VIS is authorized by the College Board  to provide AP (Advanced Placement) courses. The following article is from the official College Board website. The below will help us understand how to finalize your college list. 
VIS 為美國大學理事會（College Board）正式認證學校，經授權可開授AP課程。以下文章出自於美國大學理事會 College Board 官網，提供中文翻譯給學生家長參考，讓我們一同來看看如何完成最終志願表

Original source 原文出處: 
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How to Finalize Your College List 如何完成最終志願表

Once you’ve made a list of colleges you’re interested in, the next step is to narrow down the list to colleges you’ll apply to. Most counselors recommend that students apply to five to eight colleges — more than that usually doesn’t make sense. Here’s how to make your college list manageable.
列出你感興趣的大學以後，下一步就是縮減名單，留下你確定要申請的學校。大部分的升學輔導員都會建議學生申請五至八所大學，超過這數量通常就沒意義了。以下方式可以讓你更能掌握你的志願表。

Narrow Down Your List 減縮志願名單
If you’re at this point in the process, you’ve probably already looked into things such as location, size and majors offered. Here are some other things to research:
如果你來到這一個階段，大概也已經開始考慮一些像是地點、學校規模、學校有開課的主修等等問題。以下是一些你可以研究的要點：

●    Financial aid packages 財務支援的方案
●    Variety of academic programs offered 學術課程的種類
●    Special programs, such as study abroad 特殊課程計畫、如出國留學
●    Clubs and activities on campus 校園社團與活動
●    Housing options 住宿選擇

A great way to narrow your list is to start making college visits, if possible. You can also make virtual campus visits.
可能的話，開始去拜訪學校 (college visits)，這是個縮減名單的好方法。你也可以線上拜訪學校 (virtual campus visits)。

Sort Your List 將志願清單分類
Once you have a list of colleges you think you will be satisfied attending, sort it into three categories. At the College Board, we introduce test scores as one additional factor to weigh as you refine your list:
列出你想要上的大學志願清單後，請把清單分成三類。College Board 引進考試成績當作額外的權衡考量點，可以讓你的清單更精細：

Safeties: Your SAT or ACT score is higher than the average score range of last year’s freshman class. These are colleges that you feel you have a very good chance of getting into and that you think you can afford to attend. They should also be colleges you would be happy to attend.
安全型：你的 SAT 或 ACT 成績高出該校去年大學新生平均。這些學校你有很大的機會可以錄取，也認為可以負擔。這些學校也應該要是你會樂意去上的學校。

Matches: Your SAT or ACT score is solidly in the same score range as last year’s freshman class. These are colleges that you feel you have a good chance of getting into and that are good matches for you overall.
達標型：你的 SAT 或 ACT 成績落在該校去年大學新生平均範圍內。這些學校你有很大的機會可以錄取，整體上也適合你。

Reaches: Your SAT or ACT score is lower than the average score range of last year’s freshman class. These are colleges that you think may be more of a challenge to get into. Getting in is not a sure thing, but it’s realistic enough to be worth the effort of applying. Remember: colleges consider the whole package.
高標型：你的 SAT 或 ACT 成績低於該校去年大學新生平均。這些學校是你認為要錄取，會有些挑戰性的。你不確定可不可以錄取，不過在務實考量下是值得花心力申請的。請記住：學校選才會針對學生狀況通盤考量。
Balance Your List 權衡你的志願表

From your sorted list, you should choose:
分類完清單後，應該要有以下幾種選擇：
●    One to two safeties 一至兩個安全型學校
●    Two to four good matches 二至四個達標型學校
●    One to two reaches 一至兩個高標型學校

By having a balanced list, you’re adding colleges that you may not have considered before. Ultimately, it’s important to build a list that reflects your wants and needs while also keeping in mind what schools can meet those needs and help you succeed.
權衡完志願表單，你會把之前可能沒考慮過的學校加進來。重要的是，最終的表單是要能反映你的志願需求，要考量的是，什麼學校可以符合你的需要並幫助你成功。

With college applications, quality is better than quantity. You must complete each section of an application carefully, and admission officers can tell if you’re not serious about their school. In fact, they look for students who seem to really want to go to their school.
大學申請，重質不重量。每個申請環節都要審慎完成，申請的承辦人其實是可以分辨你申請他們的學校時是否夠認真的。事實上他們在找的，是真心想進他們學校的學生。

Use Your Support Network 善用你的支援網絡
You don’t have to go through this process alone. Your parents, school counselor and teachers can help you think about your decisions and choose which schools to apply to.
你不需要獨自走過這些流程。你的父母、學校輔導員跟老師們都可以在你做決定、選擇要申請的學校時給予你幫助。

Remember, there will be more than one school that’s right for you. What you’re doing now is narrowing down your options to good possibilities. After this step, you should be able to choose again — from those colleges that offer you a place in their freshman class.
請記住，適合你的學校不只一所。你現在做的事情只是把清單縮減剩最有可能的選項。在這一步之後，你還有機會從錄取你的學校裡再做一次選擇。

If you would like to discuss college options further, please make an appointment with our college counselor Rosalyn Shih  collegecounseling@vis.tp.edu.tw to find out more.
如果VIS同學們想進一步討論如何選擇海外的大學，請與VIS的升學顧問 Miss Rosalyn Shih collegecounseling@vis.tp.edu.tw 預約晤談以了解更多資訊。