每年10月都是海外高校申请季的开始，国际教育展、留学[微博]展一场接着一场。很多人关心一个问题：外国学校有什么申请攻略。他们眼中的申请攻略包括面试技巧、材料撰写、自选材料的选择等。我也是一个孩子的母亲，关心孩子的教育，这些年担任校友面试官的经历给我一个强烈的感受，中国家庭少的不是攻略与技巧，而是一些有关心态的东西，而这正是校友面试官在寻找的东西。

Every October are overseas college for the start of the season,International education exhibition/Study abroad [micro bo] show a then a.Many people are concerned about a problem:Foreign school what application strategy.Their eyes application strategy including interview skills/Material writing/Customize the choice of materials, etc.I am also a child's mother,Concerned about the child's education,As these alumni interviewer experience gave me a strong feelings,Chinese family less not strategy and skill,But some things about mentality,And this is exactly what the alumni interviewer looking for things.

　　口述：张瑜芳(斯坦福大学校友面试官、UKEAS诺思留学特约顾问)

oral:shaoyuan(Stanford university alumni interviewer/UKEAS northrop study special consultant)

　　证书是可以买的，我想看点别的

Certificate is to be able to buy,I want to read other

　　校友面试官，是美国许多高校招生录取中普遍采取的一个环节，由分布在与学生同一地区的校友担任面试官。学生在递交给斯坦福大学的申请表中，都会有一栏：是否愿意接受校友面试。

Alumni interviewer,Many American university enrollment is generally adopted in a link,The distribution and students in the same area of the alumni as the interviewer.Students in the submitted to Stanford university in the application form,Will have a column:Whether it is willing to accept the alumni interviews.

　　到底是接受面试还是不接受面试好？这是许多人问我的问题。学生们要知道，不接受面试不会减分；接受面试了，也不一定会加分，只是选择面试的同学可能多一些机会让学校看到自己在“申请纸”上无法体现的东西。当然，招生是个系统工程，并非校友面试官一锤定音，校友面试官只是会把一些信息反馈给学校供参考。

What is to accept an interview or do not accept good interview?This is many people ask my question.The students want to know,Don't accept the interview will not reduce points;Accept interview,Also not necessarily can add,Just choose the interview students may be more opportunity for the school to see himself in"Application paper"Unable to reflect on things.Of course,Recruit students is a system engineering,Not alumni interviewer final,Alumni interviewer will just put some information feedback to the school for reference.

　　紧接着，许多人又会问我，校友面试官到底看什么？说得简单些，就是看你是否适合这个学校——在美国，大学都有自己独特的文化，尤其在常春藤盟校，以及排名前50的学校。所以大学希望找与自己文化契合的人，事实上，如果不契合，学生自己也会过得很痛苦。

then,Many people and would ask me,Alumni interviewer what see?Simply some,Is to see if you fit the school -- in the United States,University has its own unique culture,Especially in the ivy league,And the top 50 schools.So university hope and find their own culture fit person,In fact,If you don't agree with,Students will also have a pain.

　　2005年，在上海的我开始担任校友面试官，6年多的招生经历让我有个强烈的感觉，那时的申请材料少有“包装”，学生和申请材料很清楚是“同一个人”。现在“包装”多了，我们需要在面试中找到孩子的本来样子。

In 2005,,In Shanghai I start as alumni interviewer,The enrollment of more than six years experience let me have a strong feeling,At that time the application materials rare"packaging",Students and application materials is very clear"The same person".now"packaging"much,We need to find the child in an interview the original appearance.

　　参加过面试的人会好奇，校友面试官会问很多奇怪的问题，比如你暑假做什么？你参加哪些户外运动？课余时间做些什么？花多少时间帮妈妈打理家务？

In the interview will be curious,Alumni the interviewer will ask a lot of strange questions,For instance you summer vacation to do?What are you attend outdoor sports?Spare time doing?How much time to help my mother do the housework?

　　为什么问这些不着边际的问题？有家长[微博]会跟我说，我孩子课外参加了很多活动，不过都没有证书……其实不需要证书，证书是可以买的。我们也不需要一个很会读书的人(再次强调，美国每个大学的录取价值观是有差异的)，而需要能够看到一些其他东西的学生。比如，你是否愿意花时间做可能没有收获的事情，或者说不会有立即收获的事情？

Why ask these aberrant problem?Parents have [micro bo] will say with me,My child extracurricular took part in many activities,But all have no certificate……Actually don't need certificate,Certificate is to be able to buy.We don't need a very reading people(again,The United States each university admissions values are discrepant),And need to be able to see some other things students.For example,Are you willing to spend the time to do may not harvest things,Or will not have immediate harvest things?

