申請美國大學本就不易,尤其對現在 11、12年級的台灣學子來說,疫情又大大提升了整個流程的不確定性。不過變動不一定是壞事,與世界其他國家相較而言,台灣受疫情影響較小,在申請上能做的準備也就相對而言穩定許多。到底疫情對於申請流程有哪些影響呢?讓我們從需要檢附的文件一一說起吧!
說到疫情期間,美國申請變動的重磅彈非「不強制檢附SAT/ACT成績」莫屬了。其實在往年已有許多學校提倡彈性採納,但是一來響應的學校不多、二來未廣泛宣傳,故直到今年因為疫情的原因才得到大眾的重視。
今年讓許多學校紛紛採納的原因是因為上半年度的 SAT、ACT 等考試場次取消,致使許多學生無法獲取成績。為了保證學生們可以公平競爭,故以長春藤盟校、UC系統為首的大學公開表示,不會因為學生無法提供標準化成績而影響入學的機會。而部分學校如普林斯頓大學則是取消提前申請(EA),讓無法於上半年度參加標準化考試的學生也來得及遞交成績。
當然,雖說是「彈性採納」,但若有附上成績仍會是參考標準之一,如果已考過並且成績突出,當然一定要記得附上成績證明哦!若是成績不夠出色,也可以趁此不需檢附的機會揚長避短,在申請論文上著重表現出你的優點。
此外, SAT II Subject 項目對部分大學來說也將不納入評量。如麻省理工 (MIT) 、加州大學系統 (UC) 甚至哈佛大學都表示今年不會採計科目考試成績。
同樣的,因應許多國家疫情期間停班停課,眾多大學也調降對在校成績的要求。然而要留意的是,對台灣學生而言,提供語言考試成績仍是必要的。學生仍需證明自己具有足夠的語言能力可以到當地生活並學習。台灣的 TOEFL 及 IELTS 考試方式受影情影響變動不大,考生們仍可正常應試,要留意的是當天入場時會量測體溫,考試期間也需全程配戴口罩,以保障每位學生的安全。
我們將目前已公佈彈性採計的頂尖院校名單整理在文末的 參考資料(一) ,快來查查自己想申請的大學在不在其中呢?當然每所學校針對疫情有不一樣的規定,也可以直接從 參考資料(二) 直接連結到各頂尖大學的官訪網頁查詢哦!
考試成績的衡量比重下降,相對而言申請論文及活動表現的要求也就大大增加了。在申請平台上除了原有的陳述項目外,還會新增一個題目,讓學生們得以陳述此次疫情期間所受到的影響及所做出的努力。以CommonApp為例,在這個6000 多所美國大學共用的申請平台上便新增了一個欄位,要求學生們在250字內陳述此次申請受到疫情的影響。題目如下:
Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.
台灣學生雖說受疫情影響不大,但還是建議可以在這一段申論好好發揮,以顯示出「我也受到了影響,但還是能準備出這麼完善的申請資料」的堅韌特質。
當然,除了這一段疫情陳述外,個人陳述、補充論文、作品集等等也都會是招生官們評斷你是否是他們想要學生的主要依據。要如何才能寫出讓招生官非你不可的論文呢?我們後續還再對此進行更詳細的介紹,心急的同學們也歡迎直接聯繫我們做客製化的諮詢哦!
往年校方不一定樂見學生們在12年級才開始進行課外活動──為了申請大學才準備的「目的性」太過強烈了。但今年就不一樣了:因為疫情的衝擊,許多學生原本的規劃產生了變動,故在12 年級才開始準備課外活動來增加履歷深度就不會帶給人這種印象了。
那應該要選擇什麼樣的課外活動呢?這取決於你想要表現出什麼樣的個人特質,能否在這個活動中讓招生官看到你的學術熱忱、領導能力、發展潛力等等。
此外,針對今年特殊狀況,招生官們也期許學生們在這個期間針對疫情做出行動。當然不是說要前往疫區以身犯險,而是在學生們生活的社區內、網路上甚至家人間進行人文關懷、支持等活動。
與國外相比,台灣學生們的優勢在於台灣受疫情影響較小,仍可正常上班、上課,更可以自由的進行各種戶外活動,也更有機會充實課外活動項目。
學生們在大學申請季遇到的第一個關卡是「我到底應該選擇哪些大學?」畢竟這將會是你人生中最重要的四年(甚至更多)所要度過的地方。
在台灣的學生們通常是透過網路進行大學資訊搜尋,而今年因應疫情原因,各大學紛紛推出線上說明會、虛擬實境導覽等等,大大增加了我們對於取得大學第一手資訊的方便性。
Princeton Review 便整理出下列可供虛擬導覽的學校列表及官方連結,歡迎前往各學校線上遊覽一番哦:
https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/virtual-tours
此外,提供線上虛擬導覽的還有 YouVisit,需要註冊使用:
https://www.youvisit.com/collegesearch/
最官方的第一手訊息可以看 College Board:
以及很全面的大學申請論壇 College Confidential:
https://www.collegeconfidential.com/
可以到上述網站查詢各大學的多面向排名評比、學術氛圍、課外活動、甚至獎學金申請難易等等,來逐步完成你獨一無二的夢想大學名單!
