ALAN PAUL 2017年8月25日

《小战士》(LITTLE SOLDIERS)  
 一个美国男孩、一所中国学校和一场全球竞赛
莱诺拉·朱(Lenora Chu)
347页，哈伯/哈珀柯林斯出版集团

             

中国是一个地域辽阔、矛盾重重的国家，大部分与之有关的具启发性的著作，通常都是集中在某一个话题来一探究竟，比如航空业、计划生育政策和工厂民工的生活。教育是一扇特别透明的窗户，这在富有见地的《小战士》中得到了证明。本书在探究中国学校系统的同时，思考了从贿赂到城乡差距的文化困境。中国的学校制度深深根植于古代儒家思想和共产主义信条。就像莱诺拉·朱(Lenora Chu)写的那样，在中国，“不计其数的个体决定，无论大小，都是以教育的名义做出的。”

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Michael D'Ambrosia 莱诺拉·朱(Lenora Chu)

读过本书后，所有人都会对中国有更好的了解。本书的核心内容是莱诺拉·朱让三岁大的儿子入读上海一所高级幼儿园的经历。她和丈夫、NPR（全国公共广播电台）记者罗布·施米茨(Rob Schmitz)费了一番功夫才让雷尼(Rainey)得以入学。但从雷尼第一天上幼儿园开始，他们就开始重作考虑。他们担心儿子会被洗脑，变成一个优秀的小战士、一个忠诚的中国爱国者。他们知道学校肯定会采取冲撞美式情感的方式，包括严厉的约束；为了力争上游，公开从身高、血红蛋白水平到竖笛演奏水平、守时和礼貌程度的一切排名；甚至会在孩子不愿午睡时威胁要叫警察。

他们仍在蹒跚学步的儿子唱着称赞毛主席的歌曲回到家中，他交了一个上MBA早教课的朋友，还告诉他们，老师用按住嘴巴的方式强迫他吃鸡蛋。平衡这些警示迹象的，是他迅速提高的自立能力、纪律性以及数学和中文水平。他还在学习如何应对一个复杂而障碍重重的世界。在中国，对于严格的规定几乎总可以找到“变通”。让莱诺拉·朱备感高兴的是，雷尼开始默默地明白这一点了。

本书作者跟上海的两个高中“学霸”交上了朋友，一个在周密地利用这个制度，另一个在数着日子等自己能够脱离它，去美国上大学。在莱诺拉·朱回过头来研究整个制度，包括上海一所更典型的公立学校和跌跌撞撞一路走到中考的贫困农民工子弟时，那两个学生和一大批国际教育专家一起，充当着有深刻见解的评论员的角色。在中国，中考将决定一个学生是走学术道路还是成为蓝领。莱诺拉·朱跟踪记录了一名来自农村、多年来和丈夫及儿子分居异地的农民工。在上海从事按摩师工作的她，一心想要改善孩子的命运，不料却意识到，由于在成长过程中没有父母的引导，他缺乏让自己走上另一条道路必不可少的学习技能。这是本书记录的几个令人心痛的故事之一，对它们的挖掘本应更深入。与在生活中一样，被忽视的学生在《小战士》中受到的关注，比努力发奋者要少。

莱诺拉·朱回忆了自己在德克萨斯州长大成人过程中的叛逆。她的父母是中国移民，要求她做到最好，并希望在很大程度上控制她的决定。在她决定让儿子进入严格的中国教育体系这件事上，信奉弗洛伊德学说的人够忙上一阵了。但莱诺拉·朱明白，她是在努力复制自己同时学习中美教育和文化的经历，只是家长和学校的角色发生了逆转。“就像是我透过陈老师的眼睛观察……马上明白了我父亲的目的（有时候被误导，但全都是出于好意）。”

对中国的教育体系进行埋头研究之后，她去美国的学校时立即意识到，中国制度设计的目的是淘汰和过滤学生，而美国的目标很明确：“不落下一个孩子”。美国学校让人觉得宽松得不可思议，过分强调个体追求，而个体追求允许让较薄弱的领域萎缩。这一点在数学的教学上尤其如此，美国非常重视实用知识，概念一带而过，中国学生则会记住必须要记下来的知识，然后再探索更深奥、更复杂的应用。莱诺拉·朱生动地描述了这些差异。本书会让读者深入思考自己对死记硬背的态度，并促使家长质疑自己对孩子教育的偏好。

本文作者Alan Paul著有《夺路而出》(One Way Out)及回忆录《Big in China》。他的孩子就读于北京一所英国学校。

William Fitzsimmons
Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Harvard College

威廉·菲茨西蒙斯

哈佛学院招生与经济资助院长

Marlyn E. McGrath
Director of Admissions, Harvard College

玛琳·麦格拉思

哈佛学院招生主任

Charles Ducey
Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education

查尔斯·杜西

哈佛教育研究院心理学兼职讲师

College admissions officers, especially those who admitted the parents of today’s applicants, have an unusual vantage point from which to observe changes from one generation to the next. Many of us are concerned that the pressures on today’s students seem far more intense than those placed on previous generations. College admission—the chance to position oneself for “success” through the acquisition of the “right” college degree—looms large for increasing numbers of students. Particularly because selective colleges are perceived to be part of the problem, we want to do everything possible to help the students we enroll make the most of their opportunities, avoiding the much-reported “burnout” phenomenon that can keep them from reaching their full potential.

