Frequently asked questions V0

常见问题及其解答

We have compiled the following Q&A section based on the questions that our students and their parents had asked us in the past. We hope our answers are helpful to you, too. Note we cannot guarantee our answers are 100% accurate. Please feel free to double check our answers with other sources.

More questions, more detailed answers, and more important information are posted under menu “For Members“. Current and potential students: please contact us to get the password to these pages.

GENERAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. When is a good time to start the college applications?
   • The summer after the 11th grade. This assumes that the student has done a good high school (HS) planning earlier on and worked accordingly, on curricular and extracurricular activities. The preparation for college actually starts at 9th grade. We help students plan their high school activities in addition to college application. Call us at 713-391-0276 for details.
2. I feel overwhelmed and cannot concentrate on my high school study and college application. What should I do?
   • You are not alone. Many other high students feel the same. You don’t need to panic or feel disappointed in yourself. This is the most stressful time. Please feel free to call us at 713-391-0276. Whether you are our students or not, we will help you. We will provide you with guidance and advice in your HS study and your college application. And equally importantly, we will provide you with mental support. If you want, we will let you talk with college students or recent college graduates whom we have advised in the past. They have gone through this process with us and they are close to you in age. I am sure they will be helpful.
3. Where do I apply to the colleges?
   • About 900 colleges accept CommonApp and 150+ accept Coalition Application. Most students use CommonApp. Some students use Coalition Application or Questbridge, which is for students in low income families with top GPA. Some universities, such as the University of California, uses their own application platforms (UC Application). And some other universities allow students to use either CommonApp or the schools’ own platforms, such as University of Texas universities use either CommonApp or ApplyTexas. University of Florida, University of Maryland, and University of Washington require students to use Coalition App. In addition, each university has its own application portal, where applicants submit additional materials, check their application status, etc.
4. How many colleges can I apply to?
   • As many as you’d like to. You want to select enough colleges to cover all tiers of colleges (dream, target, safe) but not too many to overwhelm yourself. According to a CommonApp report, students applied to an average of 6.22 colleges per applicant (2021-2022 season). We support our students to apply up to 10 colleges. While CommonApp allows students to apply to up to 20 universities, Coalition Application does not limit how many universities that a student can apply to.
5. What are the different types of college admission processes, such as, ED, EA, REA, RD?
   • Early Decision (ED): this is an early and binding application—if a student is accepted, they’re committed to going to that school and they have to withdraw applications to all other schools. Because of this, your ED school should be the one that you will attend, if admitted, without any regret. ED normally offers higher admission rates. The ED deadline is most commonly Nov. 1 of a student’s senior year.
   • Early Action (EA): similar to ED, with the major difference being that acceptance is not binding; a student can still decide whether or not they want to attend if accepted.
   • Restrictive Early Action (REA): also called single-choice early action (SCEA). Like early action, REA is non-binding, but students may only apply to one private school REA. But, they can usually apply EA to public schools.
   • Regular Decision (RD): the standard admission process, typically occurring in early January of a student’s senior year.
   • Rolling Admission: allows students to apply any time up to a certain date—the application will remain open and students are admitted on a early-come-early-service base until the institution fills its class. For example, Texas A&M University makes admission decisions on an ongoing basis throughout an admission cycle.
6. Do I have to report courses that I plan to take in the 12th grade while I am applying for colleges?
   • Yes, you do. You will have to send them your midterm scores as well, which are not going to impact your ED or EA but will impact your RD.
7. What is the personal essay?
   • Also know as the CommonApp essay, which is the main personal statement you’ll submit to colleges that use the Common App and require the essay. This statement gives you the chance to delve deeper into your interests, experiences, passions, and strengths. You can discuss almost anything you want, provided your topic addresses the prompt you’ve chosen. There are also no rules on style or how to tell your story.
   • This is the full set of essay prompts for 2023-2024.
   • We have gathered 150+ successful personal essays under the “会员区” menu, for our students to refer to.
8. What are supplemental essays?
   • A supplemental essay gives you an opportunity to tell the admissions committee about something you weren’t able to cover in your main essay. These writing supplements are usually shorter than the main college essay, but they’re no less important. Some colleges ask for just one supplemental essay while others may require several.
   • We have gathered 200+ successful supplemental essays under the “会员区” menu, for our students to refer to.
9. How many recommendation letters do the colleges require?
   • Most colleges require 3 recommendation letters from your school teachers.
10. What is the college application interview? Do I have to attend it?
    • Many colleges ask applicants to interview with them, mostly with the alumni. The colleges would like to know more about the student on aspects that are not shown in the application material that the student has submitted. It does not mean you are in an advantage or disadvantage position whether you receive an invitation for interview or not, so you do not need worry about it.
    • Practice is key to successful interviews. We have gathered 100+ commonly asked interview questions for students to practice. Please contact us early to schedule your practice sessions.
11. Do I have to stay in the same major that I selected in my application? Is it easy to change major after being admitted?
    • It depends. Some universities require students to stay in the same major as declared in the application, while some other universities, such as Harvard and Yale, do not even require students to select a major until after the sophomore year. MIT allows students to take any major, for example.
12. What are the Ivy Universities?
    • These are the 8 Ivy universities: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
    • You are right: MIT and Stanford are not Ivy universities. But as you know, they and many other universities not in the Ivy school list are prestigious universities.
13. What is the Ivy Day?
    • The Ivy Day is the day in each spring when all eight Ivy League schools — Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University — release their admission decisions for first-year students starting that fall.
    • The Ivy League schools release their admission decisions online at the same exact time, normally 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Eastern time.
    • Only those who applied RD, rather than ED or EA, to at least one Ivy League institution should expect to receive an admission decision on Ivy Day. If you applied early, you should have already received a decision around December.
14. How to apply for merit-based scholarships?
    • There are many merit-based scholarships, in and outside school, local and national. Contact your school’s student counselor for details.
15. I received a scholarship from a university. Do I tell other universities?
    • No, you don’t. But, if you have received offers from colleges A and B that are at the same level. You’d like to attend A, but B offers higher scholarship. You may want to tell A the scholarship offer by B as a means to bargain for a higher scholarship from A.
16. My family’s income is low in recent years. I have savings and a rental house. Do they impact my son’s application for financial aid (FA)? How much is the savings limit of not granting FA?
    • Yes, they do. If you have a rental house, your son’s chance of getting a FA is slim. But if you have sold your rental house more than a year ago, you don’t have to report it. Regarding savings, each university has its own limits for different sizes of families.
17. How to bargain with colleges on financial aids and scholarships?
    • There is no room to bargain on FAFSA. If you received scholarship offers from multiple colleges, you may use the offer from one college to bargain a better scholarship from another college.
18. Many Ivy school students actually do not really have excellent academic performance. How did they get in these prestigious universities?
    • Yes, that’s right. Some students were admitted for their specific talents (such as athletes who accounts for 15-18% of all admits), legacy (alumni’s & teachers’ children/grandchildren), donation, inheritance (kids of kings, government officials, social celebrities), etc.
19. How much do you charge for college application counseling?
    • We charge a very reasonable fee for college counseling. Each year, we also offer our service free to a few students with disadvantage backgrounds or with top GPAs. Call us at 713-391-0276 to discuss, please.

CURRICULUM

1. What is a good GPA?
   • Colleges evaluate a student’s GPA by putting it in the context of the high school that the student is attending, e.g., what courses the school offers, how challenging are the courses that the student have taken, the student’s class ranking, etc. A student’s class ranking is normally more meaningful than GPA.
2. If the highest score of courses is 4.0, how can a student get a GPA higher than 4.0?
   • High schools normally give honors and AP/IB courses extra weights, for example, an additional 0.5 for honors courses, and 1.0 for AP/IB courses.
3. How to Convert Your GPA to a 4.0 Scale?
   • Please refer to this College Board link.
4. Which GPA, unweighted GPA or weighted GPA, matters more?
   • Unweighted. Because each school may has its own way of calculating weighted GPA, e.g., giving different extra weight to courses at honors, AP, and IB levels, weighted GPA is less meaningful than unweighted GPA when GPA’s from different schools are compared.
5. I attended 2 high schools. Do I report both schools’ GPA during application?
   • Yes, you do. You need send transcripts from both schools to your colleges. Some high schools will count grades from previous high school in calculating the final GPA, and combine both transcripts before reporting them to the colleges. Check with the student counselor at your current school for details, please.
6. I’d like to study liberal arts at college. What courses should I pay more attention to in high school?
   • Well, if you’d like to study liberal arts in the future, you’d better pay more attention and try to stand out in liberal arts courses, such as, writing, speech, debate, community services, etc.
7. If I’d like to study STEM at college. Are subjects such as writing, speech and debate not important to me?
   • Writing, speech, and communication skills are important to everybody regardless of a person’s career. And if you win prominent awards in writing or debate, they are going to greatly help your college application.
8. My school and colleges only require one foreign language. Does it help me if I take two foreign languages?
   • Yes, they help you stand out.
9. My son would like to study 4 foreign languages. Is it helpful?
   • Yes it is, if he is a language genius and can perform well in all the 4 foreign languages. Otherwise, it’s better for him to focus on one language and excel.
10. In my school, 90 points and above are all A. Is 92 points different from 98 points?
    • Yes, they are very different. 92 points is A- and 98 points is A+, although your school counts both of them as A. Universities re-calculate GPA using their own formula and weight, and 98 points is a lot more valued than 92 points. In fact, universities first look at a student’s course selection to see how challenging it is. Refer to this College Board link for more information, please.
11. The score of my daughter’s AP Euro History exam is 3. Is it going to be difficult for her to be admitted to top universities?
    • This is not ideal and will have its negative impact, but don’t be discouraged. She still has hope to get into top schools. Colleges look at applicants’ whole profiles. For STEM students, its impact is smaller. It’s important not to give up.
12. My son’s grade in one of his courses is at the bordlerine between A and B. And my son feels that the teacher is a bit biased toward him and thus tends to give him B. Should he communicate with his teacher?
    • Communication, professionally and politely, is always welcome by all teachers. Your son should talk with his teacher and ask for the reason behind the B grade, and also ask how he improves it to A.
13. Should I encourage my kid to take more honors courses?
    • Yes, if he/she can.
14. If orchestra conflicts with STEM and humanity courses in schedule, how much does it impact my college application?
    • Not much.
15. My daughter got a grade of 3 in her drama course. Is this going to impact her application to top universities?
    • It’s going to pull down her GPA, which is all the impact that it may have. Drama is a elective course. No big deal. Let her use it as a learning experience.
16. Are Physical Education (PE) scores counted in GPA?
    • No, but almost all other courses are.
17. What text books should I use for my courses?
    • Check with your school teachers, please. Teachers use different text books as they choose.

