Drug Testing in High School Athletics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drug Testing in High School Athletics - Essay Example The researcher states that despite the fact that some critics give low credit to the drug testing policy in high school, it is morally right to carry out the activity. It serves the country a long-term goal of fighting against drug abuse that is very common in high schools. The government has an obligation to ensure that its citizens learn to observe culturally acceptable values by instilling discipline to children when they are in schools. The students will grow up knowing that the law disallows drugs and substance abuse. However, the parents have an upper hand in ensuring that their children do not end up in drug dens but because of their tight schedules and prioritization of career and professional development, they do little. The teachers and the government are left with the hard task of making eliminating the bad behavior from the students. There, the government has an ethical obligation to carry on with the program despite the critics and controversies surrounding the issue. Th e thought of prevention is better than cure is a valid statement when it comes to drug testing in schools. The government together with school’s administration will acquire valid findings to aid in making sound decisions. A school’s management can establish rules and regulations regulating the usage of drugs among their students. This means that before a student is admitted, they are asked to ensure they drug and to certify their will abide by the law. A strict penalty the school can demonstrate is to expel students found abusing drugs.

Hunting should be allowed Essay Example for Free

Hunting should be allowed Essay Hunting is beneficial to our society and therefore should be allowed. Historically human beings have been pursuing wild animals to provide their families with food, clothing, and shelter. In modern times the need for hunting for survival has lessened because of the development of animal husbandry and agriculture. There were times in history worldwide when hunting became profitable and hunters began killing animals for their fur, skins, and meat. Then it became necessary to put regulations in to effect to preserve wildlife as well as to somewhat appease the critics who felt hunting should be illegal. Three main reasons why hunting should be allowed is to regulate the amount of wild animals, so that areas do not become over populated by them. Another reason is that hunting is a major money making industry. The third main reason is that hunting for sport of food is an exciting and educational experience for hunters of all ages. In John Clare’s poem â€Å"The Badger† we see hunting at its worst and a major turnoff due to the unethical and cruel nature of the townspeople engaged in the hunt. Poems like these motivate people to be anti-hunting but if we look closely at the benefits of hunting it overrides such negativity and we can plainly see the benefits. Hunting if done responsibly should be allowed. It is a great privilege to have and is regulated by the government. Some of the steps put in place is the requirement to pass a hunter education course before hunting, this protects people. There are also laws that set hunting season dates to protect wildlife. Most states grant their wildlife agencies the authority to manage wildlife population using regulations. Regulations are generally easier to change and better suit the dynamic nature of wildlife management. For example, if a drought caused many a deer to die, the wildlife agency would be able to change its regulations by reducing the number of permits and protecting the deer population. If the situation was reversed a sudden increase in the deer population was observed then the wildlife agency can change its regulations, increasing the number of permits and providing more opportunity for hunting. Many benefits come from hunting not only to the hunter, but also to society. Without the hunter, many breeds of animals would become overpopulated and die off from lack of food due to excess in their numbers and lower percentage of food per herd. Not only would there be too many animals, but it would greatly increase the chance of disease and inner-herd killings. Nature decrees the survival of the fittest, those that are weak and old will be the first attacked, even by their own kind. Hunting also brings benefit to humans through the control of the wildlife and the predatory animals that would invade neighborhoods when overpopulation occurs. These dangerous animals are wolves, bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats. Hunting wildlife keeps disease among wildlife at a lower rate and ensures better survival. Hunters also donate millions of dollars each year from hunting license and stamp fees that buy thousands of acres of open land, natural habitat, and wetlands that forever preserve them for wildlife use each year. Individuals who are against hunting do not spend any money on this. Hunting is a major money maker for the government as well as private establishments. The average hunter spends quite a reasonable amount of money on his hunting trips. These hunting trips approximately last for about seven to twelve days on average. The taxes on the hunting licenses increase every year adding to the expense and putting money in to government coffers. Hunters also buy equipment. This helps private businesses and retailers. Hunting offers benefits to the hunter in the form of a sport, not only for food but it is a relaxing, exciting and an educational experience for hunters of all ages. There are the benefits of education, by studying the animals the hunter will learn how they relate amongst themselves, their patterns for breeding, migration, and their tendencies of behavior. The hunter will not only benefit by this knowledge within his hunt but also will know what animals to pursue when hunting. Ill or deformed animals often give the hunter a sense of empathy when hunting. These animals may not live very long and possibly spread its disease to the other animals. Sport hunting should not be banned when examining information from this angle as it affects us all in general. Hunting also provides excitement and a close connection with nature. While hunting, the hunter often connects with nature while sitting in silence. He has the opportunity to observe his surrounding and become familiar with his hunting ground. Knowing the plant life and growth rate of the area crops is very important part to being a good hunter. This knowledge comes through conservation of the land being managed for hunting. Through this land management, the plant and animal life become more abundant. Hunting should be allowed and protesters should make the effort to become more knowledge about the benefits of hunting. There are many environmental benefits to society and to wildlife. The health of the animals is important to hunters as they reproduce and replenish there will be ongoing game for hunting. Hunting is a privilege and privileges require responsibility. Citizens must meet certain standards. The greatest threat to hunting in North America is not anti-hunters. It is the negative hunter image created by poor hunter behavior in the field. Our actions when we are not hunting may also give hunters a poor image. For example, bragging about the animals killed or wearing dirty hunting clothes in public gives all hunters a poor image. Support from non-hunters decreases when hunters act unsafe or unethically in the field. An example of this can be seen in John Clare’s poem, â€Å"The Badger† The main subject of this poem is the relationship of the wild animal to the hunters who bait and tame it. The townspeople act unethically to the badger while hunting it. The badger-baiters are a poor example of what hunting should be and their sadistic behavior is one reason why many anti-hunters are so against hunting and do not want it to be allowed. They literally torture a vulnerable creature and he is pitched against cudgel wielding, stone throwing townspeople and ferocious dogs. â€Å"The Badger† is a weaker adversary and when he runs toward the woods and freedom, the townspeople turn him back with clubs. When the badger finally lies beaten and helpless, he is continuously kicked and torn by the savage mob. Moreover, the last stanza about the badger is yet another example of human tyranny over less fortunate creatures, which is most anti-hunter’s perception of what hunting is really like namely the abuse of the powerless by the powerful. The townspeople are capturing and confining the badger for the sport of it, to get their fun at his expense and at the end of it all â€Å"till kicked and torn and beaten out, he lies and leaves his hold and cackles, grows and dies. † (39-40) This poem is not a clear depiction of what hunting is about in today’s regulated society. There has never been a case in modern times where a regulated hunting season has driven any animal to the point of being endangered or tortured and treated cruelly it is only when there is no regulation where this type of issue occurs. Hunting can strengthen game animals by trimming the population and preventing overpopulation that can destroy the environment and cause lack of food. Not only is overpopulation of animals a great inconvenience to humans it can be downright dangerous. Hunting provides much financial aid to our government and to many who hunt it is a relaxing, exciting and an educational experience. With all the negative press from anti-hunters, the benefits cannot be denied and with the significant rules in place to ensure good hunting, if adhered to then most definitely hunting should be allowed. Works Cited Kruuk, H. Hunter and Hunted: Relationships between Carnivores and People Cambridge, UK, New York, NY Cambridge University Press, 2002 Sunstein, Cass R. ; Nussbaum, Martha Craven Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions Oxford, New York Oxford University Press (US), 2004. Clare, John. â€Å"The Badger. † Making Literature Matter; An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 3rd ed. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston; Bedford, 2006. 913-915.

