此页面目前仅部分内容为英文，我们对因此带来的不便深表歉意。
位于麻省西部的贝门特学校是一所提供从幼儿园直至9年级的私立走读和寄宿学校，学校在校学生约220人，包括44名来自世界各地的寄宿生。贝门特学校的所在地鹿场（Deerfield）享有丰富的教育资源，著名的鹿场中学、北野山学校，以及包括阿姆赫斯特学院和史密斯学院在内的五大学院均位于该地区。独立教育顾问曹曦老师（Jack Cao）近期就中国家长关注的问题与贝门特学校助理校长兼招生部主任Ms. Kim Loughlin进行了一次对话，现将对话内容整理如下（中英文）与各位家长分享。
Located in West Massachusetts, Bement School is a co-ed day and boarding school for kindergarten to Grade Nine since 1925 with enrollment of 220 students, including 44 boarders from all over the world. Deerfield where Bement is located enjoys a high reputation for its richer educational atmosphere in which prestigious boarding schools like Deerfield Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School, and the top-rated the Five Colleges including Amherst and Smith College lie nearby. Except these ample resources, what make Bement an attracting school to the international families for their younger kids is an interesting topic. Jack Cao, a Beijing-based independent educational consultant, conducted a dialogue in terms of the topics Chinese parents concern about with Ms. Kim Loughlin, assistant head of school and director of admissions of Bement School. We shared their dialogues below with Chinese translation with the interested parents.
Jack： As a traditional school of educating younger kids for over 90 years, what make Bement different from the other junior boarding schools?
作为一所拥有90多年教育低龄孩子历史的传统学校，贝门特与其他初中寄宿学校有什么不同？
Kim： The Bement School has a long tradition of educating younger students for
nearly 100 years. And since our founding, our commitment to diversity includes a long history of international students as well. Families have often chosen Bement because of the sense of community. Families know their child will receive wonderful preparation for the secondary school admission process, opportunities to develop and pursue a variety of interests, and opportunities to demonstrate their leadership. But these things happen at The Bement School because of our boarding community is a community which is dedicated to remaining small. Our boarding size is intentional. We feel we can best provide the guidance, supervision, and care for younger students in smaller numbers. Students here are known and our faculty and dorm parents care for them as their own children.
贝门特学校有近百年教育年轻学生的悠久传统。 自成立以来，我们就注重多元化，招收国际学生的历史传统是我们多元化中一部分。家庭经常根据对学校的感觉选择贝门特。家长们知道他们的孩子在这里除了为今后的高中申请做好充分的准备外，还拥有发展和追求各种兴趣以及展示他们领导能力的机会。这些事情之所以发生在贝门特学校是因为我们始终致力于保持一个小规模的寄宿社区。我们有目的地控制寄宿生规模，因为我们坚信小规模的教育环境让我们为低龄孩子提供给最好的指导、监督和关怀。在学校里，每个学生都为人所知。我们的教师和宿舍父母将他们视为自己的孩子。
Jack How many years on average do the faculties work at Bement?
老师们在贝门特的平均工作年限是多久？
Kim: Bement faculty members average over 15 years of experience.
贝门特的老师平均工作年限是十五年。
Jack: Why does Bement request SSAT while most of the other junior boarding
schools not?
为什么贝门特要求SSAT而其他大多数其他初中寄宿学校没有？
Kim: Bement requires testing of all applicants grades 3-9. The SSAT does provide good information to us about the applicant. While we anticipate that many students for whom English is not their first language will score lower on the verbal and reading comprehension sections, the math sections often allow students to demonstrate their strength in this area. The writing sample is also incredibly important to see an example of their writing that has not been proofed or edited by someone else as application essays can be. We do not require the TOEFL exam given that students may take that as often as they like in order to improve their score and thus the TOEFL score may be inflated.
贝门特要求对所有3-9级申请人进行测试。SSAT确实向我们提供了有关申请人的良好信息。我们预计很多英语非母语的学生在语文和阅读理解部分得分不高，而数学部分往往允许学生展示他们在在这方面的实力。另外我们也看重写作部分，相对于可能被他人校对或编辑的申请文书，这些未经他人校对和编辑的写作示例对我们了解学生的真实写作水平更有帮助。我们不要求托福考试，因为学生可以通过不断考试来提高他们的分数，这让托福成绩的可靠程度下降不少。
Jack: How does Bement help the young kids to build up their characters in a healthy way?
Bement如何帮助低龄孩子以健康的方式构建自己的性格？
Kim: The Bement School program is designed to cultivate responsible global citizens who have a sense of their own voice, passions, and direction in the world. Young people leave Bement poised, able to articulate who they are and what they can bring to a group, and oriented to being constructive friends, classmates, and community members. Our boarding program asks students to develop individual responsibility alongside responsibility to the group.
贝门特学校旨在培养负责任的全球公民，他们在世界上有自己的声音，激情和方向感。年轻人离开Bement准备，能够清楚地表达他们是谁以及他们可以为团队带来什么，并朝着成为一名有益于他人的朋友、同学和社区成员去完善自己。我们的寄宿项目要求学生发展个人责任以及团队责任。
Jack: What are the most challenges Chinese students meet at Bement? What resources does Bement provide for those students to overcome these challenges?
中国学生在贝门特遇到的挑战是什么？贝门特为这些学生提供了哪些资源来面对这些挑战？
Kim: More restricted use of technology. We help students learn to balance the use of technology in their life.
采用更严格的方法限制学生使用技术（电子产品）。我们帮助学生学会在生活中平
衡地使用电子产品。
Accepting that their preparation for secondary schools is so much more than SSAT prep. We encourage students to spend weekend time dedicated to community activities and course work rather than focus only on test scores as a sign of success. This can be challenging for students coming from such a test-drive culture as China's, but we know that our approach provides for the most competitive secondary school candidacy.
让学生们清楚他们在这里为高中生活所做的准备远远超过准备SSAT考试。我们鼓励学生将周末时间用于社区活动和课程工作，而不是只把测试成绩作为成功与否的标志。对于来自中国应试教育环境的学生来说，这可能是一个挑战，但我们知道我们的努力能让学生在申请最具竞争力的高中时脱颖而出。
Jack: Why did Bement launch the summer session in China? How many students attended it this summer? Were all the participating students from China this year? Will Bement do the summer program in China next year?
