独家 | Leo爷解读：怎样应对美高申请过程中的重要环节：面试

如今越来越多的中国学生选择去美国中学读书，每所学校能收到几百份申请，标准化成绩在申请中起到的作用却越来越低，芸芸众生中如何脱颖而出让美国中学要录取你？面试起到的作用越来越大，该怎样表现才能给招生官留下深刻的印象？

美国加州韦伯中学Webb Schools 前招生主任Leo Marshall先生，从事美国中学教育工作40年，担任SSATB招生领导委员会主席，专事寄宿和走读学校的招生官之训导，主持制定招生政策与规则，为招生官导师。Leo服务Webb Schools 15年，招生万许，针对“美高申请过程中的重要环节：面试”这一学生和家长最为关心的热点话题，特发文樱知叶总结几点揭开招生官之心证由来。

怎样应对美高申请过程中的重要环节：面试

撰文：Leo Marshall
翻译：Nancy Li

每年的11月份-来年的1月份是面试的高峰期，随着面试在美国高中申请中的作用越来越大，所以我们非常有必要来了解一下面试。

现在有想法把孩子送到美国读中学的中国家长人数在不断的攀升。现如今35%的在美国就读中学的学生来自中国并且这个数字还有不断增长的趋势。随着大批的中国申请者申请美国中学，尤其是那些被认为是美国顶尖高中的学校，申请竞争越来越激烈，学校为中国学生预留的位置越来越少，无疑这都为中国学生要提出了挑战。美国中学入学需要中国学生参加的托福和SSAT考试成绩，中国学生考出的成绩越来越高，已难分伯仲，所以尽管大家分数都很高，但这些标准化成绩在申请中起到的作用却越来越低。

在这种状况下，面试就起到了越来越重要的作用。面试是一个很难得的展示学生个性，讲述申请者成长的经历，并且可能会给招生官留下深刻印象的机会。当然了，非常出色的标化成绩以及非常漂亮的在校成绩是非常重要的，但是这些美国中学，无论是寄宿中学还是走读制中学想要录取的是那些很愿意并且积极地参与学校这个大家庭的各项事务的人。寄宿学校的招生官要确保自己录取的中国学生一定是已经充分准备好远离温暖的家，去万里之遥的地方学习的人，一个非常独立，并且能与其它来自不同国家，不同背景的学生融洽相处的学生。

那学生是否可以有套路地准备面试吗？其实不然，面试最好的状态就是做学生自己。每一间中学都是与众不同的，他们也都在寻找具有不同特质的学生，因此也就没有一个所谓的面试成功的统一模式，但确实如果申请者能够掌握一些面试的常识对于面试成功还是有一定的利处的。

第一，提前预约好面试时间，最好在美国放圣诞节假期前安排好面试时间

面试的黄金时间，不管是校园面试还是招生官来中国的面试，是每年的10月份-12月份。太多的父母会等到每年的1月份预约学校的面试，而那时是美国各个高中收到面试诉求最多的时候，尽管学校都在尽量满足学生们的诉求，但每个招生官平均一天要面试6-7个申请者，所以给每个申请者的时间会很短，那么在很短的时间内，申请者很难给招生官留下深刻印象。

第二，在面试每一所学校之前，申请者要认真全面的了解学校

每一所学校都希望申请者对自己的学校是真正的感兴趣的，而不是把自己的学校当作是申请者所有申请学校当做保底的那个。招生官都想知道申请者对于自己学校的了解程度以及为什么选择该校的具体原因，如果有证据证明申请者对自己所代表的学校并不了解，那么这个申请者被录取的几率就会变得很低。

第三，穿着整洁，主动向面试官介绍自己

面试中穿着要整洁，这应该是一个常识，但我却看到很多申请者在面试等待室里面穿着不得体，在介绍自己时从不站起来或者两者兼而有之。不过在中国的申请者当中出现上述两种情况的还是比较少见， 不过无论如何，这也是一条值得考虑的建议。我们通常会说第一印象非常重要，这些面试官，他们是成人，教育家，职业人士，他们会在见申请者的第一时间就在仔细认真地观察评估学生，如果一个申请者穿着得体，主动站起来向校方介绍自己一定会给校方留下深刻印象。

第四，在校园参观学校的过程中，一定要对自己的所见表现出非常感兴趣的样子

校园面试环节当中通常都有校园参观这一环节。校园参观通常是由学校选拔出来的在校生带队，按照学校指定的参观路线来参观，这些被选拔出来的学生向导通常都是对学校充满激情的学生，因此他们也希望申请者也具备这种激情。我们经常会看到在校园参观过程中，我们的很多家长跟学生互动的很多，问了很多问题，而学生就默默的跟在父母背后，很少说话，要知道，这些向导更愿意听到申请者对学校提出问题。当然了，家长是可以问问题的，但向导想通过申请者问的问题更多的了解申请者。很多学校的招生部会在学生和家长参观完学校之后，要求学生向导写下关于对这个学生的评价，招生部在审理学生申请时要参考向导所写的评价。

