Reading Essay Example

Reading Essay Example Reading Essay Reading Essay Children struggling to learn how to read are a common sight nowadays in many schools throughout the country. Researchers have discovered a way how to successfully teach children to read, which focuses on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Phonemic awareness is the capability to hear, classify and manage sounds of oral words. This is of great use in reading because it improves the way children read words and the way they comprehend the text. By segmenting words into phonemes, children with high phonemic awareness tend to spell words easier than those without phonemic awareness. A best practice for phonemic awareness would be Phoneme Segmentation, which is where children break a word into its separate sounds. In order to facilitate the learning of the association between the letters and the sounds of spoken language, Phonics instruction is introduced. It makes the children understand how the way to properly pronounce words and the association of written words and spoken sounds. With the ability to read the words in a text accurately and quickly, children with systematic phonics instruction tend to have higher reading comprehension than those with non-systematic or no phonics instruction. A good approach for this instruction would be to use parts of familiar words to identify words that they don’t know that have similar parts, like an analogy. Fluency is the aptitude of a student to read a passage perfectly and quickly. It helps students focus on understanding what they are reading. Monitored and repeated reading helps improve the comprehension of the student and the overall reading acquisition. A good way that a student can practice oral reading would be a Student-adult reading. This can be easily done at home with the parent of the student; the adult first reads the passage providing a illustrative of eloquent reading. Then the student rereads the passage with the adult’s guidance. Vocabulary speaks about the words we should know in order to interact with other people verbally. In order to fully understand what they are reading, the readers must first know the meaning of unfamiliar words in the text. Children learn words meaning in their environment, through conversations among people, grown ups in particular. Words that they do not learn indirectly can be thought directly. It is helpful to know the meaning of unfamiliar words in a text before reading it. This will provide them with new words and will help them have a higher comprehension of the text. We read in order to comprehend what is written in the text. Through the help of comprehension methods, a teacher can help students improve their text comprehension. Comprehension methods are set of steps that commendable readers use to understand a text. A good way to develop a good comprehension would be to ask the students to generate questions. This would make the students aware if they can answer and this could check if the students truly understand the text they are reading. Implementation of these ways of teaching students as a standard of education would help children read throughout the country.

Zirconium Facts (Atomic Number 40 or Zr)

Zirconium Facts (Atomic Number 40 or Zr) Zirconium is a gray metal that has the distinction of being the last element symbol, alphabetically, of the periodic table. This element finds use in alloys, particularly for nuclear applications. Here are more zirconium element facts: ZirconiumBasic Facts Atomic Number: 40 Symbol: Zr Atomic Weight: 91.224 Discovery: Martin Klaproth 1789 (Germany); zircon mineral is mentioned in biblical texts. Electron Configuration: [Kr] 4d2 5s2 Word Origin: Named for the mineral zircon. Persian zargun: gold-like, which describes the color of the gemstone known as zircon, jargon, hyacinth, jacinth, or ligure. Isotopes: Natural zirconium consists of 5 isotopes; 28 additional isotopes have been characterized. The most common natural isotope is 90Zr, which accounts for 51.45 percent of the element. Of the radioisotopes, 93Zr has the longest half-life, which is 1.53x106 years. Properties: Zirconium is a lustrous grayish-white metal. The pure element is malleable and ductile, but the metal becomes hard and brittle when it contains impurities. Zirconium resists corrosion from acids, alkalis, water, and salt, but it does dissolve in hydrochloric or sulfuric aicd. Finely-divided metal may ignite spontaneously in air, especially at elevated temperatures, but the solid metal is relatively stable. Hafnium is found in zirconium ores and is difficult to separate from zirconium. Commercial-grade zirconium contains from 1% to 3% hafnium. Reactor-grade zirconium is essentially free of hafnium. Uses: Zircaloy(R) is an important alloy for nuclear applications. Zirconium has a low absorption cross section for neutrons, and is therefore used for nuclear energy applications, such as for cladding fuel