为什么贝门特在中国推出暑期项目？今年夏天有多少学生参加？今年参加暑期项目的学生是否都是中国学生？贝门特明年还将在中国举办暑期项目吗？
Kim: In keeping with Bement's traditions and core school values, we offer
summer programs for international students which provide children with an immersive and trans-formative educational experience. Our English Language and Culture program (ELAC) and Bement in Shanghai seek to educate students in intensive English language learning, as well as deepen their studies of American and boarding school culture.
秉承贝门特学校的传统和核心价值观，我们为国际学生提供暑期课程，为孩子们提供身临其境和变革性的教育体验。我们（在贝门特学校）的英语语言文化课程（ELAC）和在上海的“贝门特在上海”（Bement in Shanghai）项目致力于通过英语语言学习教育学生，加深他们对美国和寄宿学校文化的了解。
Given the demand for our summer program on campus at Bement, we decided to create and launch a Bement in Shanghai summer 2018 for students who desired a Bement experience, but may not have been ready to be away from home. Bement in Shanghai is a day program. We see this as one step in the direction to prepare for future study abroad. We feel it is important to emphasize preparation is more than test prep. Our inaugural summer enrolled six students. We envision growing our enrollment in Shanghai to 15 students for summer 2019. Bement in Shanghai runs Monday through Friday July 8-19, 2019.
考虑到中国家庭对我们在贝门特校园的夏季课程的需求，我们决定在2018年夏天在上海创建并推出“贝门特在上海”暑期项目，以便那些想要获得想参加贝门特学校暑期项目（ELAC）但还没有做好准备的中国学生在中国就能拥有那样的体验。和ELAC暑期项目不同的是“贝门特在上海”暑期项目是走读制的。我们认为这是为未来出国留学做准备的一步。我们强调这样的暑期项目在为学生今后申请美国学校所做的准备方面远比参加标化考试补习更重要。我们的首期“贝门特在上海”暑期班招收了六名学生。我们预计2019年夏季将在上海招收15名学生。上海的学生将于2019年7月8日至19日(周一至周五)举行。
Bement's ELAC summer program in Deerfield is a boarding program from July 7-August 3, 2019 and we will enroll 21 students.
贝门特在迪尔菲尔德的暑期项目（ELAC）是一个为期四周（2019年7月7日至8月3日）的寄宿项目，我们将招收21名学生。
Jack: It has been an extremely hard job to apply for the US junior boarding
schools for Chinese families. Most of the Chinese families have their kids to prepare the standardized tests, both TOEFL Jr. or TOEFL and SSAT, years before the application for excelling themselves in the competitive application process through stellar scores. What other factors except test scores indeed matter in the application process?
对中国家庭来说，申请美国初中寄宿学校是一项非常艰巨的工作。为了让孩子在申请中通过优秀的标化成绩被进入心仪的学校，很多中国父母提前几年就让孩子准备标准化考试，如小托福.或托福和SSAT。除了考试成绩之外还有哪些因素在申请过程中确实很重要？
Kim: While test scores are one part of the application for our students applying to Bement, it is not the most important part. We emphasize that a student’s readiness for Bement is best demonstrated through their day to day school performance, what they share in their applications, and their personal interviews. We look for students who are authentically involved in activities rather than busy building a resume.
虽然考试成绩是申请中的一部分，但它并不是最重要的部分。 我们强调，学生可以通过在申请材料和面试中所展示出来的他们的日常学校表现来证明他们是否为贝门特的生活做好了准备。我们寻找的是真正参与活动而不是忙于建立简历的学生。
Jack: It has been a clear rising trend for the demanding Chinese parents to
send their kids to the junior boarding schools in order to have more opportunities to get into the elite boarding schools afterwards. What advice would you like to give the prospective Chinese parents with such a mindset?
对于苛刻的中国父母来说，送孩子到初中寄宿学校以便有更多的机会进入精英寄宿高中已成一个明显的上升趋势。你保有这样心态的中国父母有什么建议？
Kim: It is true that Junior Boarding can be an excellent preparation for the
secondary boarding experience. Students learn independence, social and language skills, and gain a deeper understanding of American culture. It can be tempting to consider junior boarding school only as a step toward elite secondary schools. However, it is most important to regard these educational choices as part of a journey based on the best fit for each student. Bement considers this “fit” most important in reviewing applications for admission to Bement and secondary schools.
确实，初中寄宿学校教育可以为进入高中寄宿校做完美的准备。通过初中寄宿校的教育，学生将学会独立、社交和语言技能，并深入了解美国文化。把初中寄宿校经历视为向精英中学迈出的一步，这很有诱惑力。 然而，重要的是在以适合为基础的前提下让这样的教育机会学生教育经历中的一部分。我们认为这种“适合”是贝门特以及后期的高中校审核学生入学资质最为重要的要素。
2018年11月
Blue Ridge School is an ALL boys boarding school in Virginia, USA, since 1909. Jack Cao, an Beijing-based independent educational consultant, interviewed Mr. Vinton Bruton, Assistant Head of School, and Mrs. Krystle Gee, Director of International Admissions and Parents Relations, on how to educating the teen boys. The following transcript was edited and sorted out by Laura Shi.
蓝岭学校是一所成立于1909年位于美国弗吉利亚州的全男生寄宿学校。独立教育顾问Jack Cao就处于青春期男生的教育问题采访了该校的助理校长Mr. Vinton Bruton和国际招生及家长关系主任Mrs. Krystle Gee。以下文字记录由Laura老师编辑并整理。
Jack： What makes Blue Ridge different from other boys boarding schools?
蓝岭与其他男生寄宿学校的不同之处是什么？
BRS: I think we have a few distinctive qualities. The first is that, while we have many good
students, our approach is not as filled with academic pressure as many other schools. Another important quality is that all of our students live on campus. When there are both day and boarding students, inevitably this creates two separate cultures in a student body. I also think our international students are particularly well integrated into our school. International students are proportionately represented in student leadership. For the last three years, our student body president has been an international student.
