AIC Newsletter
5TH ISSUE WINTER 2013
为什么我想回国 The Unconventional Path to Major in Environmental Science Teachers' Profile: Charlene Hsiao, Alan Hu
2017 Students' Post Application Feedback
AIC Gathering Events
E
DITOR'S NOTE
J
anuary has officially become a bittersweet month for me, as I believe it is for many of our teachers and current senior students, as it marks the end of the rigorous application season. As the competitiveness of admissions increases yearly, the additional effort and stress placed on SAT and TOEFL preparation along with crafting the “perfect” activity list and essays have become the highlight of many students’ high school careers. From the minute a student meets our teachers, AIC continuously advocates the college application as a self-exploratory and reflective process that should help students identify a school that best fits their interests, personality and academic pursuits.
From September on, endless hours are spent brainstorming essay topics, writing hundreds of essay drafts from personal statements to eight question supplements (Brown).These past four months have indeed been difficult, but hopefully enriching as well. The long hours and occasional sleep overs during application deadlines spent in our AIC offices have slowly allowed our teachers to understand individual students better and for many to form lifelong friendships as well. Our current issue shares with you AIC 2017ers’ reflections and memorable moments during the application process and even some advice to take away. As we transition from essay writing to alumni network development, many of our offices held celebratory events with visiting alumni during their winter breaks. Students,
teachers and alumni met one another to share their experiences in college and post-graduation plans while bonding over food, interests and being AICers. What impresses me most are how many experiences, how much knowledge and the willingness our alumni have to share when it comes to helping younger AICers. This ranges from answering small questions to providing essay writing suggestions. As we aim to create greater opportunities to connect our students across all years, we promise to continue providing more gatherings and fun events in the future. One of our initial visions is to construct a united AIC alumni group through this quarterly newsletter. As we continue to expand our alumni network and bring you alumni stories, news and updates, we hope to inspire you to create your own stories. At last, congratulations to those who have been accepted to their Early Decision schools and good luck to others patiently waitingfor admissions results. With that said, we are looking to hear more from you! If you have interesting news, personal reflections, or anything just for fun, please do not hesitate to submit them to alumni@aic-edu.com, and we may include your contribution in our next newsletter! Kam Yan (Shenzhen)
为什么 我想回国？ 贾捷阳，斯坦福大学 2013 届学生
“上帝让我生还，这对我 的家庭和我的国家一定意 味着什么。我坚信那里有 许多我能做的事情。”
曾
经有好几次有学弟学妹问 我，为什么包括我在内很 多人出国之后反而表现得 更爱国，或者更“左”了。 还有人问我，在当前海龟如此不受待 见的情况下，为什么这么倾向于以后 回国。 让我尝试着回答一下这个问题。 首先我想分享一个故事。这是我亲身 经历的，在我大学三年中对我影响最 大的一件事。 那是我大一的一个午夜，临近期 末，宿舍里的一帮同学一起在食堂复 习考试。学习间隙，随意闲谈，内容 逐渐扯向了政治话题，当时正值一次 关于中国的敏感事件发生不久，于是 有人开始批评起中国的民主人权来。 我是一桌人中唯一一个大陆土生土长 的中国人，可是当时满脑子都是第二 天要考的电路，所以只是偶尔支吾几 句。坐在我对面有一个黑人学生，长 得很矮很瘦，而且很黑（晚上照照片 用闪光灯都照不出来那种），一直一 言不发地听着，直到谈话逐渐进入高 潮，他突然带着浓重的非洲口音开口 了。 “我觉得你们并不真正懂得什么 是人权。”(I think you guys don't really know human rights.) 大家立刻一齐望着他。他口音很
重，而且声音不大，不过他说得很慢 很清晰，所有人都能听明白他在说什 么。 “我来自一个真正没有人权的国 家。我父亲在大屠杀之后（指 94 年卢 旺达大屠杀）一直作为一个人权运动 人士积极推动人民民主和修复种族关 系，在当地有点声望。有一天，我们 住的地区爆发骚乱……” 他顿了一下。 “我的母亲和我的妹妹，在我的 面前被砍刀砍死。由于混乱我连凶手 是谁都没看到。那之前的一天我父亲 还在向这些人演讲民主和博爱。所以 我觉得人权不是你们说那种。你们这 样讨论人权，有点不够严肃。” 他无疑在诉说他生命中最惨痛的 经历，不过我无法在他的脸上和语气 中找到任何悲恸。这跟他讲述的内容 一样令我震惊。由于话题很快变得过 于严肃，大多数学生结束谈话继续回 去学习了，只有我们两三个学生继续 聊了一会儿。 “所以你来美国是作为政治庇护 吗？”我问他。 他点了点头。“不过我没有入籍， 美国公民身份在非洲很不受欢迎，以 后回去会有麻烦。” “你还打算回去？！” 他 耸 了 耸 肩。"God makes me survive, it means something to my family and my country. I believe there is a lot I can do there." “上帝让我生还，这对我的家庭 和我的国家一定意味着什么。我坚信 那里有许多我能做的事情。” 我与这个非洲同学只有一面之缘 （他并不住在我们宿舍），连名字也 没有记住。不过在这次谈话之后，我
