ADS项目集能力拓展与语言训练为一体，让学生真实体验美式课堂、提升英文应用能力的同时，掌握申请技能，并不断认识和挑战自己，与外籍专家一同为自己打造个性化的名校申请，圆梦美国名校。下面新东方前途出国小编为大家解析美国本科留学常见问题解答。
1. How do I get into my dream school?
Students often say, “Since I was very young, my life dream has been to go to [insert name of school here] University.” If this is the case then you are not dreaming big enough. Dream schools are institutions that will help you reach your dreams, not a destination you dream of going to. That is why we prefer the term "school of best fit." A school of best fit is the college or university that will provide you not only with the academic and social environments in which you will thrive, but also with the opportunities and resources you will need in order to achieve your goals after earning your college degree.
This is not to say that you won't reach your dreams if you don't get into your school of best fit; in fact, many universities and colleges may satisfy the criteria you've set for your dream school. This suggests that many schools will be able to provide you with a path to reach your goals. Therefore, the best way to find your school of best fit is to figure out what your dreams are. This may sound obvious to some, but it can be a difficult task for many people.
For now, try to make a general plan about where you want to go in life, what you hope to accomplish, both big and small. This will help you determine the path to take in order to reach these goals. After that, it all becomes a matter of personal preference. Do I want to go to a large school or a small school? Do I want to live in a large city or a small city? What kind of weather do I like? What kind of food will be served in the cafeteria? You can find answers to all these questions online starting with school websites. There are also numerous other websites dedicated to helping students learn more about colleges and universities, as well as American education in general.
If you want examples of these types of websites, we suggest you view our online course materials at Schoology.com. There you will find ADS videos and other materials that will help you answer questions not only about school research and best fit, but also about the entire college application process. To find out how to register for a Schoology account and access our ADS materials, you may ask either your Foreign Consultant or your local Chinese Consultant and they will show you how.
2. Are the Universities in the US safe?
This question comes up whenever there is a news report on a school shooting, and for good reason. But rest assured, second perhaps only to the quality of your education, universities have your security as their utmost priority. Universities take several precautions to ensure your safety, such as requiring keys, electronic keycards or school ID cards to enter dormitories and living residencies, as well as various other buildings and hallways around campus. Emergency telephones are located everywhere on campus for students to call the campus police at any time, be it to report either an accident or a crime, or to simply ask for an escort back to their rooms if they find they need one. Of course, specific crime rates for individual cities need to be taken into consideration when determining which colleges and universities are more or less safe. That being said, in most cases if you stay on campus and avoid going out on your own, you can expect to find a safe environment while at school.
3. How do I pick a Major?
At one point or another we’ve all asked ourselves this question. In my experience, students have difficulties with this question because they believe that the answer they give will be final, that once they’ve chosen a path there is no turning back. This is not the case. There are several people who have a calling from a very early age, a passion for a certain subject that drives their dreams. Not everyone is blessed with this calling, however. Some students don’t know what they want to dedicate their lives to; they see so many possibilities and different outcomes that they find it very difficult to make a choice. One of the best parts of studying in the US is the freedom to try out these different possibilities so that you feel comfortable with your decision. According to university data, 50% – 70% of students change their majors at least once; most will change majors at least 3 times before they graduate. This should help you understand that you don’t have to feel like your decision is binding. That is the first step in picking a major.
So what should you do if you weren’t blessed with a calling from a very early age? You should start out by making a list of the subjects you are interested in. Take a look at your hobbies, your interests, and your favorite classes in school, and ask yourself the following questions: Where do I want to be after college? What is more important for me, gaining knowledge or preparing for a specific job? What are my skills? What am I good at? What am I passionate about? You should try to get a bit of hands-on experience in the subjects you are interested in to get a better idea of whether or not you want to make it your major. Coursera (coursera.org) and EdX (edx.org) are great resource as they allow you to try out classes from some of the best universities in the US. Other than that, you can participate in activities, internships, or research projects. Your goal should be to immerse yourself in your field of interest; only then will you be able to decide if you actually like that particular subject.
4. Will doing this internship/activity/community service impress the AOs?
When it comes to becoming more competitive through activities and internships, it is the lessons learned and your personal growth that will make you stand out. You shouldn't be doing activities just for the sake of impressing the admissions officers – there is nothing more obvious than an activity done for bragging purposes – you should be doing them because it is something you think is interesting and you really want to do it.
If you can get some certification from the internship, that's great. If not, you will stand out by demonstrating what you learned and how you grew through these activities as we write your activity list. It never hurts to ask your supervisor for a recommendation letter; they can show the admissions officers a different side of you that your teachers aren’t demonstrating. In summation, don't worry about trying to impress anyone; focus on learning as much as possible instead.
5. Should I apply to a University or a LAC?
In order for me to help you decide between a Liberal Arts College and a University, I would need to know a bit more about your personal expectations, as well as your personal preferences. The biggest difference between LACs and Universities is size; LACs tend to lean towards smaller classrooms and smaller student to body ratio, while Universities lean towards the other side of the spectrum. Would you prefer to be in a classroom with greater student engagement or would you prefer to take classes in a large auditorium and learn mostly by yourself (just because you go to a university doesn’t mean you can’t reach your professors should you need to)?
Another way in which LACs and Universities differ is in the focus of their education. LACs offer more traditional and general education, awarding most of their degrees in the liberal arts disciplines like social sciences, humanities, and arts. Universities focus more on technical degrees; they offer classes more tailored to the students’ specific career needs, like engineering, computer science, or accounting, etc.
For both LACs and Universities, the possibility to continue on to a Graduate program is present. You are just going to develop different skills and abilities depending on which type of school you want to go to. Focus on your personal needs and preferences and try to see which option is better for you.