我认为我们有一些独特的品质。首先，虽然我们有很多优秀的学生，但我们的方法
并没有像许多其他学校那样充满学术压力。另一个重要的品质是我们所有的学生都住在校园里。当有走读和寄宿学生时，这不可避免地会在学生身上创造出两种不同的文化。我也认为我们的国际学生很好地融入了我们学校。国际学生在学生领导方面的比例相称。在过去的三年里，我们的学生会主席一直是国际学生。
Jack: Outdoor education which BRS features is not part of the school education in China. Are
Chinese boys familiar with or active at the outdoor programs at BRS? How do the outdoor programs help boys develop themselves? Can you share with us two boys (one Chinese if possible) outdoor experience at BRS?
特色的户外教育不是中国学校教育的一部分。中国男孩是否熟悉或积极参加BRS的户外活动？户外活动如何帮助男孩自我发展？你能和我们分享两个男孩（如果可能的话，一个中国男孩）在蓝岭的户外体验吗？
BRS: All Blue Ridge students participate in the outdoor program, either in the afternoons
as a sport or during the class day as an elective. Outdoor education is often new to many students, both international and American, so it gives boys a chance to learn something new together. Even though it may be new to them, some Chinese students really embrace it. Some students are drawn to Blue Ridge School because they are already very active in the Outdoors. This was the case for one of our students from Texas, a senior. But other students start as beginners. For example, a student from China (now a senior) has taken several classes and participates in two sports seasons of outdoor each year. In fact, he won an award last year in Outdoorsmen (a fall sport). I think the best way to describe the impact of the Outdoor program is to emphasize that it offers a chance to spend time being physically active and learning new skills in a beautiful natural setting.
所有Blue Ridge学生都参加户外活动，无论是在下午作为运动还是在课堂上作为选
修课。户外教育对许多学生来说都是新的，无论是国际学生还是美国学生，因此它给男孩们提供了一起学习新东西的机会。虽然对他们来说可能是新手，但一些中国学生真的很喜欢它。有些学生被Blue Ridge学校吸引，因为他们已经非常活跃在户外活动中。我们的一位来自德克萨斯州的大学生就是这种情况。但其他学生从初学者开始。例如，来自中国（现在是大四）的学生已经参加了几个班级，每年参加两个户外运动季。事实上，他去年在秋冬运动中获得了一项奖项。我认为描述户外活动影响的最佳方式是强调它提供了一个在美丽的自然环境中花时间锻炼身体和学习新技能的机会。
Jack: What does character education mean at BRS? How does it work? How does it help the
young adults to prepare for their college education and personal life?
人格教育在蓝岭意味着什么？它是如何工作的？它如何帮助年轻人为大学教育和个人生活做好准备？
BRS: Our character education program is based on our Code of Conduct, which emphasizes
integrity, work ethic, responsibility, moral courage, respect for others, and the Golden Rule (treat others as you want to be treated). We believe that these characteristics are respected in most cultures and provide a strong basis for a good life. We set aside time to discuss these values and act on them. For example, we meet weekly as advising groups and often during Saturday morning programs to do lessons on these traits. Our spring field trips give boys a chance to put these ideas into action as they perform community service and overcome difficult outdoor challenges.
我们的品格教育计划以我们的行为准则为基础，该准则强调诚信，职业道德，责任，道德勇气，对他人的尊重以及黄金法则（对待他人，因为您希望得到对待）。我们相信这些特征在大多数文化中都得到尊重，并为美好生活提供了坚实的基础。我们留出时间讨论这些价值并采取行动。例如，我们每周都会作为咨询小组开会，并且经常在星期六早上的课程中，就这些特征上课。我们的春季实地考察让男孩们有机会将这些想法付诸实践，因为他们提供社区服务并克服困难的户外挑战。
Jack: BRS does not provide APs which are thought the rigor of the curriculum. But BRS is
never short of the graduates who were admitted by the elite colleges with exacting intellectual curriculum, like Harvard, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech, Norte Dame, Middlebury, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UMich, etc. How are the students academically prepared and challenged in BRS’s no AP academic environment, especially those who are capable to do collegiate level courses?
蓝岭不提供被认为是难度大的AP课程。但是，蓝岭从来就不缺那些被以高难度课程著称的精英大学录取的毕业生，如哈佛大学，康奈尔大学，约翰霍普金斯大学，佐治亚理工学院，北大学，米德尔伯里学院，加州大学伯克利分校，加州大学洛杉矶分校，密歇根大学等。学生们如何在蓝岭没有AP的学术环境中学习和挑战自己，特别是那些有能力做大学水平课程的学生？
BRS: I would argue that, despite their reputation, AP classes are rarely true replicas of
college-level work. I think that most AP classes stress preparation for an AP test rather than deep learning. For example, most of the AP US history test consists of multiple choice questions. This type of test emphasizes memorization over understanding. Therefore, I think that it’s more in keeping with our mission to allow teachers more latitude in creating their own tests and assessments.
我认为，尽管AP课程声名远扬，但这些课程很少是大学级别课程的真实复制品。我认为大多数AP课程都强调为AP考试所做的准备而不是深度学习。例如，AP美国历史考试中包含多项选择题。这种类型的考试强调记忆而不是理解。因此，我认为允许教师更自由地创建自己的考试和评估方式的教育模式更符合我们学校的使命。
Jack: Boys schools are normally strong in athletics. BRS well represents this culture. But how
about the arts? What arts programs are available? How many BRS boys are involved in art programs either academically or in activities? Did BRS graduates pursue art degrees at colleges as well?
男子学校通常在体育方面表现出色。蓝岭很好地代表了这种文化。但艺术怎么样？有哪些艺术课程？有多少蓝岭的男孩参与艺术课程，无论是在学术上还是在活动中？蓝岭的毕业生是否也进大学攻读艺术学位？
BRS: We have a strong arts program, featuring visual arts and performing arts, including
instrumental music. We require all students to take at least one art class or to participate in an afternoon activity like our school play. During most years, we send at least one student to an art college or an art program in a college.