Essay --

The idea of what’s morally right and wrong changes within each culture whether an organizational culture or between individuals. However, the best leaders are the ones who do what’s right and best for the organization. During this research paper I will attempt to define the term leadership style and its concept. Moreover, I will attempt to describe three leadership styles, the development and the process one would follow to modify their leadership style. When pertaining to myself, I never saw myself as a leader but I will attempt to describe my leadership style and the advantages and disadvantage I would have in a business environment. Before defining leadership style one must define exactly what is leadership? There are many interpretations of leadership as well as leadership styles but one common term pertaining to leadership is the ability to influence others to achieve a common goal or vision. Leadership is not an innate characteristic, but a complex suite of competencies, personal attributes and vision that requires development via education, exposure to work and issues, role modelling and mentoring with existing leaders. (Huges, Ginnett, Curphy, 1999) Edwin T. Cornelius III defined leadership style as the broad, characteristic way in which a leader interacts with others across in various situations and occasions. (Cornelius, 2006) However, many researchers would agree that leadership style is merely traits and they can change within an organization or between different situations. Annick M. Brennen in an article stated: A study of leadership styles therefore deals mainly with the manner in which the leader carries out his/her leadership functions or roles–the use of authority and power and the approach to the decision-maki... ...t leadership model suggest that it's a good way to move ahead in a world where values are increasingly important, and where servant leaders can achieve power because of their values, ideals, and ethics. In today’s society this particular learning style may be effective in creating a positive corporate culture and can lead to high morale among team members. The only challenge I may have is the slow decision making process when trying to include members in the decision making process. However, the advantage is that I would work with team members to make decisions which in return should increase their productivity because they are more involved in the process. The democratic leadership is also my preferred style because I’m more of a team player versus an autocratic leader. I would not demand my followers to do any task, I prefer to motivate my followers to success.

Socioeconomic Class and the History of South Africa :: African Africa History

Socioeconomic Class and the History of South Africa In any historical account gender, race, socioeconomic class and many more issues are closely interwoven. In fact, to try and separate them would be not only onerous but also a specious task because the resulting account, although perhaps straightforward, would be at best only partial. However, when considering the history of Southern Africa, the most encompassing account would be that of socioeconomic class. The motives behind the historical events of Southern Africa have been strongly socioeconomic, even if the motives then evoked racial or gender based issues. Thus, if one had to choose a way to understand South African history, it should be socioeconomically. The motivation for colonization was economic. It eventually became more economically efficient for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) to build its own port than to continue trading with Africans on its way to Eastern Asia (Ross, 21). Dealings between settlers and Africans were based on socioeconomics, whether the interaction was buying and selling cattle and sheep or a conflict over the amount of land that settlers were taking from the Xhosa. For Africans, using a large amount of land for grazing one’s cattle was a symbol of high status because it meant that you had many cattle to graze and that you could protect a large amount of land (Ross, 22). The settler’s invasion was an economic blow. Also, the Great Trek was caused because Afrikaaners felt that they did not have the socioeconomic status they desired. Their land was being divided into small pieces, so they decided it would be better to go out and find other land than to continue to live as they were in the lower class. This was no mass movement of the â€Å"Afrikaaner People,† but only a number of small groups setting out to claim â€Å"free† land for themselves (Ross, 39). The wars between the Africans and Trekkers at these times were fought as the Africans realized that these people were coming to stay on their territory, and as the Trekkers realized that they would have to kill to keep the land they needed to secure wealth (Ross, 40).

Market Plan for Monster Energy Drink Essay

Monster Energy is an American brand of energy drink created and marketed by Hansen Natural Corporation. Monster calls itself the meanest energy drink on the planet. It’s a big hit in the United States that delivers twice the buzz of a regular energy drink. Monster’s US portfolio includes the flagship Monster and Lo-carb plus specially blended hybrid energy + juice, energy + soda, and coffee + energy products. Monster is the US 16 oz. segment leader, with sales nearly double that of the next closest 16 oz. competitor. The energy drink category to a large extent is image driven. The Monster design is aggressive without being intimidating. Monster’s proprietary energy blend is a combination of the right ingredients in the right proportion to deliver what the energy drink consumer is looking for, the â€Å"energy buzz! † For more product information, see Appendix I. Though Monster Energy is not widely advertised in the media, it receives a large amount of recognition from its sponsorship of various sporting events. Market and Competitive Analysis Energy Drink Market The energy drink category is one of the fastest growing worldwide. Sales of energy drinks are taking off in Australia, with the energy drink category being the fastest growing category in Australian convenience stores (See Appendix II). The value growth of energy drinks in the Australian convenience channel was up 22. 