对任何非洲的国家，不论其有多么贫穷落后，决不会 抱有一丝一毫的轻蔑，或者居高临下的怜悯。因为我 知道有他这样的人存在。如果一个国家，在经历了最 残酷的灾难（请百度一下 1994 卢旺达大屠杀）之后， 在最萧条的条件下，仍然能培养出这样的人——他能 在亲眼目睹亲人成为国家动乱的牺牲品之后，仍旧坚 定地认为自己能挽救这个国家，那么我作为一个事外 之人，无论如何也应该相信这个国家的命运将会由于 他而改变。
如果一个国家，在经历 了最残酷的灾难之后， 仍然能培养出这样的 人——他能在亲眼目睹 亲人成为国家动乱的牺 牲品之后，仍旧坚定地 认为自己能挽救这个国 家，那么我无论如何也 应该相信这个国家的命 运将会由于他而改变。
成为中国的比尔盖茨的人，把世界最顶尖科技带回中 国的人，至少也有两位数。而在这一所学校、我所不 认识的人中，这样的人也一定有。再想想世界范围内 有多少跟小里兰德同样档次的学校，每年有多少人被 录取进来，有着这样理想与能力的人如恒河沙数。这 里我还没算上那些在稍微差一些的教育环境里却有着 绝对不逊于世界一流学校学生的能力的人。即便中国 真的像某些人所描述的一般，有着人类历史上最牛逼 的扼杀人才的方式，即便这些学生真的像某些人所描 述的一般，有着最差的为国家人民奉献的意志，我也 绝对难以相信，十年二十年之后这些人中连一个实现 其理想的人都没有。 而且别忘了，只要有一个人实现其理想，这个国 家的命运将因此截然不同。 我绝不轻视那些单纯追求个人幸福的人，也无意 宣扬精英主义。如果有人把那些因为国内种种弊端而 选择出国的人和我前面提到的那个非洲同学对比而得 出“这些人弱爆了”的结论，我一定会坚定地反驳他。 一句俗话，人各有志。谁都追求安稳的生活，但安稳 的生活并不是一切。人人都怕强拆、地沟油、查水表， 但有的人更怕碌碌无为。有些人因为美国政治自由、 文化开放、科技先进、经济发达而向往美国，也有些 人因为中国政治不够自由，文化不够开放，科技不够 先进，经济不够发达而向往中国。对于钱学森而言， 中国的贫穷、动荡和落后不是问题，但假如中国在他 回去之前就掌握了火箭技术和工程控制论，这对他才 是灭顶之灾。 所以当有人问我，美国这么好，为什么还会想回 去，我心里会反问，美国这么好，我能留下来干嘛？
在这个夏天之后，又有很多留学生要到美国或其 他国家开始大学生涯。很多人从现在开始就会迷惘： 自己是不是在逃避国内的环境？自己以后应不应该回 国？自己从小到大受的爱国主义教育还适不适用？我 而我在这里要讨论的，不是卢旺达，而是中国。 想说，没有结合自己实现理想的愿望的爱国主义纯粹 我也许应该感到庆幸——为我来自的国家比他来自的 只是虚无。钱学森回国，那叫爱国；晕倒男回国，那 国家条件要好上百倍。可是正因为如此，我又不得不 叫脑子进水。关于中国的每一条负面消息都是对于年 羡慕他。因为假如我跟他以同样的才能从事同样的事 轻人的机遇，每一条正面消息也同样是。把中国大地 业，不论是政治、经济还是实业，他所获得的成就对 上发生的各种负面事件搜集起来，做个人人相册，加 于他国家的意义，也要百倍于我。 几句似真似假的谣言，冷嘲热讽一番，然后断言这个 在美国读完了大学本科，如果我只敢声称我学到 国家完蛋了，这是小学学历的人就能做的事情（不是 了一样知识，那一定是关于“个人”的价值。作为“一 有造谣者被人挖出来是小学生嘛），你好不容易读到 个人”，其实能改变的事情很多、很大。他（她）被 了大学，却不辨真假地跟风凑热闹，被这些图片遮挡 允许拥有宏大的理想，并且亲手将其理想实现。美国 了你看到中国无限潜力机遇的视线，我不得不为你辛 是一个信仰英雄的国度，这些英雄不是蝙蝠侠、蜘蛛 辛苦苦给你赚大学学费的父母感到悲哀。你写几条回 侠，而是乔布斯与 Elon Musk，老里兰德斯坦福夫妇 复，随意骂一下他们想让你骂的人，抱怨几句他们想 和弗莱德里克 • 特曼，内森 • 黑尔与马丁 • 路德 • 金， 让你说的抱怨，吆喝一下他们想让你吆喝的言论自由， 就觉得“举世皆浊我独醒了”？记住，在舞台上悲天 以及所有像我那个非洲同学这样的人。 悯人的都是小丑，那些真正能够激浊扬清的人，此刻 所以现在让我回答文章开始时提到的别人对我的 都在沉寂中不倦地耕耘着。 提问。我不得不对中国的未来抱以最大限度的乐观态 以上。希望那些问过我的学弟学妹，能对我的答 度，因为在小里兰德斯坦福大学这一所学校里，我所 认识的这些人中，立志成为中国国家级经济学家的人， 复感到满意。
六月份一过，我的大学本科生涯就算结束了。一直想给自己写个总结，却一直不知道该写些什么。前几天 看到了《你若光明，中国便不黑暗一文》，深有感触，便成此文。大学三年最宝贵的财富是我认识的许多志同 道合的朋友，这里不说感谢，因为以后一起奋斗的日子还长。仅以此文总结这三年，并献给站在终点和新起点 上的自己，和那些在奋斗道路上一直相伴的朋友们。
The Unconventional
Path
to Major in Environmental Science
SUMMER ZHAO, Washington University St. Louis '12 1. When did you first become interested in Environmental Studies? Did you know anything about this major before WUSTL? I loved nature when I was young. My family goes hiking every weekend…well even my nickname “Summer” is associated with nature. But two particular experiences made me passionate about going to US and pursuing the environmental sciences major. One is my patented invention of a “portable chopsticks sterilization box.” I learned that 45 billion disposable chopsticks are produced in China every year, which requires 100 acres of trees to be cut down every day. So I thought, damn, I need to do something, which led to the creation of a portable box that uses ozone to sterilize the personal chopsticks inside. This inspired me to learn more about sciences and create more things. The other is Al Gore's “The Inconvenient Truth.” When I watched this film in my high school, tears built up in my eyes. I decided to figure out what climate change is all about and I wanted to influence more people as Al could. 2. What were your parents’ reactions when you chose to major in Environmental Science? My father totally supported me. My mom hesitated. She asked me: “Why couldn't you just learn finances?” 3. How big is the environmental studies department in Wash U and do you think you can access many resources from research to internship availabilities? It is an “environmental studies program” rather than “environmental studies department.” It is not a department itself, but it offers three majors that are hosted in three other departments. Earth and Plenary Science department hosts the “Environmental Earth Sciences”
