萬科梅沙書院2019-2020 秋季學(xué)期家長會(huì)升學(xué)咨詢辦公室致辭

萬科梅沙書院2019-2020 秋季學(xué)期家長會(huì)升學(xué)咨詢辦公室致辭

鄧寧主任及美國專家Paul先生在家長會(huì)現(xiàn)場

升學(xué)咨詢辦公室團(tuán)隊(duì)認(rèn)為我們最重要的使命之一就是為學(xué)生提供各種工具，支持他們不僅僅可以成功地申請(qǐng)大學(xué)，并且學(xué)生們可以終生受用。當(dāng)然，我們非常樂意教授學(xué)生們這些工具，而且還指導(dǎo)學(xué)生們?nèi)绾问褂眠@些工具以便于他們進(jìn)入西方大學(xué)后，能夠更好的適應(yīng)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(xué)生無需到校外找別人幫助他們完成申請(qǐng)。相反，我們相信學(xué)生可以并且應(yīng)該完成自己的申請(qǐng)，并學(xué)會(huì)依靠自己完成工作。

很多技能，比如批判性思維對(duì)學(xué)生的大學(xué)生活是至關(guān)重要的。其中一個(gè)例子是，當(dāng)你演講時(shí)學(xué)會(huì)像你演講臺(tái)下的觀眾一樣思考。例如，學(xué)生需要了解大學(xué)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(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)，我能貢獻(xiàn)什么將被視為有價(jià)值的?

解決問題的能力是我們幫助學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)的另一項(xiàng)技能。學(xué)生在申請(qǐng)大學(xué)時(shí)精準(zhǔn)的完成多種類型的申請(qǐng)，同時(shí)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(xué)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(gè)組成元素，并且逐一解決。

文書寫作和簡歷寫作是我們?cè)噲D教給學(xué)生的兩個(gè)非常有價(jià)值的工具。期待我們的學(xué)生畢業(yè)后能夠具備有邏輯的，連貫的，準(zhǔn)確的，簡潔的寫作能力。并且能力理解不同類型的寫作風(fēng)格，以便在適當(dāng)?shù)那闆r下正確使用它們。

我們?cè)谏龑W(xué)指導(dǎo)課程中教授的另一個(gè)工具是提問。在西方，在提出問題時(shí)，尤其是在大學(xué)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(shí)學(xué)會(huì)“如何”去問一個(gè)問題是極其重要的。當(dāng)一個(gè)人希望獲得有用的信息時(shí)，在適當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)間并清楚的表達(dá)出來經(jīng)過深思熟慮的問題會(huì)產(chǎn)生大不相同的效果。實(shí)際上，這可能是所有工具中最強(qiáng)大的工具之一，學(xué)會(huì)深思熟慮的提問，可以應(yīng)用到人生中數(shù)百種不同情況。

我們希望幫助學(xué)生探索可能性。大多數(shù)人會(huì)同意并非所有學(xué)校都適合所有學(xué)生。尋找適合的學(xué)校是所有的學(xué)生和他們的幾張需要在進(jìn)入高中后盡早開始的工作。這不僅僅是學(xué)校排名或大小。學(xué)校研究要包括項(xiàng)目的優(yōu)勢、學(xué)校類型、城市和學(xué)校規(guī)模、費(fèi)用、獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金的可能性、實(shí)習(xí)、出國學(xué)習(xí)的機(jī)會(huì)以及許多其他因素有關(guān)。這些都是學(xué)生及其家庭在申請(qǐng)期之前需要認(rèn)真研究的主題。

在考慮申請(qǐng)哪所大學(xué)的時(shí)候，我們希望學(xué)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(shí)走出自己的舒適區(qū)。他們需要嘗試?yán)斫獠⒔邮芷渌幕蛯W(xué)習(xí)方式，同時(shí)始終堅(jiān)持自己的文化本源。

僅在美國，就有大約2500至3000所提供學(xué)士學(xué)位的大學(xué)，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(yīng)該盡早開始認(rèn)真的討論，學(xué)生要實(shí)現(xiàn)哪些目標(biāo)，這些目標(biāo)是否能在學(xué)生選擇申請(qǐng)的大學(xué)實(shí)現(xiàn)。在學(xué)生升入10年級(jí)時(shí)，關(guān)于該主題的家庭討論需要成為一個(gè)重要的并反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的話題，并且對(duì)選擇的學(xué)校要進(jìn)行仔細(xì)研究。

在此期間管理期望和壓力也很重要，因?yàn)檫@可能是到目前為止學(xué)生生活中最繁忙、最緊張的時(shí)間。這個(gè)過程風(fēng)險(xiǎn)很好，最終結(jié)果也很重要。因此，CCO很早就為學(xué)生提供了一個(gè)供他們參考和遵守的時(shí)間表。他將有重要的截止日期和里程標(biāo)記，學(xué)生應(yīng)該仔細(xì)了解這些時(shí)間和事件，以免他們?cè)谶M(jìn)行各種大學(xué)申請(qǐng)時(shí)的工作時(shí)落后。

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

在管理期望時(shí)，了解自己的實(shí)際水平非常重要，并非所有學(xué)生都符合哈佛的要求，這是可以(被理解)的，因?yàn)楣鸩⒉贿m合所有學(xué)生。好消息是世界上有許多高質(zhì)量的大學(xué)可供選擇。找到這些學(xué)校的要求，現(xiàn)實(shí)地匹配學(xué)生的能力，理解什么是自己可以預(yù)期的。當(dāng)學(xué)生和他們的父母這樣做時(shí)，可以獲得積極且有些可預(yù)測的結(jié)果，這使學(xué)生能夠在原本困難的大學(xué)申請(qǐng)階段中取得進(jìn)展，并獲得可接受的結(jié)果。這樣總會(huì)有驚喜的余地，沒有人反對(duì)讓學(xué)生放棄夢(mèng)想學(xué)校，但是現(xiàn)實(shí)必須考慮申請(qǐng)任何可以被錄取的大學(xué)，因?yàn)檫@將減少錯(cuò)誤期望產(chǎn)生的壓力?，F(xiàn)實(shí)是，這種情況在大學(xué)申請(qǐng)者中是如此普遍。

最后，CCO希望學(xué)生追求自己的夢(mèng)想，而不是別人的夢(mèng)想。最終，學(xué)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(gè)方向是學(xué)生深思熟慮并全心投入的方向。因?yàn)槿绻麑r(shí)間和精力投入這些目標(biāo)，那么就有可能取得良好的結(jié)果。當(dāng)人們?yōu)閷?shí)現(xiàn)自己的目標(biāo)而努力時(shí)，夢(mèng)想確實(shí)可以實(shí)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(gè)好消息：在12月14日，我們將專門針對(duì)幼小階段的家長舉辦幼小升學(xué)公益講座!有意向的家長可以掃碼報(bào)名!