我们有一个强大的艺术项目，包括视觉艺术和表演艺术，包括器乐。我们要求所有学生至少参加一门艺术课或参加像学校戏剧这样的下午活动。在大多数年份，我们将至少一名学生送到艺术学院或大学的艺术课程。
Jack: Where did the recent Chinese graduate go? Except college counselor, do other faculty
or staff work with the international families on the college applications?
最近的中国毕业生去哪儿了？除了大学辅导员，其他教职员工是否与国际大家庭在大学申请中合作？
BRS: Our recent Chinese graduates were admitted by a fairly wide range of colleges in the US,
which include Boston University, Cornell, Emory, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins , University of Michigan, New York University, University of Southern California , etc. In addition to college counselors, our international student coordinator and students’ advisors also work with the international students and their parents in the college application process. In addition, we also work with educational consultants designated by our international student families.
我们近年来中国学生被很多美国大学录取，这些学校包括波士顿大学、康奈尔、埃莫瑞、乔治城、约翰霍普金斯、密歇根、南加大等。除了专职的大学升学指导老师外，我们的国际学生协调老师和学生的辅导老师都会在申请大学过程中与学生和家长一同工作。我们也与特定学生所在国家或地区的教育顾问合作。
Jack: What are three characters that represent BRS students and faculties most respectively?
分别代表蓝岭学生和老师的三个特点是什么？
BRS: -Caring 关心
-Brotherhood 兄弟情谊
-Active learning 主动学习
Jack: Two things that Chinese parents are concerned most. One is Chinese students prefer to
stay together. The other is the use of electric devices. What does BRS respond to these scenarios?
中国父母最关心的两件事。一个是中国学生喜欢呆在一起。另一种是使用电子设备。 蓝岭对这些情况有何反应？
BRS: I agree that these are difficult problems to address. I think it’s natural for students
from another country to band together in a new environment. There are some positive aspects to this. However, we try to balance that natural desire by requiring international students to live with a student who is not from their home country (usually an American student) to help them integrate. Also, each advising group consists of both international and domestic students. Finally, sports (which are required) provide a good way for international students to make friends from other countries. Regarding electronic devices, every school and family has to find an appropriate balance between letting students master new technology, allowing students to use technology for recreational purposes, and deciding when to prohibit its use. Two examples of ways that we limit use is that we turn off the wifi at 11pm on most nights and we collect phones before each class.
我同意这些是难以解决的问题。我认为来自其他国家的学生在新环境中团结起来是很自然的。这有一些积极的方面。然而，我们试图通过要求国际学生与不是来自本国（通常是美国学生）的学生一起生活来帮助他们融入，从而平衡这种自然欲望。此外，每个咨询小组都由国际和国内学生组成。最后，体育（这是必需的）为国际学生提供了一个与其他国家交朋友的好方法。关于电子设备，每个学校和家庭必须在让学生掌握新技术，允许学生将技术用于娱乐目的，以及决定何时禁止使用技术之间找到适当的平衡。我们限制使用的方式的两个例子是我们在大多数晚上晚上11点关闭无线网络，我们在每节课之前收集电话。
Jack: Could you please address the supports or advising system that BRS provides to the
international students?
您能否请一并解答BRS为国际学生提供的支持或建议系统？
BRS: Dr. Chrisantha Hermanson is our International Student Coordinator. She designs
programs to help boys integrate into our community and to help all members of our school community be supportive of international students. In addition, our three ESL teachers work closely with many of our international students. Each boy is assigned an advisor. Each advisor has 5-7 students who are usually mixed between international and domestic students. These groups meet each morning for a few minutes. On Mondays, they each lunch together and then meet for about 30 minutes.
Chrisantha Hermanson博士是我们的国际学生协调员。她设计的课程旨在帮助男孩融入社区，并帮助学校社区的所有成员支持国际学生。此外，我们的三位ESL教师与我们的许多国际学生密切合作。每个男孩都被分配了一名顾问。每位顾问有5-7名学生，他们通常在国际和国内学生之间混合。这些团体每天早上聚会几分钟。星期一，他们每人共进午餐，然后约会30分钟。
Jack: What education is offered in adolescence wellness?
青春期健康提供什么教育？
BRS: We address many issues relevant to adolescent development through our advising program, including healthy sleep habits, how to deal with stress in a productive way, goal-setting, and conflict resolution.
我们通过我们的建议计划解决了许多与青少年发展相关的问题，包括健康的睡眠习惯，如何以富有成效的方式应对压力，目标设定和冲突解决。
Jack: What advises you would like to give to Chinese parents?
你想给中国父母的建议是什么？
BRS: While academics are the most important thing about school, I think it’s important to
encourage your son to take advantage of the many opportunities beyond academics. Some of these opportunities include sports, outdoors, the arts, and weekend trips off campus.