大学招生官，尤其是那些曾经录取过当今申请人父母的招生官，处于一个有利的位置观察一代人到下一代人之间（发生）的变化。我们中的许多人担心，今天的学生所承受的压力似乎比前几代人所承受的压力还要大。对于越来越多的期望通过获得“适合的”大学学位来定位自己“成功”机会的人而言，大学申请迫在眉睫。尤其因为把就读名校视为问题关键原因（的家庭），我们希望尽一切可能帮助入学的学生充分利用他们的机会，避免广为报道的使他们无法充分发挥自身潜能的“倦怠”现象发生。

Of course, the quest for college admission is only one aspect of a much larger syndrome driving many students today. Stories about the latest twenty-something multimillionaires, the astronomical salaries for athletes and pop-music stars, and the often staggering compensation packages for CEOs only stimulate the frenzied search for the brass ring. More than ever, students (and their parents) seek to emulate those who win the “top prizes” and the accompanying disproportionate rewards.

当然，对大学录取的追求只是当今导致许多学生的更大综合症的一个方面。有关最新的二十多岁（成为）百万富翁的故事，运动员和流行音乐巨星的天文工资以及经常给首席执行官提供的惊人薪酬方案，只会刺激人们对黄铜戒指的疯狂寻找。学生（及其父母）比以往任何时候都更希望效仿那些赢得“最高奖项”和随之而来的不成比例的回报。

From the cradle on…
从摇篮上…

The chase for the prize begins early, and some reports sound hyperbolic. Anecdotes abound of infants serenaded with classical music to enhance their mental powers; toddlers overwhelmed with computers and “educational” toys; “experts” guilt-tripping parents by telling them that their children will be hopelessly behind by age three or four if they don’t follow myriad prescribed strategies.

对名利的追逐早早就开始了，有些报道听起来很夸张。从让婴儿通过（聆听）古典音乐以增强智力的奇闻，到用计算机和教育类玩具淹没幼儿，再到所谓的“专家”通过告诉父母如果他们不遵循各种规定的（育儿）策略，他们的孩子将在三四岁之前失去希望来让他们身背负疚感。

Consultants are paid thousands of dollars to prepare toddlers for the “all- important” interview and observed play-time that will determine admission to the “right” pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or primary school—thereby presumably ensuring admission to the right high school, college, graduate school, and so on. The consultant will teach the child to maintain eye contact in the interview and to demonstrate both leadership and sharing during the observed play sequence. The competition for admission to some of thes pre-k, kindergarten, and grammar schools can be intense—statistically more difficult (with lower admission rates) than Harvard.

教育顾问被支付数千美元帮助幼儿做好“最重要”的面试和观察游戏时间的情况，这将决定“适合的”幼儿园学前班、幼儿园或小学的入学率，从而为今后入读适合的中学、大学、研究生院等。顾问将指导孩子在面试中保持眼神交流，并在观察到的游戏过程中展现领导力和分享能力。申请一些学前班、幼儿园和文法学校的竞争会非常激烈，从统计学的角度上讲，申请难度要高于申请哈佛（入学率更低）。

Once in the “right” school, students are pushed along by teachers, by outside tutors and, if they stumble, by learning specialists who will help them approach their studies in the most efficient manner. The school day continues well into the night with structured study time and drills. The pressure can be relentless, even from well-intentioned parents. For the most part, they simply want the best for their children who, they fear, will be left by the wayside by other high achievers.

进入“正确”的学校后，学生会受到老师、外部导师的推动，如果出错，还会得到学习专家的帮助，这些专家帮助他们以最有效的方式进行学习。学校生活伴随着计划缜密的学习时间和练习一直持续到深夜。压力随处可见，这些压力甚至来自好心的父母。在大多数情况下，他们只是为把最好的东西给他们的孩子，他们担心（不这样的话）他们的孩子会被其他高分学生淘汰。

Sports, music, dance, and other recreational activities used to provide a welcome break, a time to relax and unwind. No more: training for college scholarships—or professional contracts—begins early, even in grammar school. Professional instruction, summer camps, and weekly practice and game schedules consume many hours and nearly all free time. Student and family commuting logistics become byzantine in their complexity. Even “play-time” is often structured and enriched with just the right mix of appropriate playmates and educational activities. Summer vacations have become a thing of the past. The pace of the day and the year allows little time simply “to be a kid”—or, it seems, to develop into a complete human being.

体育、音乐、舞蹈和其他活动通常用来给人一个令人愉悦和放松身心的休息时间。但这些随着为申请大学奖学金的培训和签专业合同的提前到来而一去不再有了，甚至在文法学校（指注重学业的传统学校）也是如此。专业指导、夏令营以及每周的练习和竞赛日程几乎耗尽了所有空闲时间。学生和家庭的后勤变得错综复杂。甚至“玩的时间”也常常被适当的玩伴和教育活动所占据。暑假已经成为过去。这样日复一日年复一年的生活，几乎剥夺了“做一名孩子”或“发展成为一名完整的人”的所有时光。

The middle school/high school fast track

中学/高中快速通道

By high school, the pressure intensifies. Students start to specialize in one activity even to the exclusion of other pursuits. Athletes, dancers, musicians and others begin to define themselves by their chosen activity as they try to perfect their new-found talents and identities.

