解读美国大学招生录取过程的4个关键
As a prospective international student, maybe you’ve been thinking about studying abroad for some time, but haven’t decided yet which country to go to. There are, of course, many countries with top-notch universities.
However, there are some ways that U.S. universities differ from those in many other countries, especially when it comes to the undergraduate admissions process.
许多学生有出国留学的想法，很多人或许现在就在为出国留学做准备，但你们中也有一部分人却还没决定该去哪个国家留学。当然许多国家都拥有一流的大学，然而，美国大学在本科录取阶段跟其他国家的大学会有一些不同。下面小编就为你列举几个不同，以供正打算去美国留学的朋友参考。
The U.S. does not have a centralized admissions process. As you may already know, you can apply to any university you want, and to as many universities as you want, in the U.S. Unlike many countries, the U.S. does not have a centralized admissions process, which can be both a good and bad thing.
It’s a good thing because it gives you more liberty and freedom in choosing which schools to apply to, but it also means much more work on your part, because you then need to prepare different applications for different universities.
If you are looking to study somewhere with a wider variety of opportunities, then the U.S. could be the right place for you. Not only do you get to meet people from all around the world, but you also can become a well-rounded person.
1、美国本科录取并没有一个集中录取过程
如你所了解的，在美国，你可以申请任何一所你想就读的大学，同时你也可尽你所想，向多个高校递交申请。美国跟大部分其他国家不一样，美国的本科生录取过程不是集中式的。当然，这样的方式有好也有坏。
说它有好处是因为，在向学校递交申请时，这种录取方式给了你更大的选择空间与选择自由。但这也意味着，就你自己而言，你要做的事情就多了，因为你要给不同的院校递交不同的申请，你要做的准备工作自然就多了。
如果你是想去一个选择更多，机会更多的国家，那么美国就是一个不错的选择。在这里，你不仅可以与来自世界各地的人们打交道，同时你自己也可以成长为一个全方面的人。
Many colleges give the ability to apply early decision. Applying early decision is another concept that is pretty foreign to students outside of the U.S. Basically, if you really like a university and are set on that university as your top choice, early decision gives you the opportunity to apply and be accepted at an earlier date to that university.
However, there are certain restrictions. You can typically only apply early decision to one university, and are required to attend if you are admitted.
The chances of getting accepted through early decision are higher than applying through the normal admissions processes, and getting accepted through early decision helps you avoid a stressful spring waiting for admissions decisions.
2、在美国，许多高校接受提前申请决定
提前申请决定这一概念对国外留学生来说是不错的选择。一般来说，如果你真的很喜欢某一个学校，而且也已经下定决心把这个学校作为你的第一选择，接受提前申请给了你更大的机会就会递交申请，同时更早地被你所心仪的院校录取。
但是，这里有一个限制，你只能对一所学校做出提前申请决定，如果你的申请被接受了，你必须入读这所学校。
提前做申请决定，被录取的机会比正常的申请录取流程更大。另外，通过早做申请被录取可以帮助你避免春季等待录取结果时的压力。
U.S. colleges employ a holistic admission process. Unlike that of universities in some other countries, the admissions process for U.S. universities is rather difficult. Students need more than just good grades to get accepted into top-notch universities.
Most U.S. college admissions committees believe that students need to do well academically as well as participate in extracurricular activities. And even if you are a chemistry major, you will still need to take classes in subjects like history and sociology.
This requirement to be well-rounded means that U.S. college admissions offices typically ask students for a number of things as part of an application, including SAT or ACT scores, TOEFL results, recommendation letters and personal statements and essays.
The personal statement is a type of essay where applicants can highlight traits or information that might not be expressed on a transcript. It’s a chance to show a different side of yourself, and a chance to differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Although this makes the application process somewhat more difficult, it can also make it easier. Maybe you didn’t do as well in terms of academics, but showed passion and dedication through related activities outside of the classroom. There is still a possibility that the university will show interest in you and give you a chance.
3、美国大学的录取过程要求非常全面。
跟其他一些国家的大学不一样，美国大学的招生录取过程更困难。学生想进入一流院校，仅靠高分是不行的。
美国大部分的招生委员更加青睐那些不仅在学业上取得好成绩，同时还积极参加课外活动的学生。即便你学的专业是化学，你仍需选上一些历史学、社会学课程。
这个非常全面的要求意味着，美国招生委员办公室会将许多方面作为申请的一部分内容，包括SAT分数、ACT分数、TOEFL结果、推荐信以及个人简介和学术文章。
个人介绍要求强调突出个人特征，而这些是成绩单里没有表现出来的。这是一个展示你另一面的机会，也是一个机会突出你自己与其他人不同。
这些可能让申请流程在某些程度上看起来困难了点，但这也让录取变得更容易。或许你在学业成绩上的表现不是很好，那么你可以通过最近你参加的课外活动展示的热情与奉献精神。这也可能会让院校对你感兴趣而考虑给你机会。
U.S. colleges offer a variety of majors and don't require students to declare immediately. I personally found it very interesting that students at many U.S. colleges can attend university as an "undecided" major – up to the end of their second year, in some cases. In contrast, the education system in my home country asked that applicants most definitely have a concrete idea of what they want to study and what they want to do with their lives by the time they apply.
In fact, applying to universities in my home country means applying to a specific program. However, in my experience, U.S. universities give students the first two years to experiment with different courses and see what they are most interested in – which means students are less likely to waste money doing things they don’t enjoy.
There is also an incredibly wide range of courses and majors to choose from at U.S. colleges. This can be overwhelming at first, but on the other hand, it lets you explore many more fields. It also gives you the opportunity to learn things you would never have the opportunity to learn outside the U.S., and how to think through different perspectives.
4、美国大学有各种各样的专业可供选择，而且你不必立即做出决定。
美国大学里学生可参加自己没有选的专业课程，有时候直到第二年这些学生才选定专业，我对此很感兴趣。相反，在我自己国家的教育系统里，当学生递交申请时就会让申请者决定他们想学什么，确定他们所选的确切专业。
事实上，在我的国家填报大学就意味着选定了专业。然而，在美国，学校给学生前两年的时间参加不同的课程，然后看他们对哪个课程最感兴趣。这也就是说学生更可能少的浪费钱去做那些他们不喜欢的事。
而且，美国的大学里拥有你难以置信的广泛的课程和专业可供选择。刚开始你可能会被淹没在这些课程里面，但另一方面，这也给你在更多的领域做出尝试提供了机会。同时，这也给了你更多的机会去学习那些在美国外你没有机会学习的东西，更能让你考虑不同的前景。