在正式的学校面试中要准备一些校方常问的问题，并且通过对这些问题的回答让校方更多的了解学生的个性。

通常这些典型的问题如下：

• 你为什么对我学校感兴趣？

• 你为什么选择去美国的寄宿中学？

• 介绍一下你自己？

• 你最喜欢的兴趣爱好是什么、或者你课外最喜欢的活动是什么？

• 你最喜欢的科目是什么？

所有这些面试的目的其实只有一个：那就是在他递交申请之外想更多的了解申请者，面试也是区分看似同等水平的学生与众不同的一个机会，也是申请成功的一个重要保障。

Leo Marshall

樱知叶首席执行顾问

英文原文

The prime months for admission interviews, November through January, are now here which provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about this increasingly important part of the application process.

Interest among Chinese parents in having their child attend a high school ln the U.S continues to grow.  Today, thirty-five percent of all students in U.S. high schools are from China and applications for admission continue to grow. With so many Chinese applicants applying to, in particular, those schools they perceive to be the top schools in America, the competition for what are becoming fewer spaces has become challenging.  Admission test scores, e.g. SSAT and TOEFL have increased to the point that they are becoming less an important factor as it has become difficult to distinguish one student from another.

In this environment, the interview is now becoming of increased importance.  It is the one opportunity where a candidate can tell his or her story and show a personality that might impress a school admission officer.   Test scores and good grades are important, of course, but boarding and day schools want to admit students who will be happy, engaged participants in a school community.  Boarding schools want to be sure a student is ready to live away from home across an ocean, a student who can be independent and can live harmoniously with other students from different countries and experiences.

Can a student be tutored or prepare for an interview? Not really.  There is no substitution for an applicant simply being who they are.  Every school is different and is looking for different qualities in an applicant; thus, there is no one path to a successful interview but there are common sense suggestions that could give an applicant somewhat of an advantage:

1.Schedule interviews well ahead of time, preferably before the U.S. winter holiday.

The prime time to interview either on campus or when an admission officer visits China is between October and December.  Too many parents wait until January when the typical boarding or day school are overwhelmed with admission interview requests.  While schools will do their best to accommodate such requests, the average interviewer is seeing up to six or seven candidates in a day.  They only have a brief amount of time for each candidate making it difficult for the student to make a strong impression on the admission officer.

2.Research each school carefully before attending an interview.

Every school wants to think the candidate is seriously interested in that school and certainly don't want to feel like it is down a candidate's list of preferred schools.  The admission officer will want to know what a candidate knows about his/her school and why is the candidate applying to this particular school.   If there is any evidence a candidate does not really know the school, it is highly likely that candidate will not be offered admission.

3.Dress Neatly; Introduce yourself to the interviewer.

It seems common sense but I have met candidates in our waiting room that were poorly dressed; never stand up and introduce themselves; or both.  It is pretty rare among Chinese candidates but, nevertheless, it is a very important piece of advice to consider. We say in the U.S.  "First impressions are everything."  These interviewers are adults, educators, professionals.  They will be carefully assessing a candidate the moment they first meet them.  A candidate who is well-dressed; stands up and introduces him or herself will make a very strong impression.

4.During the tour of the school show real interest in what you are seeing.

Every campus tour is likely to be included in the interview process. Selected student tour guides will take a family on a planned tour of the school and these tour guides are typically quite enthusiastic about their school and they would like to see that in a candidate.   Often parents will take over the tour conversation while the candidate follows behind with little to say.  It is important the tour guides hear questions from the candidate.  Yes, parents should, of course, ask question but the tour guides want to get to know the candidate.  At many schools, the tour guides will write an evaluation of the candidate they are touring and that information is read by the admission officer.

5.Be prepared for a series of standard questions in the formal interview and use your answers to let the interviewer know more about your personality.

Often interviewers at every school will typically ask the same type of questions, for example:

"Why are you interested in our school?

"Why do you want to go to a boarding school in the U.S?

"Tell us about yourself?

"What is your favorite hobby or activity outside school?

"What is your favorite subject?

They are, of course, many more standard questions but every one of them gives the candidate an opportunity expand on their answer.    For example, when asked about a favorite activity or hobby, don't answer in one or two words but, instead, go into some detail about the nature of that activity and how much time you put into it.

All of any these interviews are designed for one purpose:  To get to know more about a candidate outside his or her application.  Interviews can be the key to a student who is competing with equally talented students to show him/herself to be a bit different and that is often the key to success.

Leo Marshall

Senior Executive Advisor - Kentrexs

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