《纽约时报》采访数百位“招生官”后，总结了留学申请的10大录取关键！
留学申请是一个非常复杂的过程，也是一门艺术。
每个申请者都会想尽办法调查心仪院校专业信息，优化文书，绞尽脑汁揣摩招生官的喜好，倾尽所能“讨好”招生官，就是为了博得招生官的青睐。
在一个申请季当中，一所学校收到的Application往往是上万封，所以招生官会从成绩、性格、经济实力等诸多方面进行考量。
正是这种没有统一标准的标准，有些时候会让两名看起来申请条件差不多的同学得到大相径庭的申请结果，也会产生一些所谓低分高录的现象。
究竟是哪些因素会主导大家的录取结果呢？
《纽约时报》根据十年来对数百名招生官的采访，依优先顺序总结出美国大学录取考量的十个方面，一起来看看吧。（以下10条，无论申请哪个国家，皆可参考）
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 deion — say, those who’ve earned all A’s or won the most awards. So don’t take rejection personally.
招生官在挑选申请人时，要兼顾互相矛盾的目标，比如提高多元化、满足国际性、满足地方保护、增加收入等等。
招生官寻找的，不只是符合简单描述的学生，这也就是为什么有些各科成绩都是A，或者奖项众多的学霸级学生没有收到录取通知书。
因此不要认为，被拒绝就一定是你个人的原因。
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.
学校经常说希望了解真实的你，希望学生具有丰富的个人经历，具有独特的爱好和出色的特长。
但只有当你的学习成绩（和你所上课程的严格程度）通过了学校的要求，才能进入学校的眼帘，才可能有机会进入学校。
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.
不少学校的招生办主任说过，在学校找出一大批条件优秀的学生后，他们的差异性开始变得更重要。
他们在这里会希望通过文章、课外活动、推荐信等证据，看出学生的某些品质，例如领导力、冒险精神、情商、学习热情、学习能动性、批判思维、好奇心、同理心、乐观、毅力、克服障碍能力、坚持等等。
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.”
在华丽和自夸的文章如潮水般涌来的时候，大学渴望对申请人有真实的了解。比如他们的经历、爱好和目标。
一些招生官认为，通过其他形式，如视频、照片、音频、证书，也是一些不错的方式。
世界顶尖名校，包括耶鲁大学、芝加哥大学等都推出的这个选项。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。
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.
很多学校强调多元化，并试图增加招收这类学生，因此在文章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。
招生人员会更加认真地考虑社会经济背景，比如申请人所在高中的质量，以便更好地理解他们曾经拥有的机会和面临的挑战。
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.
在许多大学里，经济状况是一个重要因素。
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被学校拒绝，有可能只是因为财力不足。
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.
很多择优录取的学校希望招到来自世界各地的学生，但不得不说，有些学校的选择凸显的城乡差距，有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，来弥补这种差距。
总体来说，在同等条件下，学校可能会选择来自城市化程度较高，或十分偏远的地区，或非本地的学生。
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.
二代身份的确有用，但大牌学校拒绝了很多这样的申请人。
不要以为只靠关系就一定能让你进入学校。
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.
学校正在加强对申请人日常表现的关注，尤其是日常生活中为帮助他人做了哪些事情，产生何种行为。
招生人员正在对短暂的慈善活动或公益活动进行辨别并持怀疑态度。每周去图书馆当辅导老师比偶尔飞去某城市做慈善更令人印象深刻，也更为有用。
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.
大约五分之一的学校认为，表现出来的兴趣相当重要。只有表现出对学校有十足的兴趣，并对第一志愿信心十足，不比较奖学金，才能让招生官获得共鸣。学生可以凭此表达他们申请学校的意愿，打开学校的大门。
随着绝大多数大学都将选择性提交标化政策延续到了下一申请季，加州大学甚至直接永久取消了对标化的要求。
未来的留学生们将要应对越来越低的录取率和越来越大的不确定性，所以慎重选择适合自己的学校。
不被普世价值观所左右，追逐少量的顶尖大学，而应该是添加更多目标和保底学校，这样对学生才更为重要。
来源：《纽约时报》 作者：Eric Hoover
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