1. What are the US students most concerned when applying schools? Is the US News ranking one of the sources?美国的学生选校时会参考大学排名吗?是怎样选校的?
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.
美国高中毕业生会考虑这样几个方面：我是否能支付的起学费，这间大学的生活是否有趣以及课程体系。就费用来说，奖学金和助学金起着决定性的作用。很大一部分美国学生不愿背负过多的债务，所以很多院校提供多样的经济援助。更有一群优秀的学生，他们进入当地州立大学就读而不是选择常春藤院校，就是因为实惠的州内学费。
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.
除了学费问题，美国学生也很注重有意思的校园生活方式。大学是尝试全新事物的地方，一些学生享受社交组织，如兄弟会、姐妹会。也有的学生喜欢体育组织，如俱乐部，一些校内范围的赛事，当然也少不了派对狂人们。每个人对有趣的定义和追求不相同，美国学生希望去寻找能够装下他们兴趣的校内组织，他们希望大学能有像家一样的功能。
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.
美国学生对课程体系也很重视，毕竟这能提升他们的学术能力并带来综合成长。美国学生希望提升批判性思维能力、交流能力以及职业技能。美国有不少学生希望在本科毕业后开始职业生涯，所以能提供高水平课程的大学非常重要。
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排名对美国学生来说也是一项用于了解大学的公众资源。但是，排名不是美国高中学生择校的主要原因，我之前有讲过美国学生希望大学能有像家一样的功能。
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.
也就是说，美国学生除了考虑排名以外更重视大学的文化和生活环境。如果有一位学生他或她一直居住在城市里且对自然环境不感兴趣，这位学生很难在一所位于深山里的大学里享受大学生活。我再举个例子，如果一位学生是个“吃货”，那么这名学生可能期待生活在一所位于大城市的大学，因为大城市通常都有各国美食。典型的美国学生考虑学习和生活一体化，二者能够和自己的兴趣结合，而不仅仅是单纯的排名。
2. What should Chinese high school students prepare or practice before apply US universities?中国的高中生需要着重发展哪些能力，才能更好地符合美国大学的申请要求?
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.
我认为中国高中生需要坐下来认真思考他们希望从大学中获取什么。去异国求学是人生的一个重要决策，很多学生要思考为什么做出这个重大的人生决策。适当的计划和目标导向能够帮助中国高中生快速适应新的学习环境以及文化冲击。所有大学新生都会遇到新的人生障碍、新的困难，然而如何战胜这些障碍、困难和挑战是重要的一课，要学会去拥有一个强大的内心。
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?您能给中国学生写文书提一些什么建议?从您的经验来看，什么样的文书可以打动招生官?
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.
我不建议写虚构故事类的申请文书，对新手来虚构故事有难度而且不易打动招生官，新手写的虚构故事往往充斥着陈词滥调和前后矛盾，而这些都在无声地诉说着这个文书有多么虚假。请学生们记住，大学招生官都非常精明，他们看过的文书不计其数。所以学生们最好写那些能够体现独特个性的真实故事，真实故事散发的情感和展现的思维是最打动人心的。
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?
中国学生初到美国读本科，可能会遇到哪些困难和问题?
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.
我在达特茅斯学院就读时，同学们来自世界各地。在常春藤院校可以见到非常多的国际学生努力地融入他们的新生活。本科阶段的教授们会布置接连不断的学习项目，考试测验，家庭作业。每一位教授都会不断的布置这些，根本不考虑学生有多少其他作业，哈哈。所以学生们不得不放弃一部分睡觉时间来做完这堆积如山的作业，考试前两周，学生们每天只睡4、5小时是很平常的事情。
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.
我对我的国际生同学和美国同学一视同仁。在常春藤院校就读无疑是重大的人生挑战，对每个人都是如此，互相支撑的同学很重要。举一个例子，我有个同学他太累了，我会把我的笔记借给他复习。我也会给出我最真实的意见和建议，我也会倾听同学们的抱怨。大学同学很重要，他们真的能为你的成功助力，也能带你直入深渊。
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?
在美国的高中和大学(尤其是大一大二阶段)，学生一般是如何提高英文写作水平的?
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.
写的越多，写作技巧越好—这就是美国学生们的写作提升之道，美国教育重视写作体现在方方面面。比如，我曾经写了一篇“如何在生活中应用毕式定理(勾股定理)”，那可是几何课啊。还有在科学课上，教授常常要求学生写有关科学新发现的小论文;当然每做完实验必写实验报告。英文课上就更不用说了，美国学生在课上学习不同的文体，阅读不同题材的诗歌，传记，小说和戏剧。
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.
美国大学重视写作也体现在对新生的选课要求上—新生必须选择一到两门写作相关课程。写作课或者写作研讨班上，学生得以阅读不同种类的文体以及尝试写作。如果在叙述写作课上，教授会讲解叙事写的不错的例文，然后分析写作技巧，最终要求学生进行尝试。写作课程或者研讨班目的就是让学生获取清晰、规律地沟通协作技巧。
