怎樣選擇一所適合你的大學
The college search doesn't have to begin and end with the Ivies and the name brand schools. There are many schools out there to choose from — some known and some less known, all worthy of your attention. Here's some advice for trying to find the school that works for you.
大學的搜索不必開始和結束於常青藤和名校。除此之外還有很多的學校可以選擇—— 有的聽說過，有的少有人知，都值得你的關注。這裏是一些嘗試幫助你找到合適學校的建議。1. Start with who you are and why you are going.
1、開始於“你是誰”，“你要做什麼”You need to examine yourself and your reasons for going to college before you start your search. Why, really, are you going? What are your abilities and strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you want out of life — something tangible or intangible?
在開始你的搜索前，你需要測試自己，問自己準備去上大學的理由。爲什麼，你真的要去嗎？你的才能和強項是什麼？你的弱點是什麼？生活之外你需要什麼？——有形的和無形的。
Are you socially self-sufficient or do you need warm, familial support? Talk with your family, friends and high-school counselors as you ask these questions. The people who know you best can help you the most with these important issues.
你是喜歡自己一個人呆着，還是喜歡溫暖，需要家庭的支持？在你問這些問題的時候和你的家人、朋友、高中的學習顧問談談。越瞭解你的人越能在這些重要問題上幫助你。2. Size matters: Your college does not have to be bigger than your high school.
2、大小問題：你的大學不必大於你的高中Most good liberal arts colleges have a population of fewer than 4, 000 for a reason; college is a time to explore, and a smaller community is more conducive to internal exploration. It is not the number of people, but the people themselves and the kind of community in which you will learn that really matters. Many large universities have established honors colleges within the larger university for these same reasons.
大多數好的文理學院有它們的理由使學生人數小於4,000；大學是一段探索的時光，一個小型的羣體更利於內部的探索。不在於人數，而你在的學校的師生羣體纔是真正關鍵的。許多大型的大學因爲同樣的原因，在內部建立了榮譽學院。3. A name-brand college will not guarantee your success.
3、一個名牌學校並不能保證你的成功Think about the people in your life who are happy and successful and find out where (and if) they went to college. Ask the same about famous people. You will likely find that success in life has less to do with the choice of college than with the experiences and opportunities encountered while in college, coupled with personal qualities and traits.
想一想生活中你認識的快樂和成功的人，然後找出他們在哪上的大學（或者是否上了大學）。同樣對你認識的名人問這些問題。你很可能會發現：選擇一所大學對人生成功的重要性，要小於在大學中的經歷和意外的機遇，還有個人的個性特點。Employers and graduate schools are looking for outstanding skills and experience, not college pedigree. As you search for colleges, ask about student outcomes; you will find many colleges that outperform the Ivies and "name brands, " even though you may have never heard of them! Visit the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for help on sorting through the information and for great questions to ask when visiting and choosing a college.
僱主和本科學校找的是傑出的技能和經歷，而不是學校背景。當你選擇學校的時候，問一問學校畢業生走向，你會發現許多學校比常青藤和名牌學校做得更好，即使你都沒聽說過它！訪問NSSE尋求幫助來分類整理信息，也作爲挑選和訪問學校的一個好問題。4. You don t need to pick a major to pick a college.
4、你不用因爲考慮專業而挑選一所學校Very few high-school students have enough information or experience to choose a major. You need the variety and depth of college coursework to determine your interest and aptitude. Most college students change their minds two or three times before they settle on a major, and they can still graduate in four years! Being undecided is a good thing and will leave you open to more academic experiences.
高中學生很少有足夠的信息和經歷去挑選一個專業。你需要多樣和深度的大學課程來決定你的興趣和傾向。多數大學學生在確定下一個專業之前改變過兩到三次，但是他們仍然能在4年之內畢業！沒有決定是一件好事，他可以讓你開闊更多的學術經歷。5. Don t be scared by the stories.
5、不要被故事嚇倒If you only pay attention to the headlines, you might start to believe that no one is getting in anywhere! The truth is that the majority of the colleges and universities in this country admit more students than they reject. If you're worried about your chances of getting admitted — and you're willing to investigate beyond the very narrow band of highly selective colleges — you'll find that you have many options that will lead to a great fit for you.