3% from 2006 to 2007. The Australian Market Adel? Key Competitors The Australian energy drink market is dominated by two big players. In 2006, Red Bull and V Energy held a combined 94% share of the Australian energy drinks market (ACNeilson). Recently, these two have been challenged by the relaunch of Mother Energy by Coca Cola Amtail, which claimed to have captured 12. 7% of the energy drink category in the grocery and convenience channels in mid 2008. To capture a piece of the rapidly growing industry, many new energy drinks have been introduced in the Australian market. Key competitors include Lucozade, Wild NRG, Naughty Energy, Jugular, and Hype. The competing products include similar ingredients such as caffeine, sucrose, vitamins, taurine, ginseng, and guarana. They target essentially the same group of active young people: V targets ages 18-24 and Red Bull markets to 18-29. The main product differentiation seems to be in taste and marketing. (See Appendix III for detailed competitor information). Marketing Objectives First Year 1)10% share of Australian energy drink market 2)Distribution of 60% in retail and convenience stores in Area 1 (see Appendix II) 3)Distribution of 50% in bars and fast food in Area 1 Second Year 1)Capture 5% more market share nationwide 2)Test restaurant concept: Achieve 10% distribution in restaurants in current market 3)Introduce additional flavors of Monster Energy and Monster Java – Achieve placement of new products in 50% of existing customers by year end Marketing Strategy Positioning Monster represents a lifestyle. Monster is aggressive, cool, sinister, dark, mysterious and fun. Monster is about action sports, punk rock music, partying, girls, and living life on the edge. The Monster name and design are perfectly in-tune with the category’s core consumers. The Monster brand targets 21-35 year-old males and females, who are nonconformists, independently spirited and embrace a non-traditional identity and lifestyle. Product Strategy In Australia, we will adhere to Monster’s proven image and packaging. We will begin by introducing the two best-selling flavors, the Original green and Low-Carb blue flavors. These products make up ___% of the brand’s domestic sales. The packaging will remain consistent. The cans will be black with the large Monster â€Å"M’ logo. We will start by introducing the 16-ounce aluminum cans only. We feel that the market would better accept this size than the even larger 24-ounce cans or the huge 32-ounce â€Å"BFC† cans that are also sold domestically. Because most energy drinks in Australia are sold in small 250mL cans, the 16-ounce can will be a â€Å"Monster† of a product. The large can concept has already been proven in this market by the success of the new Mother energy drink 500mL can. The package sizes offered will be cases of 24 individual cans and 4-can packs. We will advise retailers to sell the cans individually to encourage trial and as 4 packs for a slight discount. Pricing Strategy Adel Communication Strategy Monster is a viral brand that focuses on word-of-mouth communication. Very little mass communication is used domestically, and that strategy will be continued in the Australian market. Instead of purchasing television or print advertising, Monster’s promotional budget will focus on creating buzz and a strong, loyal following in the target market. We will continue the Monster strategy of sponsoring extreme sports events and athletes. We will find several more Australian athletes to sponsor, and we will focus much of our attention on the popular Australian surfing market. Monster will also emphasize product sampling. We will unveil a Monster Van and sales team that will hand out product in key markets and attend events. The van will be brimming with free product samples as well as gear such as t-shirts, hats, and stickers in order to incite buzz. To foster loyalty, Monster will create a branch of its monsterarmy. com website that will be called Monster Army Australia. The website will allow Monster fans to create profiles, share pictures of their Monster collections, discuss extreme sports, and apply for sponsorship. It will also allow the company to gauge consumer reaction to new products and strategies by using polling, surveys, and discussion forums. Lastly, Monster will try a new tactic in the Australian market to target college-aged consumers. Monster will launch a Contemporary Marketing Team that consists of 6 college students from different geographical areas. These student representatives will provide hands-on, personal marketing to their peers by attending events and handing out samples and gear. They will also be responsible for visiting bars in their area to discuss Monster mixed drink options and introduce Monster as a nightlife drink. Distribution Strategy Monster energy will create an alliance with beer distributors in Australia to facilitate the distribution. In the United States, Monster signed a distribution agreement with beer company Anheuser-Bush to move its distribution from Coca Cola. The move allowed Monster to still compete in the retail stores, but it better positioned the brands in the hands of people who have more expertise in bar and restaurant sales. This had a great effect on sales, and we want to capitalize on this from the start when moving into Australia. Marketing Research Plan Adel Action Plan The launch plan for the Australian market will take place