elements. Zirconium is exceptionally resistant to corrosion by seawater and many common acids and alkalis, so it is used extensively by the chemical industry where corrosive agents are employed. Zirconium is used as an alloying agent in steel, a getter in vacuum tubes, and as a component in surgical appliances, photoflash bulbs, explosive primers, rayon spinnerets, lamp filaments, etc. Zirconium carbonate is used in poison ivy lotions to combine with urushiol. Zirconium alloyed with zinc becomes magnetic at temperatures below 35 °K. Zirconium with niobium is used to make low temperature superconductive magnets. Zirconium oxide (zircon) has a high index of refraction and is used as a gemstone. The impure oxide, zirconia, is used for laboratory crucibles that will withstand heat sh ock, for furnace linings, and by the glass and ceramic industries as a refractory material. Occurrence: Zirconium does not exist as a free element, primarily due to its reactivity with water. The metal has a concentration of around 130 mg/kg in the Earths crust and 0.026 ÃŽ ¼g/L  in sea water. Zirconium is found in S-type stars, the Sun, and meteorites. Lunar rocks contain a zirconium oxide concentration comparable to that of terrestrial rocks. The primary commercial source of zirconium is the silicate mineral zircon (ZrSiO4), which occurs in Brazil, Australia, Russia, South Africa, India, the United States, and in smaller amounts elsewhere in the world. Health Effects: The average human body contains about 250 milligrams of zirconium, but the element serves no known biological function. Dietary sources of zirconium include whole wheat, brown rice, spinach, eggs, and beef. Zirconium is found in antiperspirants and water purification systems. Its use as a carbonate to treat poison ivy has been discontinued because some people experienced skin reactions. While zirconium exposure is generally considered safe, exposure to the metal powder can cause skin irritation. The element is not considered to be either genotoxic or carcinogenic. Crystal Structure: Zirconium has an alpha phase and a beta phase. At room temperature, the atoms form close-packed hexagonal ÃŽ ±-Zr. At 863  Ã‚ °C, the structure transitions to body-centered ÃŽ ²-Zr. Zirconium Physical Data Element Classification: Transition Metal Density (g/cc): 6.506 Melting Point (K): 2125 Boiling Point (K): 4650 Appearance: grayish-white, lustrous, corrosion-resistant metal Atomic Radius (pm): 160 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 14.1 Covalent Radius (pm): 145 Ionic Radius: 79 (4e) Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.281 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 19.2 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 567 Debye Temperature (K): 250.00 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.33 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 659.7 Oxidation States: 4 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 3.230 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.593 References Emsley, John (2001). Natures Building Blocks. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 506–510. ISBN 0-19-850341-5.Lide, David R., ed. (2007–2008). Zirconium. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. 4. New York: CRC Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8493-0488-0.Meija, J.; et al. (2016). Atomic weights of the elements 2013 (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry. 88 (3): 265–91. doi:10.1515/pac-2015-0305 Return to the Periodic Table

Creating False Memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creating False Memories - Essay Example The act of recall enhanced later remembering of both studied and nonstudied material. The results reveal a powerful illusion of memory: People remember events that never happened. False memories-either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite differently from the way they happened-have recently captured the attention of both psychologists and the public at large. The primary impetus for this recent surge of interest is the increase in the number of cases in which memories of previously unrecognized abuse are reported during the course of therapy. Some researchers have argued that certain therapeutic practices can cause the creation of false memories, and therefore, the apparent "recovery" of memories during the course of therapy may actually represent the creation of memories (Lindsay & Read, 1994; Loftus, 1993). Although the concept of false memories is currently enjoying an increase in publicity, it is not new; psychologists have been studying false memories in several laboratory paradigms for years. Schacter (1995) provides an historical overview of the study of memory distortions. Schacter (1996) spoke of the fragile nature of memory and the Seven Sins of memory, discussing how our memories can fail us in certain situations. Where is the weakness in a memory system that functions according to the principle of semantic relatedness and integration There is one well-known case of false memories being produced in a list learning paradigm: Underwood (1965) introduced a technique to study false recognition of words in lists. He gave subjects a continuous recognition task in which they decided if each presented word had been given previously in the list. Later words bore various relations to previously studied words. Underwood showed that words associatively related to previously presented words were falsely recognized. Anisfeld and Knapp (1968), among others, replicated the phenomenon. Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of human memory and mental processes, including such activities as perceiving, remembering, using language, reasoning and solving problems. There are two important lessons in cognitive psychology. First, mental processes can occur with very little conscious awareness. This is especially true of processes that have received a great deal of practice, such as reading skills. Second, even though these processes can operate very quickly, they are quite complex, involving difficult motor, perceptual and mental acts. Their complexities make it even more amazing how efficient, rapid, and seemingly automatic they are. Intuitive analysis of examples such as "How many hands does Aristotle have" indicates that many important mental processes can occur automatically, that is, very rapidly and below the level of conscious awareness. Memory consists of the power, act, or process of recalling to mind facts previously learned or past experiences. It also refers to process, mental act in which stored information is recovered for some current use. Aside from this, memory also refers to a place, a location, where all the events, information, and knowledge of a lifetime are stored. Cognition, on the other hand, refers to all the processes by which the sensory input is

Business Law and ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law and ethics - Assignment Example Carbon emissions are dangerous and therefore undesirable in the country. Companies that put this factor into consideration set de facto standards and, therefore, have a competitive advantage. The paper will examine how the effects of climate change on automobile  will affect their overall performance in the  industry. This may call for adoption of new technology that is both low cost and will ensure high quality of products. Carbon constraints determine the convectional value drivers within the industry that will significantly create challenges for senior managers. Carbon constraints interact well with established efforts to improve fuel economy that will eventually drive prices up. This implies that climate change will have differential impacts on company’s financial performance by creating a distinction between those companies that will ultimately be exposed to these risks. The traditional business model, which is based on tradition measures of demand and supply that affect tangible measures like sales volume, pricing, margins and profitability, and intangible measures like brand recognition, innovation and quality, will be affected. Management’s concern will be  to conduct business operations with  alignment of strategic missions in a world faced with declining profits, tighter policies and shorter product life spans. Companies will be forced to adopt a carbon-friendly technology to reduce carbon emissions as this will  have the potential to alter long-term competitive balance within the industry. However, the biggest challenge is to determine which technologies will be accepted by the markets standards. An example of technology utilized in the automotive industry is the incremental technology which will offer opportunities for the fuel economy. Companies will also be forced to adopt a merger strategy of partnering will others which an ai m of reducing costs. New entrants into the market will face high overhead costs compared to those already in

Porn and Prose Essay -- Videos Sex Technology Essays

Porn and Prose Pornography has the ability to stay current with each technological breakthrough while pushing the borders of what we deem as â€Å"acceptable† in reading and writing. In, Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age by Tribble and Trubek, an article by Gopnick notes the death of the â€Å"word† before its technological resurgence. â€Å"Each new medium was more visually and sensually rich that the last: movies gave way to talking movies, which gave way to color talking movies, which gave way to round-the-clock talking color television. In that context, words just hung around looking glum, with hardly enough energy left to compose themselves into sentences†(180). Gopnick then discuses the â€Å"revolution† of the Internet and even though it’s written language can be regarded as a backward move, it is the return of the word. Sven Birkerts, as noted in Tribble and Trubek, speaks