. Many people create a blog, but are not committed enough to maintain their blog. Their infrequent updates cause them to lose their audience because no one can predict the frequency of the updates. If you want your voice to be heard online and identify solutions to problems that others may be facing, create a blog around your area of expertise. It is important that you identify your niche and interests in order to be successful in the process. Once you have created 3-4 posts on your blog, expand your network and impact by becoming a CAREER ACCELERATION Do you know what your next career step is?  Many people don’t. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my eBook on how to construct your Career SMART Goals â€" that will help you put together your actions and keep you accountable. Get your copy now and start your action plan today! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer

What solution does online tutoring offer when radical equation and algebra calculators are available online

What solution does online tutoring offer when radical equation and algebra calculators are available online 0SHARESShare There was a time when everyone witnesses the diversities in culture, food, places, etc. Now there are diversities in the process of education. The question is how it happens? Well the answer is just with the help of the brain. For instance, the brainy things like calculators for computing radical equations and algebra are available online. With the calculators online tutoring is also available which helps students with the methods of solving equations. Now that requires brainstorming which eventually helps you r brain to be smart and competitive. And such brainy inventions could be done by you and the next generation then could witness other form of diversities invented. Radical Equations and Algebra Calculators These calculators compute the equation at a go. You just need to enter the values and determine the accurate auto-generated result. This no doubt saves time. Online tutoring Online tutors are readily available for guiding the students. They teach the students with various methods and steps to solve the equations. Learning the various techniques and brainstorming makes the mind sharper and competitive. It may be hard at first for few but with learning it becomes a play. Students can verify their answers with the calculators. This helps them evaluating themselves. And wherever they face the problem, they may take the guidance of the online tutors available. Solving the equations captures one’s brain so beautifully and makes one concentrated. Getting the correct answers is no more agenda while learning is so. And for learning step by step method online tutoring is available. [starbox id=admin]

