How to prep for US College admission starting from Year 9

JBI1604

Dear all knowledgeable and experienced parents, we are newcomers to the international education system (ESF secondary), and we are aware that ESF students do not possess specific advantages when applying to colleges in the US. However, this does not mean that it is impossible, as numerous successful cases have been well-documented in the past decades.

How can a Year 9 student begin preparing for the college application process? What if the student lacks an outgoing personality and struggles to meet the well-rounded requirements? How can we help them to overcome these obstacles and discover a genuine passion for their future academic pursuits? Thank you for your sharing.

Radiomama

點解係美國？
孩子自己有何目標？

JBI1604

Radiomama 發表於 23-8-24 22:48
點解係美國？
孩子自己有何目標？

I am so glad to hear from you,  Radiomama.

Personally, I have a preference for the higher education system in the US. Our initial option is to have our children pursue their college education in Canada since we hold citizenship there. However, I believe that aim higher and experiencing the academic rigor of U.S. institutions, such as Michigan University or Berkeley, would be beneficial for them. Nonetheless, I am currently facing the challenge of guiding my children to think about their future and discover their own passions. They are still in their early teenage years and strongly resist suggestions from their parents, making it difficult for me to assist them in this process.

barque

建議你可以參考 Dr Kao’s 美國教育升學圖誌的Facebook 群組，那裏有很多值得參考的資料

whoo99

其實我都好想了解英國和美國大學的分別，除著3年與4年，專科與通識，幾年下來，到底有咩不同感受，覺得要都經歷過才能更明點，不同Major又唔同，好多都可以細細研究

Radiomama

希望不要介意我用中文回覆。
曾介紹一本書，作者是葉成輝先生，他的分享好實用。

「從男拔萃一路升讀加州大學伯克利分校的電子工程學士，碩士和金門大學MBA，畢業後成為著名跨國企業的大中華總裁以及上市公司CEO，並順利將一對兒女送進同為常春藤名校的康奈爾大學及哥倫比亞大學——作者葉成輝擁有這些經驗，可說在「怎樣把孩子送去常春藤」上頗具心得，決定撰文與廣大家長分享。
本書前半部主要分享作者一家如何陪兒子文希和女兒悅童一路走向常春藤，夫婦怎樣合作教養小孩等。後半部則類近工具書，分享要獲得常春藤青睞有哪些方法可供參考、有甚麼須注意或避免。全書結合故事性與實用性，讀之能感受兩個孩子的成長、親子間的情誼，父母亦能了解自己在孩子為目標奮鬥的過程中應該扮演甚麼角色，如何協助孩子有更多元且平衡的發展，以免「周身刀冇張利」或變成書呆子；此外還有豐富詳盡的「爬藤」資訊，既有幫助理清申請常春藤的脈絡，亦提供實用小貼士參考。」

whoo99

讀畢，好清晰，多謝推薦！我感覺如果比較Nerdy一點的小孩，假使一直在英國讀書，讀大學，擔心會有點越讀越宅（也不確定啊），聽講OXBRIDGE或IMPERIAL都學術壓力好大，節奏好快；但書中描述的美國路徑似又有點太aggresseive，也唔知啦，其實是自己未搞清楚，未想明白

whoo99

補充一點，葉成輝先生書中好坦誠，是本去美國升學參考的好書

Radiomama

whoo99 發表於 23-8-27 19:43
讀畢，好清晰，多謝推薦！我感覺如果比較Nerdy一點的小孩，假使一直在英國讀書，讀大學，擔心會有點越讀越 ...

英國Oxbridge 及Imperial 的壓力大，其中一個原因是undergraduate 只讀三年，課程的確好緊湊；美國好歹讀四年，攤長啲、會好少少。
但話得說回來，美國某些名大學的graduation rate也是令人憂慮的。

saikungmom

My son just graduated from ESF. He got into Michigan and UCLA plus a few others during the regular round. Both Biochem major. He was waitlisted for Berkeley (Molecular and Cell Bio) and got an offer late June.

I was honestly very surprised to see him getting into all these schools. We didn't use any university application agents. He did all the applications by himself.

His school activities include swimming (holds some records across HK international schools and school districts), sports captain, model United Nations, student council member and debating team captain. He did some services via school, and also plays an instrument (although not in school band given crazy swimming training).

I think his essays were quite good. Quite concise and used his experience to talk about dedication, hardworking and not easy to give up etc. I think this might have helped the applications big time.

whoo99

Radiomama 發表於 23-8-27 22:03
英國Oxbridge 及Imperial 的壓力大，其中一個原因是undergraduate 只讀三年，課程的確好緊湊；美國好歹讀 ...

總感覺undergraduate階段唔只係學術起步階段，而且是成長為adult的重要階段。所以想了解多點

whoo99

其實都無答案，真正了解外界并不容易，所以都想一起討論

beastiebistro

whoo99 發表於 23-8-28 00:01
指GPA INFLATION?聽聞有些學校確實係，甚至包括一些Ivy學校。理工major猜想可能會好一點。不同體系，不同 ...

我估Radio媽意思係中途輟學或者畢唔到業同學嘅比例。
至於oxbridge壓力唔只係3年對4年嘅問題，oxbridge出名學期短，基本上一個term 得8個禮拜到，乜都塞晒喺入邊。

whoo99

beastiebistro 發表於 23-8-28 00:35
我估Radio媽意思係中途輟學或者畢唔到業同學嘅比例。
至於oxbridge壓力唔只係3年對4年嘅問題，oxbridge出名 ...

理解反著。係，Oxbridge學期時間確實好短，壓力也會更加增加，鍛煉人當然也是

Radiomama

saikungmom 發表於 23-8-27 23:07
My son just graduated from ESF. He got into Michigan and UCLA plus a few others during the regular r ...

Big applause!

Settled down at Berkeley or Michigan finally?

Radiomama

beastiebistro 發表於 23-8-28 00:35
我估Radio媽意思係中途輟學或者畢唔到業同學嘅比例。
至於oxbridge壓力唔只係3年對4年嘅問題，oxbridge出名 ...

對, 我係講畢業率，eg MIT四年畢到業是89%, 要六年才達95%畢到業；當然還有少部份4-5% drop out。
英美名校（其實全世界都係）的讀書壓力都大，要多関心mental health。

Radiomama

beastiebistro 發表於 23-8-28 00:35
我估Radio媽意思係中途輟學或者畢唔到業同學嘅比例。
至於oxbridge壓力唔只係3年對4年嘅問題，oxbridge出名 ...

英國是否一年三個term？

朋友仔們在UCL 返學，話一個星期只有四小時課堂，我仔話佢一日都唔止四個鐘啦！有啲唔明，不過話有海量reading materials, 咁咪同自修差唔多？

barque

英國近年收多咗大學生，UCL 平均acceptance rate 超過30%。 如果計埋yield 應該更高。太多人唔夠資源面對面教？



https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/blog/how-to-get-into-ucl/#:~:text=How hard is it to,at UCL was around 29.6%.

beastiebistro

Radiomama 發表於 23-8-28 08:38
英國是否一年三個term？

朋友仔們在UCL 返學，話一個星期只有四小時課堂，我仔話佢一日都唔止四個鐘啦！ ...

係，一年三個term。一星期得四個鐘少啲喎，可能係COVID 行hybrid遺留嘅問題。當時係可以選擇性實體上堂，而所有lecture都有錄影上網，方便學生隨時可以睇。英國學校lecture又唔take attendance ，唔去冇後果...

whoo99

的確都聽英國學生話有好多reading materials，課下忙到癡；不知是否其特點