虽然学术是学校最重要的事情，但我认为鼓励你的儿子利用学习之外的许多机会同样是很重要的。其中一些机会包括体育，户外，艺术和校外周末旅行。
由美国大学理事会主办的学术水平预备考试（Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test，简称PSAT）考试是美国高中的一项重要的标准化考试，考试人数超过三百万，十年级考生和11年级考生各半。考试的形式与SAT考试相似分为，被誉为SAT预考。通过PSAT考试成绩，学生可以判断出今后SAT考试的分值范围。
除此之外，PSAT成绩也是全美优秀学生奖学金项目（National Merit Scholarship Program，简称NMSP）选拔优秀学生最主要的考量指标，这让PSAT考试有了更大的意义。美国优秀学生奖学金公司（National Merit Scholarship Corporation，简称NMSC）是一家成立于1955年的私立非盈利性机构，该机构的主要职责是与美国大学理事会合作通过每年一度的PSAT在全美范围内选拔优秀的高中学生并授予他们从嘉奖学生（Commended Student）、半决赛选手（Semifinalist）、决赛选手（Finalist）和全美优秀学者（National Merit Scholar）等各个级别的奖励。所以，我们常常看到PSAT考试的全名是PSAT/NMSQT（Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test ，即学术水平预备考试暨全美优秀学生奖学金资格考试），这是一个具有双重意义的全美范围内的高中标化考试。
NMSC通过四个步骤来选拔优秀学生。第一轮，首先从大约150万PSAT/NMSQT考生中按成绩以及所在州的选拔指数（Selection Index）选出50000名学生，这些学生将作为优胜者进入第二轮选拔。在第二轮中，50000选手中成绩最好的16000名学生被授予“半决赛选手”（Semifinalists）进入下一轮的竞争，剩下的34000名选手被授予嘉奖学生（Commended Student），他们将不进入下一轮的竞争。第三轮，从半决赛选手中选出15000名决赛选手（Finalists）进入决赛阶段选拔。第四轮，在决赛阶段，通过对决赛选手在能力（Ability）、技能（Skill）和成就（Achievement）方面的考量，以及决赛选手随后提供的学校成绩、SAT成绩、论文等申请材料最终选出全美优秀学生项目的获奖学生。
2015年，来自美国五十个州的8686名学生获得优秀学生奖，他们分别获得了以下四类奖：
1）全美优秀学生2500美元奖学金（National Merit $2,500 Scholarships），该奖由NMSC资助，获奖者人数为2500名。
2）全美优秀学生奖学金（National Merit Scholarship Awards），该奖由230多家企业资助，获奖人数1014人。
3）大学资助奖学金（College-sponsored Scholarship Awards），该奖由180多所大学资助，获奖人数3954人。
4）特殊奖学金奖（Special Scholarship Awards），由评选委员会从未入围决赛阶段的选手中评选出来，该奖由企业资助获奖人数1218人，该奖项由企业资助。
几点解读
1）PSAT/NMSQT考试是美国影响力最大的择优选材方式，每年大约有150万高中生和2万多所高中参与。2015年获得优秀学生奖的学生的平均SAT成绩是2230，远远高出1490的全美平均水平。这些获奖学生不是学霸也是牛蛙，他们中的大部分都在他们今后的大学或工作中证明了自己的优秀，例如诺贝尔经济学奖获得者保罗克鲁格曼（Paul Krugman）、企业家比尔盖茨（Bill Gates）、美国前国务卿苏珊赖斯（Susan Rice）、《城市暮光》作家史蒂芬妮梅尔（Stephanie Meyer）等。
2）在PSAT/NMSQT考试中脱颖而出的50000名学生是美国大学招生青睐的对象，他们获奖后会收到大量来自大学招办的信函和邮件，鼓励他们申请这些学校，其中半决赛选手、决赛选手和最终的获奖选手更是如此。无论是藤校、MIT、斯坦福还是公立牛校如加州伯克利、密歇根、威斯康辛麦迪逊、佛罗里达等，都会密切“追踪”他们，并开除优厚的奖学金来吸引他们申请。2015年，哈佛录取了209名全美优秀学生奖获得者，耶鲁166名，普林斯顿146名，MIT139名，西北206名，芝加哥294名，斯坦福176名，南加大226名、加州伯克利129名。。。
3）根据NMSC的选拔规则，全美奖学金项目只针对持有美国国籍或永久居民身份的学生，国际学生不具备申请条件；但国际学生可以参加PSAT/NMSQT考试，成绩优异者虽不能在NMSP中获奖，但能帮助他们获得大学的关注以及更多的奖学金机会，这对于擅长标化考试的中国学生来说无疑是一个利好的消息。
4）中国学生普遍对PSAT/NMSQT考试重视程度不够，这让他们在大学申请中失去了被大学，尤其是名校，关注的先机，需要尽快提升对这个考试的认识并提早为考试做好准备。
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PSAT/NMSQT考试要点 |
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考试时间 |
2小时45分钟 - 阅读60分钟（47题）、写作和语言35分钟（44题）和数学70分钟（48题） |
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考试内容 |
询证阅读和写作Evidence-Based Reading and Writing，包括阅读（Reading Test）和写作与语言(Writing and Language Art)两门考试 |
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数学 |
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考试重点 |
专注于测试经研究已证明在大学和职业生涯中取得成功应具备的最重要的知识，技能和理解力 |
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更加强调扩展语境中单词的含义以及单词选择对意义、语气和影响所带来的影响 |
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选对得分，选错不扣分 |
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考分规则 |
PSAT/NMSQT考试采用与SAT相同的分值系统：总得分范围在320-1520，阅读和写作考试和数学考试两部分的得分范围分别在160-760之间，对应的考试分值在8-38之间。 |
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小分规则 |
提供每项考试的小分 |
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2019年考试日 |
10月16日（主考试日）/10月19日（周六考试日）/10月30日（备选考试日） |
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2020年考试日 |
10月14日（主考试日）/10月17日（周六考试日）/10月28日（备选考试日） |
是美国历史最悠久的学术荣誉机构，通常翻译为“优等生协会”。该名称来源于希腊文Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης，意为“智慧、学习和知识引领生活”。该协会于1776年成立于威廉玛丽学院（成立于1693年，是继哈佛之后成立的美国的第二所大学，被誉为美国公立常春藤大学的鼻祖），该协会以“钟爱学习引领生活”为宗旨倡导文理教育，现有283名会员学校，这些学校是美国本科教育的杰出代表。会员学校通常学业成绩最优秀的10%学生加入该协会，该协会现有超过60万会员。被授予该协会会员的毕业生中包括17位美国总统，38为美国大法官和136为诺贝尔奖获得者。
PBK会员学校名单
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Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of Auburn University Augustana College Austin College Bates College Baylor University Beloit College Birmingham-Southern College Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Bowling Green State University Brandeis University Brown University Bucknell University California State University, Long Beach California, University of, Berkeley California, University of, Davis California, University of, Irvine California, University of, Los Angeles California, University of, Riverside California, University of, San Diego California, University of, Santa Barbara California, University of, Santa Cruz Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Catholic University Centre College Chatham University Chicago, University of Cincinnati, University of Claremont McKenna College Clark University Clemson University Coe College Colby College Colgate University Colorado College Colorado State University (CSU) Colorado, University of Columbia University, Barnard College Columbia University, School of General Studies Columbia University, The College Connecticut College Connecticut, University of Cornell College Cornell University Dallas, University of Dartmouth College Davidson College Delaware, University of Denison University Denver, University of DePauw University Dickinson College Drake University Drew University Duke University Earlham College Eckerd College Elmira College Emory University Fairfield University Fisk University Florida International University Florida State University Florida, University of Fordham University Franklin and Marshall College Furman University Geneseo, SUNY College at George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia, University of Gettysburg College Goucher College Grinnell College Gustavus Adolphus College Hamilton College Hamline University Hampden-Sydney College Harvard-Radcliffe Haverford College Hawaii, University of Hendrix College Hiram College Hobart & William Smith Colleges Hofstra University |