major. Political Science department hosts the “Environmental Policy” major. This structure has both pros and cons. The con is that the program itself does not have enough resources for things like career advising. The WUSTL career center is the place to go. The pro is you can access resources in all three departments. For research opportunities, it can be easy to get if you actively reach out to professors whose research topics appeal to you. For internship opportunities, talking to professors and advisors, reaching out to alumni, and networking with professionals in the workplace are super important. 4. Are you a member of the Pathfinder Program in Environmental sustainability? I am not!! That was such a pity for me. I did not know the existence of Pathfinder Program before I came to WUSTL, so I did not apply. It was too late for me to apply when I was already in school. I begged for my enrollment to Dr. Raymond Arvidson, the director of the program, but he did not show any mercy, since the program was too popular and there was no space left. Anyway, it is an awesome program; many of my friends there LOVE it. You get to take field trips to the Mojave Desert in California and Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii!
PATHFINDER PROGRAM Overview The Pathfinder Program in Environmental Sustainability is a four-year program that gives participating students a chance to engage in interactive study of the environment with a small group of motivated undergraduates and a senior faculty member while fulfilling some of the breadth requirements required of undergraduates at Washington University. Through case studies and field trips, students examine the issues surrounding environmental sustainability and the preservation of the environment for future generations. While participating in the Pathfinder program, you may pursue any major in the College of Arts & Sciences. Courses L54 Path 201. Land Dynamics and the Environment Use of case studies such as anthropogenic changes to the Lower Missouri River, effects of mining in the Ozarks, and excessive uses of water in arid terrains in the Southwestern United States to explore key issues associated with environmental sustainability. Scientific concepts related to the dynamics of the environment and development of policies needed to maintain land and resource sustainability. L54 Path 202. Case Study: Southwestern United States Issues associated with the Mojave Desert’s environmental sustainability. Investigation of the fragile desert environment and its degradation from anthropogenic uses. Politics associated with the Mojave National Preserve. L54 Path 301B. Case Study: Hawaii Issues in environmental sustainability and hazards of the Hawaiian Islands. Volcanism, earthquakes, tsunamis, issues related to agricultural encroachment on the subtropical rainforests. Resource: http://bulletin.wustl.edu/prior/2011-12/ artsci/environmentalsustainability/
5. Field trips are a component in many ES courses. Was there a particular trip or project that was memorable during your undergraduate studies in WUSTL? If I had attended Pathfinder, I could have talked about that. But I want to talk about an extracurricular activity that became the most valuable memory for me at WUSTL. I founded a student organization WUSICE (Washington University Students for International Collaboration on the Environment). My motivation came from my frustration that no Chinese but me majored in environmental sciences.
to spark the conversations between American and Chinese students on environmental issues. So I gathered a group of passionate American friends and started this organization. We organized an international conference that invited eleven Fudan University students to US, where the American and Chinese delegates created a white paper “Memorandum of Understanding”, which we later presented at the United Nations Conference on Climate change (COP 16) held in Cancun.
7. What are some of the common internship or job opportunities can you find that is related to your major?
Because this experience was related to my major and it took me so much time, my major advisor let me count this as a 3-credit course as my independent study. But what I gained was far beyond that. I am so happy to see more Chinese getting involved in WUSICE, and more conversations and actions are taking place. Majoring in environmental sciences is an unconventional path; there are not many models you can follow and it is not easy to find a job. But the beauty of uncertainties is that you get to create your own path, follow your passion, and do unconventional things that others never dream of doing, which would be both exciting and rewarding for you.
