萬科梅沙書院2019-2020 秋季學期家長會升學咨詢辦公室致辭

萬科梅沙書院2019-2020 秋季學期家長會升學咨詢辦公室致辭

鄧寧主任及美國專家Paul先生在家長會現(xiàn)場

升學咨詢辦公室團隊認為我們最重要的使命之一就是為學生提供各種工具，支持他們不僅僅可以成功地申請大學，并且學生們可以終生受用。當然，我們非常樂意教授學生們這些工具，而且還指導學生們?nèi)绾问褂眠@些工具以便于他們進入西方大學后，能夠更好的適應新的環(huán)境和文化，順利的完成從中國家鄉(xiāng)到異域的過渡。借助這些工具，我們相信學生無需到校外找別人幫助他們完成申請。相反，我們相信學生可以并且應該完成自己的申請，并學會依靠自己完成工作。

很多技能，比如批判性思維對學生的大學生活是至關重要的。其中一個例子是，當你演講時學會像你演講臺下的觀眾一樣思考。例如，學生需要了解大學招生官在尋找什么。為了錄取我，他(她)需要了解我什么?他們?yōu)槭裁匆以谒麄兊膶W校學習，我能貢獻什么將被視為有價值的?

解決問題的能力是我們幫助學生學習的另一項技能。學生在申請大學時精準的完成多種類型的申請，同時回答一些乍看起來似乎沒有意義的問題，這些都是展現(xiàn)如何解決問題的例子。就像我們教學生們的其他技能一樣，這些技能都可以轉(zhuǎn)移到生活中的許多方面。在這些情況下，未知情況可以被分解為各個組成元素，并且逐一解決。

文書寫作和簡歷寫作是我們試圖教給學生的兩個非常有價值的工具。期待我們的學生畢業(yè)后能夠具備有邏輯的，連貫的，準確的，簡潔的寫作能力。并且能力理解不同類型的寫作風格，以便在適當?shù)那闆r下正確使用它們。

我們在升學指導課程中教授的另一個工具是提問。在西方，在提出問題時，尤其是在大學階段，通常傾向于采用“直接的方法”。但是，知道要問“什么”，要問“誰”，有時學會“如何”去問一個問題是極其重要的。當一個人希望獲得有用的信息時，在適當?shù)臅r間并清楚的表達出來經(jīng)過深思熟慮的問題會產(chǎn)生大不相同的效果。實際上，這可能是所有工具中最強大的工具之一，學會深思熟慮的提問，可以應用到人生中數(shù)百種不同情況。

我們希望幫助學生探索可能性。大多數(shù)人會同意并非所有學校都適合所有學生。尋找適合的學校是所有的學生和他們的幾張需要在進入高中后盡早開始的工作。這不僅僅是學校排名或大小。學校研究要包括項目的優(yōu)勢、學校類型、城市和學校規(guī)模、費用、獎學金的可能性、實習、出國學習的機會以及許多其他因素有關。這些都是學生及其家庭在申請期之前需要認真研究的主題。

在考慮申請哪所大學的時候，我們希望學生能廣泛考慮。這意味著要挑戰(zhàn)自己，并在考慮某些選擇的同時走出自己的舒適區(qū)。他們需要嘗試理解并接受其他文化和學習方式，同時始終堅持自己的文化本源。

僅在美國，就有大約2500至3000所提供學士學位的大學，更不用說英國、加拿大和其他國家/地區(qū)的其他重要且可行的選擇。這意味著，在家庭內(nèi)部應該盡早開始認真的討論，學生要實現(xiàn)哪些目標，這些目標是否能在學生選擇申請的大學實現(xiàn)。在學生升入10年級時，關于該主題的家庭討論需要成為一個重要的并反復出現(xiàn)的話題，并且對選擇的學校要進行仔細研究。

在此期間管理期望和壓力也很重要，因為這可能是到目前為止學生生活中最繁忙、最緊張的時間。這個過程風險很好，最終結果也很重要。因此，CCO很早就為學生提供了一個供他們參考和遵守的時間表。他將有重要的截止日期和里程標記，學生應該仔細了解這些時間和事件，以免他們在進行各種大學申請時的工作時落后。

實際上，顯而易見，大學研究和申請過程中最重要的是提前計劃和預先準備。如果學生可以在許多申請要求和截止日期之前完成工作，至少在實際截止日期前一周準備和提交申請，那么此申請過程所產(chǎn)生的焦慮將大大減少。

在管理期望時，了解自己的實際水平非常重要，并非所有學生都符合哈佛的要求，這是可以(被理解)的，因為哈佛并不適合所有學生。好消息是世界上有許多高質(zhì)量的大學可供選擇。找到這些學校的要求，現(xiàn)實地匹配學生的能力，理解什么是自己可以預期的。當學生和他們的父母這樣做時，可以獲得積極且有些可預測的結果，這使學生能夠在原本困難的大學申請階段中取得進展，并獲得可接受的結果。這樣總會有驚喜的余地，沒有人反對讓學生放棄夢想學校，但是現(xiàn)實必須考慮申請任何可以被錄取的大學，因為這將減少錯誤期望產(chǎn)生的壓力。現(xiàn)實是，這種情況在大學申請者中是如此普遍。

最后，CCO希望學生追求自己的夢想，而不是別人的夢想。最終，學生將開始他們的生活的新階段，這將使他們能夠開始朝著特定方向發(fā)展自己的教育，技能和能力。我們希望這個方向是學生深思熟慮并全心投入的方向。因為如果將時間和精力投入這些目標，那么就有可能取得良好的結果。當人們?yōu)閷崿F(xiàn)自己的目標而努力時，夢想確實可以實現(xiàn)!