in four-month increments. Phase 1: January – April 2009 The two base flavors (Original green and Lo-Carb blue) will be introduced Area 1 (see Appendix __). Distributors will be provided with product information, selling strategies, and giveaway items to aid in placement into retailers and bars. The Monster Van will be employed to provide immediate sampling and introduce the product directly to consumers. This will raise product awareness and help to gain distribution through a pull strategy in which consumers ask retailers to stock the product. Monster will sponsor three major junior surfing events (see Appendix __) to help introduce the brand. The events will provide an opportunity to give out free product samples, t-shirts, hats, and stickers, as well as to ask research questions to target consumers. Phase 2: May – August 2009 Monster’s internet team will launch the Monster Army Australia website for Monster fans in the new market. Cash incentives will be offered to distributors for reaching set distribution goals such as product placements, displays, and shelf space. Importantly, the second phase of distribution will begin. Area 1 will receive four new Monster flavors to sell: Monster Energy â€Å"Assault† red and â€Å"Khaos† orange, and Monster Java â€Å"Mean Bean† and â€Å"Loca Moca. â€Å" Geographic distribution will expand by introducing the base green and blue flavors to Area 2. Phase 3: September – December 2009 The Contemporary Marketing Team of college students will be launched. Six representatives from various colleges and geographic areas will be chosen to represent and market products to their peers. These students will be provided with product training and free gear. Also, a contest will be launched on the Monster Army Australia website to allow Monster drinkers to vote on their choice for the next new flavor. The contest will be advertised through signs and banners that distributors make and post in their areas. Phase 4: January – April 2010 The final phase of the introduction will expand the distribution of Monster into Area 3. General nationwide brand awareness should have been reached, so all products will be available in all areas to avoid confusion. The available products will include five flavors of Monster Energy and two flavors of Monster Java. To create your own version of this template, edit the contents of this document and then save it as a template: 4)Insert your company name and address in place of the text on the cover page by clicking once and typing. 5)On the File menu, click Save As. In the Save As Type box, choose Document Template (the filename extensions should change from . doc to . dot) and save the template. How to Create a Report. To create a report from your newly saved template, on the File menu, click New. In the New Document task pane, under Templates, click On my computer. In the Templates dialog, your updated template will appear on the General tab. (Your company information should appear in place. ) For the body of your report, use Styles such as Heading 1-5, Body Text, Block Quotation, List Bullet, and List Number from the Style control on the Formatting toolbar. How to Create Bullets and Numbered Lists ?To create a bulleted list like this, select one or more paragraphs and choose the List Bullet style from the Style drop-down list on the formatting toolbar. To create a numbered list like the numbered paragraphs above, select one or more paragraphs and choose the List Number style from the Style drop-down list. This Style—the Block Quotation—can be used for quotes, notes or paragraphs of special interest. To use the Block Quotation Style, highlight any paragraph and choose Block Quotation from the style drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar. How to Create a Table of Contents To create a Table of Contents for this report, position your cursor on the blank TOC page. From the Insert menu choose Reference, then Index and Tables. Click on the Table of Contents tab. Be sure to use the Custom Style format. More Template Tips There are four ways to view the various style names of template text: 1)Open the Styles and Formatting task pane by choosing Styles and Formatting from the Format menu. The style for the selected text shows in the pane. 2)For Normal or Outline view, from the Tools menu, choose Options. Click the View tab. In the Style Area Width box, dial up a number such as â€Å"1† and click OK. Observe the style name next to each paragraph. 3)Click on any paragraph. View the style name on the Formatting toolbar. 4)From the Format menu choose Theme, then Style Gallery. In the Preview section click on Style Samples. How to Create a Table Choose Insert from the Table menu. Be sure to choose the Professional AutoFormat if you are using a Professional style template. To modify an existing table, such as the table below, position your cursor in any cell. To modify the table, access the Table menu to select the desired action and/or result. Competitor RankingCurrent ShareShare in 3 Yrs. Largest competitor50%30% Second largest competitor25%20% Third largest competitor15%12% Table: Projected growth of competitors over 3 years. How to Edit Table Text You can edit and format table text like regular text. Simply select text and type to replace, and use the Format menu to change the font and/or paragraph attributes. How to Change a Header or Footer In Print Layout view, choose Header or Footer from the View menu. Once activated, you can change or delete the text just like regular text. When done, click Close to exit. To delete a ruling line in the Header or Footer, from the Format menu choose Borders and Shading. Choose None from the Preset section, and click OK. SOURCES: http://www. abmarketing. com/images/HandSelling/Documents/MonsterPitch_112707(1). pdf http://au. acnielsen. com/site/documents/NielsenConvenienceReport07finalLR2. pdf.

Bob Dylan essays

Bob Dylan essays Thesis Statement: Bob Dylans life affected his writing and contributed to the development of his music. Bob Dylan was recognized by his poetry and song writing. He usually wrote songs about protesting and religious themes. Bob Dylan is unquestiably one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music. He is he writer of scores of classic songs and is generally regarded as the man who brought literacy to rock lyrics. Although the theme of Bob Dylans work is depressing, it is necessary to consider how the events Bob Dylan was born as Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth Minnesota on the date of May 24th 1941. His father Abraham owned an appliance store in Minnesotas Messabi Range. Robert was 6 years old, they moved to a small town called Hibbing were he went to school. By the time he was ten years old he was writing poems and had taught himself to play guitar. After he graduated high school in the early 1959 Dylan found himself playing folk music. This is also the time he began to write his legendary folk songs. After graduation from High School in 1959, he left for Minneapolis to follow his studies at the University of Minnesota. Here his love for contemporary rock and roll came up and he listened to endless music by Hank Williams, Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie. His passion for music was so huge that he began skipping classes and also began to play his music at small local nightspots. In 1961, the 20 year old Bob Dylan dropped out of college alleging lack of interest in career. In this time, he adopted the name Bob Dylan inspired in a poet called Dylan Thomas. After leaving college, Dylan broke up with longtime girlfriend Suze Rotolo , and got involved with the world famous folk singer-songwriter Joan Baez. Both fed off of each other with Baez using Dylan's mu ...

How to Cancel ACT Test Registration

How to Cancel ACT Test Registration SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have an ACT date coming up that you can’t make or think you’re not going to do well on? Learn here how to cancel ACT tests or change your ACT test date. Additionally, we'llalso cover some reasons why you might cancel your ACT registration – and help you decide if canceling is truly the best move. How to Cancel Your ACT Registration Completely Unfortunately, there is not really any way to flat-out cancel your ACT registration. According to the ACT's website, "If you decide you do not want to test,your basic registration fee and any additional service fees (e.g., late registration, test center change) are nonrefundable." Optional services (like additional score reports), however, are refundable. That means your options are to change your test date (we have a how-to below), or, if you’ve decided not to take the ACT again or at all, to simply not show up and accept the fact you’ve lost money. If you do not test, your test won’t be scored and no score report will be created for that test date. This means if you haven’t registered for the ACT yet, only register if you are 100% certain you will be taking the ACT at some point! How to Change Your ACT Test Date This is the best option if you still want to take (or re-take) the ACT, but you can’t make it on the date you signed up for. (You can also do this if an emergency comes up on test day and you have to no-show.) Log into your ACT account and select â€Å"make changes to your registration." You can do this at any point before the next ACT test you want to take. However, note that if you are doing this before the last test of the academic year (June) you won’t be able to make changes until July when the tests for the next academic year open for registration. (If this is the case for you, simply don't show up for the June test, and you will be able to transfer that registration to a later test once the new dates open up.) To change your test date, click the "change" button next to "Test Date and Test Option." You will be able to sign up for a future test date, though you will have to pay the $25 test date change fee. Make sure to do this no later than the registration deadline for your new test date or else you'll also have to pay the $27.50 late registration fee. If there is space available for your test option (either ACT or ACT Plus Writing) at your preferred test center on your new test date, you will be assigned there. You will be charged up front when you register for your new test for the cost of taking the ACT. However, the fee for your original test will be refunded – meaning the only additional charge is the test change fee. Can You Get a Refund? You won’t be able to get a refund for your basic registration fee or fees for late registration or test date change. Basically, once you’ve paid for the ACT, you’re never going to see that money again, whether you end up testing or not. Another reason you should really think carefully before signing up for the ACT. However, you can get some money back for optional services if you signed up for them: score reports for 5th and 6th colleges ($12 each), test information release ($20), or ACT With Writing ($16.50). To request a refund, write "REFUND" on your unusedticket and mail it to ACT, or write a letter including your identifying information and the test date and test option for which you registered. Label your envelope "REFUND." Refunds will be issued about eight weeks after the test date. Send your refund request here: ACT 301 ACT DriveP.O. Box 414Iowa City, IA 52243-0414U.S.A. Also note that ACT doesn't issue refunds after July 31st for the previous academic year of testing. Are You Sure You Want to Cancel Your ACT? Your choices for â€Å"canceling† your ACT date are either to no-show (and not register for a future ACT) or simply to change your test date. Given that you’ve already paid money that can’t be refunded for the ACT, make sure you think carefully before no-showing. In the vast majority of cases it makes sense to either take the test or move to a later test date rather than no-show completely. You can make a lot of progress in a short amount of time studying for the ACT, so if you're nervous about not doing well, consider an intense study regimen in the weeks before the test. And if you're certain you don't have enough time, you might as well push your registration later, rather than just skipping the ACT completely. (Even if this sign-up is for a retake, you can always improve your score, unless you are one of the rare few who got a 36.) Possibly Acceptable Reasons to No Show on ACT Test Day There are two cases in which it might make sense to go ahead and skip the ACT. Scenario 1 You've already taken the ACT, created a list of schools to apply to, and done some research on their ACT statistics. Turns out your first ACT score is well within range for admission even for your top choice schools, so there is no reason to retake the ACT. Odds are, this is not going to be the case for the majority of students. Even if your original ACT score is in range for admission at your target schools, getting a higher score can always improve your scholarship options. Scenario 2 You've taken both an SAT and ACT practice testand determined you would do better on the SAT, so you are going to focus on preparing for the SAT instead. This is only a good idea if you see a drastic difference between your potential SAT and ACT performance. Since you’ve already signed up for the ACT, unless you think you are headed for a disastrous score, it makes sense to take it anyway. If you do terribly, you can always delete your score. Furthermore, you should have made the SAT vs ACT decision before signing up for either test. Reasons You Should Bite the Bullet and Take the ACT Anyway Since the ACT is essentially non-refundable, you should either try to make your original date or move to a later ACT. If not, you’re throwing money and the chance for a higher score away. Below is a list of scenarios where it makes more sense to take the ACT (possibly at a later date) instead of straight-out cancelling. If you’re worried you won’t have enough time to study before your original test date, consider embarking on an intense, short-term study regimen, like our 10-day study plan. You can make huge strides in a few days. And for some students, pushing your test date later could encourage procrastination. If you have an unmovable conflict on your original ACT test day – like a family event or important sports tournament – simply move your test date instead of canceling. If you really think you will not have time to adequately study before the test date, move to a later ACT test date and commit to a study plan and start as soon as possible so you’re not tempted to procrastinate. This is especially true if you haven’t taken the ACT yet. If you’re feeling unprepared, you can move your test date forward. Even if you’ve already taken the ACT, unless you got a 33 or higher, odds are you could improve your score on a retake, opening more college and scholarship doors for yourself. Most schools don't require you to send the scores of every ACT you take, so if you take the test and aren't happy with your score, these schools never have to know! We have a list of the schools that require all ACT scores be sent to them. If you signed up for a retake and are frustrated with your studying progress, don’t give up before you’ve exhausted your options. Check out some of our links below. What’s Next? Need ACT studying resources? We’ve got ‘em! Check out our guide to ACT vocabulary, writing the ACT essay, and specific guides for what to expect on each section – English, Math, Reading, and Science. Not sure you can go it alone? Consider our PrepScholar ACT prep program – the only program in the business with a 4-point improvement guarantee. Need to improve ASAP before your test date? Check out our guide for going from a 25 to a 32 in just 10 days. Not sure if the ACT is right for you? Learn how to find out for sure whether you will be better at the ACT or the SAT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points?We have the industry's leading ACT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and ACT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: