The International School of Beijing (ISB) is proud of its seniors who have received offers from more than 600 universities worldwide. While International Baccalaureate (IB) exams are still in full swing, college acceptance notifications have been flooding in for our students as they prepare for their next steps beyond ISB.

North America accounted for the most university offers, with the US (87%) and Canada (6%) the likely destination for many of our graduates. Our seniors also received offers from universities in the UK, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

ISB prides itself on ensuring our students find their best-fit college based on their passions and talents. The enormous scope of university offers signals that our students are pursuing their passions at many of the world’s finest educational institutions.

“The Class of 2017 applied and was admitted to the most diverse number of different colleges in quite some time, perhaps in the history of ISB graduating classes. Seniors focused on finding schools that would be the best fit for them, and in doing so diversified the application pool,” said ISB High School Counselor Andy Mennick.
ISB’s Class of 2017 also etched their place in school history for having the largest percentage of full IB Diploma candidates.

“ISB alumni and IB Diploma-earners worldwide tell their high schools that the rigor and breadth of the IB Diploma helps students transition to college with ease,” added Mr. Mennick.

While seniors are still finalizing their commitments, here is a partial list of the colleges and universities for the Class of 2017:

Agnes Scott College
Albion College
Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology
Allegheny College
American University (3)
Aston University
Auburn University
Augsburg College
Babson College
Barnard College
Baruch College of CUNY
Bates College
Bennington College (3)|
Bentley University (2)
Binghamton University (2)
Bishop’s University
Bocconi University
Boston College (4)
Boston University (9)
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University (4)
Brigham Young University (6)
Brown University (3)
Bryn Mawr College
California College of the Arts
Cardiff University
Carleton College (3)
Carnegie Mellon University (2)
Carroll University
Case Western Reserve University (2)
Central St. Martin’s College of Art & Design
Chapman University (2)
The City University of Hong Kong (5)
College of Charleston
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2)
Clark University (2)
Colby College
College of William and Mary
College of Wooster
Colorado College
Columbia University (3)
Concordia University (4)
Cornell College
Creighton University
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Drake University
Drexel University (5)
Duke University
Durham University (2)
Eckerd College
Elon University (2)
Emerson College (3)
Emory University
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
Fordham University (2)
Franklin and Marshall College (2)
George Mason University (3)
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Grinnell College (2)
Hamilton College
Haverford College (2)
Hofstra University
Hong Kong Polytechnic University (3)
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (5)
Hope College
Indiana University, Bloomington (3)
Ithaca College (2)
James Madison University (3)
Johns Hopkins University
Kalamazoo College (2)
Kenyon College
King’s College London
Laurentian University
Lehigh University (2)
Les Roches
London School of Economics
Loyola Marymount University (3)
Loyola University Chicago
Macalester College
Marist College
McGill University (3)
McMaster University
Michigan State University
The New School (2)
New York Institute of Technology
New York University (7)
North Dakota State University
Northeastern University (13)
Northwestern University (2)
Oberlin College (3)
Occidental College (2)
Old Dominion University
Pace University (2)
Pennsylvania State University (6)
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute (2)
Purdue University (7)
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen’s University (2)
Reed College (2)
Rice University
Ringling College of Art & Design
Rochester Institute of Technology (2)
Rutgers University
St. Edward’s University
St. John’s College
St. John’s University
St. Mary’s College, California
St. Olaf College
Santa Clara University (3)
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art & Design (3)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2)
School of Visual Arts
Scripps College
Seattle University (2)
Seoul National University
Simon Fraser University (2)
Skidmore College (3)
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stony Brook University (2)
Suffolk University
SUNY Albany
Syracuse University (2)
Temple University
Tufts University (3)
Union College (2)
United States Air Force Academy
University College London (2)
University of Aberdeen
University of Birmingham (2)
University of Bristol
University of British Columbia (6)
University of California, Berkeley (4)
University of California, Davis (13)
University of California, Irvine (7)
University of California, Los Angeles (6)
University of California, Merced
University of California, Riverside (3)
University of California, San Diego (10)
University of California, Santa Barbara (6)
University of California, Santa Cruz (8)
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Denver
University of East Anglia (2)
University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter
University of Florida
University of Glasgow
University of Hawai’i, Manoa
University of Hong Kong (4)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2)
University of Iowa
University of Kent
University of Leeds
University of Leicester (2)
University of Maastricht
University of Manchester
University of Mary Washington
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2)
University of Minnesota, Duluth
University of North Dakota
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Ottawa
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puget Sound (2)
University of Reading
University of Sheffield
University of Southampton
University of Southern California (5)
University of Stirling
University of Richmond
University of Rochester (4)
University of San Diego (2)
University of San Francisco
University of St. Thomas
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto (7)
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia (2)
University of Warwick
University of Washington (8)
University of Waterloo (2)
University of York
Villanova University (2)
Virginia Tech (3)
Wagner College (2)
Wake Forest University
Washington and Jefferson College
Washington State University
Washington University, St. Louis
Wellesley College (2)
Wesleyan University (2)
Western University (2)
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Wilamette University
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2)
York University (2)

This post is provided by ISB.

Photos: ISB

So the question of school rankings is kind of like the Hamlet’s “To be or not to be?” But it does not have to question what Hamlet was contemplating – to live or die. Yet, there are times when it feels, based on conversations I have had with students and their parents, that when it comes to school lists – boarding or college, to rank is to “Be,” to not rank is to “Die.”

From the last couple of years of writing for beijingkids, it should be apparent that, from my perspective, ranking in no way represents the quality or education found at a school, in a classroom, nor the impact a particular professor may have had on an individual student. That last sentence, if taken apart should lead the reader to understand, or at least think, about all the variations that go into education, but it only touches the surface.

So why is this article about ranking and college lists? First off, if you’re the parent of a senior, or looking at boarding schools, or the student in this mix, it is time to get your list of colleges in order, if you haven’t already. And your list MUST have a good order to it – Reach, Core and Foundation. Hopefully, you have done more than enough research to be able to understand how you fit those schools. Just an aside, if you are looking at ranking, most probably you are not placing the correct emphasis on ranking in your school search, i.e. too much on overall rank rather than other factors.

I raise this point for a couple of reasons. I recently had to rank some schools for a group of students. First, I was asked how the students fared in The Times ranking. Knowing that The Times is particularly British, I also added in the U.S. News ranking, thinking that the Brits, love them dearly, would be looking at a different criteria than Americans. It was interesting to see the differences – some narrow, some vast. Then the query came, “How about QS Rankings?” Wow, a completely different set of numbers came up. But since QS breaks down to World, Region and Country it was very difficult to ascertain what was being asked. My point is this – what are you talking about when the word ranking is used? There are so many different ways of slicing the pie that it is really much easier to look at what a school actually does.

The other reason for this post is the recent article in The New York Times – Why College Rankings Are a Joke by Frank Bruni. Read the article and see what conclusions you come to afterward (VPN required). By the way, Mr. Bruni wrote a fantastic book Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be. Highly recommend it, if it is not too late. But the point comes back to a number of things a student needs to consider in the creation of a list.

I’m often perplexed when students say certain things are important in their education and their lives, and yet throw them all away for the sake of name brand. I recently had an email from a student of mine who now attends a prestigious business school. When he was applying, he was all about international relations and business. So we talked about interesting schools, such as NYU Abu Dhabi and Yale/NUS, as possible schools. But, somehow he got on this track of wanting to be an entrepreneur. He is finding at his current school most students are interested in working in banking or finance; very few share his interest. So, his email was about transferring.  Makes sense, but he seems to feel that Stanford/Silicon Valley is where he wants to go. I remember a previous conversation where the sole reason he was thinking about this was because there were more entrepreneurs in SV than anywhere else. So, I pointed out that SV is now ranked #8 for entrepreneurial endeavors. Sometimes, ranking does have its fine points. I am not sure what my boy is going to do, but I told him to sit tight and get the most out of his education where he is now.