about the downfall of printed text. "This shift [from printed word] is happening throughout our culture, away from the patterns and habits of the printed page and toward a new world distinguished by its reliance on electronic communucatuins"(63). Pornography has not been left in the dark regarding this phenomenon, and is blazing its own trail as it goes. Internet porn is breaking ground for a â€Å"sexual liberation† of sorts as well as becoming a full-fledged addiction for some and a means for artistic expression for others. What is pornography? It is something that lacks concrete definition. It is for the most part subjective in nature. As Supreme Court Justice Stewart said, â€Å"I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.† A Cosmopolitan magazine cover may be acceptable and exposed in one grocery store, then concealed ... ...would have been unacceptable as an essay topic anyway. Be it obscene, or art, Internet pornography has paved its way into a genre of writing with a cult-like following. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "Into the Electronic Millennium." Tribble and Trubek. 63 & 71. Gopnick, Adam. â€Å"The Return of the Word.† Tribble and Trubek. 180 & 181. Kessler, Merle. â€Å"Porn: For the rest of us.† 2001. Online. Internet. 27 Mar. 2004. Available: http://dir.salon.com/people/feature/2001/12/10/slash/index.html. Noxon, Christopher. â€Å"When Harry Met Smutty.† 2003. Online. Internet. 27 Mar. 2004. Available: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/06.26.03/potter-0326.html. Tribble, Evelyn B., and Anne Trubek, eds. Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Addison Wesley Longman, 2003. 338 & 340.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

N. Hart English Honors Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar #7Explain why you think this book will or will not be read 100 years from now. Support your opinion by stating specific events in the story. One hundred years from now I believe this book will be read as it contains most problems faced by incoming freshmen in high school. The book is well written and is fun to read as the main character, Scott Hudson employs literary uses while he writes in his journal to his unborn sibling, who he calls Smelly of his high school experiences.Every teenager faces problems while in high school and some of them are addressed in this book. The issues that are evident in this book are friendship issues, school issues, family dynamics, transition from childhood to adulthood, and actions have consequences. Friendships made in elementary school or middle school can only last in high school if the friends stay in the same city, their interests remain the same, academic performances are given th e same priority, and maturity levels develop at the same rate. Scott’s best friends from middle school are Mitch, Patrick, and Kyle.Scott wishes that they remain friends forever as he calls them â€Å"Three Musketeers. † Scott is not in the same classes as his friends. He has honors and college prep classes and they all have tech prep classes. Mitch gets a girlfriend and has no time for the others. Patrick moves to Texas and then is relocated to Japan because of his father’s work. Kyle, who others think is tough when actually he broke his nose falling off a rocking horse, stands up for his â€Å"bookworm† friend early on in their freshman year but gets on the wrestling team and soon ignores Scott.Once Kyle joins another group he no longer wants to maintain a friendship with Scott because they have different social status in high school. Scott does make some new friends in high school. An inadvertent friend is Wesley Cobble, a tough senior who in the begin ning of school â€Å"shakes down† Scott for money. They meet at the school office where Scott went to get a file for his English teacher, Mr. Franka and Wesley was sent because he was in trouble. Wesley asks Scott why he’s at the office and not wanting to lie, Scott responds that he got to the office by â€Å"perambulation,† which means walking.Wesley buys it and thinks Scott is in trouble too. Later that day at lunch, Wesley sits by Scott in the lunchroom. Scott is not sure why Wesley would want to sit by him and tries to figure this out. One morning Scott is waiting for the bus and Wesley drives by and stops asking Scott if he wants a ride to school. Scott gets into Wesley’s car because he is tired of being confronted by the upper classmen and soon they become friends. For teenagers there can be a lot of school problems to deal with. Scott’s first Spanish teacher is actually a French woman. Then he gets an Australian man to teach him Spanish.He c an’t understand these teachers but realizes his other classmates can’t either. Scott’s classes are hard and he gets a lot of homework. As a result, he has to spend hours trying to get the work down and gets little sleep. S becomes a priority for him. Scott’s PE teacher makes them physically work