AP/IB

1. I am taking a few AP courses at school. Do I have to take all the AP exams of all these AP courses?
   • Most high schools require students to take the AP exam after taking an AP course. Check with your HS’s policy, please. Another concern is that questions/concerns may rise if AO’s notice you have taken an AP courses but no report of its score.
2. If I follow my schools most aggressive course schedule, I can take about 5 AP courses at most. But I have heard that some students took 10+ AP courses. Do I take more AP courses outside of my school?
   • No, we don’t recommend it.
3. I didn’t do well in one of my AP exams and I got a 4. Can I simply not report the score of this AP course during college application?
   • Yes, you can. But colleges will see what AP courses you’ve taken at school from your transcript. Questions/concerns may be raised why you don’t have a score for an AP course that you’ve taken.
4. My son has taken 11 AP courses and he got a 4 in AP music theory. Does this matter a lot? Does he report it?
   • No, it does not matter at all. And, yes, he reports it.
5. My high school (for example, high schools in China) does not offer AP courses. Is it helpful to college application for me to take AP courses and exams on my own?
   • Yes, it is.
6. I studied AP courses on my own but I am not satisfied with the outcome. Does it affect my application?
   • No, it doesn’t.
7. Is it better to take IB courses and exams than AP’s?
   • No, not necessarily. Both IB and AP are supposed to be college-level courses. IB (International Baccalaureate) has specific requirement on what courses you need to take, whereas you can choose whatever AP courses individually as long as your school offers them. Some think the IB program focuses more on liberal arts and group projects/activities, and requires better time management by the student. If your school offers the IB program, you can take them to show that you are challenging yourself. But you do not need to specifically apply for and attend a school because of its IB program. Colleges judge a student in the context of what the school offers. Refer to these articles for more details on the IB program.
8. Some AP courses are less challenging, such as psychology, economics. Does it make the colleges feel the student took a easier path if he/she take these AP courses?
   • Yes, it is possible.
9. Which course is more important, AP US History and AP Language?
   • They are about the same to colleges. But AP US History is more challenging for students to take, because it requires a lot memorization.
10. Does AP Chinese count in GPA?
    • Yes, of course, if it’s taken in the school. No, if taken outside of school.
11. It’s said that, although AP courses can be counted as college credits, they are taught shallower at high schools than in colleges and colleges thus require students to retake them. So AP courses are not necessarily that important. Is this correct?
    • No, it isn’t.