What I am trying to say is that ranking should not be the sole reason for a school to be on your list. Using ranking should be a tool, like a screwdriver when building a car engine. Read the manual first, i.e. research the schools to understand what, why, and how they teach and think to find out if that is what you want. Know that, most likely, you will change your major – most students change majors 5/6 times before they graduate, and many do not pursue careers in their specific majors. Allow for change, growth, and new challenges for, after all, that is what education should be about.

So, while Hamlet contemplated living or dying, choosing a school is not of that magnitude. Where you go is an important decision but perhaps not to the degree that you may think.

Photo: mattsingley.com

The daunting prospect of applying to college/boarding school exists, there is no doubt about it. A lot of the anxiety comes from the questioning thoughts of “Is any school going to accept me?” Add in the whole process of writing essays – possibly lots of them – and we have inertia!  

Here’s the deal, applying to school is not easy. For the first time you are preparing materials for some person, typically unknown, to evaluate you. Freakishly scary, right? The truth is, it doesn’t have to be scary at all. But the idea that everyone will want you on their campus is also a bit off target. That’s why it’s so important to put together a really good list of schools. This shouldn’t just be any old list of schools, but schools across a range of “reach,” “core,” and “fundamental” choices. If there are a couple things not to do, it’s to have a lot schools on your list that are all reach or apply to schools you would never attend. Both plans are just plain silly and a waste of money.

But this is not the real purpose of this post. The purpose is to get you moving on your applications. Just for a moment remember this: the train has left the station! In other words, the application process has started and if you have not started, you need to catch up.

Here are some words of advice:

1. It’s going to be a busy year, so plan on being busy. School is your full-time job. Doing well is a matter of fact. Applying to school is your part-time job. Often students complain they did not have the time to prepare this or that aspect of the application. Well, guess what – your competitors are finding the time to do everything and remember that some of them may actually also have real part-time jobs – working!
2. Since applying to school is a part-time job, then you need to allocate the time to do all the things necessary for the application process: research and put together a great list of 10 first choice schools, prepare for testing (SAT I, SAT II, if required, recommended or optional), TOEFL/IELTS, complete applications, write essays, and ask teachers for recommendations. Phew! That is a lot of things. Time management is everything.
3. As mentioned doing well in school is the number one thing you need to do, far more important than scoring 2400 on the SAT (which by the way very few students actually do). Focus on your school work, ask for assistance from your teachers when you are lost or confused, build your academic portfolio. Now, sadly if you are a senior, it is not possible to significantly raise your GPA, since time is now your enemy. You have six semesters of grades already calculated into your GPA. One more semester of grades is not going increase your GPA significantly. But what you can do is show improvement; all schools love to see the upward trend in academic performance.
4. Get organized! Make sure you know what every college wants from you in terms of test scores, essays and supplements, teacher recommendations and deadlines for applications. This is your responsibility. Make a chart of what every school wants and then plan to get those things done. Create a schedule of personal deadlines and meet them so you are not feeling the pressure.
5. Tell your parents what you are doing. This helps keep them off your back thus alleviating the pressure you may be feeling from them. If they are in the dark about your progress, then they are going to be all over you asking questions.
6. Make sure you have appropriately asked your teachers and school officials to write your letter of recommendation. This is vital because you do not want to wait until the last moment to ask for these very critical pieces to your application. Asking at the last minute definitely does not help them, nor do you look good asking.
7. Plan for your application deadlines. If you are applying early to a school, then you need to have all the pieces together before the actual deadline. Make sure all of your teachers and school officials know so they are also on track to have materials completed on time. Again, management is key!
8. Make sure your parents are ready to pay for the applications.
9. Make sure that you are scheduling your interviews. Know which schools require/recommend/or have optional interviews. Many times you need to contact the school to ask for an interview. Be aware that a number of schools are requiring or requesting that students from China use either IntialView or Vericant for the interview process. If that is the case, then you will need to schedule an appointment with them.
10. Demonstrated Interest (DI) – what is it? DI is the process of showing a school that you are truly and honestly interested in their school. Attending presentations, completing inquiry cards or asking for information to be sent, sending email to admission representatives about pertinent questions you have (not questions you can find the answer to on the website). DI is not about stalking the admission representatives. It is about appropriate contact when necessary. It is also asking to talk to current students attending that school, speaking to alumni about their experience and even, if possible, visiting the school.