到了高中，压力越来越大。学生开始专注于一项活动，甚至排斥其他活动。学生运动员、学生舞蹈者和音乐人和其他人开始尝试通过选择自己的活动来给自己做定位。他们试图完善自己新发现的才华和特质。

The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned of possible physical and psychological damage that can result from specializing in a sport prematurely. For every success story, there are countless other less happy results. Some students participate in programs that take up as much time as school. Fast-track athletic teams compete or practice most days—with weekend-consuming road games, and national or international schedules during summers and vacations. A serious athlete or musician or dancer may change schools for a better athletic program, even moving far away from home to do so, and perhaps to an academically weaker school.

美国儿科学会曾警告过早地从事一项运动可能会造成身体和心理上的损害。对于每一个成功的故事，都有无数其他令人不满意的结果。一些学生参加这些项目所耗费的时间和上学时间相当。快速运动队大部分时间都在比赛或练习-在周末和周末进行耗时的公路比赛，并利用暑期和假期参加国家或国际级竞赛。那些严肃的学生运动员、音乐人或舞蹈者可能会为了更好的运动、音乐或舞蹈计划而改变学校，甚至为此而远离居住地，甚至可能会转学到学业要求低的学校。

Academic demands also ratchet up, supported by special tutors and the beginnings of SAT prep in middle school. In high school, SAT prep becomes a way of life for some students, with night and weekend sessions. The “right” SAT tutors may command several hundred dollars per hour, and can be engaged to live during the summer at or near their tutees’ beach houses. Summer “cram schools” for the SATs are increasingly common, as are summer school sessions at the best prep schools and universities, some beginning in middle school.

学术要求随着专业导师的主张和在初中阶段就开始SAT备考而日益高涨。在高中，SAT备考已成为某些学生的生活方式，晚上和周末都在上课。“正确”的SAT导师每小时可收取几百美元的费用，并可以在夏季期间在他们的学生的海滨别墅中或附近居住。 SAT的夏季“补习班”越来越普遍，最好的预科学校和大学暑期班也越来越普遍，有些是从初中就开始了。

The quest for the right college
寻求合适的大学

Professional college counselors (either independent or school-based) appear on the scene early, sometimes in middle school, to begin to structure students’ academic and extracurricular profiles for entrance to the “right” college. At its best, such advice can be helpful in assessing talents, goals, and making “mid-course corrections” that can make a real difference in students’ lives. From a more cynical perspective, such advice steers students toward travel abroad, community service, or other activities solely to enhance college application essays or interviews. Such services may command thousands of dollars, and assistance in preparing applications ranges from appropriate to plagiaristic. Videotaped mock college interviews are features of some packages, as are guided tours of colleges. An array of services start in ninth grade (“or seventh or eighth grade for no extra charge”) for fees of in the thousands of dollars. More specific services include Essay Review, which offers “brainstorming session and as many revisions as necessary.” Such services can add to, rather than alleviate, the stress of the normal expectations of school, community, and family life. Their “products,” such as overly-slick essays, can even hurt a student’s admissions chances as they can sometimes be easy to spot in the admissions process.

专业的大学升学顾问（无论是独立的还是学校的）在较早阶段就开始介入，有时甚至在（学生还在）初中时（他们）就开始为学生进入“理想大学”而规划学术和课外活动。从最好的角度说，升学顾问的建议在评估学生的才能、目标并(帮助学生)进行“中途修正”从而真正改变学生的生活方面是有益的。从更愤世嫉俗的角度来看，这样的建议仅仅为了增强学生的大学申请论文或面试能力而引导学生去国外旅行或参加社区服务或其他活动。这样的服务可能要花费数千美元，为申请人提供的服务范围从适当的到剽窃性的不等。录制的模拟大学面试和大学访校是某些套餐服务的特色。一系列服务始于九年级，或者早至七或八年级（但不收取额外费用）的费用为数千美元。更具体的服务包括论文审阅，该服务包含从头脑风暴到根据需要进行的多次修订。此类服务可能增加而不是减轻对学校、社区和家庭生活正常期望的压力。他们的“产品”（例如过分修改的论文）甚至会损害学生的录取机会，因为这些有时在招生过程中很容易被发现。

The pressure of gaining entrance to the most selective colleges is commonly blamed for much of the stress we observe. But those of us who work in college admissions recognize that college is only one of many destinations in the lane. The accumulation of “credentials” simply continues to intensify as the stakes increase. The “right” graduate school looms after college, and the “right” sequence of jobs is next. Such attainments make it possible to live in the “right” kinds of communities and to begin the job of bringing up the following generation, one that might need to vault even higher hurdles.

