關於北京狀元被美國名校拒絕的個人看法

 

Hypathway's Notes: The student who scored number one in China’s national college entrance examinations (Gaokao, 高考) was referred to as “狀元” in Chinese. Interestingly, this year’s 狀元 in the examination region of Beijing also applied eleven U.S. colleges, including H, Y, P, Stanford and MIT (HYPSM) as well as Caltech, Columbia, Duke, Brown, Williams and U. Chicago. Unfortunately, all of these schools had denied an admission to his applications. In contrast to his strong show at Gaokao, this result was difficult to swallow by the general public and has generated an outcry in the media coverage in China. It was indeed an unhappy case for us to digest. Different opinions were given on this unexpected outcome with the attentions to jump into a quick conclusion that there was a distinct philosophy governing U.S. and China’s higher education systems. However, there was also a news report indicating that two of his classmates from People’s University affiliated high school gained admissions from Harvard this year. Now we have a chance to listen to this top applicant’s own opinions as he put his response in writing on his blog.

 

The different time frame of America’s college applications and China’s Gaokao should be considered here. In the United States, applicants have to submit their application materials before November 1 of the senior year for early programs and January 1 for the regular admission. China’s Gaokao was scheduled in early June in the end of the senior year with score release date about one month later. You might be aware that a majority of elite colleges in the United States finished their picks for early decision or action around Christmas period and regular applicants in the end of March, and wrapped up almost all of their choices from the wait listed candidates in July. We could not rule out the potential role of his Gaokao result being played in the U.S.decision process if the scores were available much early. And if the applicant delivers the results in a clear and appealing way, it could be a positive factor to enhance his odds in the review process. But for sure what we could evaluate his case now are the materials he has disclosed so far in his America’s college applications.

 

His SAT I score was 2240 with Critical Reading of 710 and essay of 11. This is a good score for a non-English speaker. We have witnessed a common phenomenon that Chinese students who had never enrolled in a high school in the U.S. have to face an extra challenge in reaching a decent score on SAT or ACT, even they were able to demonstrate their English proficiency well on the TOEFL test. If we put him into the perspective of America’s applicant pool in general, he is just a regular guy as 25% of Yale freshmen have SAT score higher than 2370, 50% students scored in the range of 2100-2370 and an another 25% students have a score lower than 2100. In addition, Chinese American kids who were accepted by the elite colleges usually have an impressive demonstration on the standardized test, our 狀元 is not that special in this pool either. Harvard or Yale rejects more than half of the applicants who have a perfect SAT score (2400) each year. What we have to emphasis here is the difficulty for a native Chinese student to secure a competitive score on SAT or ACT because Beijing 狀元 is for sure a natural test-taker. Regarding his academic extracurricular activity, his participation in the AMC (American Mathematics Competition) and AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Examination) was also not distinguished him well. As a math and science focus student, he probably had not reached a level to be qualified into the prestigious USAMO (USA Mathematical Olympiad). USAMO, a 250-member group chosen from all of U.S. high school students (from grade 9-12) based on their performances in AMC and AIME, is a step forward in along selection process to form a six-member USA IMO Team representing the United States each year in the IMO (International Math Olympiad). At certain years, Harvard even rejected IMO golden medalist from U.S. or around the world.

 

We could not make a fair judgement on his application without a thorough analysis on the materials he submitted such as essay and extracurricular activity, but from the pure hardcore numbers he provided, he was only in a reaching level of the schools he applied. If we were surprised on the final result, he should have a chance to be admitted by U. Chicago, Duke or Brown. For the rest colleges on the list, nobody should expect a guarantee. Two things are against his odds this year: U. Chicago enjoyed an unexpected 42% surge on their application numbers; the other one is that Brown on his list is pretty much a school that is more focus on humanity and writing. I should point out that we have no intention to playing down the value for him to attend Tsinghua University and have a much appreciation for his strong drive. Of course, an undisputed fact demonstrated that tons of individuals who finished their college education in China have been enjoying their outstanding careers in the United States or elsewhere in the world. But if we have a chance to extend some of our advices to this promising young man, he could be more humble when he said that his rejection “…或許在中國人留美申請的曆史上也可以記上一筆.”This is not the case at all, so many random events could lead to be receiving a rejection thin envelope from HYPMS, but life still moves on.

 

 

 

 

高考狀元自解: 為何11所美國名校全部拒絕

 

By 李泰伯 2010 北京理科狀元

新浪    2010-06-28

 

    我本是個後知後覺的人,對於媒體的覆蓋倒能淡然處之,直到我看到了許多網站對於我申請失敗的分析。我忍不住了。

 

    主要不是要為自己正名,而是要向大家向社會特別是向學弟學妹們傳達一個簡單而深刻的道理:一切靠自己。

 

   有某位留學公司的執行長認為我的申請一定是有斧鑿之痕,隻展示了各種頭銜和獎項,而忽視了自己內心中“最真誠、最有興趣的部分”，從而導致失敗。也有人評論道美國人覺得我的學生會主席和班長的工作經曆都是官方行為,在“政審”方麵沒有過關。還有朋友直接評論道:“書呆子,活該!”

