众所周知,学术、活动、文书被准留学家庭誉为“美本申请的三驾马车”,其重要性不言而喻!
可无论你的成绩多么傲人,活动多么有份量,文书多么行云流水,这些也仅仅是“纸面功夫”。
面试就大不一样了!
招生官能够从你的语言逻辑、学识储备、沟通能力等方面观察出你是一个怎样的学生,你也能通过面试向学校传递最真实、立体的申请形象,所以“面试的力量”绝对不容小觑!
事实上,虽然很多学校并不强制要求面试,但是不少好大学都非常鼓励学生参与。那么——
为什么大学要开设面试?
如何给面试官留下最佳印象?
如何化解面试中的危机?
面试时哪些该说,哪些不该说?
美本面试都有哪些种类?
美国大学的面试分为两种:The Evaluative Interview和Informational Interview。
Evaluative Interview带有评估性,倾向于了解学生,其重要性高于Informative Interview,在录取的过程中,Evaluative Interview的报告是重要的申请材料之一。
Informational Interview更倾向于让学生了解学校,在学生做完面试之后,面试官一般都会给学校提供一份报告供参考,因此其重要性低于Evaluative Interview。
按照面试主题不同,美本面试也可以分为:
招生官面试(AO面试)
校友面试(Alumni面试)
第三方面试(InitivalView 或 Vericant)
招生官面试(AO面试)
招生官面试是美本面试中最传统的一种形式,属于Evaluative Interview。通常这种面试带有评估性,能够让招生官评估出学生的英文水平和知识储备,通过评估结果来判断学生与招生的匹配程度。
在面试环节,每个学校平均都有10-30个左右的招生官。他们是经过专业培训的、对申请和录取有直接影响的人。面试时间⼀般会比较短,半个小时左右。由于国际生的地域限制,通常会采用Skype或者Zoom线上面试形式。
校友面试(Alumni面试)
校友面试在形式上更随意,内容也会更丰富。面试官是是来自世界各地的校友,是近些年主流的一种“双向的、第三方客观评估”的面试方式。
面试官与申请人通过一小时左右的交谈,学校可以更透彻的了解你与学校的文化、专业发展是否契合,申请者也可以补充一些文书不能体现的信息,把自己更全面真实的展示出来。
之后面试官会用一段话来评价申请者的强项和不足,招生办会把校友面试官提供的评估作为参考。不是所有地区都有合适的校友做面试官,因此,也不是所有人都能得到这样的面试机会。
第三方面试(InitivalView 或 Vericant)
第三方面试是学校委托第三方机构帮助学校进行面试,是当前留学生普遍的一种面试方式。在国内,主流的第三方机构为InitivalView(IV)和Vericant(维立克)。
第三方机构面试是付费的,并且可以重复多次进行面试,申请人可以选择表现最佳的一次发送给学校。
为什么要进行美本面试?
大学招生办公室在收到学生的申请材料后,他们能够看到学生的成绩、申请文书、活动及奖项列表、推荐信等,对学生已经有了不少的了解。
如果他们还希望更加地了解你,招办人员就会安排学生进行校友或者招办面试。这样通过面试的报告,他们能够多一个途径了解这位申请人,从而决定是否让这位申请人进入学校。
面试的完美表现,助她赢得藤校录取
如果你能够在面试过程中自信地展现出你更全面的能力,能给申请加不少分。
想要实现一个完美的面试,我们具体该如何做准备呢?
想把握好面试机会,你只需这4招
1、做好充足的准备
面试准备是一个系统工作,需要前期做好充足的准备。
1)参加面试训练营;
2)系统准备经典面试问题;
3)针对具体申请的学校、面试题库进行训练;
4)培养演讲中的叙事(story-telling)能力;
5)和导师进行多次模拟。
其中最重要、最耗时的是4)、5)两项。
叙事能力是传统中国学生普遍缺乏的能力,其实面试中的叙事能力,与主文书的讲故事能力如出一辙。
2、面试过程中避免无意义问题
例如:
— Does the college have fitness center?
— Is the school really that hard?
— Is it easy to make friends at this school?
— Is there a Spanish Club/ Math Club/ Video Club?
— Do students have to take any required courses?
— How many students are in the freshman class?
— Can you tell me about the study-abroad program/ exchange program?
— What are the dorm like?
3、着装要得体
女生
需要比较正式的服装,原则是整体感觉得体、大方。妆容上,指甲等首饰不应该太华丽,要低调;不要喷太多的香水;不要让头发遮住眼睛,同时在面试过程中不要摆弄衣服或者头发。
男生
需要穿西装、打领带,总体原则得体、大方,使个人的整体感觉自信。面试的时候一定不要穿运动鞋,这个是需要非常牢记的,中国学生爱穿牛仔裤、运动鞋,在面试的过程中要一定要避免。
参考:
4、面试结束后,及时发送感谢信
面试后,建议在24小时内向面试官写一封感谢邮件,模板如下。如果是线上面试,适当调整内容即可:
面对面招生官面试
Dear Ms. Cranston,
This note is to thank you for our interview last week. I appreciated visiting campus and seeing the grounds and buildings for myself. Everyone was very helpful. I also enjoyed meeting you; you really helped me through one of my first interviews and put me at ease. It was nice to find out someone else likes a good horror film once in a while.