Hollins University Holy Cross, College of the Hope College Howard University Hunter College Idaho, University of Illinois College Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois, University of, Chicago Illinois, University of, Urbana-Champaign Indiana University Iowa State University Iowa, University of Johns Hopkins University Kalamazoo College Kansas State University Kansas, University of Kent State University Kentucky, University of Kenyon College Knox College Lafayette College Lake Forest College Lawrence University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Louisiana State University Loyola College, Maryland Loyola University Chicago Luther College Macalester College Maine, University of Manhattan College Marietta College Marquette University Mary Baldwin College Mary Washington, University of Maryland, University of Maryland, University of, Baltimore County Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts, University of McDaniel College (formerly Western MD) Miami University, Ohio Miami, University of (FL) Michigan State University Michigan, University of Middlebury College Mills College Millsaps College Minnesota, University of Mississippi, University of Missouri, University of Morehouse College Mount Holyoke College Muhlenberg College New York University New York, City University of, Brooklyn College New York, City University of, City College New York, City University of, Herbert H. Lehman College New York, City University of, Queens College New York, State University of, at Albany New York, State University of, at Binghamton New York, State University of, at Buffalo New York, State University of, at Stony Brook North Carolina State University North Carolina, University of, Chapel Hill North Carolina, University of, Greensboro North Dakota, University of Northwestern University Notre Dame, University of Oberlin College Occidental College Ohio State University Ohio University Ohio Wesleyan University Oklahoma, University of Oregon, University of Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, University of Pomona College Princeton University Puget Sound, University of Purdue University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College Redlands, University of Reed College Rhode Island, University of Rhodes College |
Rice University Richmond, University of Ripon College Roanoke College Rochester, University of Rockford College Rutgers, The State University (New Brunswick) Rutgers, The State University, Douglas College Rutgers University - Newark Saint Joseph's University Saint Olaf College San Diego State University San Diego, University of San Francisco State University Santa Clara University Scripps College Skidmore College Smith College South Carolina, University of South Dakota, University of South, University of the Southern California, University of Southern Methodist University Southwestern University Spelman College St. Catherine University St. Lawrence University St. Louis University St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Michael's College Stanford University Stetson University Swarthmore College Sweet Briar College Syracuse University Temple University Tennessee, University of Texas A&M University, College Station Texas Christian University Texas Tech University Texas, University of The College of New Jersey Trinity College (CT) Trinity University (DC) Trinity University, Texas Truman State University Tufts University Tulane University Tulsa, University of Union College University of the Pacific Ursinus College Utah, University of Valparaiso University Vanderbilt University Vassar College Vermont, University of Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State University Virginia, University of Wabash College Wake Forest University Washington & Jefferson College Washington and Lee University Washington College (MD) Washington State University Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri Washington, University of Wayne State University Wellesley College Wells College Wesleyan University West Virginia University Western Michigan University Wheaton College (MA) Whitman College Willamette University William & Mary, College of Williams College Wilson College Wisconsin, University of, Madison Wisconsin, University of, Milwaukee Wittenberg University Wofford College Wooster, College of Wyoming, University of Xavier University Yale University
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历史
富兰克林马歇尔学院（Franklin & Marshall College）由富兰克林（Franklin College）和马歇尔（Marshall College）两所文理学院合并而成。富兰克林学院成立于1789年，因美国开国之父本杰明富兰克林捐助成立而得名，是美国历史上第一所男女混合类大学。马歇尔学院成立于1836年，为纪念美国第五任联邦大法官约翰马歇尔而得名。两所学院与1853年合并成立了富兰克林马歇尔学院，提供以传统学科为基础的本科教育。经过两个多世纪的发展，今天的富兰克林马歇尔学院已经成为一所优秀的文理学院，在US News的美国大学排名中，综合排名文理学院第40位，教学排名文理学院第12位。
理念
2011年，英语教授Daniel Porterfield在他就任F&M院长的就职仪式上说，“我们为我们长期以来一直坚持不懈的承诺而感到荣幸，这些承诺决定了我们是谁，我们服务谁，我们做什么和我们如何做 -we honor those enduring commitments that define who we are, who we serve, what we do and how we work ”。 带着这样的承诺，F&M走过了229年的历史。Porterfield本人是文理教育培养出来的杰出产物。本科毕业于乔治城大学英语专业后，Porterfield荣获久负盛名的罗德奖学金（Rhodes Scholarship）前往牛津大学赫特福德学院攻读英语文学硕士，同时创办华盛顿特区学校项目帮助大学生为新一代的移民家庭孩子提供英语教学。Porterfield在就任F&M院长前曾先后服务于美国政府和乔治城大学，他是文理教育的倡导者和践行者
独特的教育方式