2) Analyst/Consultant at consulting companies or environmental consulting firms 3) Analyst at energy companies or sustainability offices in corporations/banks 4) Start your own business
6. Do you have to do many or any research relating to your major during your undergraduate for your major? It depends on what courses you take. There is no senior research project you have to do for this major. But many courses require research papers at the end of the semester. Your internships usually require research and data analysis. During my internships at the Brookings Institution and a consulting firm, research and data analysis skills proved to be important.
For international undergraduate students: 1) Research Assistant at think tanks, NGOs, Multinational Organizations, academic institutions or corporations (e.g. World Bank, U.N., The Brookings Institution, WWF, NRDC, World Resources Institute, Universities, etc.)
the workforce, but most of them areentry-level jobs. So it is better to get a higher degree before entering the workforce. I have one semester left, so my plan is still pending. I already got into the masters program at Columbia and Duke, and I will try applying to other programs as well. Another possibility is getting into the consulting industry first and then pursuing a higher degree.
American students have more opportunities such as working at the EPA, NASA, and the government. ES is applicable to many career fields. You can become a lawyer specializing in environmental legislations, a businessman working on renewables and green businesses, an engineering nailing clean tech problems, or a scholar or analyst changing the environmental policies, and even if you decide to be a doctor, the core courses you take for ES normally satisfy most of the requirements for Med School. ES is a interdisciplinary major that can be applied to many places. There is, though, real concern about finding a job in the market. ES is not a practical skill, so if you want to find a job right after college with this degree, it is hard. I would suggest that you combine this major with another major or minor in business or engineering, which may help you in job hunting. Besides, try very hard to make connections and secure internship opportunities during your college year. Internships are easier to get and will land you a great job if you like the things you are doing. 8. What typical path do students take after graduating with an ES degree? What are your post-graduation plans? Most of them pursue a higher degree (e.g. Master or PhD) in a variety of fields. You can combine environmental sciences with Law and MBA, or you can pursue a PhD in environmental sciences or other fields. You can also get into
9. Do you advice any specific environmental groups, clubs or organizations for students to join if they want to complete this major in WUSTL or just to take part in for personal interest? WUSICE! WUSICE has already established connections with the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC). So every year we send 10 – 15 students to attend the annual U.N. Conference of Parties on climate change. This year COP18 will be held in Qatar. It is a great way to widen your horizons and meet with passionate youth, organizations, and national leaders from all around the world.
August 2012
Teacher's Profile
SHENZHEN CHARLENE HSIAO ‘12 University of California, Los Angeles Political Science Major
Nickname: Char, Charmander, Charby, Chark, but I prefer Charming. Chinese Name: 萧 湘 菱 (pronounced xiao xiang ling, like Hsiao Charlene… not sure which came first) Hometown: Fremont, California Horoscope: Cancer Identify yourself in 3 words: Eat, Read, Love Different languages you speak: Mandarin, Korean (only enough to impress my friends), English Favorite food: Indian Food, my dad’s fried rice, Sashimi, Korean food, Shaved Ice, Popcorn, Cheese, Garlic, Onions, Sunny-side up Eggs, Hummus, Grapefruits, Pomelos, Dragonfruits, White Peaches, Oranges, Tofu, Pita, Gelato and Popsicles (fruity flavors). Books/Television shows/Movies you enjoyed most: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Old Boy, Wall-E, Toy Story 3, Inglourious Bastards, Pirate Radio, Godfather, City of God, Peter Pan (the book), The Once and Future King, Watchmen, Congo, Liveship Traders Trilogy, the Conte of Monte Cristo Source of inspirations: Insects (inspire me to clean), My best friends (inspire me to do stupid things), Good looking guys (also inspire me to do stupid things) Favorite/most memorable academic class: I took a songwriting class my last quarter at UCLA with a documentary producer who specialized in documentaries on famous musicians. Each week, our professor interviewed 2 famous producers/songwriters in our class asking them revealing questions about their lives and experiences. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet famous songwriters from my parents generation, hear famous musicians sing live, and peek into the lives of romantic and relentless people who dedicated themselves to backend of music production. Aside from these obvious perks, the class was a history lesson in how the world had changed for music-lovers, career men and women, and creative artists in the last 40 years. Favorite Quote: “The best thing for being sad….is to learn something. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you
devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.” ― T.H. White, The Once and Future King Ideas of a perfect day: A perfect day would be a day where not a single minute feels wasted. I imagine any day spent with Usain Bolt, Jackie Chan, Maurice Sendak, Meryl Streep, or Stephen Colbert might be such a day. If they’re not available, my best friends are a healthy substitute, with nothing lost in translation. Where have you travelled to before? When I was young, my parents dragged me to numerous “all-in-one” cruises, where we would tour all the countries around the Mediterranean Sea or the Baltic Sea in one combo deal. (Chinese people like to get the most out of their money) Sadly, this was a time when I was more interested in ice cream, sleep, and arcades, so I don’t remember much of these trips, although I can claim to have stepped all over Europe before age 12. Something about you that others might not know: Most people are more surprised by what I haven’t done than what I have done. I’m working on changing that.