As a senior at Beijing No. 4 High School, I’m starting my college application at the end of this year. Like many other seniors at international schools, I realize finding the right fit for myself is important and to that measure, I am currently researching college information and rankings. Recently, I had to chance to interview Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News and World Report, an American magazine known for its influential ranking and annual reports of colleges and graduate schools. Morse answers questions about college rankings, school data, and more. See part one of the interview here.

In the past schools have been known to provide inaccurate statistics. How does U.S. News and World Report secure the authenticity of its data?
General speaking, the data we’re collecting, has also been reported to the US federal government. The fact that particular schools misreport to the US government as well as U.S. News and World Report causes a negative reputation for the schools once they are exposed to the public. The public shaming has made schools more careful about submitting genuine data. Broadly speaking, the data accuracy that has been reported has improved, but it is still possible for schools to falsify their data in the future. U.S. News and World Report doesn’t have the power to enforce policy to prevent this from happening; the federal government can do way more in terms of data accuracy since they can use various kinds of aid programs to sanction schools that are misreporting the data. But they haven’t done that yet.

Many international schools in China don’t have college guidance counselors. Commonly, students and families turn to agencies to measure the success of the students’ application merely by the ranking and the US News ranking. What are your thoughts on this practice?

We are aware of the fact that the ranking can be more powerful in China than it has already been in the United States. But we do try to counsel people that the ranking shouldn’t be the sole reason to choose a school over another. One needs to take other factors into account. The study abroad agencies are using the school’s ranking as proof for the students’ parents to pay them money. If students enter a top ranking school like an Ivy League school, it might not mark as the ultimate success. It is a distortion of reality to solely rely on the number of the ranking because there is much more other information that is worthy to look into.

It is a prevailing phenomenon that students are now looking for what the projected payback is after they graduate and get a job. If it is the trend, why doesn’t U.S. News and World Report take the potential payback into account for overall ranking?
We definitely have people taking this measurement into account. We also look into the data, but people should be skeptical towards it because they are self-reported by graduate students so there is no absolute accuracy in it. In addition, it’s not using a scientific sample to form the result. It’s complicated to get an exact result since the bigger the school, the more different types of degrees it offers.

There are other publications that offer college rankings, such as Princeton Review and Times Higher Education, which rank schools differently. How should students and parents know when looking at these rankings?
There is no overlap of data between U.S. News and World Report and Times High Education. If you are looking into colleges specifically in the United States, U.S. News and World Report might be a good idea, but if you are comparing schools globally, Times Higher Education is the one doing. Keep in mind Times Higher Education is fairly remote from student experience, but is something that can be use for global comparison. Different rankings have different kinds of measurements and people should take advantages of them.

Harry Liu, (Liu Yinhao), is a senior at the international campus affiliated with Beijing No.4 High School, a public high school in Beijing. He is the community outreach officer for the student’s council, the president of the photography club, the deputy president of the science and philosophy club, and the editor and photographer for his school newspaper.  Through his blog posts, he hopes to share unique and exciting experiences at Beijing No.4 High School International Campus.

The beijingkids student correspondent program gives high school students with an interest in writing and journalism a resource for guidance, feedback, and real-life training. If you are a student interested in becoming a beijingkids student correspondent, or you know a student who is, please contact School Editor yvetteferrari@beijing-kids.com

Photo: Static (Flickr)

Is there really a perfect school? A perfect job? A perfect life? I’m sure we could all spend hours debating whether or not these things exist. I often think we spend too much time considering the outside manifestations of people we see, deem those things desirable and thus, evidence of perfection. A+ grades, new fancy cell phones, Ferraris, big houses, important jobs, and perfect schools are good examples.

The reality is that there is nothing truly perfect. But there are things that are certainly great. We can lead happy successful lives, but undoubtedly there will be problems along the way. We may have a great job but a bad boss. We may love our house, but have lots of bills to pay. There may be attributes of wonderful things in our life, but life is life, work is work, and we do need to find some sense of reality.

