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College Admissions: Getting the Timing Right

时间:2017-12-17 16:41:17

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(单词翻译)

 

Timing1 is everything. That is an expression people around the world use in many situations.

Generally, this expression means that taking action at the right time can be just as important as how well you do something.

This is especially true when a student is seeking admission to a college or university, says Becky Konowicz. She is Assistant Dean2 of Undergraduate Admission at Santa Clara University, a private Jesuit school in Santa Clara, California.

Konowicz notes that applying to colleges and universities in the United States can often be a long and complex process. This is partly because of recent changes to the admissions policies at many schools and increasing competition among applicants3.

“Part of the complexity4 of today is students are applying to more universities that have more variations in deadlines and requirements,” Konowicz told VOA. “And so it requires even more organization. Back when I applied5 years ago, I applied to three schools. Now, the average student applies to six to eight schools.”

What many students and their families fail to understand, Konowicz adds, is just how long the application process takes. Many people think the process begins in the final year of high school. However, Konowicz says students should start taking action well before that.

In the U.S., young people generally attend high school for four years. And Konowicz suggests students take their first step towards applying to college in the months before their third year. At this point, young people are still likely to have several unanswered questions on their mind. Those questions could be as complex as ‘What do you want out of your college experience?’ or as simple as ‘Where do you want to study?’

Konowicz says students can get closer to finding the answers by visiting any college or university. It is not important if the student does not plan on attending the school. The visit can still give them a better idea of what to expect in that kind of environment.

“Visit a university, see what it’s like,” she said. “Check into an admissions office. It doesn’t matter the size or where it is, stop in on one. You may be on a family holiday, and that gives you a sense. And then it might also spark some questions to help you start going to online resources.”

The next step, Konowicz says, involves testing. Most U.S. students take exams to prove their level of academic performance in the second half of their third year in high school. These tests include the SAT, once known as the Scholastic6 Aptitude7 Test, and the ACT. Some schools like one test more than the other.

Konowicz adds that this is also the time when international students should be taking tests like the TOEFL and IELTS to prove their abilities in English.

After taking these tests, the period between the third and fourth years of high school is a busy one for high school students, she says. This is the time when they should be narrowing the list of colleges and universities under consideration. Then, once they have made a shorter list, they should contact these schools and try to build a relationship with them.

Konowicz notes many schools have email lists that students and family members can join. The schools’ emails can provide helpful information, she says. Also, college admissions officers often set up informational events, both at their schools and elsewhere, which students should attend. This will give students a chance to meet the people who may be considering their applications, she says.

The next step is for students to begin working on a writing sample. Most U.S. colleges and universities require applicants to provide a writing sample that does more than show off their writing ability level. It also tells admissions officers more about who the applicants are.

Konowicz argues that creating a good writing sample takes time, and students often need several attempts to get it right. So students should begin working on it even before their final year of high school. Also at this time, students should create a document clearly detailing the different requirements and closing dates for the schools to which they are applying.

Once the final year of high school begins, students should get all the required materials together and ready for submission8, Konowicz says. This includes putting the finishing touches on the essay and any documents needed for financial aid. Also students need to ask teachers and others with whom they have strong connections to write letters in support of their application.

Konowicz says most U.S. colleges and universities require letters of recommendation9. And it can take a while for someone to write one. So students should make their requests for these at least 30 days before the closing date.

Finally, in the United States, most deadlines for college application materials are in early winter. But Konowicz suggests that students should submit all their application materials a week before the actual date. That way if any emergencies come up or mistakes were made, students have plenty of time to contact the schools, if necessary.

Konowicz notes that spring is when most schools make their decisions and inform candidates if they will accept them. However, she says students should contact the schools a week after submitting their materials to ensure that there are no problems. If problems, such as missed deadlines, do exist, admissions officers will try their best to help.

“I would encourage parents to remember that an admissions office can be their ally,” Konowicz said. “So if a student has missed a deadline … encourage your student to call us … and then we’ll help them through the process. The hardest part is when the parent takes over … Then we start to wonder ‘Can this student develop these independent skills?’ and ‘Would they be a good fit for our university?’”

Admissions officers want to be as helpful as possible, she argues. Some will even send messages to applicants’ smartphones to restate upcoming deadlines and provide useful information. After all, Konowicz notes that helping10 students apply to college is why most admissions officers started working in this field to begin with.

I’m -Pete Musto. And I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

Jesuit – adj. belonging to the religious group called the Roman Catholic11 Society of Jesus

apply(ing) – v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing

variation(s) – n. a change in the form, position, condition, or amount of something

deadline(s) – n. the last day, hour, or minute that something will be accepted

spark – v. to cause something to start or happen

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education

sample – n. a small amount of something that gives you information about the thing it was taken from

submission – n. an act of giving a document, proposal, or piece of writing to someone so that it can be considered or approved

essay – n. a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject

financial – adj. relating to money

recommendation – n. a formal letter that explains why a person is appropriate or qualified12 for a particular job or school

encourage – v. to make someone more likely to do something


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 timing rgUzGC     
n.时间安排,时间选择
参考例句:
  • The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
  • The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。
2 Dean lmUyu     
n.(大学)院长,系主任,教务长
参考例句:
  • The students much like the new dean.学生们很喜欢这位新系主任。
  • Who is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department?外语系主任是谁?
3 applicants aaea8e805a118b90e86f7044ecfb6d59     
申请人,求职人( applicant的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
  • He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。
4 complexity KO9z3     
n.复杂(性),复杂的事物
参考例句:
  • Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
  • The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。
5 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用
参考例句:
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
6 scholastic 3DLzs     
adj.学校的,学院的,学术上的
参考例句:
  • There was a careful avoidance of the sensitive topic in the scholastic circles.学术界小心地避开那个敏感的话题。
  • This would do harm to students' scholastic performance in the long run.这将对学生未来的学习成绩有害。
7 aptitude 0vPzn     
n.(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资
参考例句:
  • That student has an aptitude for mathematics.那个学生有数学方面的天赋。
  • As a child,he showed an aptitude for the piano.在孩提时代,他显露出对于钢琴的天赋。
8 submission lUVzr     
n.服从,投降;温顺,谦虚;提出
参考例句:
  • The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。
  • No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。
9 recommendation ItvyJ     
n.推荐(信)建议,优点,长处
参考例句:
  • I wrote him a good recommendation.我为他写了一封很好的推荐信。
  • This method deserves recommendation.这种做法值得提倡。
10 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
11 catholic irxzd     
adj.天主教的;n.天主教徒
参考例句:
  • The Pope is the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church.教皇是罗马天主教的最高领袖。
  • She was a devoutly Catholic.她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。
12 qualified DCPyj     
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的
参考例句:
  • He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
  • We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

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