1. What are the US students most concerned when applying schools? Is the US News ranking one of the sources?美國的學生選校時會參考大學排名嗎?是怎樣選校的?
When it comes to college, US high school students are generally looking for affordability, fun, and strong academic programs. Resources like scholarships and financial aid can be a huge determining factor in how a US student selects their colleges or universities. Many US students fear taking on too much debt, so many apply to schools that offer generous financial aid packages. Some students even choose to attend their local state university instead of an Ivy League school because in-state tuition for state universities is often cheaper than tuition for Ivy League institutions.
美國高中畢業生會考慮這樣幾個方面：我是否能支付的起學費，這間大學的生活是否有趣以及課程體系。就費用來說，獎學金和助學金起著決定性的作用。很大一部分美國學生不愿背負過多的債務，所以很多院校提供多樣的經濟援助。更有一群優秀的學生，他們進入當地州立大學就讀而不是選擇常春藤院校，就是因為實惠的州內學費。
Apart from affordability, US students are looking to explore and build fun memories while in college. College is a place of discovery where students try new things. Many students look for fun through social organizations like fraternities or sororities. Others become members of athletic organizations like club sports or intramural sports. Some students are just party animals who attend parties every weekend without having real extracurricular activities. Everyone’s definition of fun is different and US students are looking for institutions that can fulfill any interest, a place that they can call their second home.
除了學費問題，美國學生也很注重有意思的校園生活方式。大學是嘗試全新事物的地方，一些學生享受社交組織，如兄弟會、姐妹會。也有的學生喜歡體育組織，如俱樂部，一些校內范圍的賽事，當然也少不了派對狂人們。每個人對有趣的定義和追求不相同，美國學生希望去尋找能夠裝下他們興趣的校內組織，他們希望大學能有像家一樣的功能。
Strong academic programs are essential because students are looking for a school that will challenge them academically and help them grow intellectually. US students are also looking to gain critical thinking, communication, or career-specific skills that can help them succeed after they graduate from college. Since many US students hope to find a job right out of college, it is important that colleges and universities can provide rigorous courses that prepare students for the real world.
美國學生對課程體系也很重視，畢竟這能提升他們的學術能力并帶來綜合成長。美國學生希望提升批判性思維能力、交流能力以及職業技能。美國有不少學生希望在本科畢業后開始職業生涯，所以能提供高水平課程的大學非常重要。
The US News ranking is a common resource for US students and helps them better understand the overall quality of different academic institutions. However, ranking is not the main factor when US high school students select their schools. I previously mentioned that US students are looking for a college that they can call home.
USnews排名對美國學生來說也是一項用于了解大學的公眾資源。但是，排名不是美國高中學生擇校的主要原因，我之前有講過美國學生希望大學能有像家一樣的功能。
As a result, US students consider an institution’s culture and living environment. If a student has always lived in a city and hates nature, he or she would probably not choose to attend a school that is isolated in the mountains. If a student is a foodie, the student might want to attend school in a city that offers a good variety of international cuisine. The typical US student is looking for a place where they can live comfortably while they study, not just a school that has a high ranking.
也就是說，美國學生除了考慮排名以外更重視大學的文化和生活環境。如果有一位學生他或她一直居住在城市里且對自然環境不感興趣，這位學生很難在一所位于深山里的大學里享受大學生活。我再舉個例子，如果一位學生是個“吃貨”，那么這名學生可能期待生活在一所位于大城市的大學，因為大城市通常都有各國美食。典型的美國學生考慮學習和生活一體化，二者能夠和自己的興趣結合，而不僅僅是單純的排名。
2. What should Chinese high school students prepare or practice before apply US universities?中國的高中生需要著重發展哪些能力，才能更好地符合美國大學的申請要求?
I think more Chinese students need to sit down and reflect on what they truly want to gain from college. Traveling to a foreign country for your undergraduate education is a big deal and more students need to think about the reasons why they are making this huge decision. Proper planning and goal setting can help Chinese students keep focused and succeed while they are adjusting to their new academic environment and experiencing culture shock. All college freshmen have to encounter a lot of new obstacles and difficulties and it is important that they have a strong reminder or vision that can motivate them to excel.
我認為中國高中生需要坐下來認真思考他們希望從大學中獲取什么。去異國求學是人生的一個重要決策，很多學生要思考為什么做出這個重大的人生決策。適當的計劃和目標導向能夠幫助中國高中生快速適應新的學習環境以及文化沖擊。所有大學新生都會遇到新的人生障礙、新的困難，然而如何戰勝這些障礙、困難和挑戰是重要的一課，要學會去擁有一個強大的內心。
3. What advice could you give to the Chinese students in essay writing? From your experience, what types of essays impress the admission officers most?您能給中國學生寫文書提一些什么建議?從您的經驗來看，什么樣的文書可以打動招生官?
I would advise students to avoid writing fictional stories for their college admissions essays. It will be difficult for a novice writer to produce a convincing or persuasive fictional story. Fictional stories by novice writers often include clichés and inconsistencies that tell the reader that the story isn’t true. Students have to remember that college admissions officers are very smart people who have done a lot of reading in their lives. It is better to write a true story that showcases your uniqueness and personality than to write a far-fetched story that lacks depth. The real emotion and deep critical thinking of a true story can be really persuasive.
我不建議寫虛構故事類的申請文書，對新手來虛構故事有難度而且不易打動招生官，新手寫的虛構故事往往充斥著陳詞濫調和前后矛盾，而這些都在無聲地訴說著這個文書有多么虛假。請學生們記住，大學招生官都非常精明，他們看過的文書不計其數。所以學生們最好寫那些能夠體現獨特個性的真實故事，真實故事散發的情感和展現的思維是最打動人心的。
4. From an elite school, I think you’d see many international students, what kinds of difficulties challenged the international students when they started studying in the US? Did you have Chinese classmates? In what way you helped your international school mates?
中國學生初到美國讀本科，可能會遇到哪些困難和問題?
During my time at Dartmouth, I have had friends who hailed from all over the world. Many international students at Ivy League schools struggle to adjust to their new workload. In college, many professors will assign their students a lot of projects, exams, and homework as if their students do not already have assignments from other professors. As a result, students often have to forgo sleep to finish their assignments on time. It is not uncommon for a student to sleep only 4 or 5 hours per night during the week of final exams.
我在達特茅斯學院就讀時，同學們來自世界各地。在常春藤院校可以見到非常多的國際學生努力地融入他們的新生活。本科階段的教授們會布置接連不斷的學習項目，考試測驗，家庭作業。每一位教授都會不斷的布置這些，根本不考慮學生有多少其他作業，哈哈。所以學生們不得不放棄一部分睡覺時間來做完這堆積如山的作業，考試前兩周，學生們每天只睡4、5小時是很平常的事情。
I helped my international classmates the same way I helped my American classmates. Attending an Ivy League institution is usually a challenge for the vast majority of students, so it is important that you have friends that also serve as your support system. When a friend of mine was too tired to attend class, I would give my friend my notes from that day’s lecture. When a friend needed advice or just needed someone to listen to their complaints, I would be there to help. Your college friends are very important, their presence can help you to succeed or influence you to fail.
我對我的國際生同學和美國同學一視同仁。在常春藤院校就讀無疑是重大的人生挑戰，對每個人都是如此，互相支撐的同學很重要。舉一個例子，我有個同學他太累了，我會把我的筆記借給他復習。我也會給出我最真實的意見和建議，我也會傾聽同學們的抱怨。大學同學很重要，他們真的能為你的成功助力，也能帶你直入深淵。
5. In the US, how do the students improve their English writing in high school and also freshmen year? How do the US students do to increase writing skills?
在美國的高中和大學(尤其是大一大二階段)，學生一般是如何提高英文寫作水平的?
US students improve their writing skills by writing a lot. The American system of education integrates writing into almost every discipline. For instance, I’ve had to write an essay in geometry class about how to apply the Pythagorean theorem in the real world. In science classes, students are often asked to write essays about new scientific discoveries or to write lab reports after conducting experiments. In English class, US students explore the different styles of writing and read countless examples of poems, biographies, novels, or plays.
寫的越多，寫作技巧越好—這就是美國學生們的寫作提升之道，美國教育重視寫作體現在方方面面。比如，我曾經寫了一篇“如何在生活中應用畢式定理(勾股定理)”，那可是幾何課啊。還有在科學課上，教授常常要求學生寫有關科學新發現的小論文;當然每做完實驗必寫實驗報告。英文課上就更不用說了，美國學生在課上學習不同的文體，閱讀不同題材的詩歌，傳記，小說和戲劇。
Many US universities and colleges also emphasize the importance of writing by requiring freshmen to take one or two writing courses. In many writing classes or seminars, students are taught the different styles of writing and read a book for each category. For instance, if your writing class is focusing on the narrative writing style, your professor might assign some reading that uses this writing technique and then will ask you to write a narrative essay. The goal of these writing classes or seminars is to equip students with coherent and organized communication skills.
美國大學重視寫作也體現在對新生的選課要求上—新生必須選擇一到兩門寫作相關課程。寫作課或者寫作研討班上，學生得以閱讀不同種類的文體以及嘗試寫作。如果在敘述寫作課上，教授會講解敘事寫的不錯的例文，然后分析寫作技巧，最終要求學生進行嘗試。寫作課程或者研討班目的就是讓學生獲取清晰、規律地溝通協作技巧。
