前言：雖然國內新冠疫情暫時得到緩解，但其他國家的狀況卻不容樂觀，尤其是美國本土，居高不下的確診數讓人感到擔憂。受到這些情況的影響，對於正在準備申請美國本科的學生和家長來說也是萬分著急，不僅擔心美國疫情的狀況，還面臨很多現實的問題，比如美國很多大學的夏校要麼取消、要麼改為線上項目，而國內學校也遲遲沒有開學，學生也暫時不能出去參加課外活動。針對於這樣的情況，學生和家長又該怎麼辦呢？
針對於此，美國範德寶大學的招生辦主任在官網上發佈了一封給家長們的信，針對目前的局勢提出了一些思路。我們將信摘錄於此，僅供各位家長和學生參考。
The chorus of the John Lennon song “Nobody Told Me” (Google it!) includes the refrain:
Nobody told me there’d be days like these, strange days indeed, strange days indeed.
披頭士樂隊寫了一首“無人曾告訴我”的歌，其中的副歌部分：
“沒有人曾告訴我人生中會有怪事發生”。
But even a talented bard like Lennon would’ve had trouble predicting the strange days we currently find ourselves living.
即使天賦卓絕，歌曲創作人列儂在歌詞中表達著：人無法預測一生中何時會遇到怪事。
As higher education professionals dedicating our careers to helping students in the high school-to-college transition, we are, indeed, in strange days. The conventions we’ve created and honored for years are suddenly changing, shifting under our feet, and evolving as we each deal with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in our schools, our communities, and even in our own families.
作為專業的教育工作者，我們一直致力於幫助高中生進入大學生活。今年，我們的工作生活比較特別。之前開創並一直遵循的工作模式突然發生了變化，發展成了我們必須要面對處理新型冠狀病毒流行病帶給學校，社會和家庭的影響。
So,while these strange days may have us questioning, adjusting, and even scrapping time-honored traditions and ways of business, please know that – in admissions at Vanderbilt – the following values remain true:
因此，由於現在處於特殊時期，我們必須反思、調整甚至放棄過去的工作方式。值得注意的是，範德堡大學大學以下錄取要求保持不變：
1. Context matters. There’s no doubtt hat high school transcripts for this year’s and future year’s applicants will look different. There will be pass/fail grades where there once were As and Bs.There will be tests untaken, chances to improve foregone, and letters of recommendation truncated. But as it always has been at Vanderbilt, contextdictates how we read files. And in unprecedented times, context will take onunprecedented importance. You have our pledge that as this crisis evolves, so too will our use of context in the admissions process. But it will never relinquish its central place in our evaluation of the files of your students.Holism has, and will remain, the byword of our admissions process.
背景依然重要。毫無疑問，今年申請者的高中成績單看上去會有很多不同之處。很多本可以拿A或B的課程只能得到Pass甚至Fail的結果。有的學生未能及時參加考試，補考的機會也錯過了，推薦信的內容也變少了。但是作為範德堡大學的招生官，我們一直關注學生的背景環境。特別是在這段史無前例的特殊時期內，背景環境對於我們來說更加值得關注。我們可以告訴大家，隨著疫情危機的發展，我們審查學生背景的方式方法也在不斷地變化。但是背景環境永遠是審查申請者資料文件中最重要的內容。申請文件的整體性依然是我們工作時遵循的標準。
2.Community matters. Never has this been made more apparent than in the last two weeks as we watched our students leave campus, fail to return from spring break, or be placed in lockdown in their hometowns.Vanderbilt’s commitment to the ideals of residential education remains strongand undiminished. What this means in an era of pandemic remains to be seen.Just as you are finding ways to build community virtually, so is Vanderbilt. As it relates to the college search, this means new (and exciting) online technologies are being employed – stretching us beyond our comfort zones and forcing us to become as adept with technology as the digital natives we seek to attract to campus.