hard. He even makes them do physical activity when it is freezing. Also, upper classmen constantly pick on freshmen. Scott writes, â€Å"Keep away from seniors. Keep away from juniors. It’s probably a good idea to avoid sophomores, too, since most of them seem to want revenge for what happened when they were freshmen. Scott’s experiences with upper classmen make him realize that you shouldn’t ask directions because they will send you to the wrong place. While on a school bus they usually hit you in the back of the head so sit behind a tall guy. Don’t carry your books under your arm in a crowded hall because they will knock them out. Ol der student council members don’t listen to the freshmen so why join. Lastly, while being on crew for the school play, they make you do all work. Everyone’s family dynamics are different but there are always some issues within the family that causes concern.Scott feels that Bobby, his older brother got the good genes and asks his mom if he was adopted because he is not good with tools. Scott soon realizes that Bobby is struggling to find his own place in the world. Also that Bobby can hardly read and that is why he became so outgoing and got into trouble a lot in high school. They were hiding Bobby’s real problem. Scott also is watching his parents deal with the approaching birth of their third child and is worried that the baby will change things and his parents will not have time for him.The transition from childhood to adulthood is done by everyone is it is called maturing. Scott knows that Kyle is ignoring him but still doesn’t want to acknowledge it because it hurts too much since they used to be good friends. When Kyle tells him that Julia Baskins is out of his league, Scott realizes that he has outgrown their friendship because Kyle is less mature than him. Scott becomes more adventuresome by participating in the school paper, the Zenger Gazette as the sports writer, getting on the student council, and being part of the crew for the school play.All of these activities were to be near Julia who doesn’t succeed in obtaining positions on any of these extracurricular activities but Scott fulfills his responsibilities to them. Lee is another character that shows growth. She is new to the school and wears strange clothing, has piercings, and strange colored hair. Other kids at school call her â€Å"Weirdly† which is a combination of her name, Lee and weird. Her appearance keeps others at a distance. She has the love of literature in common with Scott. When Scott picks her up at her house to go to the last school dance of the year, Lee has changed her appearance to be normal.Another issue that is relatable to teens is that actions have consequences. This is shown when Mouth attempts suicide by hanging himself. Scott feels extremely guilty for he thinks that he may have pushed Mouth over the edge by telling him that he has no clue what girls think at a dance; which resulted in Mouth asking all the girls to dance with him a second time and be rejected by them. When Scott gets a chance to visit Mouth in the hospital he finds out that Mouth feels alone and lonely. That is why he did it.Scott points out that suicide leaves a mess that someone else would have to clean up. Also, when Scott first heard of someone from their school had committed suicide he first thought it was Lee as she always wore dark clothes and likes literature with vampires and death. He immediately feels guilt thinking that she might not have done it if he had been nicer to her and talked with her not caring what others might think . Another effect of one person’s actions is when Scott finally feels comfortable to talk with Wesley about him beating up people and taking their lunch money.Scott relates it to how would Wesley’s imaginary younger brother feel would if that type of bullying was done to him. Wesley seems to understand what Scott is telling him and this conversation may change Wesley to become a better person. Another action that had consequences is when Mouth put in Scott’s piece in the Zenger Gazette relating the football team to food; where Vernon is referred to a hotdog. Scott knows that Vernon is mad about that and wants to beat him up and knowing that Scott has a crush on his girlfriend, Julia. Vernon finally gets his chance by having Kelly lure Scott to a vacant classroom.When Scott gets home his father knows that he was in a fight but Scott tells him that, â€Å"it wasn’t a fair fight but that it is over. † I believe the problems that Scott Hudson encountere d in this book can be the same for high school students. Every new high school students faces the anxiety of the unknown when they first get into high school. This summer reading assignment gave us a glimpse of what those problems may be and let us see how the character, Scott handled them. I enjoyed reading Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie and think that this book will be read a 100 years from now.