我们观察到的许多压力通常来自于进入最挑剔大学的压力。但是，我们中那些从事大学招生工作的人认识到，大学只是众多目的地之一。随着风险的增加，“凭证”的积累只会继续加剧。大学毕业后，“正确”的研究生院便迫在眉睫，接下来是“正确”的工作顺序。这样的成就使我们很可能生活在“正确的”社区中，并开始培养下一代，这可能需要克服更高的障碍。

The fallout

后果
Faced with the fast pace of growing up today, some students are clearly distressed, engaging in binge drinking and other self-destructive behaviors. Counseling services of secondary schools and colleges have expanded in response to greatly increased demand. It is common to encounter even the most successful students, who have won all the “prizes,” stepping back and wondering if it was all worth it. Professionals in their thirties and forties - physicians, lawyers, academics, business people and others - sometimes give the impression that they are dazed survivors of some bewildering life-long boot-camp. Some say they ended up in their profession because of someone else’s expectations, or that they simply drifted into it without pausing to think whether they really loved their work. Often they say they missed their youth entirely, never living in the present, always pursuing some ill-defined future goal.

面对当今快速成长的步伐，一些学生显然感到沮丧，进行暴饮暴食和其他自残行为。随着需求的大大增加，针对中学和大学生的咨询服务有所增加。即使遇到最成功的学生，也很常见，他们赢得了所有“大奖”，但如果退后一步，他们想知道这是否值得。那些三十和四十岁的专业人员-医生，律师，学者，商人和其他人员-有时给人的印象是，他们迷惑于一些令人费解的终身训练营。有人说，他们最终进入了自己的职业是由于他人的期望，或者只是没停下来思考自己是否真的喜欢自己的工作就涉足了这一职业。他们常常说，他们完全错过了自己的青春，从来没有活在当下，总是追求一些不清晰的未来目标。

Some early remedies
一些早期的补救措施

What can be done to help? Fortunately this young fast-track generation itself offers ideas that can reduce stress and prevent burnout. In college application essays and interviews, in conversations and counseling sessions with current college students, and in discussions with alumni/ae, many current students perceive the value of taking time out. Such a “time out” can take many forms. It can be very brief or last for a year or more. It can be structured or unstructured, and directed toward career, academic or purely personal pursuits. Most fundamentally, it is a time to step back and reflect, to gain perspective on personal values and goals, or to gain needed life experience in a setting separate from and independent of one’s accustomed pressures and expectations.

有什么可以帮助的？幸运的是，年轻快速成长的这一代自身就找到了一些可以减轻压力和防止倦怠的方法。在大学申请论文和面试中，在与在校大学生的对话和咨询中，以及在与校友的讨论中，许多在校学生都意识到了休学的价值。这种“休学”可以采取多种形式。它可以很简短，也可以持续一年或更长时间。它可以是精心设计的或形式自由的，并且以职业、学术或纯粹的个人追求为目的的。从根本上说，这是一个退一步反思和了解个人价值观和目标，或者在与个人惯常压力和期望无关的环境中获得所需生活经验的时候。

For the years during high school, here is some of the advice students have offered:

在高中期间，以下是学生提供的一些建议：

Families should allow for “down-time” during vacations, weekends, and during the week at mealtimes or at any other break in the action. The fabric of family life is already under assault from the demands of parents’ increasingly stressful jobs. Parents, some of whom experienced the first wave of fast-lane childhoods themselves, are often distressed by how little uninterrupted free time they have to devote to their children.

家庭应该在学校假期、周末以及就餐时间或其他任何时间（给学生）提供“休息时间”。然而父母日益紧张的工作要求已经对家庭生活构成了冲击。父母中有些人自己经历了第一波快车道童年时代，他们常常为难以在孩子身上花费持续的时间而感到困扰。

Bring summer back. Summer need not be totally consumed by highly structured programs, such as summer schools, travel programs, or athletic camps. While such activities can be wonderful in many ways, they can also add to stress by assembling “super peers” who set nearly impossible standards. Activities in which one can develop at one’s own pace can be much more pleasant and helpful. An old-fashioned summer job that provides a contrast to the school year or allows students to meet others of differing backgrounds, ages, and life experiences is often invaluable in providing psychological downtime and a window on future possibilities. Students need ample free time to reflect, to recreate (i.e. to “re-create” themselves without the driving pressure to achieve as an influence), and to gather strength for the school year ahead.

回到夏天，夏季并不需要完全通过规划缜密的计划（例如暑期学校，旅行计划或运动营）中度过。尽管这样的活动在许多方面可能很棒，但和那些带着几乎很难实现的目标的“牛蛙们”一起为伍很可能会带来压力。而按照自己的节奏去做事情会令人更加愉快和有益。那些提供有别于学校生活的，让学生结识具有不同背景、年龄和生活经历的人的，以及为学生提供心理上的休息时间和开启一扇了解未来可能性的窗户的暑期生活方式通常是无价的。学生需要充足的空闲时间进行反思，进行重塑（即在没有施加影响的驱动力情况下“重塑”自己），并为下一学年积聚力量。

Choose a high school (or a college) not simply by “brand name” or reputation but because it is the best fit. A school with a slower pace or a different academic or extracurricular focus can be a better match for certain students in the long run.

选择高中（或大学），不应仅凭 “品牌名称”或声誉，合适才是最重要。从长远来看，那些进度较慢但在学术或课外活动方面有不同侧重点的学校可能更适合某些学生。

Using the senior year
利用好高中毕业年

The senior year of high school presents some special challenges and opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on the High School Senior Year calls the senior year a “lost opportunity that we need to reclaim.” While some students try to get by with as little work as possible, others find it the most stressful year of their lives, with more demanding courses, more leadership responsibilities in their extracurricular activities, and the added burden of applying to college and taking the requisite college entrance tests.

