高三的同學們，當你們在寫院校申請材料時，最重要的是要了解美國的招生官們想了解中國學生的哪些方面。當你們清楚地知道這些以後，就可以避免很多學生在書寫文書和提交申請材料時經常會犯的錯誤。

　　Senior 3’s, as you are writing your college applications it is important for you to know what the American deans of admission are looking for from Chinese applicants.   If you know what they are looking for you can avoid the common mistakes that many students make each year as you write your essays and applications. 

　　眾所周知，進入中國的大學通常只依靠考試成績。這大概讓你們很難相信，相比於考 試成績，美國大學更看重你們在高中時期的課程及每一科的綜合評分。在看過這些之後，美國大學才會去看你的考試成績來判斷你是否有能力在學校學習，依靠這些 對你做出評估。他們通過閱讀你的申請材料和你的文書來看你能否對課堂討論做出貢獻。院校招生官們在全世界範圍內探尋多樣性思考問題的學生。比如何考試更重 要的是你如何去思考，書寫和表達。同時，課堂討論、辯論和質疑也比你在美國教室學習時的一個答案有意義得多。

　　You know that test scores  alone get you admitted into the Chinese universities. It is hard for you to believe that the American universities value the strength of your high school curriculum and your grades even more than your test scores.  And after looking at your curriculum, your grades, and then your test scores to see if you can do the work at the college, the American colleges measure your character.  They read what you write on your application and your essay to measure what contribution you will make to the classroom discussions.   The college admissions deans are searching all over the world to get diversity in the way that students think.  More important than how you test is how you think, write, and speak.   Classroom discussion, debate, and questions are more important than answers when you are learning in an American classroom.

　　在了解了美國院校看重的是你如何思考而不是你如何考試以後，你就能理解中國學生在申請時經常犯的錯誤了。

　　Understanding that the US colleges are looking for how you think  and not how you test will help you to understand these common mistakes made by Chinese applicants.

　　第一個錯誤是，在書寫文書的時候寫上你的考試成績。事實上，院校已經通過你或者你的高中寄出的資料了解了你的考試成績。

　　The first mistake is when asked to write an essay, you write about your test scores.  The college already knows your test scores that were sent in by you or your high school.

　　第二個最普遍的錯誤是寄送了過多的補充材料。中國學生寄送從一年級以來獲得的證 書、獎項、還有證書的複印版本。相信你很驕傲你所獲得的證書，確實，你非常努力參加了很多比賽才贏得這麼多的獎項。但問題是每個申請美國大學的中國學生都 寄送很多沒有被要求的材料。閱讀這些材料反而阻礙了對學生的評估。如果你沒有寄送額外的材料卻清楚地表現出你想做什麼，你將會從你的同學們中脫穎而出。

　　The second most common mistake is sending too many supplementary materials.  Chinese students send certificates, prizes, and copies of certificates that they have earned since first grade.   You are very proud of your certificates, and rightly so, you have worked very hard for them with an enormous amount of competition to get those prizes.  The problem is that every Chinese student who applies to college sends too many materials that are not requested.  All of those things to read get in the way of evaluating the student.  You will stand out among your classmates if you do not send extra materials and standing out is what you want to do.

　　第三，很多中國學生會提交給招生官一個封皮上印着他們照片的小冊子或者一本書，用照片和文字故事去描述自己的生活。這些冊子其實是浪費時間和錢財的一項工作，在這個世界上沒有其他人會寄給他們這些東西，因為學校是不想花時間去瀏覽這些冊子的內容的。

　　Many Chinese students have a small book or booklet printed with their picture on the cover and a picture and word story of their life for the admissions officer.  These booklets are a waste of time and money and no one else in the world sends them because the colleges do not want to spend any time looking at these booklets.

　　第四，當被要求回答學校申請的問題“為什麼你想去賓夕法尼亞大學、戴維森學院或 者南加州大學”時，很多中國學生會寫這個大學是多麼地漂亮，進入這個大學學習是多麼大的榮譽。其實這些大學是想了解你，而不是他們已經知道的關於他們大學 的東西。他們希望你說出你到底是怎麼樣的，你喜歡學習什麼，你喜歡做什麼運動，你喜歡聽什麼音樂，你有多麼了解你申請的學校里的學生到底是什麼樣的。

　　When answering the application question, why you want to go to the University of Pennsylvania, or Davidson College, or the University of Southern California (USC) most Chinese students write how beautiful the college is, how much of an honor it would be to go there.  The colleges want to learn about you, not what they already know about their college.  They want you to talk about who you are, what you like to study, what sports you like to play, what music you like to listen to, and how well you know what the students are like at the colleges where you are applying.

　　第五，很多中國學生想學習工程或者商業。美國大學不希望錄取一個跟其他中國學生 很像的學生。就算你真的想成為一個建築師或者會計師，也要寫一些別的你想學的，或者你喜歡讀的書，或者你喜歡看的電影。你可以寫一些關於中國的東西，例如 中國的歷史，中國的詩詞或者藝術，再或者生活在一個共產主義國家的你的成長曆程是什麼樣子的。也寫一些別人不會寫的東西，例如你的家庭或者你除了學習以外 的工作。

　　Most Chinese students want to study engineering or business.  The American colleges do not want to take students who are like all of the other Chinese students.  Even if you do want to become an engineer or an accountant, write about something else that you also like to study.  Or books you like to read.  Or movies you like to see.  Write about something Chinese such as Chinese history, Chinese poetry or art, or what it’s like to grow up in a Communist country.  Write something that everyone else isn’t writing about such as your family, or your responsibilities other than studying. 

　　當你申請美國大學的時候，改掉這五個普遍的錯誤會給你一個更好地機會，讓你有更多的大學去選擇。當你在書寫文書或者申請材料時產生了一些關於要寫什麼的疑問後，你可以把你的疑問發送給我。現在是時候去諮詢一個真正知道對於美國大學來說什麼東西最重要的美國教育專家了。　　Correcting these five common mistakes when applying to American colleges and universities will get you a better chance for more choices of places to go.   As you are writing your essays and applications and you have questions about what to write, send those questions to College Expert Joyce at blog.   Now is the time to ask an American educator who knows what is important to the colleges.  Send your questions to me.