想要进入美国名校你需要知道这些事儿!
出国留学，去往美国留学，想要进入美国名校你需要知道这些事儿!
Admissions decisions aren’t all about you.
When colleges choose applicants, they’re juggling competing goals, like increasing diversity and bringing in more revenue. Admissions officers aren’t looking for students who fit just one description — say, those who’ve earned all A’s or won the most awards. So don’t take rejection personally.
大学在挑选申请者时，会从全面的角度去考虑。比如多元化、国际化;增加收入等等。招生官想要的绝不是简单满足他们要求的学生，很多成绩优秀或者奖项众多的学霸也得不到梦校的青睐。所以，不要觉得被拒了就一定是个人原因。
美国留学成绩好不好是中国衡量学生的最大的权重，但在美国却不是学生进入top50的最重要因素。这些学校一般对于书虫类的学生没有兴趣，排名越靠前的学校越是如此，work hard 并不是他们对你的期待，他们很多时候希望在你的留学文书中看到你是一个如何能适应环境并且生存竞争力强的人。
Grades and test scores still carry the most weight.
Colleges often say they want to get to know the real you, but that’s probably true only if your academic accomplishments (and the rigor of courses you’ve taken) pass muster.
美国留学成绩和分数依然是很重要的!虽然学校希望你真实，有丰富的经历、独特的个性，但是别忘了，只有当你的成绩达到了学校的要求，才能进入学校的视野，获得进入学校的机会。所以，语言考试、绩点什么的，还是要努力!
You’re more than a number.
After colleges identify a big batch of students with outstanding credentials, differences among them become more important, admissions deans say. Among some of the attributes they tell me they would like to see evidence of (in essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations) are: leadership, risk taking, emotional intelligence, fire for learning, critical thinking, curiosity, empathy, optimism, grit, perseverance and the ability to overcome obstacles.
很多招生官说：在学校找出一大批条件优秀的学生后，他们之间的差异性很重要。他们希望能通过文章、课外活动、推荐信等内容，看出学生的品质，例如领导力、冒险精神、情商、学习热情、批判思维、好奇心、同情心、乐观、毅力、坚持、克服障碍的能力等等。
美国留学美国人的思想：我们要的是80分的满分选手。你需要在你的文书里证明除了80分的成绩之外，你参与的那些活动，你做过的事情，你在活动中服务过哪些其他人。在其他方面，你把20分补全，你会成为美国人眼中潜力种子 ——看，你花了这些精力在考试中取得了80分的成绩，你还在社区服务过群众，你还在马拉松中当过志愿者，你还在山区支过教，你是一个丰富多彩、潜力无限的人，而不是一个无聊的学霸。
Express your authentic self.
Overwhelmed by slick, boastful essays, colleges are eager for what they call “authentic” glimpses of applicants — their experiences, passions and goals. Some deans believe they’ll get deeper insight through alternative formats like videos, pictures, audio files or documents (an Advanced Placement English paper, maybe). A handful of prestigious schools, including Yale, the University of Chicago, Pomona College, Reed College and the University of Rochester, recently introduced this option. As with essays, too much polish is no good, deans say, so you might think twice about hiring a professional videographer. At Yale, about 400 applicants (out of nearly 33,000) for this year’s freshman class sent in something in an alternative format. In at least one case, the submission — a video showing leadership and impact on others — was, the dean told me, a “difference maker.”
美国留学表达真实的自我。看过太多华丽的辞藻，大学希望对申请人有真实的了解，例如：自我的经历、爱好和目标。一些招生官认为，通过其他灵活一些的形式，如视频、照片、音频、证书，可以更好的了解学生。世界顶尖名校，包括耶鲁大学、芝加哥大学等，都推出了这个选项。提交其他形式的申请材料是有可能起到作用的，只要有增加录取几率的方式，都可以进行尝试。
Diversity counts.
Are you a first-generation or low-income student? Many colleges are trying to increase access, so it can help to emphasize your background — and how your personal story relates to your achievements — in essays and interviews. Admissions officers are thinking harder about socioeconomic context, such as the quality of an applicant’s high school, to better understand the opportunities they’ve had and the challenges they’ve faced.
在文书和面试中强调你的背景以及个人故事与成绩之间的关系可能会有用。招生官正在逐渐加强对社会经济背景，比如申请人的高中质量的考量，以便更好地了解他们面临的机会和挑战。
But money does matter.
At many colleges, financial circumstances comes into play. Being able to pay all or some of the freight is a bonus. And some qualified students of limited means might get rejected for no reason other than lack of money.
很多学校，经济状况也会影响你是否能被录取。能够支付全部或部分费用是加分项目。一些资格符合条件但经济拮据的学生也会被学校拒绝。
Geography is (partly) destiny.
Many selective colleges want students from all over, ideally from all 50 states. Last year’s presidential election illuminated the urban-rural divide, which some colleges have been trying to bridge by paying closer attention to promising applicants from less-populous areas. Generally, a Northeastern college will look more favorably on an applicant from Montana than an equally strong one from the Northeast.
许多学校希望招到来自世界各地的学生。一些高校一直试图通过加大对来自人口不稠密的地区的优秀申请者更多的关注，来弥补城乡差距。总体来说，在同等条件下，学校可能更偏向于选择非本地的学生。
Legacies aren’t a shoo-in.
Legacy status certainly helps, but big-name colleges reject plenty of these applicants. Don’t assume Mom or Dad’s connections alone will get you in.
靠关系是不会让你进入学校的。还是努力提升自己吧。
Do (real) good.
A new initiative called “Turning the Tide” urges admissions offices to reward applicants for sustained community service. And some colleges, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are taking a closer look at what applicants have done to help others, be they neighbors or family members. You don’t have to fly to Belize to do good (admissions officers are often skeptical of these fleeting trips). Showing up to tutor someone at the library each week might be even more impressive, and rewarding.
一项名为“ Turning the Tide”的新举措要求招生官们鼓励申请人参与持续的社区服务。公益或者慈善能改善学校对你的印象。尤其是日常生活中为帮助他人做了哪些事情。比起短暂的慈善或者公益活动，招生官更愿意看到你每周去图书馆当辅导老师的行为。
Colleges want to be your first choice.
About one in five colleges allot “considerable importance” to “demonstrated interest,” whereby applicants convey their willingness to attend the college they’re applying to. Open those emails. Connect with admissions officers. Let them know when you visit campus. Only those who are sure about their first choice and don’t need to compare financial aid packages should choose the strongest expression of demonstrated interest: applying early decision, which is binding.
把梦校当做你的首选。五分之一的学校认为申请者对学校表现出的兴趣很重要。对学校表现出强烈的想去的意愿，不比较奖学金，才能打动招生官。