高中毕业年蕴藏着一些特殊的挑战和机遇。美国教育部高中毕业年级委员会将毕业年级称为“我们需要重新获得失去的机会”的一年。虽然有些学生试图通过尽可能少的工作来度过难关，但另一些学生却觉得这是他们生活中最紧张的一年，他们需要面对难度更大的课程，在课外活动中承担更多的领导职责，以及承受申请大学和参加必要的大学入学考试所带来的负担。

There is often great tension about choosing and being admitted to the “right” college. Students and their families react to this particular stress in a number of ways, and many want the college admissions process over with as soon as possible.

选择并被“正确的”大学录取通常会带来很大的压力。学生及其家人通过多种方式对这种压力做出反应，许多人希望大学录取过程尽快完成。

While early admission programs may be right for some students, many observers have begun to ask whether too many students are applying early. They wonder if students are taking enough time and care to select colleges that best match their academic interests, career goals, and personal aspirations. Some have even used the word “hysteria” to describe some students who, perhaps influenced by peer pressure, want to apply early “somewhere”—without considering which colleges might be best for them. Some students have concluded that it is a virtual necessity to apply early, whatever the circumstances, for fear of being left behind.

尽管早申请入学计划对某些学生来说可能是正确的，但许多观察家已经开始质疑是否太多学生选择早申请计划。他们想知道学生是否花了足够的时间和精力来选择最适合其学术兴趣、职业目标和个人志向的大学。有些人甚至用“歇斯底里”一词来形容一些可能受到同龄人压力影响而想要尽早“在某个时间点”来完成早申请的学生，而没有考虑哪所大学最适合他们。一些学生得出结论，在任何情况下都必须尽早申请，因为担心被遗忘（在申请中失去先机）。

We concur with these observers that early admissions programs have not always served students well. In addition, they are not equally available to all students given the great disparities in guidance counseling and other resources in the United States and elsewhere. We eliminated our early admission program in recent years in part to encourage our students to use their secondary school years in the most effective manner possible. By focusing on the opportunities available in secondary school rather than on applying “early” to college, students will also benefit by avoiding the worst aspects of the college application frenzy that students often find so stressful. While we have restored early admission to meet the rising demand for this option—and have instituted changes to encourage students from modest economic backgrounds to apply early—we hope all students will use early admission in a thoughtful manner and only when it is appropriate for their individual needs.

我们同意这些观察家们的观点，即早申请计划并不总是能很好地为学生服务。此外，鉴于美国和其他地区在大学申请指导和其他资源方面的差异很大，并非所有学生都能平等获得（升学指导方面的有效资源）。近年来，我们取消了早申请计划，部分是为了鼓励我们的学生以最有效的方式利用他们的高中学年。通过专注于高中提供的机会，而不是 “提早申请”大学，学生还将因避免在大学申请狂潮中遇到的给学生带来很大压力的窘境而从中受益。尽管我们已经恢复了提前录取以适应对此选项不断增长的需求，并且已经做出了一些变化以鼓励经济状况不佳的学生提早申请，但我们希望所有学生都应以深思熟虑的方式使用提前录取，并且只有在适合他们个人需求的情况下才使用（这样的申请方式）。

Some high schools help their seniors in the transition from high school to college by allowing a slightly reduced course load, along with alternatives such as community service, research projects, and internships that might help with career exploration.

一些中学通过允许减轻课程负担以及通过诸如社区服务、研究项目和实习等可能有助于职业探索的替代方案来帮助他们的毕业班学生完成从高中到大学的过渡。

Colleges can help themselves as well as their prospective students by declaring (and demonstrating) that they are not judged simply by the number of AP or other advanced credits amassed at the end of senior year. For example, those students with particular strengths in the humanities and social sciences often believe colleges expect them to take calculus when they might be much better served by another algebra course or statistics—or another language—instead. No matter which path they take, students who can find ways to reduce stress and use the senior year well arrive at college much better prepared to take full advantage of their first year of college.

高校可以通过声明（并证明）他们不仅仅根据高中结束时获得的AP或其他高级课程的学分数量来判断自己，也可以帮助他们的潜在学生。例如，那些在人文科学和社会科学领域具有特殊才能的学生通常认为，大学希望他们通过微积分而不是另一门代数或统计学课程或另一们语言课程来更好地满足大学招生的需求。无论走哪条路，学生都可以找到减轻压力和充分利用高年级的方法的学生都可以更好地准备好充分利用高中最后一年为即将到来的大学一年级生活做好准备。

Taking time off before or during college

在上大学之前或期间休学
Perhaps the best way of all to get the full benefit of a “time-off” is to postpone entrance to college for a year. For more than four decades, Harvard has recommended this option, indeed proposing it in the letter of admission. Now more than one hundred students defer college until the next year.