到了申請季下半場,就要開始準備獎學金申請了。通常美國大學獎學金限制頗多,尤其是對於海外學子而言。今年更因應疫情祭出了新策略:調高地域性考量權重,也就是說:住在該區的學生們更有機會可以申請上獎學金。
可是這不是更拉高了異地學生申請獎學金的難度,難道也算是優勢嗎?其實換個角度想,本土學生更有可能因獎學金因素申請就讀離家近的大學,而放棄排名較高但距離較遠的學校── 是的,機會來了,千萬要記得就算只收到 Waitlisted 的通知,也要好好回覆,正式接受候補名單的邀請,說不定等著等著就上了呢?
如果覺得上面的文章太多太冗長了,也歡迎你直接來到我們的結論:
如果你──
- SAT/ACT成績很高,校內成績及課外活動表現也都足夠出色:
建議檢附上成績,並在申請論文上好好發揮吧!
- SAT/ACT成績很高,但語言檢訂/ 校外成績/ 課外活動有部分感覺上有不足:
當然要附上成績做為加分項!趁著還有時間,快來對於不足的部分進行最後的衝刺!
- SAT/ACT成績不夠滿意,但在校成績及課外活動表現突出:
如果成績在 PR 50 以下,就建議趁著個機會不用檢附了。好好把握論文撰寫突出自己的優勢,讓招生官們看到你閃亮的內在!
- SAT/ACT成績、語言檢訂及課外活動表現都不夠滿意:
嗯…也別緊張!趕快聯繫我們 Pano Education,讓我們請專業顧問協助你!
◎參考資料:
一、2021 彈性採計SAT/ACT成績之院校(依字母排列)
*可以直接 CRTL + F 用名字查找哦!
常規性彈性採計 | 2020-2021 申請季彈性採季 |
Agnes Scott College | Adelphi College |
Allegheny College | Alabama A & M |
American University | Alabama State University |
Augustana College | Albion College |
Bard College | Alma College |
Bates College | Amherst College |
Beloit College | Austin Peay State University |
Bennington College | Auburn University at Montgomery |
Bowdoin College | Barnard College |
Brandeis University | Baylor University |
Bryn Mawr College | Bethany College |
Bucknell University | Binghamton University |
Clark University | Bismarck State College |
Colby College | Bluefield State University |
College of the Atlantic | Boston College |
College of the Holy Cross | Boston University |
Colorado College | Brigham Young University |
Connecticut College | Brown University |
Cornell College | California Institute of Technology |
Denison University | Carleton College |
DePauw University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Dickinson College | Case Western Reserve University |
Earlham College | Central College |
Franklin and Marshall College | Claremont McKenna College |
Furman University | Clemson University |
George Washington University | Cleveland State College |
Gettysburg College | Colgate University |
Gustavus Adolphus College | Columbia University |
Hamilton College | Concordia University Texas |
Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Cornell University |
Kalamazoo College | Cottey College |
Knox College | Dartmouth College |
Lawrence University | Davidson College |
Lewis and Clark College | Drury University |
Middlebury College | Duke University |
Mount Holyoke College | Elon University |
Muhlenberg College | Emory University |
New York University | Fairmont State University |
Ohio Wesleyan University | Franklin College |
Pitzer College | Gonzaga University |
Saint Mary’s College | Grinnell College |
Sarah Lawrence College | Hamilton College |
Sewanee — University of the South | Harvard College |
Skidmore College | Harvey Mudd College |
Smith College | Haverford College |
St. John’s College | Indiana University Bloomington |
St. John’s College | Indiana University Kokomo |
St. Lawrence University | Indiana University Northwest |
Texas A&M University — College Station | Indiana University Southeast |
Transylvania University | Indiana Wesleyan University |
Trinity College | Iowa Wesleyan University |
Union College | Jackson State University |
University of Chicago | Johns Hopkins University |
University of Delaware | Kent State University |
University of Puget Sound | Kutztown University |
University of Rochester | Lamar University |
University of Texas at Austin | Limestone College |
Ursinus College | Lock Haven University |
Wake Forest University | Longwood University |
Wesleyan University | Malone University |
Wheaton College | Mansfield University |
Whitman College | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
Willamette University | Marymount Manhattan College |
Wofford College | Miami University |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Michigan State University |
Middlebury College | |
Midway University | |
Millersville University | |
Millikin University | |
Minnesota State University, Moorhead | |
Mississippi College | |
New Jersey Institute of Technology | |
New York University | |
Newberry College | |
North Carolina State University | |
Northeastern University | |
Northern Kentucky University | |
Northwestern University | |
Ohio University | |
Ohio State University | |
Oregon State University | |
Penn State | |
Pomona College | |
Portland State University | |
Princeton University | |