WUHAN ALAN HU ‘11 Emory University Economics & Mathematics Major Chinese Name: 胡光 Hometown: Wuhan, China Horoscope: Capricorn Favorite food: ICE CREAM! Different languages you speak: Chinese, English Favorite Quote: “One who makes no mistakes makes nothing at all.”—Giacamo Casanova Source of inspirations: People around me Identify yourself in 3 words: Passionate, Meticulous, Intuitive Where have you travelled to before? I have visited Egypt, Israel, England, Mexico, and Canada. Books/Television shows/Movies you enjoyed most: Books: Haruki Murakami novels (make me feel like I am traveling), Harry Potter series, Song of Ice and Fire Series, auto-biographies TV Shows: Glee (reminds me of former Choir days), The Office, Family Guy, True Blood Movies: Spirited Away, 300, Lord of the Rings
Ideas of a perfect day: I would wake up on a rainy day and sleep in. I will make some bacon, eggs, and baked beans with salad brunch, and do some reading with a glass of orange juice. The rain would subside and I would meet friends (or strangers) for a game of soccer. After playing for four hours, I would go on to eat the best Italian dinner (filled with pasta, lasagna, and wine), and buy the biggest serving of ice cream I could buy from I don’t even care where. Then I would probably play DOTA 2 and go to sleep… Favorite/most memorable academic class: My favorite class at Emory was Astronomy. Our class was taught at the school planetarium and we often enjoyed planetarium shows as part of class, while enjoying the most comfortable reclining chairs. We also took trips to observatories and museums in the evenings. It was definitely the class I looked forward to the most!
Something about you that others might not know: I grew up in Wuhan, China, but I actually lived three years in Israel. There, I spoke fluent Hebrew and went to school with a yarmulke every day. My experiences there most likely contributed to my spiritual growth, and I really enjoyed living in the Middle East – even though occasionally there were bomb threats at various places. Another thing that most people probably do not know is that I love collecting things. I have amassed over thirty soccer jerseys dating back from 2007. I also enjoy collecting limited edition shoes.
Henry Zhang: talented & skillful -DAVID ZHAO
Mary Cunningham: patient & responsible (If I'm allowed to use three words... Mary is really sweet) -- REN HAO
Students' Feedback Q1: Who is your American teacher and when thinking about him/her, what are the two adjectives that immediately popped up in your mind?
Charlene Hsiao: hardworking & observant -- IVY ZHENG
Nick has high expectations, and he is preppy (not jock)! -JENNY
Paula: caring and communicative – VIVIAN HE
K a m Ya n : p r o d u c t i v e & gastronome -- CHRISTOPHER LI
Alan: reliable and communicative -- RENEE
Rose Filler: Encouraging & charming -- JUNSHENG CHE
James: Cute & Enlightening -OLIVIA HE
William Mock: thoughtful & open minded -- DEREK
Jessica: communicative & open minded -- NANXI
Christine: sweet & inspiring -ASHLEY
Jacob: conscientious and painstaking -- SANDY
Chen Zhang: passionate, creative & humorous -- AMY ZHANG
William Wu: humorous & hip-hop -- MARTIN ZHOU
Pei Yen: comprehensive & caring Gina Wang: creative & lovely -- EVELYN YIN
Q2: What is something about your teacher that impressed you during your whole interaction with him/ her?
The most impressive thing about Charlene is that when I give her the feeling that probably I have no work to do, she will ask me a series of questions of how is going with my other work. And when she found out one loophole, she will say " then do it". Then I must stop the little resting and bury myself into another why essay. -- YIHAN LUO
Henry's eyes impress me the most. Sometime even when I disagree with him about my PS revision, just looking into his eyes, I will automatically stop arguing. -- CORAL XU
Chen is extremely good at deleting and restructuring. Once I sent him an essay of1134 words, and when it came back, I found that he deleted a lot and made it 594 words, which really shocked me. And he always said, “Amy, I think you didn’t make yourself clear, and you need to stress this more. But I find something useful in your other essay, and I think we can insert it here.” After his deleting and restructuring, my essay would still make sense with different and complicated logic, which made me appreciate his intelligence very often. -- Amy Zhang
• I was extremely impressed by Emily’s personal introduction the fist time I chatted with her. • Emily never tells me the answer for any essay point directly; instead, she leads me to think up with ideas and improve myself gradually. • Emily's encouragement provided me strategies after I was deferred by my early Action school. -- LEWIS LUO
When I was desperate about my UC world essay(because back then Eunjee just denied my previous draft, which I thought was suitable for the topic but Eunjee thought was irrelevant), Eunjee tried very hard to brainstorm with me. Despite her effort, I was in a terrible mood and thus not willing to make a effective communication. So I just said "no" when she asked me if I have any big dreams that can benefit others. To my surprise, she cried that night for that her students should not have such a dream. Seeing that, I felt guilty and found a state back where I could positively communicate with her. -- DEREK SHANG
When I was stuck in the essays, Henry bought me Chuanrs ( 串 ) as inspiration. And it really worked! -- LUCY LI
Kam has an aura of jubilance, like the fountain of youth, never fails to motivate me to keep searching for brilliant ideas (she is rightfully the master of facial expression (she can make no less than 10 distinctive kinds of smiles to show "this is fun!", all signature ones~) and CEO (Chief Entertainment Official) of all time. ) : However cliché your initial essay plan sounds, she will always lend an attentive ear and together we will sieve out the marvelous from the mundane, making me realize that your attitude defines who you are. -YAOZHE CHENG
Once Nick was sick for a whole weekend, and when Monday came, he came back to work and compensated all the work even though he was still ill. -JEFFREY ZHANG
