過關斬將 11名校競邀

我必須聲明，我並非專業的大學輔導員，也絕非神童。但我最近接到十一所知名大學的錄取通知，包括哈佛、史丹佛、普林斯頓和耶魯等，我希望 (除了我的個人經歷以外)以我個人的經驗，針對正在申請大學的高中生和家長提供建議，希望能夠有所幫助。

 我學到最重要的一點是，大學錄取制度之複雜實在無法解釋，有時甚至令人火冒三丈。有時候當我看到共同申請表(Common Application)網站上，所有代表還未填寫之補充資料的黃色方格時，仍忍不住怒火中燒。不輕易失去希望
 
事實上，根本沒有任何方法可以預測或評估，名校錄取委員會在眾多申請學生尋找的是什麼，一定有資歷優秀的申請者，莫名其妙的進不了他們應進的學校。錄取過程的隨機性質會使申請學生感到憤懣，如果太在意易讓人失去希望。我能給的最好忠告是坦然接受錄取制度的荒謬，希望爭取最好的結果，但不要讓自己的幸福建立在錄取結果之上。
 
熱情投入活動

在課外活動方面，把有意義的參與作為當務之急。不要花那麼多時間擔心獎勵和榮譽，集中精神培養對你所參與活動的熱愛，其他自然會跟著來。當然，你在從事的活動表現優秀不會被忽略，但真正令大學印象深刻的是投入。這與目前的趨勢相反，現在流行不用大腦的膨脹履歷，或是很多學生從事某些活動，只因為他們認為這是大學入學審核人員所想看到的。
 
不過話雖如此，選擇活動時若考慮到更上一層樓和獲得賞識的機會，還是較聰明的想法。可把握能夠從地區提升到州和全國水平的課外活動，例如演說與辯論或科學研究，應該佔去你花在課外活動的大部分時間。
 
要在學業活動和你確實熱愛的服務活動之間取得平衡，只是學業優秀學生還不夠，必須證明你是個有思維的公民，樂意為群眾利益採取行動，這些群眾可能是地方小學的學生，或是世界另一端的窮人。
 
趁早開始你有興趣的活動並持之以恆。共同申請表上有一個重要部分，不但要你填寫擔任過的領導位置和你所列出活動的成就，還要註明你參加的年數。所以趁早開始，努力成為最佳人才。
 
展現真正的你

自述論文已成為申請大學的最重要一環，透過論文陳述的內容，大學審核人員得以了解申請者的本質，這是成績單或考試分數所難以表述的。一篇好文章集中在能展現你的價值觀或品格的故事。找到合適的主題通常是個挑戰，在你找到最好的主題能讓你分享有力感人的內容之前，可能要重寫好幾遍。目標應是藉著一個特別的經驗，如何展現你的優點、積極的態度和承受壓力的風度，或是歷經重大困難仍努力不懈。
 
文章基本的結構包括描述經驗，接著寫出個人感想，最後以領悟到一個普世真理做結論。結論往往是最難寫的部分，可以包括對主題的其他洞察，你的世界觀明顯改變，或是非常重要的頓悟。也就是說，你文章的主題如何讓人了解你這個人、你的目標和你的世界觀?
 
提早開始撰寫你的文章，在修改和校對前讓內容沈澱發酵。允許其他讀者提出建議，但不要勉強修改，你的文章應純粹代表個人的看法。

我的未來在醫學

我計畫進入哈佛大學後主修人類發展與再生生物學，生物醫學研究一向吸引我，因為仍存在廣泛的未知境界，值得探索。

我希望能處於這個不斷演進之領域的前鋒，為社會利益進行研究，因為隨著年紀增長，幫助他人推動實質改變的能力也增加，我們有義務設法施展各自的能力。我希望在哈佛的研讀能使我具備足夠的潛能。我認為醫學研究可成為幫助他人的平台，因為每個醫學發現和進展，都有助於解決長久存在的問題。(宋凌蘭譯)
 
Maintain Perspective On Life and the Admission Process

By David Wang Disclaimer: I am no professional college counselor, nor am I a child prodigy by any stretch of the imagination. I was asked to provide perspective on the college admissions game, having recently clawed acceptance letters from eleven colleges and universities, including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale. I hope that the tips I give can be beneficial to at least a few of the high school students, and no doubt their parents, out there.
 