　　说得简单些，不会有立即收获的事情，比如有运动。在美国，高校其实是很残酷的，学生们压力很大，有人会因为承受不了压力在课堂上尖叫，慢慢地不去上课，还有人甚至选择跳楼。基于这些因素，校友在面试时首先会考察，这个学生是否能在斯坦福生存下来。显然，运动有释放压力的功能，我们倾向于认为爱运动的孩子生存能力更强些。

Simply some,There won't be immediate harvest things,For example, there are sports.In the United States,University is actually very cruel,The students are under a lot of pressure,Someone will because of a bear not the pressure in the classroom scream,Slowly don't go to class,There are even choose to jump from.Based on these factors,Alumni in the interview will first investigation,The student can survive in Stamford.obviously,Sports have release pressure function,We tend to think that love sports child survival ability is stronger.

　　此外，愿意花时间投入一些看似无用的东西，也是考察学生是否有足够的应变能力。我在面试时曾遇到一个男孩，他带来了厚厚几本教科书，不是要告诉我他在学校里上什么课，而是给我看他在教科书上画的漫画，在上课时画的。他想告诉我，他很会画画。许多人批评这个孩子不认真上课听讲，我却不这么认为，我觉得这孩子有“一脑多用”的潜质。进入美国大学后，你会发现，学业很繁重，一门科目一周的阅读量往往是400、500页，如果有三科，那就是接近2000页，这时候你就要学会时间管理，学会根据重要级、紧要级，安排完成事情的先后顺序等。

In addition,Willing to spend the time to devote some seemingly useless things,Inspects the student is whether there is enough strain capacity.During an interview I met a boy,He brought a thick textbook,Not to tell me he at school what class,But give me to see him in the textbook drawing cartoons,In the class of the painting.He wanted to tell me,He is a good draw.Many people criticize the child do not take the class seriously listen carefully,But I don't think so,I think that children have"A brain multi-purpose"potential.To enter the United States after university,You will find,Studies very hard,A subject a week's reading quantity is often 400/500,If there are three,That is close to 2000,This time you must learn time management,Learn to important stage/Critical level,Arrange finish things order of seniority, etc.

　　我一直认为，当孩子们愿意花时间做些学习之外的事情，涉猎面广泛，看到许多别的事情，那么孩子们就不容易钻牛角尖，不会为小事而烦恼，当遇到困难时，你会告诉自己，“It'sno big deal。”(这不是什么大事)。你会学着去应变，而创意往往来自于应变。

I've always thought,When children are willing to take time to do some studies of things,Dabble in surface widely,See a lot of other things,So the children over is not easy,Not to worry about little things,When encounter difficulties,Will you tell yourself,"Sno big deal It '."(This is not what great things).You will learn to strain,And creative often comes from strain.

　　孩子们，请给我一个答案

The children,Please give me an answer

　　这么多年担任校友招生官，有人被录取，也有人被拒，有人跑来问我：张，你觉得中国学生还欠缺些什么，你有什么建议给孩子们？我就来说说我面试时的一些感受。

So many years as alumni admissions officer,Someone be admitted,Also somebody rejected,Someone ran asked me:zhang,Do you think Chinese students are lacking some what,What advice would you give to children?I will say I interview some feeling.

　　通常我在面试时，会问一些模式化的问题，比如：你有什么心仪的专业？你将来想干什么？天哪，如果碰到这些问题，很多同学会不知所措，他们会说我现在如何如何，将来如何如何，将来的问题现在没法说，太复杂……完全纠结在思路中，而我只想问此时此刻你的感受，你想干什么，我也知道将来是未知的，有许多变数。但，要从孩子们嘴里得到一个实质性的答案很难。

Usually I at the interview,Ask some modeled problem,For example:Do you have any professional right?You want to do in the future?dear,If encounter these problems,A lot of homecoming at a loss,They would say I now how,How in the future,Future problems now can't say,Too complicated……Completely in the realm of ideas,And I just want to ask at the moment you feel,Do you want to do,I also know that the future is unknown,There are many variables.but,From the mouth to the children get a substantial it is difficult to answer.