也许要获得“休假”全部好处的最好办法就是将入学时间推迟一年。超过四十年来，哈佛大学一直推崇这样的方式，这在录取通知书中有明确的提出。现在已有一百多名今年入学的学生将入学时间推迟到明年。

The results have been uniformly positive. Harvard’s daily student newspaper, The Crimson, reported (5/19/2000) that students who had taken a year off found the experience “so valuable that they would advise all Harvard students to consider it.” Harvard’s overall graduation rate of 97 percent is among the highest in the nation, perhaps in part because so many students take time off. One student, noting that the majority of her friends will simply spend eight consecutive terms at Harvard, “wondered if they ever get the chance to catch their breath.”

结果一直是积极的。根据2000年5月19日出版的哈佛大学学生日报《The Crimson》的报导，休学一年的学生发现这种经历“非常有价值，以至于他们建议所有哈佛学生都去考虑。”哈佛的总毕业率为97％，这在美国大学中是最高的之一，部分原因是因为很多的学生休学所致。一位学生指出，她的大多数朋友只会在哈佛连续八学期，“如果他们有机会喘口气，那真是太神奇了。”

During her year off, the student quoted above toured South America with an ice-skating company and later took a trip to Russia. Another interviewed in the article worked with a growing e-commerce (in which the staff grew from 10 to 100 during the year) and backpacked around Europe for six months.

这名学生在休学期间随一家溜冰公司中巡游了南美，后来又去了俄罗斯。这篇文章中的另一位接受采访对象的学生在一家成长中的电子商务公司（该公司的员工从一年的10人增加到100人）工作并在欧洲背包旅行了六个月。

Some options for the interim year

过渡年的一些选择

Members of one recent class participated in the following activities, and more, in the interim year: drama, figure skating, health-care, archeological exploration, kibbutz life, language study, mineralogical research, missionary work, music, non-profit groups, child welfare programs, political campaigns, rebuilding schools, special needs volunteering, sports, steel drumming, storytelling, swing dance, university courses, and writing—to name some chosen at random. They took their interim year in the following locales: Belize, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Scandinavia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, United States and Zimbabwe. 

最近一个毕业年级的学生们利用过渡年参加了以下以及更多活动：戏剧，花样滑冰，医疗保健、考古探索、基布兹生活、语言学习、矿物学、宣教工作、音乐、非营利组织、儿童福利计划、政治运动、重建学校、特殊需要志愿服务、体育、钢鼓、讲故事、摇摆舞、大学课程和写作，这些只是随机选出的一部分。他们的过渡年发生在以下地区：伯利兹、巴西、中国、哥斯达黎加、丹麦、厄瓜多尔、法国、德国、危地马拉、洪都拉斯、印度、爱尔兰、以色列、意大利、蒙古、尼泊尔、菲律宾、斯堪的那维亚、苏格兰西班牙、瑞士、台湾、泰国、乌拉圭、美国和津巴布韦。

Many students divide their year into several segments of work, travel, or study. Not all can afford to travel or to take part in exotic activities. A number have served in the military or other national or international service programs. Some remain at home, working, taking part-time courses, interning, and still finding the time to read books they have never had time to fit into their schedules or begin to write the “great American novel.” Others have been able to forge closer ties with parents or grandparents from whom they may have drifted away during the hectic pace of the high-school years.

许多学生将学年分为工作、旅行或学习几个部分。并非所有人都能负担得起旅行或参加异国情调的活动。一些学生服兵役或在国家或国际行的服务机构中工作。有的留在家中、工作、参加业余课程、实习、还能找到时间阅读他们从未有时间阅读的书或开始写“伟大的美国小说”。其他人则选择和父母或祖父母建立更加亲密的关系，以弥补他们在高中时期因生活忙碌而造成的与父母或祖父母的疏远关系。

Reactions to the year off
对一年休学的反应

Students taking a year off prior to Harvard are doing what students from the U.K. do with their so-called “gap year.” Other countries have mandatory military service for varying periods of time. Regardless of why they took the year off or what they did, students are effusive in their praise. Many speak of their year away as a “life-altering” experience or a “turning point,” and most feel that its full value can never be measured and will pay dividends the rest of their lives. Many come to college with new visions of their academic plans, their extracurricular pursuits, the intangibles they hoped to gain in college, and the career possibilities they observed in their year away. Virtually all would do it again.

在入读哈佛前选择休假一年的学生所做的事情与那些英国学生在所谓的“休学年”做的事情如出一辙。其他国家/地区的学生或选择在不同时期服兵役。不管他们为什么休假或做什么，学生都对他们的所为溢于言表。许多人将一年的经历称为“改变人生”的经历或“转折点”，并且大多数人认为，其全部价值永远无法衡量，并将使他们终身受益。许多人带着对学术计划的新视野，对课外活动的追求、对大学生活的无形期盼以及他们在这一年中观察到的未来可能从事的职业愿景开始他们的大学生涯。几乎所有人都会（选择）再次拥有这样的一年。

Nevertheless, taking time off can be a daunting prospect for students and their parents. Students often want to follow friends on safer and more familiar paths. Parents worry that their sons and daughters will be sidetracked from college, and may never enroll. Both fear that taking time off can cause students to “fall behind” or lose their study skills irrevocably. That fear is rarely justified. High school counselors, college administrators, and others who work with students taking time off can help with reassurance that the benefits far outweigh the risks.