I am very interested in Dinsmore College. It seems like a good fit for me, especially the small classes and personal attention students seem to get at Dinsmore. I think that kind of community atmosphere will be a good learning environment.
Thank you again. Perhaps we will meet once more if I am lucky enough to be a student at your college next fall.
Sincerely,
Janice Coombs
面对面校友面试
Dear Jamie,
It was nice of you to meet me so close to my home. Luckily, after visiting the University of Ohio campus last spring, it was helpful not to have to travel that far again. I enjoyed talking with you, and you gave me some good information about your experience at Ohio U.
I am strongly considering going to Ohio U if I am accepted. I like the feel of the campus and the diversity of people and programs it offers. Maybe I’ll even meet some of the professors you mentioned.
I hope the rest of your summer goes well.
Sincerely,
John Bouck
面试常见问题及回答技巧
根据往年经验,大多问题会集中在5个维度的考核:个性与背景、爱好与活动、未来规划、高中经历、大学与专业选择。可以分为以下三类:
1、个人信息问题
— Tell me about yourself.
— Why do you feel you should be accepted to this college?
— What are some of your academic strengths?
— What do you consider your academic weaknesses? How do you address them?
— What was your graduating GPA?
— What have you read recently that has impacted or changed — how you see the world?
— Describe a time when you stepped up as a leader.
— What does being successful mean to you?
— Can you describe a challenge that you overcame?
— What do you do for fun in your free time?
— What are three adjectives to best describe you?
— Will you seek financial aid?
2、学校/专业问题
— How did you hear about this college?
— What do you know about our school?
— Why do you want to attend this college?
— What do you plan to major in? Why?
— How would you describe your high school atmosphere?
— Describe a time when you had to work as part of a team.
— What makes you different from other students at this school?
— Why are you interested in pursuing your major?
— What skills do you expect to develop through your degree program?
— Do you plan to continue your education?
— What career fields interest you?
— What are some academic goals you hope to accomplish in college?
— What skills do you hope to develop in college?
— Do you plan to participate in activities outside of class?
3、活动/兴趣/目标问题
— What are the expectations of your college education program?
— What will you do to make make a difference at this college?
— What extracurricular activities have you participated in?
— Did you complete any honors or AP courses? If so, which ones?
— What are some of your academic achievements?
— What academic skills do you feel you can improve on?
— What are some of your interests outside of school?
— What skills have you developed to help you succeed in college?
— Describe an experience or project you worked on in high school that you enjoyed?
— Where do you see yourself in five years?
— If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
— Who do you consider a role model in your personal life?
— What are your plans after you graduate college?
— Where do you hope to be career-wise in 10 years?
答题时要注意突出自己的独特性,与学校的匹配度,展现最真实、积极的一面。例如:
1、Tell me about yourself.
切记:看似简单到不能再简单的题目,其实陷阱越多。所以在回答问题的时候尽量避免华而不实的空话和套话。有的学生听到这道题的第一反应就是:Well, my name is XX, I am from然后把活动列表上自己的优秀事迹重复⼀遍,觉得这样就万事大吉了。
但这样的套路是万万使不得的,一眼就看透的申请者是没有任何竞争力可言的。第一印象非常重要,我们当然要给面试官证明自己很优秀,但更重要的是注意展示的方式方法和切入点。
最好的回答是可以打破面试官stereotype,让他们有种:“哎呀,这个申请者真有趣啊!” “哎呀,这个申请者和我想象得不⼀样!”
举个例子,一个女学生在介绍自己的时候告诉面试官自己非常喜欢可以让她大汗淋漓又充满力量感的运动,与此同时她还向招生官表示自己参加过很多禅修活动,喜欢静下来打坐思考。这就产生一种反差,让面试官感受到你是真实而有趣的存在。
2. Why are you interested in our college?
这个题目也很常见,基本上每个学校都会问到。因此面试之前⼀定要做好school research,必须花时间去官网了解这个学校(包括学校的发展历史、师资力量、专业排名、硬件设施、地理位置等)。
但是在答复这个题目时候⼀定要具体具体再具体,要让面试官看到你是真心真意想去他们学校。把重心放在学术爱好,对学校的向往,和更盼望选择这所学校的缘故起因是什么上,也可以着重强调你对这所学校的认识、文化以及特色等。
最好把自己特点和学校的风格结合在⼀起,突出表达你们的匹配度。
比如Harvard向来喜欢有领导力的申请者,你就可以突出展现自己的leadership。Wake Forest的校训是“For Humanity”,可以看出他们喜欢博爱又愿意帮助他人的申请者,那么你就可以突出自己参加的志愿活动。
3.What do you do in your free time?
回答这个问题时,要尽量避免与学习有关的活动。
学生生活并不意味着只有学习,面试官是希望看到学生在学习之余也可以做⼀些有意义的活动,比如登山、旅游、打网球、摄影、画画等。
答复这个题目一定要让你听起来在业余时间确实做了你喜欢的事情,并且要积极向上。真实又有细节才是最能打动面试官的。