求美國升學意見

raymonds

回覆 foolish.mom 的帖子

My daughter is doing a professional degree in UK, at a top number 1 university by subject ranking. She did hve an offer from one of the Ivies league college US at that time, but we considered the UG education at her present school is far more comprehensive, solid and offering great opportunity in future internship. So she finally chose UK. Besides, most likely she will do a PG degree later. I see the UG program may not be so much difference between UK and US, but US definitely got big advantage in PG program in terms of research funding and support, international renowned professor and connection. By doing that, she could enjoy the benefits and background of both world (UK and US).
My personal view is for top student to aim the top universities, UK and US do provide very good choices. Never go wrong. But for middle and low achievers, US's flexibility in learning environment and course program structure do require the students' self-discipline and motivation which is usually lack in middle to lower tier students. For them, I would suggest to go for UK schools for UG.

foolish.mom

回覆 raymonds 的帖子

Thank you for your sharing. I agree that as US colleges are more flexible in choosing and studying courses, it requires self-discipline of the students to do their best in order to meet the graduation requirement. My hubby also worries that my son will not be able to graduate in 5 years due to his laziness and lay back character.One of my relatives couldn't graduate in MIT after 8 years in there! He was a top student in high school.

lui

原帖由 happyhealthymin 於 15-03-30 發表
Wow, I wish I knew someone like that. Please do share with us some insightful information after your ...

he will share some of the good essays without naming it , those with touched stories. This year they accept 3 kids from HK. 1 DGS 1 CIS and 1 HKIS in the early admission.

Shootastar

Several years ago, the US colleges would usually release the admission results from 15 March onward. Seldom they would release the result on the last day of March, the official latest announcement date for US colleges.

My friend's daughter has received 4 decisions from top 20 US colleges - 2 admitted, one-rejected and one waited-list.

I think its makes no difference if you study in any one of the top 20 US colleges. There is no need to stick to the word "Ivy". I think MIT, Stanford, JHU, Duke or CIT is as good as any Ivy colleges.

laorenjia

foolish.mom 發表於 15-3-30 12:30
回覆 raymonds 的帖子

Thank you all parents' for your care on my son.

I can't say I have a similar experience but I do understand what you're going through. Applying to top universities is really a torturing experience if the kid is also preparing for DSE or IB exams. one of my daughter's classmates applied to 7 or 8 top us universities. When she checked the results, she found herself rejected by the universities, one by one. Hands shaking and body trembling, she pressed the key for the last one...She is now a Yale graduate. So just hang in there. Good luck!

laorenjia

happyhealthymin 發表於 15-3-30 09:27
Wow, I wish I knew someone like that. Please do share with us some insightful information after your ...

There is a film called "Admission" which can give you a glimpse on how Princeton reads the applications. One thing I'm sure: these people all love nice stories. A good personal statement is important. Of course it's easier said than done as these admission officers would have already read thousands of good personal statemens before seeing yours.

foolish.mom

回覆 Shootastar 的帖子

Yes, all other top US uni announced already, as far as I know, except all Ivy Leagues. The students (at college confidential forum) call it Ivy day, March 31 afternoon this year.

Shootastar

It is relatively easy to make the decision.

If your kid aims to study medicine, the choice should be HK first, then UK (so long as the offer is for medicine) and then Ivies the last

If your kid aims to study law, the choice should be Oxbridge (+ some top law school in UK) first, HK (second), then Ivies (last). If your kid does not mind take 4 more years, the preference should be Oxbridge (+ top law schools in UK), Ivies (+ 4 years later, to study ID in HK), the HK.

If the offer is general degree, Ivy (first), Oxbridge (second). So long as you have Ivy or Oxbrige, there is no need to mention HK.

foolish.mom

回覆 laorenjia 的帖子

Thanks. I agree that essay is the most important component of the whole application package. My son wrote all together 9 versions of the "common app" essay. When he finished the 6th one, he let me have a look. I said he might want to go ahead with the 5th version, finish and polish it, and let the counsellor comment. Then the counsellor didn't like the idea at all. He came back, frustrated and exhausted, wanted to give up. It was only 15 days from the early application deadline. I persuaded and encouraged him to write again. He wrote another 3 versions. I liked the 8th one. This time the counsellor approved the idea, maybe the deadline is approaching. He is a math and science guy, not very good at writing this kind of essays. But I think he wrote not so bad as he already got some offers. But he is not particularly good, as he got rejections too.
I went over some data provided by students who got accepted and rejected by US top uni these days, (on college confidential forum) and I can see the randomness of being accepted into a particular top US uni. Someone mentioned that, on a sunny day, the number of applications accepted is particularly higher than a rainy day. I believe it. It's not much difference as a lucky draw, when the students concerned all showed acceptable GPA, SAT/ACT, excellent extracurricular activities with leadership.

raymonds

回覆 foolish.mom 的帖子

All the top US colleges admission are very subjective and unpredictable. They call it holistic approach. You can never predict your chance until the very end.  That is why nowadays, the US students who target the top colleges,  will usually sent out 20 - 30 applications to cover everything!!! Like making the lucky draw more lucky.