实践型教育：F&M将传统的大学学习方式与由老师自主设计的课程体系和课堂外（在实验室、社区、实地和其它地区）的实践型学习有效地结合起来，鼓励和激发每一个学生去发展他们的创造力，形成他们的价值观，验证他们的研究理论并思考和尝试服务社会的有效方式。在教育过程中，老师不仅传授知识，更注重培养学生的思考问题、分析问题和解决问题的能力。F&M 1:9的师生比例为学生走近F&M超过50个学科领域的教授们带来了便利。超过三分之二的F&M学生在本科学习期间有与教授共同从事研究并发表学术论文的经历，这样高的比例在美国大学的本科教育中是屈指可数的。
支持性校园
在F&M老师不仅专注教学，他们还为学生的课外学习和生活提供指导和帮助，让他们全面发展，做到自己的最好并今后的成功打下基础。丰富的课外活动是F&M的一大亮点，这里的100多个学生社团，27个体育运动队和18个运动社团让学生的业余生活变得更加丰富多彩，为学生拥有一份有价值的教育经历提供平台和契机。值得一提的是，F&M拥有一流的音乐教育环境，其音乐系被认为是美国大学中最优秀的音乐系之一，近三分之一的学生是音乐爱好者和实践者，这为F&M的校园生活注入了很多艺术氛围。
优秀的成果
F&M一年级学生返校率为92%，六年本科毕业率为87%。其毕业生因基础知识扎实、善于思辨、视野开阔、创意能力强、富于团队合作而备受欢迎。F&M近三年来毕业生就业的公司或机构包括：IBM、Credit Suisse, eBay、Citigroup、Bloomberg Philanthropies、Fulbright Program, KPMG、Morgan Stanley、Proctor & Gamble、Prudential、US House of Representatives, US Senate等；他们进入的研究生院包括：Boston College、Brown University、Carnegie Mellon、College of William and Mary、Columbia University、Cornell University、Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University、London School of Economics、Princeton University、Yale University等等。F&M毕业生在不同领域的成功是对F&M教育的最好背书。
F&M，一所值得信赖和期盼的文理学院！
曹曦
独立教育顾问
IECA\NACAC Member
于2016年8月
位于麻省西部的贝门特学校是一所提供从幼儿园直至9年级的私立走读和寄宿学校，学校在校学生约220人，包括44名来自世界各地的寄宿生。贝门特学校的所在地鹿场（Deerfield）享有丰富的教育资源，著名的鹿场中学、北野山学校，以及包括阿姆赫斯特学院和史密斯学院在内的五大学院均位于该地区。独立教育顾问曹曦老师（Jack Cao）近期就中国家长关注的问题与贝门特学校助理校长兼招生部主任Ms. Kim Loughlin进行了一次对话，现将对话内容整理如下（中英文）与各位家长分享。
Located in West Massachusetts, Bement School is a co-ed day and boarding school for kindergarten to Grade Nine since 1925 with enrollment of 220 students, including 44 boarders from all over the world. Deerfield where Bement is located enjoys a high reputation for its richer educational atmosphere in which prestigious boarding schools like Deerfield Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School, and the top-rated the Five Colleges including Amherst and Smith College lie nearby. Except these ample resources, what make Bement an attracting school to the international families for their younger kids is an interesting topic. Jack Cao, a Beijing-based independent educational consultant, conducted a dialogue in terms of the topics Chinese parents concern about with Ms. Kim Loughlin, assistant head of school and director of admissions of Bement School. We shared their dialogues below with Chinese translation with the interested parents.
Jack： As a traditional school of educating younger kids for over 90 years, what make Bement different from the other junior boarding schools?
作为一所拥有90多年教育低龄孩子历史的传统学校，贝门特与其他初中寄宿学校有什么不同？
Kim： The Bement School has a long tradition of educating younger students for
nearly 100 years. And since our founding, our commitment to diversity includes a long history of international students as well. Families have often chosen Bement because of the sense of community. Families know their child will receive wonderful preparation for the secondary school admission process, opportunities to develop and pursue a variety of interests, and opportunities to demonstrate their leadership. But these things happen at The Bement School because of our boarding community is a community which is dedicated to remaining small. Our boarding size is intentional. We feel we can best provide the guidance, supervision, and care for younger students in smaller numbers. Students here are known and our faculty and dorm parents care for them as their own children.
贝门特学校有近百年教育年轻学生的悠久传统。 自成立以来，我们就注重多元化，招收国际学生的历史传统是我们多元化中一部分。家庭经常根据对学校的感觉选择贝门特。家长们知道他们的孩子在这里除了为今后的高中申请做好充分的准备外，还拥有发展和追求各种兴趣以及展示他们领导能力的机会。这些事情之所以发生在贝门特学校是因为我们始终致力于保持一个小规模的寄宿社区。我们有目的地控制寄宿生规模，因为我们坚信小规模的教育环境让我们为低龄孩子提供给最好的指导、监督和关怀。在学校里，每个学生都为人所知。我们的教师和宿舍父母将他们视为自己的孩子。
Jack How many years on average do the faculties work at Bement?
老师们在贝门特的平均工作年限是多久？
Kim: Bement faculty members average over 15 years of experience.
贝门特的老师平均工作年限是十五年。
Jack: Why does Bement request SSAT while most of the other junior boarding
schools not?
为什么贝门特要求SSAT而其他大多数其他初中寄宿学校没有？
Kim: Bement requires testing of all applicants grades 3-9. The SSAT does provide good information to us about the applicant. While we anticipate that many students for whom English is not their first language will score lower on the verbal and reading comprehension sections, the math sections often allow students to demonstrate their strength in this area. The writing sample is also incredibly important to see an example of their writing that has not been proofed or edited by someone else as application essays can be. We do not require the TOEFL exam given that students may take that as often as they like in order to improve their score and thus the TOEFL score may be inflated.
贝门特要求对所有3-9级申请人进行测试。SSAT确实向我们提供了有关申请人的良好信息。我们预计很多英语非母语的学生在语文和阅读理解部分得分不高，而数学部分往往允许学生展示他们在在这方面的实力。另外我们也看重写作部分，相对于可能被他人校对或编辑的申请文书，这些未经他人校对和编辑的写作示例对我们了解学生的真实写作水平更有帮助。我们不要求托福考试，因为学生可以通过不断考试来提高他们的分数，这让托福成绩的可靠程度下降不少。
Jack: How does Bement help the young kids to build up their characters in a healthy way?
Bement如何帮助低龄孩子以健康的方式构建自己的性格？
Kim: The Bement School program is designed to cultivate responsible global citizens who have a sense of their own voice, passions, and direction in the world. Young people leave Bement poised, able to articulate who they are and what they can bring to a group, and oriented to being constructive friends, classmates, and community members. Our boarding program asks students to develop individual responsibility alongside responsibility to the group.
贝门特学校旨在培养负责任的全球公民，他们在世界上有自己的声音，激情和方向感。年轻人离开Bement准备，能够清楚地表达他们是谁以及他们可以为团队带来什么，并朝着成为一名有益于他人的朋友、同学和社区成员去完善自己。我们的寄宿项目要求学生发展个人责任以及团队责任。
Jack: What are the most challenges Chinese students meet at Bement? What resources does Bement provide for those students to overcome these challenges?
