Hypathway's Notes: The student who scored number one in China’s national college entrance examinations (Gaokao, 高考) was referred to as “状元” in Chinese. Interestingly, this year’s 状元 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 状元 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 状元 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 “…或许在中国人留美申请的历史上也可以记上一笔.”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.
高考状元自解: 为何11所美国名校全部拒绝
By 李泰伯 2010 北京理科状元
新浪 2010-06-28
我本是个后知后觉的人,对于媒体的覆盖倒能淡然处之,直到我看到了许多网站对于我申请失败的分析。我忍不住了。
主要不是要为自己正名,而是要向大家向社会特别是向学弟学妹们传达一个简单而深刻的道理:一切靠自己。
有某位留学公司的执行长认为我的申请一定是有斧凿之痕,只展示了各种头衔和奖项,而忽视了自己内心中“最真诚、最有兴趣的部分”，从而导致失败。也有人评论道美国人觉得我的学生会主席和班长的工作经历都是官方行为,在“政审”方面没有过关。还有朋友直接评论道:“书呆子,活该!”
感谢他们的精彩点评。如果把我的申请失利作为一个案例研究而呈现于大学课堂之上,他们的解答不可谓没有创意,不可谓不深刻。然而,我想,真正了解我的人是我自己,真正能够跟大家分享我的经验的人,还是我自己。所以我想在此回驳以上观点,并提出我自己的感悟。当然,回驳并不是冒犯；观点的碰撞才最能营造学术的氛围。况且,我还要感怀所有对此发表见解的人 (无论什么见解),因为毕竟,你们对我的关注,见证了我的成长。
回应1:我的申请中集中突出的是我的好奇心,而非各种头衔。我的essay中,完全没有提我的各种头衔,完全没有提到数学竞赛的奖项。我的主题全部是兴趣,特别是对于这个世界、对于生活的兴趣,对于文化和文化交流的兴趣。我用了大量的心理描写,刻画了自己的心路历程,并且最终落在了I loveeverything I do, and do everything I love的主题上面。
回应2:其实,学生会和班长的工作并不是我的侧重。恰恰相反,我的申请中着重于展现在模联、志愿服务和宿舍管理方面的initiative和creativity.特别是在面试过程中,我强调的是我的自己联系、创办的活动和机会,比如校内外的志愿服务、北京地球村的环保行动等等,避开了主流的“官方”行为。我想,如果要吸引对方的注意,就要尽量“笔落惊风雨,诗成泣鬼神”。
回应3:这个我没话说,不过我希望能通过自己的实际行动证明,高考状元不一定 (或者说一定不)是书呆子。至少,他们还有丰富的感情生活 (这个略去)。
那么到底是什么原因使我的申请出现了问题呢? 或许只有美国人自己知道,而他们又从来都不会告诉你。那么我想,现在我自己的分析,应该是最权威的了。既然权威,就要深入,我们说得远一点、广一点。
外因:美国的问题,美国人的问题
曾经有人安慰我,如果你想被美国名校录取,要么你家有钱,要么你家有人,要么你是女生。这当然有些言过其实,不过它传达的精神或许值得我们品玩。
内因:我自己的问题。
1、起步晚:我做出申请美国本科的决定,是在高二上学期学生会竞选获胜、丘成桐杯成绩差强人意之时。反观成功的同龄人,这个时间或许可以提前5年甚至15年。我对美国的认识相当有限,自然对于美国人的胃口把握也就不很到位。
2、SAT分数不够高。其实2240还算不错了,但是在美国人非常重视的CR和Essay部分我只有710和11分,当然更好的分数才配得上自己的志向。SAT2只有传统的数理化,而且没有AP (当然这个的重要性没有那么大)。这与自己起步晚、活动多而分散了一定经历有关、
3、美式竞赛AMC-AIME系统成绩不算最好。虽然在高中联赛-集训队系统中我取得的成绩算是申请人中最为出色的之一了,但是(我自己也奇怪)AMC和 AIME的成绩至少没有拿到过学校最高分,而美国人当然相信自己的系统。这完全是我的问题,AMC和AIME考得太不在意了。
4、不了解很多讯息和包装手段,包括被waitlist之后还可以用被录同学的推荐信这样高级的手法……
5、过于全面的展现了自己。我感觉能写的太多了,最后全面照顾的结果就相当于什么都没有照顾到。如果你每方面都很优秀、都很喜爱,美国人是不会相信的(这或许是为什么有人会以为我的申请有斧凿之痕)。技巧是,一两个闪光点远远胜过几百个闪光点,因为你能被阅读者记住。
6、(我不觉得这是我的问题) 我全部要了全奖,税单的收入少的可怜(from an American perspective)。
最后说两句
从留学申请道内人士角度看,我是个彻头彻尾的失败者。Brown, Caltech, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, MIT,Princeton, Stanford, University of Chicago, Williams, Yale这十一个顶尖学校全部拒绝了我(虽然其中H/Y/M/W/Columbia/D/B都让我有过waitlist的幻想),这或许在中国人留美申请的历史上也可以记上一笔。但是我觉得这些拒绝并不能摧垮我对自己、对朋友、对这个世界的信任,因为毕竟,申请只是一个经历,申请结果也只发生在过去。美国人对大陆学生的录取现在看已经有了一套比较有章可循的模式,因为大量留学机构的介入使得在中国学生和美国大学的双向选择中很多心照不宣的传统已经形成。我觉得我最成功的一点,在于自己敢于申请全奖,敢于抵制中介,敢于面对挫折。我还坚守着一个真实的、没有被“专业人士”的咨询打乱的自我,纵然这个自我并不完美,但他很纯粹,让我很踏实。
当然,我要对学弟学妹们说,选择中介而走入世界顶尖大学亦无可厚非,这是灵活变通之道,而对于你们的未来或也大有裨益。但是,不管你选择了怎样的道路,请你热爱自己的选择,然后全身心投入去做,对于结果保持一个开放的心态。申请的作用在于使你认识自己,结果完全应该是第二位的考量。纵使中介帮助了你,也请你一定要做自己的主人,在自己的展示过程中扮演主动。功利一点不一定不好,有人引着浏览身边的风景,也不一定不从容淡定。但是,我们一定不能忘了回家的路。
最后分享两句话:
1. It’s better to be rejected by Princeton than by yourself.
2. 1+1在Harvard等于2, 在清华还是等于2。
祝大家都能快活地为自己的前程奔波,能始终不忘自己存在的价值和奋进的动力。我们一定会成功!
后记:个人看法,如果有什么不同意的地方,提出质疑我们一起来探讨吧。我写这些话的目的,就在于希望和大家分享,其实世界上没有那么多因果,没有那么多逻辑。(参看Taleb Black Swan)媒体说了什么不重要,重要的是我们怎么去看它。我就是希望大家能转移对我的结果的关注,摒弃一切的成见。我们的处世态度,不能被别人左右。想好了,就做吧。
Posted 星期一, 07/19/2010 - 19:19 by Fishville at www.tongjiyiren.com.
Posted 星期一, 07/19/2010 - 19:19 by Fishville at www.tongjiyiren.com.