When I was pondering over what activity to do, Gina gave me an awesome idea to hold a “Career Day”, which later I turned it out to be a public lecture with more than 150 attendances. It is Gina’s warm-heartedness and creative advices always help me to find a proper way to handle my problems. – STEVEN ZHOU
When I wrote dry sentences like "I went into the room", Emily would say, "How did you get in? On a skateboard? By plane?" to make my words more descriptive. – AMY MA
Gina and Pei helped me prepare for Brown interview. It was a Saturday, and they both came to the office particularly for me. -EVELYN YIN
Sitting in the cafe and talking something other than supplements, something that could illuminate life, like literature, and art. -- VIVIAN YANG
When I wrote essays for tech schools, Jessica discussed my ideas from astrophysics to engineering project and talked about her thoughts on energy issue. The brainstorm helped me to find out which one is the suitable topic for me to show my own talents. -- NANXI
When Emily wore her brother's clothes, I even didn't recognize her. Because Emily was quite one independent and mature teacher, however, when she wore that clothes, she looks like a student, even senior high student. -- ANDIE JIA
William got sick for several times during the application season. When it was almost deadline, every time I met him, he would say: “Oh I am so tired… I need sleep…” but he was just talking. He always kept finishing his work very well, giving me so much helpful advice and being so creative when coming up new ideas with me. -- MILK WEI
As a procrastinator I’d be mad when meeting writer ’s block before deadline. Every time I cried to Rose “I have no school to go to!” or “I’d die in supplements.”She always helped me brainstorming new ideas like a warm and kind sister. -FANYING CHEN
Nick bought 40 Baozi for one meal. -- HENRIETTA XIE
The thing that impressed me most was that Kam could inspire me so much. There was one time I was stuck with my PS for like a whole week. But when I talked with Kam, she immediately popped up something I knew I was trying to say but didn't know how to say. -- ECHO CHENG
Whenever I was not confident during or after my application, Rose always told me ‘Every school would be lucky to have you or they lost out.’ It made me to face unpredicted application results optimistically. -- JIAHE WANG
Sometimes I thought Mary never slept during this application process because She was always online for my questions. -REN HAO
When I was being whimsical about writing my essays, Emily usually offered me many useful questions, leading me to get right back to the prompt and kept my inspiration at the same time. -- ELSA
Xin Shi---How can she be so efficient, kind and beautiful all at the same time? Why is she so perfect? "Goddess of AIC" in name and in reality. -- XINYI ZHANG
Shi Xin once gave me back my 15 essays in only 4 hours after my email, in which I specifically told her not to rush since I was preoccupied with school stuff and couldn't get to essays soon, and besides I just didn't want her to tire herself that much... – YUNLONG ZHAO
Johnny impressed me with his view on college application as a self-reflective process. With Johnny I began to unravel the events in my life and connect them together to better understand myself, and I believe this understanding also greatly facilitated my other essays. -VANNESSA WANG
Everytime Christine and I went out for lunch, it was always a headache for us to pick restaurants because she would give a bunch of choices and I would keep saying "okay" while never really making a choice. Thus, when I got stuck on one of the "why XXX" essays, Christine encouraged me to write about my indecisiveness and why it would help me in college. The essay ended up to be one of the funniest pieces I wrote. -ASHLEY
Making full use of her experience, Xin offers numerous references of past cases of success to illustrate her points. I afford to feel more assured when I have access to past cases. She has always been very helpful as well. -- HAO KUN
Whenever I was stressed Jessica would always say to me: “It’s okay, calm down. There’s no time pressure.” She kept comforting me throughout the whole application season. -- DORIS LENG
There are some moments that I am about to ask James if he had finished reviewing my essay, I got it; it feels like he knows what's going on in my brain. -- ALEX WANG
Eunjee Choi: Eunjee always gives a lot of comments. For some short answers, her comments are even longer than my essay. Mary Cunningham: Mary always eat subway for dinner. When we ask her to have dinner together, Mary rarely goes. -- JUSTIN JI
When I was complaining to Emily that I couldn’t come up with good ideas of the essays, Emily wrote down a sentence on a note and gave it to me. It said that “Good stories happen to those who can tell them”, which impressed me a lot. So I began to think about ways to make a story more interesting rather than to find stories that are super impressive. -- OLIVIA ZHOU
The day after my October SAT came out, Christine stretched out her arms the time she walked into the office, saying ‘It’s ok; it’s ok’ and gave me a firm hug, which almost made me cry. -- IRENE ZHANG
When I couldn’t find a proper topic for my personal statement, William encouraged me to write about one of my funny stories which I thought was meaningless. But after the personal statement was done, it’s great. – JODI ZHANG
When I recalled something interesting and memorable in my life, Gina was always excited to listen and then began to talk about her similar experiences to me. It seemed that she enjoyed more than me. -TINA HUA
When I freaked out before early action deadline, Paula comforted me patiently and amiably. Every time we had a talk, she was always smiling, and never got tired of being nice. So I felt very safe and more confident after each of our conversation. – KELLY HE
I wasn’t able to write as many essays as I expected when I was still at school before Christmas break. After getting back to China, Pei and Paula together were able to finalize more than 20 essays in less than 10 days. They work like superman/ superwoman! -- SHERRY HE
Q3: How would you suggest students to cooperate with their teachers in an efficient way?
