大學招生的分析

首先，藤校招生是 “holistic”（全麵的）方式。成績非常重要，但不是唯一的。共有5個方麵會得到考慮。

·         A strong academic record

·         Glowing letters of recommendation

·         Interesting extracurricular activities

·         A winning application essay

·         A strong college interview

             由於其他的東西很難量化，這裏隻比較成績。以下是總表，GPA， SAT和錄取率。Harvard 以5.9% 為最低。Princeton 為7.3%。Pomona College為14%。然而，實際的差距遠比這些數字揭示出來的要小。

SAT Scores							Admission
	Reading		Math		Writing		%
	25%	75%	25%	75%	25%	75%
Harvard	700	800	710	800	710	800	5.9
Princeton	700	800	710	800	710	790	7.3
Dartmouth	670	780	680	780	680	790	11.5
Pomona	690	760	690	780	690	780	14
Williams	670	780	660	780	680	780	20
Amherst	670	760	680	770	670	760	15
Brown	660	760	670	780	670	770	8.6
Columbia	690	780	700	790	690	780	6.9
Cornell	640	740	680	780	650	750	14
U Penn	670	760	690	780	690	780	9.9
Yale	700	800	710	790	710	800	7.1

           先比較一下Harvard 和Princeton。首先，兩校最終錄取的（綠點和藍點）都是集中在右上角，即高SAT和高GPA處。從Harvard 有相當數量的SAT低於2070 來看，似乎Harvard對SAT的重視程度不如Princeton。 Harvard 有大量的申請是在SAT低於1700處，因此，雖然Harvard 的錄取率更低，其原因是在於有更多的不合格的申請者充斥其中。這可能是Harvard 招生時故意宣傳，誤導那些根本沒有希望的學生申請，以製造出一個錄取率超低的假象。

                有意思的是，Harvard 在低分處，有很多藍點，就是錄取了卻不來的。這批學生大概很有自知之明，知道在入學以後的競爭中，占不了上風，幹脆去其他地方。這一點，在Princeton 要少很多。

Harvard， 5.9%	Princeton， 7.3%

                 再來比較一下Harvard和Pomona College。兩校在一般人的眼裏，名氣有很大的差別。但是，從上麵的表裏，可以看出，Pomona College 在SAT 平均成績上，比Harvard也就是相差70 – 80 分而已。考慮到申請Pomona的人，幾乎沒有GPA低於3.2 ，因此兩者錄取的學生，實際的血液成績差別是不太大的。Pomona 在GPA 3.8 左右，SAT在1770到2070之間，有數量相對可觀的綠點，應該是這批學生把平均成績拉下來了。

                因此，在學業上，約90% 的Pomona 的學生，和Harvard的學生，是在同一個程度的。 

Harvard， 5.9%	Pomona， 714%

 

 Question: What are Holistic Admissions?

Most of the country's highly selective colleges and universities have holistic admissions, but what exactly does this mean for an applicant?

Answer: "Holistic" can be defined as an emphasis on the whole person, not just select pieces that make up the whole person.

If a college has holistic admissions, the school's admissions officers consider the whole applicant, not just empirical data like a GPA or SAT scores. Colleges with holistic admissions are not simply looking for students with good grades. They want to admit interesting students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways.

Under a holistic admissions policy, a student with a 3.8 GPA might be turned down while an award-winning trumpet player with a 3.0 GPA might get accepted. The student who wrote a stellar essay might get preference over the student who had higher ACT scores but a bland essay. In general, holistic admissions take into account a student's interests, passions, special talents, and personality.

The admissions folks at the University of Maine at Farmington describe their holistic policy well, so I'll share their words here:

"We're far more interested in who you are and what you can bring to our campus community than how you happened to score on a high-pressure, high-stakes standardized test.

We look at your high school achievements, your extracurricular activities, your work and life experiences, community service activities, artistic and creative talents, and more. All the unique, personal traits that make you ... you.

When we review your application we take the time and care to get to know you as an individual, not as a number on a score sheet."

Most of us would agree that it's preferable to be treated as a person rather than a number. The challenge, of course, is conveying to a college what it is that makes you ... you. At a college with holistic admissions, all of the following are most likely important:

·         A strong academic record with challenging courses. Your record should show that you're the type of student who takes on a challenge rather than shies away from it.

·         Glowing letters of recommendation. What do your teachers and mentors say about you? What do they see as your defining characteristics?

·         Interesting extracurricular activities. It doesn't matter so much what you do, but that you have a passion for something outside of the classroom.

·         A winning application essay. Make sure your essay presents both your personality and your sharp mind.

·         A strong college interview. Try to do an interview even if it is optional. The interview is one of the best ways for the college to get to know you as a person.

Keep in mind that even with holistic admissions, colleges will admit just those students who they think will succeed academically. At the most selective colleges, admissions officers will be looking for interesting applicants who also have high grades and test scores.

 查找資料：

 

http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/harvard-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm