二、舉一些例子，來說明如何準備面試。

Question 1: Why This College?

這個問題的重點是要顯示出被面試的學生已經(jīng)對該大學做了很深入地研究，和他 /她對于學校而言是一個strong match.

那么，如果該學生給了一個 generic response that can be applie to any school，這就不成其為一個好的答案。比方說，人家問你：Why Columbia? 你的回答是：“Columbia has strong acaemics an is in the mile of New York City”，就太泛泛而論了。

比較好的回答是，這個學生給了一個 response that showes some level of research but was not specific about why the school is a goo fit for him/her. 就好像這樣的回答：“Columbia has very strong science programs an I want to stuy biology. I coul also participate in lab work. There is also so much for stuents to o because of the many on-campus clubs an organizations. ”

我認為，理想的答案是去 show這個學生的極強的enthusiasm for the school，并且給一些specific examples of what the school has to offer an how that irectly connects with the stuents interests. 我如果這樣回答，你覺得怎么樣？“I love Columbia for so many reasons but the top three are: Access to Research,the Core Curriculum,an an Active Stuent Boy. I hope to pursue my passion for science by working with Dr. Smith,who is working on Sleep Deprivation in Kis. Columbia’s unique core curriculum also really stans out to me. While I want to stuy in the sciences,literature is my secon passion. I want to stuy Socrates,Emerson an Bronte with the best. An finally,I want to surroun myself with an intellectually invigorating stuent boy. As an active member of my school community,I want to get involve in college. At Columbia,the NY Outreach Program will allow me to continue my love of working with young isavantage kis. ”

Question 2: Why Your Major？

大學一般都很清楚地知道，大多數(shù)高中生進入大學后，很可能會 change their major，但是，他們?nèi)韵Ｍㄟ^這一個問題能看出這個學生已經(jīng)有一些sense of irection. 換言之，it is okay to be unecie,but the stuent shoul still escribe what majors are appealing.

于是，如果一個學生僅僅只是 states a major but oes not state why that major appeals to him/her，就像“I think I want to major in Chemistry” 之類的，顯然這種答案是不能令人滿意的。

較好的答案標準是，這個學生可以 states a major without truly unerstaning what the major is but can support it with some activities. 舉一個例子，如果該面試的學生這樣回答：“I want to major in something science oriente. Currently,I am consiering Chemistry because it is a goo combination of my passion for science an math.” 我認為，這還湊合吧。

優(yōu)秀的答案，其標準應該是，這個學生 shoul emonstrate thorough knowlege of a major,evience of some pursuit of knowlege in that subject area an can connect it to the school well. 比方說，或許這樣地回答關(guān)于major的問題：“Chemistry is most likely what I will major in. I have taken two Chemistry courses at my school an score a 5 on the AP test. I love Chemistry because it is the basis of almost everything that we use. This summer I worke with the Earth Science Department at Stanfor where I helpe a grauate stuent stuy the formation of ice on Antarctica. I ha to use many of the chemical principles I learne,such as the ifference between Oxygen 7 an Oxygen 8,to help ate the irt samples. I also realize that I love working in a lab,even though it can be teious at times. MIT also has one of the best Chemistry Labs an the new Calorimeter is suppose to be the best in the worl for ating samples. I want to be in that environment an learn from the best.”

Question 3: What o you o just for Fun？

在我參觀 MIT的時候，他們的amissions officer告訴我，他們最引以為驕傲的是，他們的申請表和所有其它的學校最不一樣的地方在于他們的第一篇essay就是問你，在業(yè)余的時間，不學習的時候，你喜歡做什么？那個Amissions officer對我說，很多亞裔的家長把孩子都包裝得幾乎完美，但千篇一律，缺乏個性。他們就是要通過這一問題，想看看學生們真正的本我。MIT不是光要 high score的學生，他們更看中學生的創(chuàng)造意識和創(chuàng)造能力。Caltech,MIT的功課，絕對比Harvar的要難念得多。在這兩所學校里，零點幾的課程需要你的腦子轉(zhuǎn)得飛快！他們舉例告訴我，有一個學生，在自家的后院里，按照所學的物理等原理，用干稻草做了一架飛機模型；還有一個學生，在自家的二樓臥房里，用電腦編寫了一個洗衣程序，他不用下樓，通過他的電腦發(fā)出的alarm的叫聲，便可知道他們樓下的洗衣房的洗衣機已經(jīng)把衣服洗完了。MIT招生的人說：“我們需要什么樣的學生？我們就需要這樣的學生! ” 所以，那些high-en schools 問你“What o you o just for Fun ”這樣的問題，其目的是要get to know the stuent outsie of acaemics. In another wor,what will the stuent bring to campus other than a transcript an resume?

如果一個面試的學生數(shù)說一些他 /她所做的事情，就是像watching TV or just hanging out with friens等，可想而知，人家會怎么評判你了。

對這一答案 OK的標準是，面試的學生liste off extracurricular activities but i not mention why they are FUN.

最 perfect的回答是，面試的學生應該show出自己的熱情、熱愛 for things he/she oes in free time. FUN things were not just extracurricular activities but also hobbies such as making moels,running marathons,singing karaoke,etc. 就像我上面提到的MIT的那些學生所狂熱從事的愛好一樣。

Question 4: What are your three greatest strengths？

其實這是給你一個機會 highlight what you want to the amissions committee. 你的回答應該是嘗試著給人一種很thoughtful和nique的印象。千萬別說：“I on’t really know what they are. Can we come back to this question? ” 如果你不能夠很快地come up一個answer的話，這是很糟糕的一件事。

如果你只是給了 3個(或n個)很generic attributes without proviing etails on how those attributes have been emonstrate，it’s fine but not perfect. 好像“My three greatest strengths are: har-working,smart,an funny ”之類的。

The great response is that the Stuent mentions 3 attributes (or 3+ attributes) an escribes where each comes from an where they have exemplifie it.

舉例，好像這樣的一種回答： “My first strength is my compassion. I have been a peer counselor for the past 3 years an I have realize that I am able to connect with those that call. Many times people just want someone to listen to them without giving avice right away. I feel that,for the most part,I can fin that line by just tuning into what the other person nees. My secon strength is my ability to lea. For me leaership is not just forcing people to o something that I want but being able to buil a common goal an inspiring others to reach it. As Vice-Presient of the Humanity Club at my school,it was har to get people to volunteer their entire weeken to buil a house because my classmates are so busy. But I create a poster boar that tol the story of a family that lost their house because of a fire. They ha to live on the street an Habitat was helping them. I presente this family’s nee to my club an also promise lots of pizza an soa for coming out to help. We took lots of pictures an poste them on the website an our school paper wrote a story about it. The next time the opportunity to buil came up，we ha more than enough volunteers. An my thir strength is my curiosity. I love to ask questions an sometimes these questions lea to more questions than answers. But my curiosity is my rive to learn. I stay up late working on Physics problem sets not because I nee to get them one,but because I truly want to unerstan how vectors are use to buil briges. ”

Question 5: What are your favorite activities？

這是大學給你一個機會，讓你去 highlight你的1-3個activities an emonstrate their importance.

如果你僅僅 list off several activities without showing why they are important an meaningful，這不算一個好的response.

【微語】留學是一個人的修行，在這里你看到了不同文化背景下的人生百態(tài)。