African Geopolitics

African Geopolitics Understanding Geopolitics in Africa ChaptersGeopolitics in Africa: From Tribalism to Nation StatesResources in Africa that Affect GeopoliticsPolitics and Military in African CountriesLooking at All of the Countries in AfricaWhen one thinks of global powers â€" those movers and shakers that drive global politics, few African nations come to mind.Egypt, certainly; maybe even South Africa, a country that was a founding member of the United Nations and one of the founding members of the African Union.Beyond that, most of the recognition given to African nations is not for remarkable political accomplishments; they are mostly known for ferocious infighting and being abysmally poor.Such an opinion does not do justice to the world’s second largest and second most populated continent (after Asia). With her 54 sovereign states and multiple dependencies, the African continent is much more than tribal clashes, reproductive health concerns and destitution.Today, your Superprof leads the exploration of the so-called Dark Continen t.We’ll examine how this vast region came to be divided up and how the African continent is emerging from traditional tribal rule to take her place on the world stage, one country at a time.New Imperialism, European explorers scrambled to claim overseas territories.Such was the push on the African continent that it has earned an infamous title: the Scramble for Africa.Within just a few years, the entire African continent save for Ethiopia and Liberia was divided between seven western European powers â€" and even those two territories did not remain independent for long.France laid claim to much of northwestern AfricaGermany settled for a few parcels of land scattered across the southern region: Cameroon, Rwanda, Namibia and most of TanzaniaPortugal’s two major plats lay on either side of the peninsula: Angola and MozambiqueSpain reaped comparatively little territory: northern Morocco and Equatorial GuineaBelgium ensconced herself in the middle of the African peninsula, claiming the Congo, a portion of Rwanda and all of BurundiItaly, a relative latecomer to the African pillage, managed to secure Eritrea, Somalia, Libya and EthiopiaThe British Empire secured for herself vast tracts of land in southwestern and northwestern Africa, as well as a few parcels in West Africa abutting French territory.These demarcations are important to Africa’ geopolitics because those colonial borders, drawn by European powers, are for the most part how the borders of today’s African nations are drawn.Besides the goal of laying claim to as much territory as possible, those European powers were interested in the vast plunder of natural resources to be had.Economic and political gains were not the only considerations leading to the colonization of African lands.Religious missionaries, intent on converting the masses, set about educating the native population, steering them away from African languages and installing the various European tongues as official languages.So it came t o be that the languages, cultures and way of life of the African people became subsumed by a barrage of new vernacular, ideas and politics.Naturally, we cannot discuss African history (or world history) without considering the slave trade.For centuries, the people of west Africa had good reason to fear any ship on the horizon; the possibility of being carted away to serve in distant lands was distinct and very real.Later, when Europeans settled in Africa, the African people’s relationship with colonisers was largely predicated on the negative sentiment engendered through those enforced separations.It didn’t help that many colonisers employed slaves on their African plantations.Fortunately, global outcry ended the trading of humans long before the end of the Second World War, when a wave of independence movements fuelled by the African people led to the end of colonialism and the surrender of lands.Discover how European geopolitics impact Africa today...Since then, the countries of Africa have been establishing their own development goals and are finding partnerships in unexpected quarters.Groundwater on the globe's second largest continent is growing ever sparser and more polluted Image by cocoparisienne from PixabayResources in Africa that Affect GeopoliticsAngola, Nigeria, Lybia, Egypt and Algeria are rich in oil. The area formerly known as Katanga, in the Republic of the Congo, is rich in minerals, especially copper.Explore also how rich oil deposits affect Middle East geopolitics...Sierra Leone, Botswana and Angola bring millions of pounds worth of diamonds to the surface every year.Unfortunately, the revenue derived from these mining efforts has caused that area to be known more for its rebel movements than for its wealth; an effect that has so far prevented any African nation from competing in global politics on a large scale.Geopolitics, the study of political relations intrastate and internationally, take into consideration geographical features as well as natural resources of a land; political relations and military power also factor in.We’ll discuss the latter two in a bit; for now, we need to focus on one aspect of African geography that is in crisis: water.We all know that the Saharan desert is a vast field of sand with nary a drop of water on the ground.The Nile, known as the world’s longest river, runs through the eastern part of the Sahara. Other rivers coursing through Africa include the Congo and Zambezi Rivers.Traditionally, the most water-rich areas were located in sub-Saharan Africa: Lake Victoria and Lake Chad. Today, they are both severely depleted due to drought and water diversion.Virtually all fresh water sources on the African continent are in trouble and it is rural Africa that is the most impacted.  Not only is water becoming scarcer but what is available must meet the needs of all African people.To make matters worse, surface water is terribly polluted and there is a severe lack of infrastructure to b ring groundwater to the surface, let alone to make it accessible in sparsely populated, remote areas.The water crisis in Africa is a global concern, leading many foreign governments, such as China, to pour billions of Yuan into such massive engineering projects.Learn all about Asian investment in Africa through our geopolitics in Asia article.The long and the short of the matter is: for all of Africa’s wealth in minerals and other natural resources, she is a parched land slowly dying of thirst.Politics and Military in African CountriesIf we accept a loose definition of ‘military’ as 'a body of armed fighters', then we must include rebel forces, which gives us a broader picture of fighting in African nations.The majority of fighting in Africa is not one country against another but insurgents rising up against the established government of their own country.In some cases, conflicts span several nations.One example of such is the Ugandan conflict that started as a religious upris ing in 1987 and continues still today, with the help of the U.S. military, to capture Joseph Kony and his fanatic followers.The Sudan Civil War presents an example in which the military, a government entity, actually sided with the people to bring down the existing government.Among all of the conflicts in countries of Africa, the tribal clashes are perhaps the most brutal: the Rwandan massacre, mercifully short-lived, stands as a prominent example of such.The prolonged ethnic cleansing in Darfur â€" unfortunately much longer in duration, is another.Sadly, there is so much of such conflict that the average global citizen really only hears of all this bad stuff... much like with geopolitics in Latin America.It is now time to take a look at Africa’s developing regions, and how those growing economies are working together to build a better African continent.This map of Africa shows that the African continent is far bigger than western Europe! Image by Arek Socha from PixabayLooking at All of the Countries in AfricaOn the one hand, the African continent has vast natural resources, including gold, diamonds and oil â€" the world’s three most coveted materials.On the other, development and infrastructure are seriously lacking and many African nations are suffering a crisis of leadership.Did you know that Russia labours under similar geopolitical challenges?Few leaders of African nations have been able to reconcile ethnic factions that have a long history of enmity, let alone deter those who would rise up to claim a larger share of wealth from the lands’ natural resources.The gender gap in earnings and in civil rights is more of a gulf; many rural areas still ascribe to traditional views regarding women.Through this all, foreign powers maintain an interest in the riches of Africa but have shown little interest in African development.Besides civil matters, one of the biggest problems assailing African nation leaders is resource distribution.For instance, all of th e diamond mines are located in southern Africa; how should Zimbabwe share that wealth with, say, Niger â€" one of Africa’s poorest countries, while possibly inciting their immediate neighbours' ire by not sharing with them?And how to manage international affairs when so few people had ever had any large-scale international dealings?Enter the African Union, an organisation of African nation heads of state and, born to foster cooperation between countries and help manage international relations.Headquartered in Addis Ababa, this recently-founded group replaces the older Organisation of African Unity, whose main goal was to oversee the end of colonialism and ensure against any future attempts thereof.This newer union, with 55 member states, is pledged to advance solidarity and cohesion among African nations, to continue with political and social integration throughout the continent and to encourage international cooperation of individual states.Nobody knows the geopolitical realities of African nations better than African leaders.  How they manage the challenges facing them will depend on how well they can work together.Now take a look at geopolitics around the world...

