In 2006, I was admitted to Yale University with a full scholarship. Many friends came to me to study and asked me about my application. I would like to share my story with you here.
If you want to successfully apply for a prestigious American school, you must first understand the selection criteria of a prestigious American school. Compared with domestic universities, American universities not only pay attention to excellent grades, but also examine students' comprehensive quality from the aspects of writing ability, innovative thinking, passion, sense of justice, self-confidence and leadership ability. Therefore, TOEFL and SAT scores, GPA ranking of high school scores (which can be regarded as grade ranking of subject test scores in China), performance in extracurricular activities, community service, teacher's recommendation letter and personal application articles are all very important. In short, the process of applying to American universities is a process of getting through.
The first level, standardized examination.
The so-called standardized test refers to TOEFL and SAT. After passing the TOEFL test, it was followed by the impact of the "American College Entrance Examination"-SAT. There is no official SAT test center in Chinese mainland, so Hong Kong has naturally become the first choice for many students. I joined the army to take the exam in Hong Kong. As the tide of undergraduate going abroad intensifies, the SAT test sites in Hong Kong are full. In recent years, Macau, Singapore and even Thailand have become the targets for China students to take the SAT. In fact, there are "secret" SAT test sites in Chinese mainland, which are distributed in international schools in major cities, but only students from international schools can take the test at these test sites.
SAT test is divided into SAT I and SAT II. Academic aptitude test (USA)
II Under normal circumstances, students are free to choose some subjects they are interested in and good at, so most students in China choose mathematics and physics, which is not difficult compared with China. The most challenging thing is to master English vocabulary, especially chemistry. If you are not careful, you may miss full marks. Academic aptitude test (USA)
I am divided into three parts: reading, math and writing. Words are the foundation of everything, and we must not ignore them. This is the guarantee of reading well. The grammar of the writing part is a high-level "one topic is worth 10 thousand", which is almost always to correct the wrong questions and focus on summary. As long as you record the mistakes in various questions in the preparation for the exam, you can practice a pair of "eagle eyes" and find out the mistakes you are looking for instantly. Compared with English that needs to be honed, SAT
Mathematics in I is a veritable "side dish", which makes China students feel confident.
The second level is the application procedure.
After I broke through the SAT, I started to apply for Yale University. There are many materials to be prepared, which can be summarized as: various forms, application articles, school transcripts, SAT and TOEFL transcripts, teachers' letters of recommendation, official publications or individual award certificates, copies of academic papers, etc. It is very important to apply for an article, because on the one hand, you can let the Admissions Committee know your writing level, on the other hand, you can show a vivid you to the Admissions Committee through words.
At that time, I sent all kinds of completed forms and application articles to Yale University ... Of course, I also sent a thick stack of competition certificates, copies of certificates and award-winning papers. I also scanned the article I published in the high school edition of Inside and Outside the Classroom about my participation in the summer research activities of Hotchkiss Middle School in the United States and sent it by email. A few days later, I received a reply from Yale, informing me that I had received my email. This is the first time Yale has sent me an email, and I can't help but feel glad: it's probably a play!
The third level, interview
In the middle of 2006 10, the interview notice floated in. My interviewer is a graduate of Yale, a graduate student of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a foreign teacher of China Geo University. He is peaceful and casual, but sharp and rigorous, young and calm and wise.
The interview was held in a small cafe not far from Geo University. After more than three hours of interview, it seems that every sentence I answer can give the interviewer room to continue to "play", such as "What does your father do?" "Doing physics research" "Oh, physics, which field?" Field theory, condensed matter. So, string, witten, quantum hall effect, Dan
Xu …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… In addition, the current situation of education and scientific research in China, the college entrance examination, the novels I have read and the main contents of several papers I have made have all become the topics of the interview. Therefore, it is difficult to prepare for the interview, and it is very important to accumulate it at ordinary times.
After these three levels, we should wait for good news. June 5438+February 65438+May 2006, the notice from Yale came quietly. I got up in the morning and knocked on my mailbox. My mother joked, "As long as I see it,
congratulations
Everything will be fine! "The familiar page pops up," Congratulations, Annie "looms large. In this way, I was successfully admitted to Yale.
Path interpretation
With the arrival of 2008, students who plan to study abroad should start preparing for their applications in 2009. The application cycle of European institutions is divided into two categories: one is to enroll in August and September every year, and apply in the second half of the year before enrollment, and the deadline for application is April and May of the year of enrollment; The other is to enter school in 65438+ 10 every year, and the application time lasts from the beginning of the year before admission to September.
Most universities in the United States take 65438+February 3 1 or 65438+1 October1as the deadline for submitting normal applications. However, for the sake of humanity, some universities allow applicants to choose a favorite institution to apply in advance. The deadline for early application is usually 165438+ 10/0, and the applicant can know the result on June 65438+February 1 5. If not accepted, the applicant can start a new business and submit a normal application to other universities before 65438+February 3 1. If there is enough time, all the application materials will be prepared in September, 65438+ 10 to avoid being in a hurry.