如果你只關注頭條，你可能會開始相信沒有人可以去任何地方！但事實是多數學院和大學錄取更多的學生而不是拒絕。如果你擔心你的錄取機會——而且你想排除那些非常狹窄的高選擇低錄取學校進行選擇的話——你會發現你有很多選擇找到最適合自己的學校。Be informed about your academic profile and compare it to the profile of the most recently admitted and enrolled class for the colleges you are investigating. Check the college admission Web site for this information and contact them if you can t find it. Ask your high-school counselor for additional advice and guidance as it applies to your school.
拿自己的學術簡介和那些最近錄取的資料相比。確認學校錄取網站獲得信息，如果你找不到也可以直接聯繫他們。詢問你的高中學習顧問來獲得申請學校的其他建議和幫助。6. You can afford to go to college.
6、你可以支付得起上學費用If you make the assumption that you cannot afford college based on the sticker price of tuition, you will miss out. It is difficult to talk about money, but if you investigate all the options and ask for help and advice, you will find affordable choices. Online resources, as well as financial aid workshops sponsored by high schools in local communities, are widely available to get you started. College and university financial aid Web sites offer useful information and links as well. Investigate early and ask for help.
如果你因爲學校的標籤價而假設你不能支付得起學費，你會錯過它。談錢很難，但是如果你研究所有的選擇以及尋求建議，你能找到可以支付的選擇。網上資源，還有由學校社區發起的經濟資助，是一個很好的幫助。學院和大學的經濟援助網站同樣提供有用的信息和鏈接。儘早研究及尋求幫助。7. You don t have to go to college right away, and it s never too late.
7、你不必馬上去上大學，而且永遠不會太遲There is no such thing as the perfect time to start college. Some students benefit from a year off to work, study or travel, and these experiences allow them to be better, more engaged students. Some students choose to apply to college and gain admission and then defer their entrance, while others wait to apply until after they have had an alternative experience.
沒有最好的上大學的時間。一些學生從一年的休息時間中獲益，去工作、學習或旅行，這些經歷讓他們成爲更棒更受青睞的學生。一些學生選擇申請學校獲得錄取然後推遲入學，然而一些學生選擇獲得一些他們獨特的經歷之後再進行申請。Either way, admissions officers will be anxious to learn about your experience during your time off, and they'll ask you to write about it as part of your admissions process. High-school and college admission counselors can provide resources for investigating alternatives that may be right for you. You could apply for an internship, study abroad, or participate in a community service project.
無論哪種方式，招生人員會很想知道你空餘時間的經歷，他們會要求你將空餘時間的活動寫進申請裏。高中和大學的入學輔導員會提供適合你的活動的資源參考。你可以申請一個實習、留學，或者加入一個社區服務項目。8. The most important factor in choosing a college is fit.
8、選擇大學最重要的要素是：適合Choosing a college because your friends are going there or because of where it ranks on a list does not take into account who you are and who you will become. College is a match to be made, not a prize to be won. Finding a good fit requires time and thoughtfulness.
選擇一所大學因爲你的朋友去了那裏或者因爲這所學校在一個排名列表裏，這些並沒有考慮你是誰和你將成爲誰。選擇學校是一個匹配的過程，而不是一個獎要去獲得。找到一個適合的學校要求時間和深思熟慮。Visiting college Web sites and learning about what events take place, who visits as guest speakers, and how to get in touch with current students and faculty is a good way to supplement a campus visit — or to decide if you want to spend the time and money on a visit. Check a school's Web site to find the admissions officer assigned to your region of the country. Send them an e-mail to ask about getting in touch with students from your area or identifying a few with interests similar to yours.
訪問學校網站，看看學校發生的事件，誰擔任特邀演講。還有接觸現在的學生和教職員工也是補充一次好的學校拜訪的方式——或者決定一下你是否想花時間和錢在一次實地考察上。在學校網站上確認這所學校在你國家、區域分配的招生官，給他們發郵件，可以找一些在你區域的學生或者和你興趣相似的學生了解情況。When you visit, try to build in time to sit in on classes, eat in the dining hall and hang around in the student center or other high-traffic areas. That will help you imagine yourself as part of the community. Talk to a few students and ask if they would make the same college choice if they had to do it again. Go back to the first item in this list as you consider the information you ve collected about the colleges. You will have great options!
當你拜訪學習的時候，試着找一個時間真正坐在課堂上，在食堂吃飯，在學生中心或者高流動區逛逛。這可以幫助你想想自己成爲這個羣體的一員。和一些學生談談，問問他們如果他們做同樣的學校選擇，他們會不會再選擇這裏。然後當你考慮你所收集到的關於這所學校的信息的時候，跳到這張列表的第一條。你會有一個好的選擇！BY：timewords
