事关大学申请：升学指导们从IACAC和NACAC带回了这些信息

一流高等学府寻找的是智慧又有趣的学生！

Melissa Meltzer Warehall

启明星学校

大学升学指导主管

梁珊

启明星学校

大学升学指导老师

大学招生官对我们说，我们说什么就真的是这个意思，申请家庭不必做过多的解读，比如Test Optional。

近些年，特别是新冠疫情开始后，出于种种原因，美国大学围绕标化成绩调整了政策，或者不要求SAT之类的标化成绩（Test Blind），或者允许申请者自己决定是否提交（Test Optional）。尽管如此，很多中国家庭还是继续为了获得标化成绩的高分而努力，他们认为，高标化成绩是锦上添花或者可以提高录取几率。然而，事实并非总是如此。

对于重视分数的大学来说，标化考试分数只是一项参考数据，是对申请人进行整体评估的一部分。大学招生官只会花几秒钟看分数，而用大部分时间来仔细阅读学生的在校成绩单、文书、活动信息和推荐信。

另外，根据第三方机构FairTest统计，目前85所美国高校（包括加州理工）不要求标化成绩（Test Blind），1937所高校是Test Optional，也就是说有2022所美国高校不再要求标化成绩；并且不提交标化成绩的申请者进入大学后，和提交者的成绩相仿，一样成功。大学不要求标化成为新常态。

答案是花更多的时间和精力去深入探索自己的兴趣爱好。比如，6至10年级的学生都不需要花过多时间准备托福考试，托福不是为这些年级的学生设计的。这个年级的学生需要花时间去探索自己喜欢的活动、课程，无论是编程、游泳、篮球、艺术，还是其他什么。这样才能更好地思考自己是谁，更好、更丰满地准备未来的申请文书。

事实上，学生在 11 年级结束之前不应该参加托福、雅思、多邻国测试，因为这些测试是为接受过至少3年高中英文教学的学生设计的。启明星的大学升学指导老师告诉我们，要想在标准化英文考试中取得好成绩，最好的准备就是在校学习取得好成绩，尤其是在像在启明星这样的双语学校。

正式申请前，8年级到11年级之间，尽量去大学校园实地看一看。比如，布朗大学强调本科阶段的开放性课程，鼓励学生自由转专业，探索自己真实感兴趣的领域。我们访问布朗时，学校安排了好几个学生向导。他们自由介绍自己的选择过程和小故事，分享这种尊重学生的制度，令人印象深刻。这种身临其境带来的感觉和启发，是你浏览学校网站或是社交媒体感受不到的。

另外，访校之前，我们建议你做些研究，选择一些不同类型的院校，比如位于城市里的学校、位于乡间的学校、大型学校、小型学校、综合性大学、文理学院……各种学校选择一所访问。这样，对各种类型的学校，你都会有些感性认识。这样，申请大学时，即便你没有去过某些学校，也可以根据之前访问的、和这所学校有类似特点的学校，推断出这些大学的大致“面孔”，进而确定自己是不是适合它们。

访校还有一个好处，就是有利于你准备有针对性的文书。文书是展示学生兴趣和价值观的重要平台，实地访校帮助你了解学校能带给你什么的机会，对学校的价值观建立感性的认知，进而有的放矢地准备文书，让它更有说服力。

加州大学景观，梁珊老师提供

每年暑假，启明星大学升学指导团队都会带学生访问国外大学，我们欢迎大家参加！

申请美国大学的时候，学生还需要提交课外活动的描述。招生官会看重什么呢？大学招生官告诉我们，除了大家熟知的活动数量和质量，还有学生的参与度。比如，学生是否长期专注于某个活动？某个活动是否提供了学生施展领导力的机会？这些活动是否符合学生的兴趣和他们想要学习的专业？

有些家庭认为，有职位在身的人为学生写推荐信会更有说服力，能助力学生被录取——这是对大学招生文化的误解——因为大学并不看重这些。他们关心的撰写推荐信的人够不够了解学生，所以教了学生3年的老师说了什么要比一位和学生没有什么交集的大学教授的推荐信重要得多。在大学申请过程中，可信度非常重要。

着手申请前后，你都可能会有在面试阶段或是访校期间向招生官提问的机会。我们的建议是，不要问那些在学校网站或招生资料上就能找到答案的问题，那会浪费机会和时间——比如你们有某种某种专业吗？你们学校有多少学生？师生比例等等？要问那些主观性答案的问题，例如：

你们怎样界定学生是成功的？

你们认为学生最宝贵的素养是什么？

对于大学生，你们最赞赏的品质有哪些？

能否具体说说学生是怎样参与社区活动的？

……

启明星学生和启明星大学展会的招生官交流

大学招生官访问启明星校园系列活动

Top universities are looking for smart and interesting students!

Melissa Meltzer Warehall

Head of College Counseling, 

Daystar Academy

Michelle Liang

College Counselor, 

Daystar Academy

College admissions officers told us that what they say is what they mean. For example, if they say “test optional”, there is no need to overthink it.

In recent years, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, American universities have adjusted their policies on standardized test scores for various reasons. Some don't allow or require standardized scores like the SAT (Test Blind), while others allow applicants to decide whether to submit them (Test Optional). However, many Chinese families still hope that high scores will add something special, or be on the safe side by striving for high scores on standardized tests, however that is not always true. 

For universities that value scores, scores are just one data point that is part of the holistic evaluation of the applicant. Colleges spend only a few seconds looking at scores whereas they spend the majority of their reading of applications, carefully examining transcripts, essays, activities and letters of recommendation.

According to FairTest, 85 American universities (including CalTech) currently don't look at or consider standardized scores (they are Test Blind), and 1,937 are Test Optional. This means that 2,022 American universities no longer require standardized scores. After starting classes, applicants who didn’t submit standardized scores perform at a similar level to those who did. Not requiring standardized scores is becoming the new norm.

The answer is to spend more time and energy thinking about who you are and what you want. For example, students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 shouldn't take the TOEFL because the test isn’t designed for this age group. Instead, they need to spend time exploring the activities and courses they enjoy, be it programming, swimming, basketball, art, or anything else. Then they will be better able to think about who they are and more thoroughly prepare for their future application essays.

In fact, students shouldn’t take the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo English Test until the end of Grade 11 because the test is designed for students who have had at least three years of high school instruction in English. According to Daystar’s College Counselors, the best preparation for doing well on a standardized test of English is doing well in school, especially at a bilingual school, like Daystar.

Between grades 8 and 11, it's highly advisable to visit the college campuses in person before formally applying. For example, Brown University highlights its open undergraduate curriculum and encourages students to switch majors freely and explore areas in which they are interested. When we visited Brown, the university arranged student guides to meet with us. They shared about how they selected their majors and anecdotes about Brown. It was impressive to see the level of respect the school had for its students. The immersive and inspiring feeling of visiting a campus cannot be experienced by browsing the school's website or social media.

Prior to visiting, we suggest you do research and select different types of schools to visit, such as those in urban or rural areas, large or small universities, comprehensive or liberal arts colleges, etc. This way, you'll have a general understanding of various types of schools. Then, when you apply to schools, even if you haven't visited them, you can still have an idea of what the schools are like and decide whether they are suitable for you.

Another benefit is that it makes your application essays more targeted. Essays are an important platform for demonstrating your interests and your values. Campus visits allow you to understand the school's opportunities and give you examples to use about how your interests and values align with the college’s, thus making your essays more pursuasive by demonstrating your understanding of the college’s personality and unique qualities.

Campus view in California, provided by Michelle Liang

Every summer vacation, the Daystar college counseling team takes students to visit overseas universities. We are looking forward to taking you with us!

When applying to American universities, students get to submit descriptions of their extracurricular activities. What do admissions officers value? One officer told us that, apart from the list of activities, they also look at the level of involvement. For example, has the student committed to an activity over a long period of time? Has an activity provided opportunities for leadership? Do the activities align with the student’s interests and their intended major?

Some families believe that having an important or well-known person write a recommendation letter can be more persuasive and boost the chances of admission. However, this is a common misunderstanding. Universities are not at all concerned with this aspect of the letter. Rather, they care about whether the person writing the recommendation letter knows the student well. This means that what a teacher who has taught the student for three years says is much more important than a letter from the school’s principal, or from a university professor, who has little interaction with the student. Credibility is key.

Before or after starting the application, you may have the chance to ask admission officers questions, either during a campus visit or when you have an interview. Our advice is to not ask questions that can be answered by the school's website or admissions marketing materials, such as "Do you have a certain major?" or "How many students attend the school?" This is simply a waste of time. Instead, ask questions that require subjective answers, such as:

How do you define a successful student at your university?

What do you think are the most valuable qualities in students?

Can you tell me about how your students get involved in the community around the campus?

What are some of your favorite qualities of students at your university?

...

It's important to understand that universities have institutional priorities when deciding who to admit. Admissions officers have to balance the number of students in different majors, the representation of different ethnic groups and different perspectives, and whether the college bands or sports teams need students with specific talents. For example, admissions officers at Boston University told us during a workshop that they are looking for students interested in media studies and are looking for fewer students interested in engineering. 

Some universities are transparent about their priorities, and some are not. It's also not always evident from the university’s website or admissions materials. Therefore, it is not possible to “game the system” and try to meet an institutional goal. Instead, the job of the applicant is to demonstrate how and why they are a good candidate to be successful at that university, academically and as a future member of the school’s community.

Students should prepare themselves academically and be interesting as individuals. They should also communicate with the college admission counselors, who act as a bridge between the students and universities. The counselors will update students and families on the latest application and admissions information and help promote their students to the school. This is why we participated in the IACAC and NACAC conferences and recently held the Daystar College Fair. Admissions officers from the United States and United Kingdom attended these events and had in-person interactions with students, parents and your college counselors.

College representative session at Daystar