More than anything, I’ve learned that the college admissions system is inexplicable, unexplainable, and occasionally infuriating. There were moments when I looked at the Common Application website and all the yellow squares indicating supplements yet to be written with nothing less than hate.
 
The Proper Perspective

There is no way to predict or assess what a school’s Board of Admissions will be searching for among the piles of applications. There will be casualties, enormously qualified candidates who, for some inexplicable reason, do not get the acceptances they deserve.
 
The very randomness of the admissions game can make you bitter, can drain you of hope if you so allow it. The best advice I can give you is to take the absurdity of the system in stride, to hope for the best but never to allow your happiness to depend upon whatever result may come about.
 
Passion and Commitment

In your extracurricular activities, make meaningful involvement your foremost priority. Don’t spend as much time fretting about the accolades, honors, and awards. Concentrate on fostering a passion for the activities you decide to engage in and the rest will follow naturally. Certainly, excellence in your endeavors is not overlooked, but what truly impresses colleges is commitment, commitment that belies the current trend of mindless resume building, of students doing things simply because they believe that is what colleges want to see.
 
That being said, choosing your activities with an eye towards advancement and recognition opportunities would be a smart idea. Pursuits with clear paths from local to regional, state, and national levels, such as Speech and Debate or Science Research, should occupy the majority of whatever time you devote to extracurricular activities.
 
Good Student, Good Citizen

Be sure to balance academic-oriented activities with a few service-based activities you can be truly enthusiastic about. It is no longer enough to be an excellent student; you must show that you are a thoughtful citizen with a desire to take action for the benefit of those around you, whether they be students at a local elementary school or residents of an impoverished community halfway across the world.Begin activities in your areas of interest early and stick with them. A major component of the Common Application asks you to check off not only the leadership positions and accomplishments of your listed activity, but also the amount of years you devoted. Start early and strive to be the best.
 
Essays Reveal the Real You

Essays have become one of the most important components of any college application. It is only within your essay that colleges can gauge the true essence of the applicant, something they cannot assess by glancing at your transcript or standardized test scores.A strong essay is centered upon a story that sheds light upon your value system or character. Finding the right topic is usually challenging and several rewrites may be required before you find the perfect subject for which you have something incredibly potent and powerful to share. Your goal should be to show how a particular experience highlights your strengths, your positive attitude and grace under pressure, for example, or perseverance through incredible difficulties.
 
Your View of the World

A basic structure to follow includes a description of the experience, followed by personal reflection and concluded with a final awareness of a universal truth. The conclusion can often be the most difficult part to write and may include additional insight into the subject, a clear change in your view of the world, and perhaps a grand epiphany. Namely, how did the topic of your essay shed light onto who you are as a person, your goals, and the worldview you’ve come to embody?
 
Begin your essays early and allow them to simmer before you edit and proofread. Allow other readers to offer suggestions, but not to force changes upon your writing: your essay should be your vision, and yours alone.
 
My Future in Medicine

At Harvard, I plan to enter the Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology concentration. Biomedical studies has always enticed me because of the vast unknown that still exists to be explored.
 
I wish to be at the forefront of this evolving field, engaging in research for the benefit of society, for as we grow older, our ability to help others, to effect change on a truly meaningful scale, grows with us, and it becomes our duty to utilize this capacity to the utmost. I recognize the potential of medical research as a platform for helping others, for each discovery and advance in medicine provides an answer to a long-asked question.
 
資料來源：世界日報教育專刊