顶级美高的招生标准和过程是美国的精英文化的一个侧面。当然很多不同的因素会影响报考结果，也有很多例外的情况，但它们并不影响中心理念。 我们最终的希望是孩子们能在美国社会和市场经济体系中能成功发展几十年，那么学生年代最重要的是奠定坚实的基础。
Read More
第二个心得是学生和学生不一样，学校跟学校不一样。理解了竞争的特点后，积极地争取，明智地选择。
Read More
孩子长期的发展不是在考场中，而是在社会里，顶级美高作为私立机构之所以能那么长久地保持活力和竞争力，它们明智全面的招生标准确实是成功的秘诀之一。
Read More
I discussed a couple of fundamental approaches to writing personal narratives in previous articles. This article will reference several recent examples in my classroom and share three specific recommendations.
Passions and inspirations are extraordinary. So are characters and values. So are ideas and beliefs, and much more. They carry with them the promise to unlock potentials and to power actions that may change the world. And they are often visible in our everyday activities, in our choices and pursuits, in our thoughts and emotions, even if we don’t scale Mt. Everest with our pet goat while blogging.
During the first session of our workshop on Personal Narratives this past week, I shared the following quote from the book “50 Successful Stanford Application Essays” by Gen and Kelly Tanabe:
“At its core the essay is not a “writing test.” It’s a “thinking test.” So you need to spend the time to make sure that your thoughts are conveyed correctly on paper. It may not be pretty writing but it has to be clear.”
It may sound cliche that every student is different, but that’s indeed the case. You may be doing the same thing, but why you do it, how you do it, and how you feel when you do it usually differ. Those nuances matter tremendously. As I think about the trajectories of people I’ve worked with and known over the years, it’s clear that the earlier and the deeper we get to know ourselves, the better equipped we are to build a successful and fulfilling life.
Read More
What makes a great answer? An honest and insightful answer that gets to the core of you, to what lies deep within you. It’s an answer that will not only make an impression on others but also become your own compass and your own battle hymn. It’s a story, an expression, or an image of yourself that sparks the light in you. As Oprah once said, "You have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.”
Read More
You asked me whether leaders all have to have excellent communication skills. I could hear the concern in your voice.
Well, a short answer is that it would certainly help a great deal. However, it’s important to know that: 1) it’s not a requirement, contrary to what you may have heard elsewhere; and 2) you can improve your communication skills through a change of mindset and through practice.
Read More
All of our workshops are created from ground up with inputs from parents and students and findings from research. We engage students with curated content that expands their understanding, challenge them with questions that do not have easy answers, deliver insights from our own academic and professional experiences, and organize activities that enable them to learn from one another. Educating our children is a challenging task, and we innovate our teaching to serve the needs of today’s adolescents.
Read More