Opening Speech from College Counseling Officein VMA Parent’s meeting Fall 2019

The College Counseling Office (CCO) sees one of our most important missions is to supply students with tools that they can not only successfully apply to universities, but also to use for the rest of their lives. We are, of course, happy to teach students about the tools, but also how to use these tools so that when they arrive at a university, and many will matriculate into a western university somewhere, they will be able to more smoothly navigate the transition from their home in China to that new place and culture. With these tools, we believe that students will not need to go outside the school to have someone help them complete their applications. Rather, we believe that students can and should complete their own applications, and learn to rely on themselves.

Skills such as critical thinking will be critical in their university lives. Learning how to think like the audience that they are addressing could possibly be one of the first examples of this. For example, students need to understand what Admissions Officers are looking for. What does he or she need to know about me to consider me for admission? Why would they want me to study at their school, and what is it that I can contribute which will be viewed valuable?

Problem-solving is another skill that we help students learn. Completing the many styles of applications with the necessary precision, and sometimes answering unusual questions that do not seem to make sense at first, is a great example of how to problem-solve. And this, like the other skills we teach, are transferable to many other situations in life, where an unknown situation can be broken down into its components, and solved one piece at a time.

Essay writing and resume writing are two more extremely valuable tools that we try to teach students. In a vast majority of universities and careers in the world, being able to write logically, coherently, accurately and concisely are skills that will be expected of our students as they move forward. And the different types of writing styles need to be understood so they can be used properly in the appropriate circumstances.

Another example of the tools we teach in the CCO is question asking. In the west, the “Direct Approach” is often favored when question asking, and especially at the university level. But knowing WHAT to ask, WHO to ask, and sometimes most importantly of all, HOW to ask a question is critical. A well thought out question which is articulate and which is done respectfully at the appropriate time, makes all the difference in the world when a person hopes to get back useful information. In fact, this may be one of the most powerful tools of all, and one which, if done thoughtfully, will be transferrable to hundreds of situations throughout life.

We like to help students Explore The Possibilities. Most people will agree that not all schools are perfect for all students. And finding the appropriate fit is something that all students and their families need to begin working on early in their high school years. It’s not just what ranking or what size. It has to do with program strengths, school type, city and school size, cost, scholarship possibilities, internships, study abroad opportunities and many other things. These all are topics that students and their families need to research in earnest prior to the application period.

When considering where to apply, we like students to think broadly. That means challenging themselves and getting out of their comfort zones while considering some of the options. They need to try to understand and accept other cultures and ways of learning, while always hanging onto their own cultural identity.

There are somewhere between 2500 and 3000 bachelors level institutions in the United States, alone, not to mention the other important and viable options in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and elsewhere. This means that serious discussions within the family should start early about what goals should be sought and achieved with the selection of universities that students apply to. By the time students are in 10th grade, the discussions at home about this subject need to become an important, reoccurring topic and the options need to be researched carefully.

Managing Expectations and Stress during this period is also important, because it is perhaps the busiest and most stressful time in the students’ lives up to this point. The stakes are high and the end result is important. So, one of the things that the CCO provides students early is a timeline for them to consider and follow. It will have important deadlines and mile markers that should be observed carefully, so they do not get behind in their various university application obligations.

In fact, Planning ahead and Preparing in Advance, could easily be the very most important aspects of the university search and application process. If a student can stay ahead in the many requirements and deadlines, preparing and submitting applications at least a week before they are actually due, the anxiety created by this process will be significantly decreased.

And being realistic about one’s credentials is very important when managing expectations. Not all students will qualify for Harvard, and that is okay because Harvard is not the perfect fit for all students. The good news is that there are many high quality universities available in the world to choose from. It is a matter of discovering the requirements of these schools and matching the student’s credentials realistically to know what can be expected. When students and their parents do this, a positive and somewhat predictable outcome can be achieved which allows students to progress through the otherwise difficult period of university applications with an acceptable set of results. There is always room for surprise and no one objects for a student to shoot for a dream school that is considered out of reach, but reality must be the main part of any university admission plan, and this will reduce the strain of false expectations that are so prevalent in the process among university applicants.

Finally, the CCO wants students to pursue their own dreams, rather than those of others. Ultimately, students are beginning a new stage of their lives which will allow them to begin building their education, skills and abilities in a specific direction. We hope that this direction is one that students have thought about deeply, and are committed to. Because if the time and energy are put into these goals, the chances are that good results will follow. When people work hard towards their goals, dreams really do come true.

Given by Mr. Paul Svaren and Ms. Ning Deng

Nov 8, 2019

演講者：鄧寧主任、Paul Svaren 先生

審核：CCO 鄧寧主任

排版：CCO Yvonne

最后，小幫妹在這里要跟各位家長們說一個好消息：在12月14日，我們將專門針對幼小階段的家長舉辦幼小升學公益講座!有意向的家長可以掃碼報名!