Often when speaking with students, they have this image of going to the perfect school, with the exact major they want (now), which will lead to a world changing career. I love their enthusiasm. At the same time, I also know because of age and experience, that while they have ideas of what they hope to do and achieve, the world has other plans.

Goals and targets are great. Working toward those goals and targets are integrated into plans, procedures, and following through to reach them. I do want people to change the world; I want scientists to stop cancer, politicians to eradicate war and poverty, as well as many other ills of society. I hope that my enthusiastic students will achieve those dreams.

I am not sure, however, if most of my students know the amount of work it takes to get there. Now, you may be saying, “this is a rather negative point of view, and dimming the hopes of my future.” What I am trying to point out that it is important to be realistic. Don’t settle for less, but rather build up in logical order your plan bearing in mind that events may change the direction you take.

What I am actually referring to are student essays and school choices. Many times, students outline their grand ambitions in a general way without supporting evidence. How do I know this? Their essays tell me so. The essays jump to grand conclusions of potential outcomes. Below is one possible example.

Because my mother suffers from cancer, I have worked hard through high school to learn science. My passion for science and my love for my mother have inspired me to become a doctor so that I can cure her cancer.

While I love the ambition, it is too vague and a college admission committee will certainly have questions, most of them unanswered in the essay. Instead of making sweeping statements, the student would benefit to focus on why he or she loves science and what work or research they have done which has inspired their desire to become a doctor. Do you love scientific research? Are you willing to spend years cataloging miniscule variations of genetics to solve the problem?

Another area where perfection raises its head is when choosing a school. This comes under the heading “Dream School.” Just because a school has a beautiful campus and a highly regarded reputation, what do you know about that school?

To summarize, I find it interesting that students talk about dream schools while their parents talk about ranking. The only people who seem to talk about the concept of fit are college counselors and university admission representatives. There is a new book out called Excellent Sheep by Willam Deresiewicz in which he talks about striving for excellence but missing out on the important factors of a true and responsible life. While most of the book is about the problems with elite, highly selective schools, he points out that in trying to achieve entry to those schools, students end up feeling inadequate and thus unhappy.

While trying to tackle a rather large topic, it is my hope that students and families will begin to truly assess what is valuable in life. It is not the outside that people should be concerned with, or the brand name products we own, but more about the inner peace we have of doing a job well done. This means building meaningful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues while providing, not only for ourselves, but for others as well. Most importantly, it is being realistic in determining what success means to you.

A Kindle version of Excellent Sheep can be found through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Sheep-Miseducation-American-Meaningful-ebook/dp/B00GEEB960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408525659&sr=8-1&keywords=excellent+sheep

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

Photo: audio-luci-store.it (Flickr)

In less than a month, some of you will permanently leave one school behind as you enter the hallow halls of your next school – whether it’s a new boarding school or university. Before you go you should consider a few things to make the most of the coming year.

Most likely one of the things you’ll be most concerned about is making friends. Will people like you? Will you get to know your teachers? Did you make the right choice? How will you make the most out of this coming year? Here are a few pointers to help you begin to think about the first few days of the daunting experience of starting at a new school.

This is a new school: You are starting fresh; a clean slate so to speak. That means you have the opportunity to make changes unencumbered by old habits. No one knows you and everything is new, so take advantage of that and set some goals.

Set a plan for studying that is reasonable and that you can keep.

Target some specific actions you will take to improve or enhance your grade earning power. Remember your GPA is at 0.0 or, as  I like to say, everyone is starting with an A+ in every class. Your job is to work to keep your grades at an A+.

Don’t let old habits reemerge. Commit to your plan, stick to your plan and follow through.

Friends: This is the chance for you to make lots of new friends and have a great set of experiences. Here are some things to do:

At the start of school, keep the door to your room open. It is inviting and students will stop by to say hi. Don’t hide behind a closed door!

Attend social functions held on your floor or in the common room of your dorm, that’s why they are called socials. They may sound silly but the point is they are icebreakers to help students get to know one another.

Be true to yourself but step out a bit. Make an effort to meet your neighbors and other students on your hall or in your dorm.

Get to know your roommate before you go. Most schools now put you in touch with them before you arrive, so do so.