Skype English Teachers

Skype English Teachers Read about one LOI Englishs Student says about his Skype English Teacher; IsaacFive months ago I decided to Improve my listening and speaking skills because I didnt feel comfortable when I had to speak English (daily english and job interviews). Recently I decided to take the TOFEL exam and I got results (Listening 27 out of 30 speaking 20 out of 30) which were unthinkable on autumn last year.I feel confident to state that this is the outcome from the work my Isaac has done with me. He has not only the standard characteristics I expected from a English teacher like language knowledge and patience, but also   command of interpersonal skills like empathy, motivation, positiveness and humor. Additionally I want to remark that Im surprised because he always chose for me interesting lessons from his pool adapting the classes to my level and needs. Kind regards, SergioSecond recommendation for Skype English TeacherDear Sirs,I would like to thank you for creating and providing such a useful and helpful service for learning English and for choosing the best teachers for your service. Here is my experience with LOI English.In October 2014 I began to prepare for the GMAT test. Although it is not a language test, it involves an excellent knowledge of English since the test is in English and its verbal part concerns reading comprehension and sentence correction of academic texts and includes an essay everything under the strong time pressure. The teacher that I chose,  Isaac, honestly told me that he had no idea what GMAT is, but for the next lesson he examined the GMAT questions that I had  given him and we agreed to work on an essay and sentence correction questions.My first essay was terrible: there was at least a mistake in every single line, moreover the teacher often asked me what I was going to say since it was not clear. Nevertheless Isaac asked me when I was going to take the test and said that I had to work hard to succeed.  During our classes he was patiently e xplaining me what was wrong, correctly determining the reasons of mistakes and choosing the right exercises from LOI Englishs website to work the problem out. The progress was just amazing: my 10th essay was written in 30 minutes as I needed and there were just 3 or 4 insignificant  mistakes. Curiously, but along with writing he improved my language intuition which I needed to solve sentence correction questions, so that I was making just 1-4 mistakes for every 20 questions. Consequently I scored 660 (80% percentile) for GMAT and particularly 37 for Verbal (83% percentile) and 5 out of 6 for the essay. Im fully satisfied with my score as I aimed between 650 and 700 and above 4 for the essay. Another my problem was speaking: at the beginning I was extremely reserved and couldnt speak English, but  3-4 months later I was  talking with my teacher about everything in the world and last Thursday I successfully got through my first interview in English.Honestly, I expected my English cla sses to be a headache, but I got something totally different. I spent interesting and educational hours rather than was doing boring routine. I would say that my lessons with LOI English were not only 100% value for money, but also  a pleasure to speak with a clever and interesting teacher.  Thank you very much, Sirs! I wish you prosperity and the best of success.Best regards, Michael Lapirov