STANDARD TESTS

1. What is a good SAT score? What is a good ACT score?
   • SAT: 1550+ (out of a total of 1600). ACT: 34+ (out of a total of 36).
2. What is SAT super-score?
   • SAT has 3 sections: reading, writing and math. You can take SAT multiple times. The highest score of each section from all your tests are added to form the super-score. Most universities uses super-scores, whereas some others do not.
3. Do I have to take both SAT and ACT? Which one do you recommend?
   • No, you don’t. We suggest you take a practice SAT test and a practice ACT test, and choose your favorite one to take.
4. I got 1580 in SAT. Do I take ACT exam to gain an advantage in application?
   • No, you don’t need to take ACT. SAT 1580 is an excellent score.
5. My real IB score is worse than I had anticipated/reported in the application form. Do I report the real IB score to the college? If I do, is it going to cancel the offer to me?
   • Colleges normally do not require students to report the official IB scores. Rarely do any universities rescind offers.
6. Can I take PSAT again in the 12th grade?
   • Yes, but for what?
7. What is the College Board ?
   • The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success—including the SAT, the Advanced Placement Program (AP), and BigFuture. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools.
8. What is ACT?
   • The ACT, originally an abbreviation of American College Testing, is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is currently administered by 美国大学入学考试ACT（主持ACT考试）, a nonprofit organization of the same name. The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. It also offers an optional direct writing test. It is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States as well as more than 225 universities outside of the U.S.
   • The main four ACT test sections are individually scored on a scale of 1–36, and a composite score (the rounded whole number average of the four sections) is provided.
9. My son is in G8 now. Should we let him study for SAT and take it now?
   • No. Why so rush so early?
10. Which one is easier to advance, AMC10 and AMC12?
    • AMC12. Advance rate for AMC12 is top 5% while 2.5% for AMC10.
11. Does entering AIME mean a top university such as MIT is guaranteed?
    • It’s not guaranteed, but it certainly helps a lot.
12. How important is the USA Computer Olympiad?
    • It’s relatively a new competition and is not as valuable as the other traditional competitions, such as, in Math, Physics, Chemistry and biology. If the student plans to major in CS, it’s a good one to take part in.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES (EC)

1. My son has a close-to-perfect GPA but very limited EC. Is he in a disadvantageous situation while applying for top universities?
   • Yes, he is, unfortunately. We provide service to help students plan their high school curricular and extracurricular activities. Contact us at 713-391-0276 for details.
   • However, if your son’s targets are state universities, great GPA mostly works.
2. Is summer research helpful to college applications?
   • Yes, it is.
3. Are leadership roles in Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts helpful in college application?
   • Yes, they are.
4. My daughter is good at dancing. Will this helpful to her college application?
   • Not much. Colleges like to see students have some passions, and dancing is one. That’s it. It will help a lot more if she wins national and international awards in dancing.
5. It’s said that unpopular sports, such as figure skating and fencing, help students get into Ivy schools. Is it true?
   • Fencing is okay. We know some girls in Houston who got in Ivy schools because of their fencing skills. Figure skating is too difficult because few schools have a figure skating team.
6. Do Boy Scout and Girl Scout help?
   • Yes, they do.
7. How many hours of volunteering time do top universities require?
   • It depends more on the quality of the volunteering work than on the total hours.
8. My son attended a summer camp at Stanford. Is this going to negatively impact his application to MIT?
   • No, not at all. What do you think of these top universities? Narrow-minded, jealous individuals? 🙂

HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING

1. What are included in high school planning?
   • We plan all curricular and extracurricular activities for all the four years in HS with our students and their parents. We meet with them regularly, every one to three months depending on the student’s preference, to provide coach, review the plan, and check the progress. We coach our students how to write essays that are required in applying for summer camps, and we review and edit all essays. We also provide mental support to our students throughout the stressful HS years.
2. When should I start to prepare for college admissions?
   • The beginning of 9th grade. Of course, all study before 9th grade impact your high school study.
3. My son does not follow his teachers’ instructions. He said they limited his imagination and creativities. He does what he wants to do. What should I do?
   • Rules are rules. He must follow the rules and his teachers’ instructions. He won’t be welcome anywhere if he does not follow the rules. We suggest you give him some challenging questions, projects, competitions to see whether he really has a creative mind.
4. How much do you charge for high school planning?
   • We charge a very reasonable fee for high school counseling. Call us at 713-391-0276 for details, please.

APPLY FOR US HIGH SCHOOLS FROM CHINA

1. Which US high schools provide I-20 forms?
   • All US private high schools accepting international students provide I-20 forms. Check www.privateschoolreview.com for details, please. We help students in China apply for US high schools. Please contact us at 713-391-0276 for more information.
2. When should I send my kid to a US school?
   • If a student is accompanied by one or both parents, it’s a good idea for the student to come to attend a US school early, during the middle school or even the elementary school years, so the student get used to the new environment, school, culture, etc. early. For students without a parent’s company, we recommend the student not come before high school, because it is too much a challenge for a young student to live and study abroad alone. Parents’ support in academic study, EC, living, and emotion is important to young students’ health and growth physically and mentally. For this reason, we currently only support students who apply to US high schools.
3. Which school year of high school should a student apply to?
   • 9th grade, which is an entering point. High schools accept few new students into other grades. Note there is a competition to enter US private high schools, especially those prestigious ones. Early preparation and advice from us is important. Call us at 713-391-0276 for details.
4. My son is now in his last year of middle school, and we’d like to send him to a US high school. What we have found is an average US boarding school. Should we send him to this high school?
   • It depends on your son’s ability of independent studying and living.

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