首先，藤校招生是 “holistic”（全面的）方式。成绩非常重要，但不是唯一的。共有5个方面会得到考虑。
· Glowing letters of recommendation
· Interesting extracurricular activities
由于其他的东西很难量化，这里只比较成绩。以下是总表，GPA， SAT和录取率。Harvard 以5.9% 为最低。Princeton 为7.3%。Pomona College为14%。然而，实际的差距远比这些数字揭示出来的要小。
|
SAT Scores |
Admission |
||||||
|
|
Reading |
Math |
Writing |
% |
|||
|
|
25% |
75% |
25% |
75% |
25% |
75% |
|
|
700 |
800 |
710 |
800 |
710 |
800 |
5.9 |
|
|
700 |
800 |
710 |
800 |
710 |
790 |
7.3 |
|
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
660 |
760 |
670 |
780 |
670 |
770 |
8.6 |
|
|
690 |
780 |
700 |
790 |
690 |
780 |
6.9 |
|
|
640 |
740 |
680 |
780 |
650 |
750 |
14 |
|
|
670 |
760 |
690 |
780 |
690 |
780 |
9.9 |
|
|
700 |
800 |
710 |
790 |
710 |
800 |
7.1 |
|
先比较一下Harvard 和Princeton。首先，两校最终录取的（绿点和蓝点）都是集中在右上角，即高SAT和高GPA处。从Harvard 有相当数量的SAT低于2070 来看，似乎Harvard对SAT的重视程度不如Princeton。 Harvard 有大量的申请是在SAT低于1700处，因此，虽然Harvard 的录取率更低，其原因是在于有更多的不合格的申请者充斥其中。这可能是Harvard 招生时故意宣传，误导那些根本没有希望的学生申请，以制造出一个录取率超低的假象。
有意思的是，Harvard 在低分处，有很多蓝点，就是录取了却不来的。这批学生大概很有自知之明，知道在入学以后的竞争中，占不了上风，干脆去其他地方。这一点，在Princeton 要少很多。
|
Harvard， 5.9% |
Princeton， 7.3% |
|
|
|
再来比较一下Harvard和Pomona College。两校在一般人的眼里，名气有很大的差别。但是，从上面的表里，可以看出，Pomona College 在SAT 平均成绩上，比Harvard也就是相差70 – 80 分而已。考虑到申请Pomona的人，几乎没有GPA低于3.2 ，因此两者录取的学生，实际的血液成绩差别是不太大的。Pomona 在GPA 3.8 左右，SAT在1770到2070之间，有数量相对可观的绿点，应该是这批学生把平均成绩拉下来了。
因此，在学业上，约90% 的Pomona 的学生，和Harvard的学生，是在同一个程度的。
|
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.
查找资料：
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/GPA-SAT-ACT-Graphs/ss/harvard-admission-gpa-sat-act.htm