中国学生在贝门特遇到的挑战是什么？贝门特为这些学生提供了哪些资源来面对这些挑战？
Kim: More restricted use of technology. We help students learn to balance the use of technology in their life.
采用更严格的方法限制学生使用技术（电子产品）。我们帮助学生学会在生活中平
衡地使用电子产品。
Accepting that their preparation for secondary schools is so much more than SSAT prep. We encourage students to spend weekend time dedicated to community activities and course work rather than focus only on test scores as a sign of success. This can be challenging for students coming from such a test-drive culture as China's, but we know that our approach provides for the most competitive secondary school candidacy.
让学生们清楚他们在这里为高中生活所做的准备远远超过准备SSAT考试。我们鼓励学生将周末时间用于社区活动和课程工作，而不是只把测试成绩作为成功与否的标志。对于来自中国应试教育环境的学生来说，这可能是一个挑战，但我们知道我们的努力能让学生在申请最具竞争力的高中时脱颖而出。
Jack: Why did Bement launch the summer session in China? How many students attended it this summer? Were all the participating students from China this year? Will Bement do the summer program in China next year?
为什么贝门特在中国推出暑期项目？今年夏天有多少学生参加？今年参加暑期项目的学生是否都是中国学生？贝门特明年还将在中国举办暑期项目吗？
Kim: In keeping with Bement's traditions and core school values, we offer
summer programs for international students which provide children with an immersive and trans-formative educational experience. Our English Language and Culture program (ELAC) and Bement in Shanghai seek to educate students in intensive English language learning, as well as deepen their studies of American and boarding school culture.
秉承贝门特学校的传统和核心价值观，我们为国际学生提供暑期课程，为孩子们提供身临其境和变革性的教育体验。我们（在贝门特学校）的英语语言文化课程（ELAC）和在上海的“贝门特在上海”（Bement in Shanghai）项目致力于通过英语语言学习教育学生，加深他们对美国和寄宿学校文化的了解。
Given the demand for our summer program on campus at Bement, we decided to create and launch a Bement in Shanghai summer 2018 for students who desired a Bement experience, but may not have been ready to be away from home. Bement in Shanghai is a day program. We see this as one step in the direction to prepare for future study abroad. We feel it is important to emphasize preparation is more than test prep. Our inaugural summer enrolled six students. We envision growing our enrollment in Shanghai to 15 students for summer 2019. Bement in Shanghai runs Monday through Friday July 8-19, 2019.
考虑到中国家庭对我们在贝门特校园的夏季课程的需求，我们决定在2018年夏天在上海创建并推出“贝门特在上海”暑期项目，以便那些想要获得想参加贝门特学校暑期项目（ELAC）但还没有做好准备的中国学生在中国就能拥有那样的体验。和ELAC暑期项目不同的是“贝门特在上海”暑期项目是走读制的。我们认为这是为未来出国留学做准备的一步。我们强调这样的暑期项目在为学生今后申请美国学校所做的准备方面远比参加标化考试补习更重要。我们的首期“贝门特在上海”暑期班招收了六名学生。我们预计2019年夏季将在上海招收15名学生。上海的学生将于2019年7月8日至19日(周一至周五)举行。
Bement's ELAC summer program in Deerfield is a boarding program from July 7-August 3, 2019 and we will enroll 21 students.
贝门特在迪尔菲尔德的暑期项目（ELAC）是一个为期四周（2019年7月7日至8月3日）的寄宿项目，我们将招收21名学生。
Jack: It has been an extremely hard job to apply for the US junior boarding
schools for Chinese families. Most of the Chinese families have their kids to prepare the standardized tests, both TOEFL Jr. or TOEFL and SSAT, years before the application for excelling themselves in the competitive application process through stellar scores. What other factors except test scores indeed matter in the application process?
对中国家庭来说，申请美国初中寄宿学校是一项非常艰巨的工作。为了让孩子在申请中通过优秀的标化成绩被进入心仪的学校，很多中国父母提前几年就让孩子准备标准化考试，如小托福.或托福和SSAT。除了考试成绩之外还有哪些因素在申请过程中确实很重要？
Kim: While test scores are one part of the application for our students applying to Bement, it is not the most important part. We emphasize that a student’s readiness for Bement is best demonstrated through their day to day school performance, what they share in their applications, and their personal interviews. We look for students who are authentically involved in activities rather than busy building a resume.
虽然考试成绩是申请中的一部分，但它并不是最重要的部分。 我们强调，学生可以通过在申请材料和面试中所展示出来的他们的日常学校表现来证明他们是否为贝门特的生活做好了准备。我们寻找的是真正参与活动而不是忙于建立简历的学生。
Jack: It has been a clear rising trend for the demanding Chinese parents to
send their kids to the junior boarding schools in order to have more opportunities to get into the elite boarding schools afterwards. What advice would you like to give the prospective Chinese parents with such a mindset?
对于苛刻的中国父母来说，送孩子到初中寄宿学校以便有更多的机会进入精英寄宿高中已成一个明显的上升趋势。你保有这样心态的中国父母有什么建议？
Kim: It is true that Junior Boarding can be an excellent preparation for the
secondary boarding experience. Students learn independence, social and language skills, and gain a deeper understanding of American culture. It can be tempting to consider junior boarding school only as a step toward elite secondary schools. However, it is most important to regard these educational choices as part of a journey based on the best fit for each student. Bement considers this “fit” most important in reviewing applications for admission to Bement and secondary schools.
确实，初中寄宿学校教育可以为进入高中寄宿校做完美的准备。通过初中寄宿校的教育，学生将学会独立、社交和语言技能，并深入了解美国文化。把初中寄宿校经历视为向精英中学迈出的一步，这很有诱惑力。 然而，重要的是在以适合为基础的前提下让这样的教育机会学生教育经历中的一部分。我们认为这种“适合”是贝门特以及后期的高中校审核学生入学资质最为重要的要素。
2018年11月