 

   感謝他們的精彩點評。如果把我的申請失利作為一個案例研究而呈現於大學課堂之上,他們的解答不可謂沒有創意,不可謂不深刻。然而,我想,真正了解我的人是我自己,真正能夠跟大家分享我的經驗的人,還是我自己。所以我想在此回駁以上觀點,並提出我自己的感悟。當然,回駁並不是冒犯；觀點的碰撞才最能營造學術的氛圍。況且,我還要感懷所有對此發表見解的人 (無論什麽見解),因為畢竟,你們對我的關注,見證了我的成長。

 

  回應1:我的申請中集中突出的是我的好奇心,而非各種頭銜。我的essay中,完全沒有提我的各種頭銜,完全沒有提到數學競賽的獎項。我的主題全部是興趣,特別是對於這個世界、對於生活的興趣,對於文化和文化交流的興趣。我用了大量的心理描寫,刻畫了自己的心路曆程,並且最終落在了I loveeverything I do, and do everything I love的主題上麵。

 

   回應2:其實,學生會和班長的工作並不是我的側重。恰恰相反,我的申請中著重於展現在模聯、誌願服務和宿舍管理方麵的initiative和creativity.特別是在麵試過程中,我強調的是我的自己聯係、創辦的活動和機會,比如校內外的誌願服務、北京地球村的環保行動等等,避開了主流的“官方”行為。我想,如果要吸引對方的注意,就要盡量“筆落驚風雨,詩成泣鬼神”。

 

    回應3:這個我沒話說,不過我希望能通過自己的實際行動證明,高考狀元不一定 (或者說一定不)是書呆子。至少,他們還有豐富的感情生活 (這個略去)。

 

    那麽到底是什麽原因使我的申請出現了問題呢? 或許隻有美國人自己知道,而他們又從來都不會告訴你。那麽我想,現在我自己的分析,應該是最權威的了。既然權威,就要深入,我們說得遠一點、廣一點。

 

    外因:美國的問題,美國人的問題

 

    曾經有人安慰我,如果你想被美國名校錄取,要麽你家有錢,要麽你家有人,要麽你是女生。這當然有些言過其實,不過它傳達的精神或許值得我們品玩。

 

    內因:我自己的問題。

 

    1、起步晚:我做出申請美國本科的決定,是在高二上學期學生會競選獲勝、丘成桐杯成績差強人意之時。反觀成功的同齡人,這個時間或許可以提前5年甚至15年。我對美國的認識相當有限,自然對於美國人的胃口把握也就不很到位。

 

   2、SAT分數不夠高。其實2240還算不錯了,但是在美國人非常重視的CR和Essay部分我隻有710和11分,當然更好的分數才配得上自己的誌向。SAT2隻有傳統的數理化,而且沒有AP (當然這個的重要性沒有那麽大)。這與自己起步晚、活動多而分散了一定經曆有關、

 

   3、美式競賽AMC-AIME係統成績不算最好。雖然在高中聯賽-集訓隊係統中我取得的成績算是申請人中最為出色的之一了,但是(我自己也奇怪)AMC和 AIME的成績至少沒有拿到過學校最高分,而美國人當然相信自己的係統。這完全是我的問題,AMC和AIME考得太不在意了。

 

    4、不了解很多訊息和包裝手段,包括被waitlist之後還可以用被錄同學的推薦信這樣高級的手法……

 

   5、過於全麵的展現了自己。我感覺能寫的太多了,最後全麵照顧的結果就相當於什麽都沒有照顧到。如果你每方麵都很優秀、都很喜愛,美國人是不會相信的(這或許是為什麽有人會以為我的申請有斧鑿之痕)。技巧是,一兩個閃光點遠遠勝過幾百個閃光點,因為你能被閱讀者記住。

 

 6、(我不覺得這是我的問題) 我全部要了全獎,稅單的收入少的可憐(from an American perspective)。

 

    最後說兩句

 

   從留學申請道內人士角度看,我是個徹頭徹尾的失敗者。Brown, Caltech, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, MIT,Princeton, Stanford, University of Chicago, Williams, Yale這十一個頂尖學校全部拒絕了我(雖然其中H/Y/M/W/Columbia/D/B都讓我有過waitlist的幻想),這或許在中國人留美申請的曆史上也可以記上一筆。但是我覺得這些拒絕並不能摧垮我對自己、對朋友、對這個世界的信任,因為畢竟,申請隻是一個經曆,申請結果也隻發生在過去。美國人對大陸學生的錄取現在看已經有了一套比較有章可循的模式,因為大量留學機構的介入使得在中國學生和美國大學的雙向選擇中很多心照不宣的傳統已經形成。我覺得我最成功的一點,在於自己敢於申請全獎,敢於抵製中介,敢於麵對挫折。我還堅守著一個真實的、沒有被“專業人士”的谘詢打亂的自我,縱然這個自我並不完美,但他很純粹,讓我很踏實。

 

   當然,我要對學弟學妹們說,選擇中介而走入世界頂尖大學亦無可厚非,這是靈活變通之道,而對於你們的未來或也大有裨益。但是,不管你選擇了怎樣的道路,請你熱愛自己的選擇,然後全身心投入去做,對於結果保持一個開放的心態。申請的作用在於使你認識自己,結果完全應該是第二位的考量。縱使中介幫助了你,也請你一定要做自己的主人,在自己的展示過程中扮演主動。功利一點不一定不好,有人引著瀏覽身邊的風景,也不一定不從容淡定。但是,我們一定不能忘了回家的路。

 

    最後分享兩句話:

 

 1. It’s better to be rejected by Princeton than by yourself.

 

 2.   1+1在Harvard等於2, 在清華還是等於2。

 

    祝大家都能快活地為自己的前程奔波,能始終不忘自己存在的價值和奮進的動力。我們一定會成功!

 

   後記:個人看法,如果有什麽不同意的地方,提出質疑我們一起來探討吧。我寫這些話的目的,就在於希望和大家分享,其實世界上沒有那麽多因果,沒有那麽多邏輯。(參看Taleb Black Swan)媒體說了什麽不重要,重要的是我們怎麽去看它。我就是希望大家能轉移對我的結果的關注,摒棄一切的成見。我們的處世態度,不能被別人左右。想好了,就做吧。



Posted 星期一, 07/19/2010 - 19:19 by Fishville at www.tongjiyiren.com.