Know what you want. If you are finishing up your essay or activity list with no idea why you did those things ( or most likely for the sole purpose of getting into a college), it would be a good time to think about what you really care about in life. Where you go to college does not define you. ( maybe a Harvard degree opens more doors for you in your earlier career life). But your educational future and happiness reside only on how you carry yourself and how you pursue your passions. -Be optimistic yet realistic. Don't be preoccupied with names and lose sight of what's substantial. Experience is what really mattersa college is not only a place for learning, it's also a place you will spend four years living, socializing and maybe experiencing American life. To me, the foods, the dorms, the school vibe, the professors, the town all matters. Go on college visits! If you need more resources, branch out. Call the admission office, use their 'online chat', talk to AIC graduates, AIC teachers, use your connections. Be inquisitive, but also take with a grain of salt. It really is a big decision as we have all put four years of effect to take our next step in life. -- JENNY
Don’t be last minute lol! Think, feel, and write. Only if you love the essays you write, you can then expect others to enjoy reading them. -- DAVID ZHANG
Be straight and honest. Don’t try to fit into any stereotypical applicant style. -- SIYI LIN
Use words precisely and replace inappropriately “big” words with words that one can handle. -VIVIAN HE
Face-to-Face communication and revisions on first a few drafts are efficient. Start earlier (like start brainstorming for PS in summer) because time allows more considerations and teachers will be less tired. -ZHICHEN SHI
Do not hesitate to express your true feelings and thoughts. Before asking teachers, make sure that you really cannot find the answer yourself. -- SERAFINA ZHENG
Spend more time talking face to face with the teacher. Jacob uses the calendar on the Gmail platform to inform us when he has time so that we feel free to go to the office, communicating about the ideas of the essays. -- SANDY
I think students should be more clear about their goals, making interview plans and outline the basic stuff that he/she wants to discuss with the teachers before they meet. Detailed and careful scheduling is important. – HELEN CHOU
Prepare all questions that you have before talking with your teacher; feel free to talk about all your ideas, even stupid and naive ones, and don't be shy, talk as much as possible with teacher!! – YIZHANG WU
To be honest, Chen told me I can show him my real heart, because he would never judge me. He would love me as who I am. -MAJOR ZENG
Have more communication with teachers especially when before selecting topics for essays. When writing the first draft, do not concentrate on language too much and try to express ideas clearly. -RENEE
I was in America through most of the application process, so Internet was the only way I got to talk to Paula. However, I think it is fairly efficient and I had a great assistance just like others. She usually commented on my essays and I revised the essays based on her questions or suggestions, it worked pretty well. -- STEPHANIE JIN
Be able to communicate with them before you write. Brainstorming is a very important process in writing essays which alleviates the stress afterward. -- LIUYANG
Q4: Please share a memorable moment during your application.
When brainstorming topics for my essays, I recalled lots of my experiences that I had forgot before. -- JODI ZHANG
When I read the email from Rose saying: "You really offer unusual and mature perspectives and insight, even if you don't always realize it. I do believe that whatever school you join you'll enrich everyone around you with the breadth, depth, and insight in your own views of the world." -- JING XIE
When I submitted my first app I was so dizzy from filling forms and everyone were just completely knackered, so I just submitted right away and did not feel a thing. Then Eunjee emerged sleepily from a room and said "hey, are you gonna submit?", I replied "submitted already", and Eunjee was like "Awww no I thought after five hours of filling stuffs we could have a grand buttonpushing ceremony......" -- MARIA MA
I stayed up in AIC office, and about 2 am, the electricity suddenly cut out and though I was afriad of the dark. My friend used the phone flashlight to light my envelop, since I was packaging my paper information at that time. This moment I think must be the most memrable in my application process. – SHARON ZHANG
My teachers waited eagerly with me for my Dec SAT in the office, and when I found out that I got a satisfactory score, they became so thrilled that I felt they were my family members. -- SHI YINGLUO
During the first night I stayed at the office, other students and I had very interesting conversations and I was so amazed by others’ ideas and life experiences. -- YU XIAO
When my application process was almost done, my counselors encouraged me to try more reach schools in the last few days and we worked on our essays quite efficiently. -- SARA
Bet many students would share such similar moments with me. It’s the last days of December and Jan 15th Due Date. Before we finalize everything, some of us slept in AIC office with our Chinese and American teachers, working at our highest speed to do better before we submit. My head began to get dizzy after consecutive days of lack of sleep and I felt extremely exhausted. But one time I woke in the office after merely three hours’ nap and saw everyone else lying on sofa or the desk. That moment I felt that I spent a month that worth of it. Friendship, fighting, hope and happiness: they are the key words of my December in 2012. -- CHRIS FENG
The moment I clicked submit, a sentence appeared on the screen, "You have to pay first!"