　　这在我此后的面试中感受愈来愈强烈，我觉得孩子们似乎很怕“得罪人”，因而害怕有自己的立场。一些孩子说话总有很长的铺垫，我却很难找到一个明确的立场。有些孩子我听出了他们的一些观点，但是说到最后他们会发现一个“大流的观点”，于是就随大流站在了与其他大多数人相同的立场上。我自己猜测这种心理或许是害怕犯错，但殊不知，这样你会失去许多机会。很可惜，有些孩子很聪明，却不晓得自己支持什么，选择大家都支持的东西，你跟大家都一样，那我为什么要选你？

This in my next interview feeling more and more strong,I think the children seem to be very afraid"offends",Therefore fear have their own position.Some of the children to speak there is always a long foreshadowing,I but it is difficult to find a clear position.Some children I listen to out some of their point of view,But said that last they will find a"Flow point of view",Then follow the crowd stood on the and most other people the same position.I guess this kind of psychological may be afraid of making mistakes,But little imagine,So you will lose a lot of chance.It is a pity that,Some children is very clever,But you do not know myself to support??????,Choose everyone support things,You and all the same,That why should I choose you?

　　说这些，不只是为了让孩子们了解美国高校的文化，我想对你们应对生活的变故或许也有用。如果说你们从小的教育都有标准答案，不允许你们犯错，但生活与学校是不同的，犯错是难免的。要相信，在犯错中能学习成功，创新有时候甚至来自于犯错——如果一直循序亘古不变的“标准答案”，或许我们会错过许多美好。

Say these,Not just in order to let the children understand the culture of American universities,I want to you to cope with life's misfortune may also useful.If you from the education all have a standard answer,Don't allow you to make mistakes,But life and school is different,It's hard to avoid mistakes.To believe in,In the wrong can learning success,Innovation sometimes even from mistakes - if always sequential timeless"Standard answer",Maybe we will miss a lot of good.

　　别怕我，请带着问题来

Don't be afraid of me,Please take the problem

　　说到这里，也有一些令我欣喜的东西。我遇到过不少孩子在面试时会问我，听说斯坦福大学自行车很多，早上上学的时候排山倒海，怎么应对呀？还有个孩子说，斯坦福的校园里有教堂，那么校友可以在里面结婚么？听说有许多罗丹的真品雕塑在校园里，会有人搞破坏么？我很高兴学生们会花心思搜集关于学校的内容，这代表他们已经开始思考在学校生存的问题了。

here,There are also some make me happy things.I met a lot of children in interview, ask me,Heard that Stanford university bicycle many,Go to school in the morning when remove mountains,How to deal with ah?And a child said,Stamford campus in the church,So the alumni can inside marriage yao?Heard that there are many rodin's genuine sculpture on the campus,Someone will make to break it?I'm glad the students will spend idea collecting about the content of the school,This means they have begun to think about the problem of existence in the school.

　　通常这种谈话是比较愉快的。当校友面试官自己掏钱，请孩子们去星级酒店用餐，除了观察孩子们的礼仪，更重要的就是这种双向交流——不只是我们在提问，孩子们也可以问我们问题。我们甚至更看重后者，这说明这个孩子了解我们学校，希望认识学校。有时候当我说，“你有什么问题问我么？”孩子一言不发，说实话我挺泄气，我会怀疑，你是不是投了30多所学校，申请斯坦福，只是因为别人说它是“名校”，而你也只在乎这点，你甚至不愿意多花一点点时间去了解它。

Usually this kind of talk is more pleasant.When alumni interviewer out of their own pockets,Please the children to star hotel dining,In addition to observe children's etiquette,More important is the two-way communication - not just in our questions,The children can also ask us questions.We even think more of the latter,This shows that the child understand our school,Hope to know the school.Sometimes when I say,"Do you have any questions to ask me?"The child said nothing,To tell you the truth I was frustrated,I doubt,Did you throw more than 30 schools,Application at Stamford,Just because someone said it is"school",And you also care about this,You don't even willing to spend a little bit of time to learn it.

　　其实了解学校不需要为此写出一篇比较论文，你甚至只需要在面试前一两周花些时间做些网上检索。

Actually know the school don't need to write a paper comparison,You even only need one or two before the interview ZhouHua some time to do some online retrieval.

　　切忌一味追求“名校”，其实每所学校都有自己的风格，学校间的文化差异是很大的。

Avoid by all means is blindly pursue"school",Actually every school has its own style,The cultural differences between the school is great.

