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 let us know character counts: what are colleges looking for?

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，讓我們一同來看看想留學？個性決定申請大學的成功率。 

Original source 原文出處:   

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-prep/stand-out/character-counts-what-are-colleges-looking-for

Character Counts: What Are Colleges Looking For?

想留學？個性決定申請大學的成功率

 

What are college admission officers looking for when they read your application? They take into account more than your GPA and test scores. Your character and the personal qualities you can bring to a college are important too. That’s why you need to think about your goals, accomplishments and personal values and figure out how you can best express those in your applications.

申請大學時，當主考官檢閱你的申請文件，到底拿什麼當做標準？申請美國大學，不只會看在校成績或是 GPA 和考試成績，你的個人特色、你的特質適不適合學校，都是考量的重點。所以申請美國大學，務必要在申請文件中，好好呈現你的學習目標、累積成就、個人價值。

The Qualities Colleges Want美國大學要的人才

“What is it that makes you unique, and how will you contribute to the life of our campus?” That’s what admission officers want to know, according to Earl Johnson, dean of admission at the University of Tulsa. To gauge what students can bring to their campus, they look for these types of qualities:

Tulsa 大學入學部主任 Earl Johnson 表示，負責審閱大學申請的考官會問：「你特別在哪？可以給學校帶來什麼價值？」美國大學想要的人才具有以下特質：

• Leadership領導力

• A willingness to take risks願意承擔風險

• Initiative主動

• A sense of social responsibility有社會責任感

• A commitment to service服務精神

• Special talents or abilities特殊才能

 

Overall, colleges want a mix of students to create a rich campus community. They want the class valedictorians, says Marty O’Connell, executive director of Colleges That Change Lives. But they also are looking for “students who are going to be involved in a lot of activities and students who are musicians and students who are athletes and everything in between.”

整體來說，美國大學想要的人才很多元，才能創造校園環境的豐富性。改變人生的大學 （Colleges That Change Lives，協助學生尋找適合大學的非營利組織）執行長 Marty O’Connell 觀察，美國大學想要的人才，是那種可以上台發表畢業演說的人，但同時也需要熱衷活動的學生，或是音樂家、運動員等等的各種人才。

 

Your Application Shows Your Qualities申請美國大學，要有個人特色
 

So how do you show colleges what’s special about you? Personal qualities are not easy to measure, but admission officers look at the items listed below for clues to an applicant's character.

申請美國大學，該怎麼讓自己獨特、突出？個人特質畢竟不容易評量，但是考官還是會從以下項目了解申請人的特性。

 

Extracurricular activities: What you do outside the classroom reveals a lot about you. That’s why some applications ask for details about extracurricular activities. But remember, it’s not the number of activities that’s important. Admission officers want to know what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown from participating in these activities.
課外社團活動：課外活動透露大學申請人的個性，所以申請文件都會要填入課外活動的細節。請記住，課外活動不是愈多愈好，考官想知道的是你的成果、參與活動給你帶來的成長。

 

Summer jobs and activities: Your summer experiences provide insight into your character. And holding a summer job at a fast-food restaurant can build as much character as attending a prestigious summer learning program. It's all about what you’ve gained, what you’ve learned and how you communicate that.
暑期打工與活動：你的暑假生活也能讓考官了解你的特質。暑假在速食店打工，跟參加精英暑修課程都能讓你成長。重點就是你學到什麼、心得感想，以及你如何傳達你的感想。

 

College essay: The college essay gives you the opportunity to show the admission officers who you are and how you will contribute to the college campus.
申請美國大學申論題：申論題在美國大學申請文件中相當重要，請利用機會向考官傳達你的個性、表述你會給學校帶來什麼貢獻。

Mike Sexton, vice president for enrollment management at Santa Clara University, says that when admission officers read student essays, they ask themselves, “Would you like this person to be your roommate? Would you like to work on a group project with this person?” The essay can reveal the answers to these questions more than any test score can.
Santa Clara 大學入學管理部門副主任 Mike Sexton 分享考官們在審閱申論題的時候，都會問自己：「我會想跟這人當室友？我會想跟這人一組、合作寫作業嗎？」College Essays 申論題比任何入學考試都更能夠看出一個人適不適合這學校。

Letters of recommendation: Recommendation letters can tell a lot about the kind of person you are. A teacher who knows you well can give insight into not just your academic strengths but also the qualities you display in class, such as leadership or fairness.
申請美國大學推薦信：老師幫你寫的推薦信，不只透露對你在課業成就上的充分了解，也會描述你在課堂上所展現的特質，例如你有無領導能力、個性是否公平待人等等，入學申請推薦信絕對是重要的參考。

 

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。