给初中生的建议:开始上大学的旅程

澳门威尼斯人网上赌场 dean of undergraduate admissions says applying to college is easier when you start with some introspection.

作者:罗伯特·亚历山大, 本科招生主任, 金融援助, 艺术类招生管理, 科学 & 澳门威尼斯人网上赌场工程系.

When you’re a junior in high school, applying to college can seem overwhelming. That’s one reason it’s an ideal time to start thinking about your choices. Beginning to think about college early allows you time to get organized and to break a long, 将多步骤过程分解为一系列较小的任务. With that mindset, you can approach the process with a lot less stress and a lot more confidence.

认识你自己

你可能想从列出一份潜在大学的名单开始. 但在列清单之前，先自省一下吧.

你不需要确切地知道你要去哪个专业或职业, but you should have some sense of which academic subjects and classes excite you. 你喜欢动手做实验吗, 或者你更倾向于小型课堂讨论? Are there specific extracurricular activities you’d like to pursue in college? 你是什么样的人啊, and where will you find classmates who both appreciate and challenge you, 他们会成为你一生的朋友?

我们每个人都有一个独特的故事, 当我们能够表达出来的时候, 我们在做人生决定时做了更好的准备, 包括申请哪所大学. 思考你自己的故事也可以指导你采取具体的步骤, 比如写入学论文, 决定向哪位老师索要推荐信, 以及在招生面试中你可能会问的问题.

Start developing your story by compiling your experiences and interests into a simple resumé format.

和你的父母或其他信任的成年人谈谈

谁是比别人更了解你的成年人? 谁能帮助你从不同的角度看待自己? Students often worry that they won’t measure up to the expectations of admissions committees. But remember, colleges aren’t looking for a single perfect archetypal student. 他们正在组织一堂课, and to do that they need a diverse array of students who are interesting in different ways.

你也应该坦率地谈谈大学的费用. If you will need to apply for scholarships or 金融援助, how much support will you require? If aid comes in the form of loans, how much debt are you comfortable taking on? 但是，不要让成本限制你选择哪所大学, since there can be a substantial gap between the so-called “sticker price” and the actual cost you bear, 在获得经济援助后. 试着使用净价计算器, such as the MyinTuition Quick College Estimator or the College Board’s Net Price Calculator, 这些都是大学必须在其网站上提供的信息. 你可以在澳门威尼斯人网上赌场找到这两种食物 成本计算器 页面. 你提供的家庭收入信息越准确, 资产, 上大学的孩子数量, 学习成绩, 你得到的估计就越准确.

联系你的咨询师

Schedule an appointment with your guidance counselor to talk through your ideas. They’ll want to get to know you if they don’t already, so bring that resumé. They’ll share with you the expertise and knowledge they’ve gained about various institutions from their years of guiding students who came before you. They may introduce you to some helpful online tools, such as the College Board’s 大未来, which offers resources to help you develop a college list based on parameters including size and location, 提供学术和课程, 校园服务. 同样，美国教育部的 大学导航器 使用户能够使用来自的数据并排比较学校 国家教育统计中心.

参观附近的校园

如果可能的话，计划在离家近的地方参观大学. 即使这些学校不在你的选择之列, touring them will offer you a better sense of what questions to ask and what to look for when you tour schools that do interest you. 如果你足够幸运，住在几所学校附近, 参观不同规模的学校, 学术焦点, 或者校园氛围.“如果你不能亲自拜访, remember that you can learn a lot about schools through their social media feeds and their websites, 这通常会使 虚拟访问. 你还可以观看学生表演和校园活动的视频.

当你做这些事情的时候， 试着想象你自己在那里.

列个名单，在招生处联系一下

到现在为止, 考虑到你的自省, 与家长和辅导员交谈, 亲自或在网上进行调查, 你应该准备好列清单了. You will probably have identified the types of academic programs that interest you, 你的财务需要, and considered such factors as whether you’d prefer a small or large institution, 或者是乡村，小城镇，或者大城市.

You may even know which schools have your favorite student clubs and athletics programs. 至少, 你会知道什么是你不能没有的, 而不是单纯的美好.

一旦你有了这个清单, use each school’s website to join their mailing lists to receive more information, 定期更新, 以及活动邀请. Most colleges have a web页面 showing which admissions staff member is assigned to you, 要么是因为你住在哪里，要么是因为你有特定的学术兴趣. 伸出手，自我介绍，开始问问题.

参加学校的展览会和活动

Find out when the schools on your list are hosting online info sessions or coming to your area. 很多发生在你大三的时候. 询问一切, including admissions application requirements and standardized testing policies – while these details can be found online, often there are nuances about how they factor into specific programs and scholarships. 不要害羞, because admissions counselors know you’ve been thrown a lot of information about their schools and likely several others. 没有人需要记住学校网站上的所有内容. Interacting with college reps show you are genuinely interested in the school, 它可以帮助你决定你是否认为它是一个潜在的合适人选. You can often have a chance to meet some local alumni or current students and parents, each of whom will have a unique perspective on the college and why it was a good choice.

展望未来

If you follow the steps above and determine that one school is a far better match than any others, 你可能想申请提前决定. 提前决定要求你提交申请, 包括推荐信, 在你大四的时候, 而不是冬天或春天.

但并不是每个人都适合提前决定. 大多数学生都想申请多所学校, 所有这些都很适合你, particularly if the amount of 金融援助 and scholarships awarded will be a major factor in your ultimate college choice.

很可能, 并不是只有一所大学适合你, 但有很多很棒的选择，你会在那里茁壮成长. If you’re consistently working hard, you will have amazing and appropriate college choices.

关于罗伯特·亚历山大

罗伯特·亚历山大, 本科招生主任, 金融援助, 艺术类招生管理, 科学 & 罗彻斯特大学工程系, has more than 22 years of 招生 management experience in higher education. He joined Rochester in June 2020 and previously served in senior admissions, 招生, 在米尔斯普斯学院担任沟通角色, 太平洋大学, 和杜兰大学.

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