Whats a Good ACT Score

What’s a Good ACT Score ACT SAT Prep and College Admissions Blog Recently, a parent contacted MyGuru about ACT tutoring. Her daughter’s first session with the tutor went well, but because she was scheduled to take a practice ACT test in school the next week, they waited to schedule another session until the results of that test were available. Unfortunately, her daughter did worse than expected on this practice ACT test, and so the parent contacted MyGuru to confirm a desire to invest in ACT tutoring and schedule additional sessions. In the course of the discussion, this parent asked a targeted question to which I didn’t have an exact answer on the spot. I figured that I should find the answer to this seemingly basic question, as other parents or students will probably ask it. The question was, “what is the minimum ACT score required for admission to common Illinois universities, like the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, Northern Illinois, etc.”? There’s a reason I didn’t know the answer to this question off the top of my head â€" it’s a bit of a trick question. A little basic research reminded me that most colleges and universities really don’t have minimum ACT scores. Instead, they report the average ACT score for the middle 50% range of admitted students. Here’s what this means. First, line up all of the admitted students at a given school and rank them according to ACT score. Then, remove the top 25% of students, as well as the bottom 25% of students. What you have left is the middle 50% of students â€" essentially, you have a bottom and top end ACT score for the “average” admitted student. For example, at the University of Illinois, the middle 50% ACT range is 27 to 32 for admitted students. Then, in terms of what this means for admission, what most colleges do these days is say something like â€" Here at College XYZ, we have a holistic application review process. GPA, ACT/SAT, activities, coursework, etc. all play a part in the process. So, we don’t have a minimum requirement. But, here’s the ACT range for the middle 50% of admitted students. If you fall below the middle 50% range, you should make sure the rest of your application demonstrates your ability to succeed here. For example, at Illinois State University, the ACT range is 22 â€" 26, and the GPA range is 3.1 to 3.8. On their admissions web-site, they write “The chart below shows the middle 50 percent of students who were offered admission to the University for fall 2012. It may be in your best interest to submit an academic personal statement if you fall below or in the lower end of one or both of the ranges listed.” In other words, if you aren’t in those ranges, you need to explain yourself a bit via the optional “academic personal statement.” The Sliding Scale of GPA vs. ACT score In my opinion, informed by personal experience and conversations with admissions counselors, some of the larger, more selective universities have a “sliding scale” of GPA vs. ACT score. In other words, assuming you took high school classes with a reasonable level of difficulty, if your ACT score is relatively low, you can make up for this by having a relatively high GPA, and vice versa. But, if you fall outside of the “acceptable” range according to this sliding scale, you probably won’t get in. However, at smaller schools, they really do take a more holistic look at you as an applicant. For example, someone with great extracurricular activities and a really high ACT score might have a much better chance of getting into a prestigious smaller liberal arts school than their large state university, even though the liberal arts school is actually “ranked” more highly and is considered more selective. So, here’s how you can evaluate your ACT score or determine your required ACT score: Identify a list of schools you might want to attend Find the middle 50% range at potential schools See if your ACT score is within or above that range Here are some example ACT score ranges for popular Illinois colleges: To keep things simple, let’s take a quick look at three Illinois universities: University of Illinois â€" Urbana:A very selective school that’s consistently ranked in the top 50 by U.S. News and World report Middle ACT Range â€" 27 to 32 Illinois State University: A less selective state school, but one that only accepts motivated, intelligent students capable of pursuing a rigorous college education Middle ACT Range â€" 22 - 26 Southern Illinois University: A state school with a similar mission to Illinois State, but one which is even less selective Middle ACT Range â€" 18-24 What if your ACT score isn’t very good? How low can you go? Well, that depends. ACT, Inc. hopes students and colleges use the ACT to determine college readiness. They write that â€" “Only the ACT reports College Readiness Benchmark Scores â€" A benchmark score is the minimum score needed on an ACT subject-area test to indicate a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses, which include English Composition, Algebra, Social Science and Biology. These scores were empirically derived based on the actual performance of students in college.” The College Readiness Benchmark Scores are: English: 18 Math: 22 Reading: 21 Science: 24 Average: ~21 So, if your composite score is below 21, or any of your sub-scores are below the above numbers, you can probably expect all but the least selective colleges to think twice before admitting you. Of course, a strong GPA can certainly make up for weak ACT scores. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or thoughts. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(215486, '6baac2ae-05a3-4610-9d1f-265c8cbd809f', {});