Take your headphones off; they’re very anti-social. People won’t try to talk to you if you have them on all the time.

Roommates: They can end up being your best friend, worst enemy, or just a person you live with. Set some boundaries that you both can follow.

Respect goes both ways. You have to earn respect and so do they. Respect their property and make sure they respect yours.

Make sure that you negotiate what is appropriate and what is not. That goes to music, study times, food, privacy, and behaviors.

Respect their requests but don’t let them take advantage of you.

The Naked Roommateby Harlan Cohen is a great book to read before you leave for school, especially university. You can find it on Amazon.

Take part in activities: But remember that you are at school to study, so don’t overdo it. I recommend joining three different kinds of groups: social, athletic, and academic to learn new skills and enhance your overall experience.

Joining clubs, organizations, or teams (formal or informal) are a great way to meet people and widen your educational experience.

Don’t be afraid to join a sports club or team, even if you’re not “good”. Schools have lots of sports activities: formal sports teams and intramural clubs or classes like yoga, rumba, aerobics, etc. Remember, a wide array of options will lead to different kinds of friends.

If you are attending university, get to know your professors. Ask if you can do a research project or attend office hours to get extra help. Remember that professors not only teach you but can also act as mentors and resources for summer internships, future employment, and letters of recommendation.

These are just a few things to keep in mind before you go off to the wonderful world of university or boarding school. Remember that you are in control of your experience, so make the most out of it. You will be richer for your efforts. But be careful – not everything is going to be good. Don’t do things you are not entirely comfortable with. Even the best schools have people doing stupid and silly things. Don’t do anything you will regret, but don’t regret not doing things. Heading off to a new school will force you to take risks, meet challenges, and grow. Be smart, be savvy, and most of all remember that education happens everywhere, all the time.

Good luck, have fun, and work hard!

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

Photo: i.huffpost.com (Google Images)

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

The United States has approximately 4,000 colleges and universities. All of the schools are at least known for being “good” at something, a lot are “good” for several things, but many schools in the US are actually “great” for lots of specific academic options. Sorting through these schools and making choices can be overwhelming if you have not separated what you think you know about attending school in the US and what is actually true.

By relying on the US News and World Report or other ranking systems, you are missing the most fundamental fact about students who attend university in the US – smart students attend all sorts of universities, not just the top schools. Why? Because the country has so many types of schools in different locations offering a multitude of programs and opportunities. Many factors play a role in why a student attends one school as opposed to another. Factors range from the size of the school, the location, the weather, and choices of major, to the sports teams, the success of preparing students for graduate programs, ability to engage in research the first year, finances, and many other factors.

The assumption that the best students attend the best universities is only partially true. There is no question that Ivy League schools have smart students, but so do community colleges, state universities, religious schools and so on. Did you consider that not every smart student has the financial backing to pay the tuition at many top schools? Maybe some students want to go to the university in their city or state. Perhaps some students have a family tradition of attending a specific university. Maybe they want more opportunities by attending a school for personal, social, or academic reasons. Again, there are countless reasons why not every smart student attends the Ivies or top 50,000 etc schools.

But here is the challenge – In China and many countries, admission to the top schools requires passing rigorous entrance examinations. Therefore, generally speaking, the top students go to the top schools. It is a matter of performing well on the university entrance examination. This is not entirely the case in the US where performance on the SAT or ACT is only one factor admission committees use to determine acceptance. Certainly the better a student does on the SAT helps, but it is not a university entrance examination in the same vein as the GaoKao. Not even close. This is why finding that school that “fits” you is so important. It’s not just about the test, but also about you: your academic performance, your extra curricular activities, and your personality.

Furthermore, brilliant minds populate every university and brilliant professors teach at every university. Professors at these schools attended, taught at, and graduated from some of the best universities the world has to offer. So open your mind to the potential that each school can challenge, excite, and motivate you to become the best you can be.

If you run with this information, you will be surprised that there are tons of great schools in the US. By accepting the fact that smart and even super smart students go to almost every university, you will realize the important point that choosing the right school comes down to some very personal choices. But in order to adeptly focus your research, it is important to do some self-assessment to determine what school makes the most sense to you.