Also all of them are "easy to get in, difficult to graduate". The statistic shows less than 50% will graduate in 4 years. (Of course, this statistic is very misleading and includes many  situation.) But for our decent HK students like your son, I won't be worry about him not being able to graduate timely, if he can get in.

lui

原帖由 happyhealthymin 於 15-03-30 發表
Wow, I wish I knew someone like that. Please do share with us some insightful information after your ...

A good book to recommend: how to be a high school superstar.

lui

原帖由 raymonds 於 15-03-30 發表
回覆 foolish.mom 的帖子

All the top US colleges admission are very subjective and unpredictable. Th ...

Yes per my friend, the U.S. System is not perfect . It's very subjective. They even didn't have a tariff table as in UK. So the good side is if you get a min grade with good essays you might get in. But that is not gonna happen in Oxbridge. Also if the admission reader is a quiet person, he might not argue for his application so that's not good to the applicant himself. It's kind of lucky lucky draw then.

happyhealthymin

原帖由 raymonds 於 15-03-30 發表
回覆 foolish.mom 的帖子

My daughter is doing a professional degree in UK, at a top number 1 univers ...

Raymonds , thanks for your sharing. Your perspective is a new and thought-provoking to me. Please keep sharing more of your valuable experience.

happyhealthymin

原帖由 lui 於 15-03-30 發表
he will share some of the good essays without naming it , those with touched stories. This year they ...

I see. Wish I could hear those touching stories as well. But how do we define touching? For me I feel touched when I really feel someone is truly scarifying for another. This is just an example. So touching or not is quite subjective. And I am thinking about students from HK, especially those in DGS, CIS and HKIS, all have a relatively excellent family background. I am really curious what their touched stories are.

happyhealthymin

原帖由 lui 於 15-03-30 發表
A good book to recommend: how to be a high school superstar.

Thanks for the recommendation. Will read during holiday.

webeheld

Hello,

I graduated from a local school in HK recently and went straight to a US traditional top 10. Not an Ivy tho and this year I'm applying to transfer into Ivies. PM me if you want any further information regarding the application processes :)

angie_ma

回覆 Vansi816 的帖子

我姪女係考IELTS, 我都相信IELTS易考D, 你可以去英國文化協會網頁睇下.  

angie_ma

回覆 Vansi816 的帖子

Yes, 是community College. 我姪女現在在西雅圖讀2年College, 之後會升讀大學Year 3 (如無意外). 呢個姪女既表哥之前都係透過呢個途徑入左UC Beckley. 所以如果俾心機讀, 應該問題吾大. 不過一般讀community College 既學生都要比較自律, 吾似得中學咁有老師睇住.

fungsiufong

While experienced parents here are talking about UK Vs USA Universities, my son is hesitating of which university to go. Appreciate parents could share your opinion.

In UK, he is applying Law. Got condition offer from LSE, the condition is not hard to achieve.

In USA, he is applying Statistics, Actuarial Science.
Got offer from Duke, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, USC with half tuition scholarship.

He has no preference among these majors, but he wants to go to a college with competitive environment
and drive.

Among these universities, which ranks higher ?

How would you choose ?

Shootastar

回覆 fungsiufong 的帖子

My son got similar offers several years ago. Since he aspired to be a lawyer, he chose LSE and is now a lawyer. It all depends on your son's interest. If your son wants to be an investment banker， he should take DUKE. As I far I know, unless you are from Oxbridge or from the finance of LSE, the chance of being employed by an investment bank is not high. If your son is interested in science and science research, he should either go to Duke or Johns Hopkins.
All the above colleges are very competitive, it all depends on what your son wants to do. For your information, after PCLL, my son studies at a T-14 law school in USA to taste the college life in the USA. After one year, he told me that he did not make the wrong choice because he can be a lawyer at the age of 25. With LLB and LLM from quite famous law colleges in two countries.