新的一轮美国大学招生工作8月1日正式拉开帷幕。
今年的申请季与往年相比显得有些许不同，这不仅是一个申请季的新开始，还是废除平权法案后的第一个申请周期。美本招生政策正在改变，从美国各大高校相比往年更加热闹的招生办也可以看出一些端倪。
2024届美本招生政策调整
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, many colleges and universities have made adjustments to their admissions policies this year. One after another, they are adjusting the direction of school admissions policies to ensure the diversity of the freshmen group without using “race” as a reference factor.
Ed Blaguszewski, executive director of media relations at UMass, said the supplemental essay questions provide applicants with additional opportunities to more fully understand their backgrounds and experiences. While the court has said race/ethnicity cannot be a factor, it does The impact on the applicant can be considered.”
Universities that have not changed their supplementary essays for many years have made adjustments to this year’s applications , directly changing the essay questions. For example, directly citing the Supreme Court decision to broader questions about the applicant’s “cultural background” and “life experience”, or asking the applicant’s views on the “values” of diversity and inclusion. This allows us to understand students’ backgrounds from more dimensions and screen out applicants who are more in line with their school’s values. There are also schools that have adjusted their reading methods and proportions. For example, one university directly raised the use of AI in public and the emphasis on writing during review, in order to encourage students to write their own documents in a more personalized way.
图片来自：Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed
AACRAO（美国大学注册官和招生官员协会，American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers）全球咨询主管 Orcutt 表示，今年招生季将比以往任何时候都更加重视文书写作。“我们与高中辅导员、社区大学辅导员以及大学和学院招生官员交谈时，他们都说他们将利用这个机会，来展示和评估申请人。这绝对是一种新方法，为学生及其家人提供了申请大学的新方向。”
新增文书题目示例
以下是经确认的今年新增的文书题目示例。
哥伦比亚大学
哥伦比亚大学就是直接采取了最高法院的原文，问了关于公平的问题：
“哥伦比亚大学经历的一个标志是能够在一个公平、包容、具有广泛观点的社区中学习和成长。请告诉我们对您来说很重要的一个观点或经历，并描述它如何影响了你为哥伦比亚大学多元化以及合作氛围的建设与贡献。”
埃默里大学
埃默里大学在社区方面进行了提问， 其实也是一种对于学生社区概念的了解：
“您是否曾有主动进行文化输出的相关经历”
“埃默里大学致力于建设我们的社区。请告诉我们一个您曾经所在的一个社区/群体，并对它做了什么贡献？”
纽约大学
纽约大学这个常年不改文书的学校也开始花更多心思去构建自己的补充文书题目：
“我们正在寻找和平缔造者、变革创造者、全球公民、突破界限者、创意和创新者。请选择以下一条引语，让我们知道为什么它激励着您；或分享一条短引语和不在我们名单上的激励您的人物，并附上您的理由。”
“我们已经习惯了人们告诉我们没有解决方案，然后创造我们自己的解决方案。所以我们做了我们最擅长的事情。我们彼此联系，与我们的盟友联系，跨足社区动员起来，创造变革，使每个人都能在社会中受益并被纳入其中。” Judith Heuman，2022年纽约大学毕业典礼演讲
“我鼓励你的不适，你必须作出贡献，你必须让自己的声音听到。这是良好公民的本质。” Sherilynn Ifill，2015年纽约大学毕业典礼演讲
“如果你知道如何飞翔，但从未学会如何行走，那不是很可悲吗？”郎朗，2015年纽约大学荣誉学位获得者
“你有权利去追求事物，并期望事物发生改变。” 萨纳·马林，芬兰前总理，2023年纽约大学毕业典礼演讲
“当战斗不公平时，战斗是艰难的。”泰勒·斯威夫特，Change，2008年发行，2022年纽约大学毕业典礼演讲嘉宾
其他招生政策的改变
除了从文书上去探索学生的个性化和独特化，一些学校也出台了其他政策提高学校多样性，扶持弱势群体圆梦大学，其中相对比较有影响的就是去除legacy admission （校友子女招生优惠）。
例如，弗吉尼亚理工大学宣布将取消早申请录取和校友子女招生优惠录取；麻省理工学院、阿默斯特学院、卡内基梅隆大学和约翰霍普金斯大学、明尼苏达大学双城分校等多所大学也取消了校友子女招生优惠；也有很多大学，比如哈佛、杜克在学校内部也面对了很大的压力。
另外，也有学校把活动列表考察数量缩减至6项，这是对贫困家庭或第一代大学生家庭的利好政策。因为来自于贫困家庭或弱势群体家庭中的孩子往往没有那么多的时间、金钱与精力去满足活动列表上“10项”的考核要求。
拉斐特学院校长 Nicole Hurd 表示“期望高中生除了功课之外还要参加一长串的课外活动是很繁重的，特别是对于低收入或第一代学生来说，他们已经承担了课外责任，比如照顾生病的家庭成员或弟弟妹妹，或者工作一项或多项工作。”
截图来自：collegiatetimes
Article reference: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2023/08/02/colleges-change-essay-prompts-after-affirmative-action?fbclid=IwAR1moyZlOpN7Cswz3khK7nTobA1DyJEO6yjHoYOFx9aWpFcm98t2pyXz5c4 and the official websites of each school
丽格顾问独家分析与建议
Overall, this year’s U.S. undergraduate application will be a year of extraordinary challenges and opportunities.
Personalization of applications may not be a good thing for traditional “eugenics”, but for many non-traditional “eugenics”, this year’s policy is also an opportunity. As long as you carefully understand the changes in admissions policies, deeply understand the logic behind the admissions office’s policies and document adjustments, carefully analyze your own advantages and the school’s situation, and truly understand the school, you can find the point of convergence between yourself and the school, and you will have better opportunities to apply. of certainty. Traditional ” eugenics ” need to think more about how to break through the status of eugenics . Just like what a Yale admissions teacher said during a recent information session, “Of course we are looking for outstanding students, but we are even more looking for outstanding students with a sense of community!”
Here is some advice I received directly from the admissions office during a recent visit to the school and would like to share with our students:
Get to know the school carefully and find out where you fit in with the school. Don’t blindly pursue the number of applications, but focus on the quality of application materials.
Face your own growth and beliefs calmly, and show your thinking and personal positioning towards today’s society.
Focuses on describing oneself as a unique individual in a more personal way. Although AI technology is now advanced, admissions offices want to know about real students.
Ensure the authenticity and completeness of application materials.
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