然而，对于学生及其父母来说，中途休学可能给他们带来令对前景的畏惧。学生通常希望在更安全、更熟悉的道路上与朋友为伍。父母担心他们的儿子和女儿会被大学边缘化，并因此与大学失之交臂。双方都担心休学会导致学生“落后”或不可挽回地丧失学习技能。但这种恐惧缺乏合理性。高中升学指导老师、大学行政管理人员以及与其他有休学经历的学生可以让他们放心 – 他们（通过休学）所获得的收益远大于风险。

Occasionally students are admitted to Harvard or other colleges in part because they accomplished something unusual during a year off. While no one should take a year off simply to gain admission to a particular college, time away almost never makes one a less desirable candidate or less well prepared for college.

有时候，学生之所以被哈佛或其他大学录取，部分原因是他们在一年的休学经历中完成了一些非同寻常的工作。尽管没有人应该仅仅为了获得一所特定大学的录取而休学一年，但是休息一下几乎永远不会使一个人成为缺乏吸引力的候选人或成为一名对大学生活准备不足的申请人。

Achieving balance
取得平衡

While the focus here has been on ways to relieve stress for today’s high-achieving generation, we should note that in fact most students are coping well with pressure, even thriving. This remarkable time offers opportunities that previous generations (and students in many other countries today) could not imagine. Colleges, for example, now reach out through their recruiting programs to talented students from every economic background. Financial aid makes college a reality for outstanding students on a scale that was not possible before. Graduation rates at leading American colleges and universities remain extremely high and students express satisfaction with their college experiences.

尽管这里的重点是缓解当今高分一代学生压力，但我们应该意识到，实际上，大多数学生都能很好地应对压力，甚至茁壮成长。这段非凡的时光提供了前几代人（以及当今许多其他国家的学生）无法想象的机会。例如，大学现在通过其招生计划与来自各式各样经济背景的才华横溢的学生接触。经济资助能帮助优秀学生能够实现他们的大学梦想，这在之前是不可能的。美国一流大学的毕业率仍然很高，学生对他们的大学经历表示满意。

It is important to remember that access to higher education around the world is at present limited to a lucky few. Those fortunate enough to enjoy such a privilege have a responsibility to use their talents to provide expanded opportunities for future generations. Our young alumni and alumnae have been successful in meeting the formidable challenges they have faced since college. But they continue to remind us that the rigors of competing in the new world economy impose high standards on everyone. They do not (nor do we) tell today’s students to “slack off” and achieve less. Recent graduates advise today’s high school and college students to prepare themselves emotionally as well as academically.

重要的是要记住，目前全世界仅有少数幸运者能接受高等教育。那些幸运地享有这种特权的人有责任利用自己的才能为后代提供更多的机会。我们年轻的校友们已经成功地应对了自大学以来面临的巨大挑战。但是他们继续提醒我们，在新的世界经济中竞争的严苛性对每个人都提出了高标准。他们没有（我们也没有）告诉今天的学生“懈怠”和不思进取。最近的毕业生们建议当今的高中生和大学生要在情感和学术两个方面都做好准备。

It is worth noting that extraordinary achievements are never based on emulating someone else’s achievements, but on some unmeasurable combination of (a) marching to one’s own specific and unique drummer and (b) accidentally—perhaps unconsciously—doing something that captures the Zeitgeist in new and unexpected ways. Those whom parents often want their children to emulate either used their own ingenuity to give the public a product or image it desperately wanted, or happened to catch a hot wave of the time, or (ideally) both.

值得注意的是，非凡的成就绝不是基于模仿他人的成就，而是基于（a）迈向自己特定而独特的鼓手，以及（b）偶然地（也许是无意识地）以全新的和意想不到的方式去追逐新时代精神的做事的某些不可衡量的组合。那些父母经常希望孩子模仿的人，要么是利用自己的独创性向公众提供了其迫切想要的产品或形象，要么恰好赶上了时代的潮流，或者（理想地）两者兼而有之。

While their achievement stands as an ideal for which others strive, others cannot by definition duplicate that achievement because it is induplicable. So the problem can often be well-meaning but misguided parents who try to mold their children into an image of success they value; and their children, being moldable as they are, often get on board and go along with the program before they have any capacity to make such a choice for themselves. Yet the paradox is that the only road to real success is to become more fully oneself, to succeed in the field and on the terms that one defines for oneself.

尽管他们的成就是他人努力追求的理想，但其他人却无法复制该成就，因为它是不可重复的。因此，问题往往是善意的，但却在误导父母，他们试图将自己的孩子塑造成他们崇拜的成功形象。他们的孩子，如同他们一样是可以塑形的，通常在他们没有能力为自己做出这样的选择之前就踏上了这样的成长之路。然而，自相矛盾的是，真正成功的唯一途径是让自己变得更加身心自在，在特定的领域以自己为自己定义的方式取得成功。

So the pressures placed on many children probably have the unintended effect of delaying a child’s finding herself and succeeding on her own terms. We should all have the right to gape with awe at Yo-Yo Ma’s musical triumphs, while at the same time achieving our own more modest ones in our own fields and ways: finding hominid bones that shift our conception of paleontology, or composing smooth jazz melody, or tracing the rise and decline of Roman gentes. Parents and students alike profit from redefining success as fulfillment of the student’s own aims, even those yet to be discovered. Burnout is an inevitable result of trying to live up to alien goals. Time out can promote discovery of one’s own passions.