Purdue University | |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | |
Rhodes College | |
Rutgers University—Camden | |
Rutgers—New Brunswick | |
Rutgers University—Newark | |
Saint Louis University | |
Saint Vincent College | |
Santa Clara University | |
Southern Methodist University | |
Southern Oregon University | |
St. Mary’s University | |
St. Thomas Aquinas College | |
St. Thomas University | |
Savannah College of Arts and Design | |
Scripps College | |
Stanford University | |
State University of New York | |
Stevens Institute of Technology | |
Stony Brook University | |
Southwest Baptist University | |
Swarthmore College | |
Syracuse University | |
Texas Christian University | |
Thiel College | |
Trinity University | |
Tufts University | |
Tulane University | |
University of Akron | |
University of Alaska Fairbanks | |
University of California, Berkeley | |
University of California, Davis | |
University of California, Irvine | |
University of California, Los Angeles | |
University of California, Merced | |
University of California, Riverside | |
University of California, San Diego | |
University of California, Santa Barbara | |
University of California, Santa Cruz | |
University of the Cumberlands | |
University of Dayton | |
University of Delaware | |
University of Massachusetts | |
University of Miami | |
University of Michigan | |
University of Mount Union | |
University of Nevada–Las Vegas | |
University of Nevada–Reno | |
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill | |
University of North Dakota–Grand Forks | |
University of Notre Dame | |
University of Oregon | |
University of Pennsylvania | |
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | |
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | |
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | |
University of Pittsburgh-Titusville | |
University of Richmond | |
University of Southern California | |
University of Texas—Austin | |
University of Virginia | |
University of Virginia–Wise | |
University of Washington | |
Vanderbilt University | |
Vassar College | |
Virginia Tech University | |
Washington and Lee University | |
Washington State University Vancouver | |
Washington University in St. Louis | |
Wayne State University | |
Wellesley College | |
Western Michigan University | |
Westminster College | |
West Virginia State University | |
Williams College | |
Winthrop University | |
Yale University | |
Yeshiva University |
- Princeton University 普林斯頓大學
https://www.princeton.edu/content/covid-19-coronavirus-information
- Harvard University 哈佛大學
https://www.harvard.edu/coronavirus
- Columbia University 哥倫比亞大學
https://www.columbia.edu/content/coronavirus
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology 麻省理工學院
http://web.mit.edu/covid19/
- University of Chicago 芝加哥大學
https://coronavirusupdates.uchicago.edu/
- Yale University 耶魯大學
https://communications.yale.edu/covid-19-information
- Stanford University 史丹佛大學
https://spcs.stanford.edu/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-information
- Duke University 杜克大學
https://coronavirus.duke.edu/
- University of Pennsylvania 賓州大學
https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/
- Johns Hopkins University 約翰霍普金斯大學
https://hub.jhu.edu/novel-coronavirus-information/
- Northwestern University 西北大學
https://www.northwestern.edu/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/
- California Institute of Technology 加州理工學院
https://coronavirus.caltech.edu/
- Dartmouth College 達特茅斯學院
https://news.dartmouth.edu/covid-19/covid-19-coronavirus-information
- Brown University 布朗大學
https://precollege.brown.edu/covid19/
- Cornell University 康乃爾大學
https://covid.cornell.edu/
- University of California, Los Angeles 加州大學洛杉磯分校
https://summer.ucla.edu/alerts
- University of California, Berkeley 加州大學柏克萊分校
https://coronavirus.berkeley.edu/
- University of Southern California 南加州大學
https://sites.usc.edu/coronavirus/
- University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 密西根大學安娜堡分校
https://publicaffairs.vpcomm.umich.edu/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/
- New York University 紐約大學
https://www.nyu.edu/life/safety-health-wellness/coronavirus-information.html
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