UCLA Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

UCLA is one of the most selective public universities in the country with an acceptance rate of 14 percent. If youre considering this prestigious university, here youll find the admissions statistics you should know such as the average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Why UCLA? Location: Los Angeles, CaliforniaCampus Features: UCLAs attractive 419-acre campus in Los Angeles Westwood Village occupies prime real estate just 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean.Student/Faculty Ratio: 18:1Athletics: The UCLA Bruins compete in the NCAA Division I Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12).Highlights: With over 125 undergraduate majors and 150 graduate degree programs, UCLAs academic breadth is impressive. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the university a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It should be no surprise that UCLA ranks among the best public universities. Acceptance Rate For students entering UCLA in the 2018-19 academic year, UCLA had an acceptance rate of just 14%. This means that for every 14 students who are admitted, 86 students will receive rejection letters. UCLA is one of the most selective public universities in the country. Admissions Statistics (2018-19) Number of Applicants 113,761 Percent Admitted 14% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled 39% SAT Scores and Requirements UCLA requires scores from either the SAT or ACT from all applicants. For students who entered UCLA in the 2018-19 academic year, 77% submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75 Percentile ERW 640 740 Math 630 780 ERW= Evidence-Based Reading and Writing If you compare SAT scores for the University of California system, youll see that only UC Berkeley is more selective than UCLA. Based on national SAT score data, we can conclude that nearly all admitted UCLA students scored in the top 20% of test-takers.On the math portion of the exam, the middle 50% of admitted students scored between a 630 and 780. This means that 25% of admitted students scored a 630 or lower, and 25% scored a 780 or higher. On the evidence-based reading and writing exam, the middle 50% of students scored between a 640 and 740. This tells us that the bottom 25% of admitted students got a 640 or lower, and the top quartile scored a 740 or higher. Students will generally need scores that are well above average to get in. The most competitive UCLA applicants will be at the top of these score ranges and have a combined score of 1500 or better. Requirements UCLA requires applicants to take the SAT with Essay, and the essay score is used by the admissions folks when evaluating applications. SAT Subject Tests are not required, but if you are applying to the Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, you are strongly encouraged to take the Math Level 2 and a science test. Note that UCLA does not superscore the SAT. They will consider your highest combined score from a single test date. ACT Scores and Requirements All applicants to UCLA must submit either SAT or ACT scores. The admissions office doesnt have a preference for one exam or the other, but the SAT tends to be much more popular in California. For the class entering UCLA in teh 2018-19 academic year, 50% submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 29 35 Math 27 34 Composite 28 34 An average ACT score is roughly a 21, so as with the SAT, UCLA students tend to score significantly above average. Nationally, only a couple public universities have average ACT scores that are higher than UCLA. If we compare UCLAs ACT scores to national score ranges, we can see that the great majority of admitted students are in the top 11% of test-takers. The middle 50% of admitted students scored between a 28 and 34 on the ACT. This means the top 25% of admitted students scored a 34 or higher, and the bottom 25% scored a 28 or lower. Requirements If you choose the ACT instead of the SAT, you must take the ACT with Writing. Also keep in mind that applicants to the engineering school are strongly encouraged to take two SAT Subject Tests (Math Level 2 and a science). Finally, UCLA will not superscore the ACT. They will use your highest composite score from a single test date. GPA and Class Rank For students who entered UCLA in the 2018-19 academic year, the average GPA was 3.89. You are certainly going to need to be primarily an A student to be competitive at UCLA. The class rank of admitted students is likewise high: 97% of admitted students were in the top 10% of their class, and 100% were in the top 25%. Graph of Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Data UCLA Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Data. Data Courtesy of Cappex The GPA, SAT score, and ACT score data in the graph was self-reported by applicants to UCLA. Grades are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Hidden beneath the blue and green in the graph is a lot of red (rejected students). This tells us that many applicants with high GPAs and test scores get rejected from UCLA. Note also that a number of students were accepted with test scores and grades below the norm. Like all of the University of California schools, UCLA has holistic admissions, so the admissions officers are evaluating students based on more than numerical data. Students who show some kind of remarkable talent or have a compelling story to tell will often get a close look even if grades and test scores arent up to the ideal. Make sure your application has strong essays. Youll want to put significant time and care into your personal insight questions on the UC application. Top universities like UCLA are looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, and who show the potential to make a positive impact on the world after graduation. UCLA looks to enroll a diverse student body, and they will look at personal qualities such as leadership ability, creativity, and character as well as an applicants achievement in his or her school, community, and/or workplace. Always keep in mind that youre going to need more than good grades and standardized test scores to be admitted. Plenty of students with solid A averages get rejected. The reasons can be many: weak application essays, a failure to take challenging AP or IB courses in high school, or unimpressive extracurricular activities. Also, some programs at UCLA are more competitive than others.  In general, when a school admits such a low percentage of its applicants, youd be wise to consider it a reach school even if your grades and test scores are on target for admission. Sources: Graph courtesy of Cappex; all other data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the UCLA Common Data Set, and the UCLA Office of Admissions.