因此，给许多孩子造成的压力可能会在延迟孩子的自我发现并按自己的条件成功方面产生意想不到的效果。我们所有人都应对马友友的音乐成就表示敬畏的同时在我们自己的领域和以我们自己的方式上脚踏实地地成就我们自己：找到改变我们的古生物学观念的早期人类骨头，或者创作流畅的爵士乐旋律，或探寻出罗马人的兴衰史。父母和学生都将从重新定义的成功中受益，以实现学生自己的目标，甚至是尚未发现的目标。倦怠是竭力追逐不适合目标的必然结果。休息却能促进发现自己的激情。

The fact remains that there is something very different about growing up today. Some students and families are suffering from the frenetic pace, while others are coping but enjoying their lives less than they would like. Even those who are doing extraordinarily well, the “happy warriors” of today’s ultra-competitive landscape, are in danger of emerging a bit less human as they try to keep up with what may be increasingly unrealistic expectations.

在青少年的成长方面事实依然证明有些事存在明显差异。一些学生和家庭因疯狂的生活节奏而饱受痛苦，而另一些学生和家庭正在适应并享受未及他们预期的生活。即使是那些表现非常出色的人，在当今竞争异常激烈的世界中，“快乐的战士”也会暴露出缺乏人性的危险，因为他们要努力与那些可能越来越不切实际的期望保持一致。

The good news is that students themselves offer helpful suggestions about how best to handle the challenges they face. In part because of all the obstacles that confront them from the earliest stages of their lives, this generation has emerged generally more mature, sophisticated, and, at their best, better prepared to cope with the demands of the twenty-first century. They learn at an early age how to cope with both victory and defeat and with the formidable demands placed on them by adults and peers. Yet many would benefit from a pause in their demanding lives. Let us hope that more of them will take some sort of time out before burnout becomes the hallmark of their generation.

好消息是，学生们自己对如何最好地应对所面临的挑战有了有用的想法。在某种程度上，由于他们一生中遇到的种种障碍，这一代人普遍变得更加成熟、老练和达到他们的最佳状态，并为应付二十一世纪的需求做了更好的准备。他们从小就学习如何应付胜利和失败以及成年人和同龄人给他们设置的难题。然而，许多人将从他们高压力生活的间歇（休息）中受益。让我们希望，在倦怠成为他们这一代人的标志之前，他们中的更多人将花费一些时间把自己塑造成这一代人中的标杆。

2000 - Revised 2017

2000年初次发表，2017年修订

此文源于https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/first-year-applicants/considering-gap-year，

达洋行留学提供中文译文。

核心课程（Core Curriculum）是流行于美国顶尖大学的一种本科教育体系。该课程要求学生系统地、全面地和深入地掌握“最应该掌握的 –the knowledge most worth having”知识，培养他们的批判性思维能力。芝加哥大学的核心课程在美国大学中有很大的影响力。学校要求学生在本科阶段的前两年学习核心课程中包括数学、自然科学、人文科学、社会科学、写作和外语学科领域的十五门课程。课程的目的不仅仅在于让学生掌握这些人类知识，更在于激发学生对探索更多的基本问题并提出有助于社会进步的有影响力的观点。

芝加哥大学的核心课程包括通识教育（General Education），专业课程（Major）和选修课程（Elective Courses）三个部分。

通识教育：15门课程，其中人文科学6门课程，数学和自然科学6门课程和社会科学3门课程。

专业课程：9-18门课程。学生在这个阶段可以选择他们感兴趣的学术方向作为主修专业学习。主修专业可能是传统专业，如数学、文学，也可能是跨学科专业，如音乐与文学、计算神经科学等，还可以根据自身的兴趣设计自己的专业等。

选修课程：8-18门课程。学生可以根据按自己的兴趣选择想学的任何课程，选修课没有学科范围限制。

学生要求完成42门课程方能本科毕业。

芝加哥的本科核心课程被认为是美国大学中最难读的本科课程之一，要顺利地完成学业，学生除了要具备很强的数理分析能力、书面和口头的沟通能力、质疑能力外，还需要有良好的学习习惯，以及跟同学和老师的合作能力。当然，要完成这样的本科学习没有一个好身体是不行的。所以芝加哥大学有”Study Hard. Play Hard.”（学好，玩好！）这样一句流传多年的名言!

核心课程是文理教育的一个缩影，代表了美国精英主义本科教育的核心理念，是古典式教育的活化石。在科技日新月异和社会飞速发展的今天，仍然采用这样严格的或过于古板的本科教育的学校已经不多了。除了芝加哥大学外，仍然采用核心课程本科教育理念的学校还有哥伦比亚大学、托马斯阿奎奈学院、布朗大学、圣约翰学院、阿姆赫斯特学院。

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。

PSAT/NMSQT考试要点
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）
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
	数学
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
	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
	选对得分，选错不扣分
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。
小分规则	提供每项考试的小分
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）
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

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

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！

达洋行留学 编撰

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