　　我以我的个人经历来给大家一些表面上的感受。我在加州大学洛杉矶分校(UCLA)度过了四年本科，然后去了隔壁的斯坦福读研[微博]究生，我的大学时光都在加州阳光下度过，西海岸的气候特点某种程度也造就了高校与东部“名校”间文化上的迥异差别。

I with my personal experience to give you some feeling on the surface.I am in the university of California, Los Angeles(UCLA)Spent four years undergraduate course,Then go to the next door of Stanford graduate [micro bo] graduate students,My college time are in California spent under the sun,West coast climate characteristics to some extent makes the university and east"school"The difference between different cultures.

　　以斯坦福大学为例，和加州阳光一样，这里的校园氛围比较sunny(阳光)。它地处硅谷，校园里很多学生毕业了就进入那里工作，也难免有一群“怪”学生游走在校园里。与东部波士顿、纽约的常春藤盟校不同，斯坦福其实校园不算大，专业也不是很多，给学生发放奖学金名额也不算特别多，要拿到全额奖学金很难。

To Stanford university as an example,And California sunshine,The campus atmosphere is sunny(The sun).It is located in silicon valley,Campus many students graduate and enter the working there,Also there is bound to be a group of"blame"Students in the campus migration.And east Boston/New York's ivy league different,Stamford actually campus is not big,Professional is also not many,Give students scholarship quota is not much more special,To get a full scholarship is difficult to.

　　当时，我和一群拿到全额奖学金的学生住在一起，学校有个特殊政策，拿到全奖的人被安排住在一栋或相近的宿舍楼。这种宿舍楼相对简陋，我们认为是学校要节约开支。当然也有人说，学校这种安排是为了让异类学生碰撞出新的创新火花。

At that time,I and a group of get full scholarships students live together,The school has a special policy,Get the full prize were arranged to live in a house or of close dormitory building.The dormitory building relatively simple,We think is the school to save expenses.Of course also someone says,School this arrangement is to let students different collision a new innovation spark.

　　我们这群人的确被人视为异类，有的人宿舍贴满了火星的图片，美国航空航天署(NASA)有个基地离我们学校很近，很多学生毕业后是要去那里工作的，因此这些人被认为“将来是要登上火星的”。宿舍里时常有小爆炸声，不用去管它，那是学生在做实验，因为拿着奖学金，所以学生需要给教授完成许多工作，有些实验室做不完的事情就要拿回宿舍来琢磨。平时大家都各忙个的，但每到周日晚上8点，大家会准时集合在宿舍一楼的放映室，那是《X档案》的播出时间，各专业的学生们开始推理结局。

Our group of people do is regarded as different species,Some people dormitory plastered with pictures of Mars,NASA space agency(NASA)From a base is close to our school,A lot of students after graduation is going to work there,These people are considered"The future is to get to Mars".The dormitory often have small explosion,Don't go to pipe it,That is a student in doing the experiment,Because take a scholarship,So students need to give professor done a lot of work,Some laboratory done was about to take back to the dormitory to ponder.Usually all of the busy,But every Sunday night 8 point,You will be on time set in the dormitory of the projection booth on the first floor,It is[x-files]Broadcast time of,The students began to reasoning result.

　　斯坦福大学相对单纯，政治家少，也没有很多“oldmoney”(老权贵)，因为学校相对年轻，所以不存在“我爸爸的爸爸的爸爸读的也是这所学校”的事情。

Stanford university relatively simple,Politicians less,Also do not have as many"oldmoney"(Old crony),Because school relatively young,So does not exist"My dad's dad dad reads is the school"things.

　　说这些是想让大家更多地去了解一个学校的文化，学校没有好坏，关键还是要适合你。

Say these is to let everybody to learn more about the culture of a school,School does not stand or fall,The key is to should be suitable for you.

　　最后送给大家一条校园箴言：不要等着这件事被解决。许多人说美国学校强调领导力，到底怎么解释？借助这句话你或许会有所领域：遇到麻烦或困难时，强调学生自我发起一个东西，体现领导力、行动力、创新力，不要等着这件事被解决。(记者 唐闻佳 采访整理）

Finally gave everyone a campus proverbs:Don't wait for it are resolved.Many people said the United States the school stresses leadership,Exactly how to explain?With the aid of this sentence you might have field:Meet trouble or difficulties,Emphasis on the students' self initiated a thing,Reflect leadership/Line power/creativity,Don't wait for it are resolved.(Reporters don WenJia interview arrangement)