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 provide us quick guide: starting your college search.

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，讓我們一同來看看申請美國大學快速攻略

Original source 原文出處:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/find-your-dream-college/choose-a-college/quick-guide-starting-your-college-search

Quick Guide: Starting Your College Search
申請美國大學快速攻略

There are thousands of colleges to choose from, but which should go on your college list? Use these steps to begin your college search.
美國大學有好幾千所，該怎麼找到適合自己的學校？請參考下列攻略。

Talk to Your Family 諮詢家人

Open up a discussion. Talk to your family about your interests and goals. Ask them about their experience with college, if any, and find out what kind of support they can give you. If there are money concerns, it’s best to know now.
和家人討論，讓家人了解你的興趣和目標，問問家人的大學學習或留學經驗，了解家裏能夠提供你什麼樣的協助。如果家人對於美國大學高學費有顧慮，先知道也是好事。

Make a Wish List 志願清單

What do you want in a college? Make a list that includes everything from possible majors to location to extracurricular activities. Even if it doesn’t seem important, get it down — this exercise will help you get a better idea of what you’re looking for.
你有自己的美國大學志願清單？不妨先列出你可能想選的主修、想去的地點、想參加的課外活動。就算是些不重要的考量條件，也都先列下來，這樣的練習也是為了釐清你的志願。

Get Advice 尋求建議

Talk to a college counselor or your principal about starting your college search. Then talk to people who have been to college — kids from your high school, teachers and relatives — about what college is really like and how they found theirs.
可以和升學顧問或你的校長談談搜尋學校的過程。跟有美國留學經驗的人聊聊，不管是高中的學長姐、老師或親友都可以，有助於了解美國大學校風，而他們又是怎麼找到自己想要念的學校。

Read Your Mail 收信找資料

Your mailbox and in-box might already be filled with college brochures and emails. If so, browse through them; you may find colleges you haven’t thought of. If you aren’t getting college mail yet, visit college websites and sign up for information.
你家的信箱和你的電子郵件信箱可能已經堆滿了各種留學資訊。請一封封閱讀，或許其中有你未曾考慮過的學校。如果你還沒收到這樣的信件，請到各美國大學校園網頁註冊，收取最新消息。

Go to College Fairs 美國大學留學、教育博覽會

You can get a lot of information about different colleges in one place at a college fair. You’ll meet college representatives who can talk to you and answer questions about their colleges, and you can sign up for college mailing lists. Check out the  College Fair Checklist.
參加教育博覽會和留學展，可以一次拿到很多不同學校的資訊。也可能有見到校方代表的機會，可趁機針對該校提問、也可以登記電子郵件信箱收取該校最新消息。請參閱大學博覽會註記表 ( College Fair Checklist)。

Explore Online 線上探索美國大學

A visit to a college’s website can give you an idea of what student life and classes are like. You can take virtual campus tours, check out classes and even contact admission officers and current students with questions.
探訪大學網頁可以稍微了解大學生生活和課堂樣貌。你也可以參加線上美國校園巡禮( virtual campus tours)，了解學習資訊或甚至和美國大學招生委員聯繫，也可以向在學學生提問。

Visit a Campus 走訪美國大學校園

Get a taste of college life by visiting a nearby college. You can explore the campus, talk to college students and get a better sense of what you do and don’t want in a college. You’ll also start to see how college is different from high school. Learn more about campus visits.
直接走訪校園是最能體驗美國大學生活的方式。探索校園、跟該校學生談話有助於你了解自己對該校的感受，也能體會大學跟高中的不同。請參閱走訪校園的相關網頁： campus visits。

Put It All Together 整理消化

Use all of the information you’ve gathered to make a list of the colleges you’re interested in. Don’t limit yourself. You can use this list to get a better idea of what’s important to you in a college and where you want to go.
要製作你的大學志願清單或留學清單前，請充分利用你收集到的所有資訊，別自我侷限。請利用清單檢視自己最看重什麼，最想申請的大學有什麼樣的條件吸引你。

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。