社區線上教育也很重要。過去的兩週內，由於放春假，我們的學生離開了學校。因為疫情防控，他們不能返回校園並且部分學生在家進行隔離處理。範德堡大學提出了開展線上教學的想法。線上教學在疫情肆虐的時代背景下會造成何種改變依然有待觀察。就如學生為社區的防疫做出貢獻一般，範德堡大學也希望為社區貢獻自己的一份力量。將線上教學與大學教育相結合，這意味著老師需要運用新型的在線教學科技。它意味著老師們必須放棄已經熟練使用多年的線下教學工具，轉而去熟練掌握新型的線上教學模式。
3. Involvement matters. Sure – your applicant’s extracurricular charts will look different in coming years. No future applicant will have had the lead in the school musical in spring 2020.No one will be regional tennis champ in spring 2020; no one will have won an election for junior class officer in spring 2020. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be making impacts in the new environment. Some applicants will actually have time to play music, create, read for pleasure, or develop new and interesting hobbies. Some will find themselves with increasing family responsibilities or the need to undertake a part-time job. Regardless of the circumstances your students find themselves in, we’ll understand. It all goes back to context. How future applicants cope with this period of pandemic will certainly be a topic on which we will read many essays in the coming years.Reassure your students that we get it. We understand. And we can’t expect extracurricular activities grids to look the same in the near future.
參與度很重要。接下來的幾年的申請者中，他們的課外活動也會與之前的學生有差異。他們之中將沒有人在2020年的春天擔任過大型樂隊的指揮、獲得過網球比賽的冠軍或者成功競選成為高三年級的學生代表。雖然在2020年的春天人們的活動受限，但是這並不意味他們就什麼都不能做了。人們有大把時間，他們可以在家彈奏樂器、讀有趣的書或者培養些新的興趣愛好。有些人會意識到自己需要承擔的家庭責任或者去找一份兼職工作。不管學生們處於怎樣的環境中，我們都可以理解他們的行為。這又回到之前談到的背景環境的議題。未來幾年，申請者的文書中必然會提到當初他們是怎麼應對疫情的。我們理解他們的行為，但是我們也不希望他們的課外活動千篇一律。
4.Connection matters. In this increasingly complex andever-evolving crisis, our commitment to be available to you and your studentsis as strong as ever. Through email, phone, and video conferencing, we pledgeto serve you with as much vigor as we ever have. Though our team is currently working remotely, you should feel free to call or email us if you have questions about our process. Encourage your student – and yes, even their parents – to call or email. We’ll give every answer we can, and if we don’t know the answer because of the constantly changing coronavirus landscape, we’ll seek it out or tell you we simply don’t know right now.
連接很重要。在持續變化並複雜化的疫情危機背景下，我們承諾會一直盡心服務你和你的學生。通過郵件、電話和視頻會議，我們會積極熱情地解決你們的難題。儘管我們現在是在家遠程辦公，你們仍然可以發郵件問我們任何問題。請鼓勵你們的學生和學生家長打電話或者發郵件諮詢。我們會知無不言，言無不盡。由於疫情時刻在變化，有的問題我們也不清楚情況。這種情況下，我們會找出問題的答案或者直接告訴大家我們目前不清楚狀況。
Andfinally,
最後一點
5.We are all in this together. And that’s the irony of the current social distancing we are all practicing. Even in our physical separation, we are all connected – globally – by this unprecedented health crisis. And like all folks in isolation, we find ourselves taking stock,assessing our place, and figuring out a new way to move forward – for ourselves and for our students. This must be as true for you as it is for Vanderbilt. We are all looking for different ways to connect and to be as productive as we’ve been accustomed to being.
我們永遠在一起。這與現在社會正在進行的隔離措施看起來有些諷刺。儘管我們的身體隔離了，全球人民卻因這場空前絕後的健康危機而緊緊聯繫在一起。不止是被隔離的人們，所有人都在囤積物資、檢測生活環境並且想方設法地度過難關繼續生活。不只是為了我們自己也是為了我們的後人。範德堡大學也是這樣積極共克時艱的。我們大家都想方設法地將人們緊緊聯繫在一起，保持之前習以為常的生活狀態。
We look forward to a time when we can again welcome your students to campus, visit your schools, and attend conferences with you. In the meantime, we hope you’ll stay safe, wash your hands, and listen to some good jams. Lennon’s a greatplace to start!
我期待著大家可以自由活動那一天。到那時，我們會熱情地歡迎你們並陪你們參觀校園。現在，希望你們身體健康、勤洗手並保持身心愉悅。就從聽約翰列儂的歌開始吧！
閱讀更多 SAT提分女神 的文章