We spent our New Year's Eve in AIC office submitting our CommonApp! – SERAFINA ZHENG
The day after I got my ED acceptance, I went to AIC with snacks and ate them happily with Charlene, relaxed, the first time we sit together not talking about essays. I felt it also pretty good to talk about my teachers not about anything serious, and simple communication is great enough. -- IVY ZHENG
Life is dramatic. Two days before Pomona early decision 2 deadline, I found out I wrote the wrong question for its supplement. (I actually wrote the supplement for last year instead of for this year… so always check the supplement topics yourself!) One day before the same deadline, Johnny told me to REWRITE my PS (a new one!). So this is life; just give your best! -DAVID ZHANG
Seeing my mum burst into tears when I told her the news that I got admitted. – MARTIN ZHOU
When one friend from other company told me that his duty was only choosing schools, I told him that my duty was using my own hand to paint my future. – ANDIE JIA
It is the moment that I saw the admission letter from my dream school began with “congratulations”. – STEVEN ZHOU
Hard to pick a moment, the whole 6 months is too meaningful for me. -JUNSHENG CHEN
Henry asked me to sleep in 3 o’clock just before the deadline of ED, but he still set in front of the computer and edited my PS. -- PAMELA HE
Henry turned off all the lights in the office to let me concentrate and become productive. I really enjoyed the peaceful darkness. – LUCY LI
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Gathering Events
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Nanjing 2017er
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Zhengzhou from left to right: Tom ( 李广越） Tang Wen ( 唐文 ) and Haddy ( 曾烨 文)
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Chengdu Christmas Party
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Chengdu Christmas Party
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Beijing Party
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5
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Nanjing Party
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Nanjing Christmas Dinner
NYC Alumni Gathering Events
Poppy Tian, Beibei Li, Rose Lu, Kam Yan
Yoland Yan
Elaine Li, Lang Wang, Livec Gao, Tao Yuan
Liz Connolly, Taylor Li
Shenzhen Alumni Gathering Events
Taylor Li, New York University '16
Peng Bo, Vassar College ‘16
Alex Wang, Shenzhen Experimental School ‘17
Roger Chen, Shenzhen Middle School ‘17
David Zhang, Singapore Raffles Institution '17
Jack Yang, Harvey Mudd College '17
Wen Jing, Pomona College '13
Wen Wen, Columbia University '12 Harvard Graduate school '15
EARLY APPLICATION
RESULTS
Ranking 1 4 4 8 12 13 14 15 17 17 20 23 24 29 33 33 36 37 41 46 46 51 56 58 58 65 68 72 72 83 97 Unranked
College Harvard University 哈佛大学 Columbia University 哥伦比亚大学 University of Chicago 芝加哥大学 Duke University 杜克大学 Northwestern University 西北大学 Johns Hopkins University 约翰霍普金斯大学 Washington University in St. Louis 华盛顿大学圣路易斯分校 Cornell University 康奈尔大学 Rice University 莱丝大学 University of Notre Dame 圣母大学 Emory University 艾莫瑞大学 Carnegie Mellon University 卡耐基梅伦大学 University of Virginia 弗吉尼亚大学 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor 密西根大学安娜堡分校 College of William and Mary 威廉玛丽学院 University of Rochester 罗切斯特大学 Georgia Institute of Technology 佐治亚理工学院 Case Western Reserve University 凯斯西储大学 University of Wisconsin-Madison 威斯康辛大学麦迪逊分校 Pennsylvania State University--University Park 宾州州立大学帕克校区 UIUC 伊利诺伊大学香槟分校 Tulane University 杜兰大学 Northeastern University 东北大学 Fordham University 福特汉姆大学 University of Pittsburgh 匹兹堡大学 Purdue University 普渡大学 University of Minnesota--Twin Cities 明尼苏达大学双子城分校 University of Iowa 爱荷华大学 Michigan State University 密西根州立大学 Indiana University--Bloomington 印第安纳大学伯明顿分校 University of Massachusetts Amherst 马萨诸塞大学安默斯特校区 Rose Hulman Institute of Technology 罗斯霍曼理工学院
Total 1 2 3 3 4 1 1 2 1 1 5 1 12 1 2 1 4 10 1 7 20 1 4 2 2 4 1 1 2 1 1 10
City US(1) US(2) US(1) Hangzhou(1) Shenzhen (1) US(1) Nanjing(1) Wuhan(1) Beijing(1) Hangzhou(1) Shenzhen(2) Hangzhou(1) Nanjing(1: $33,900) Beijing(1: Hotel Administration) Shenzhen(1) Shenzhen(1) Shenzhen(1) Hangzhou(2) Nanjing(1) Shenzhen(1) Xi'an(1) Hangzhou（1） Beijing(1) Chengdu(3) Hangzhou(2) Shenzhen(4) Xi'an(1) Wuhan(1) Beijing(1) Hangzhou(1) Nanjing(1) Beijing(1) Chengdu(1) Nanjing(1) Shenzhen(2) Beijing(3) Hangzhou(3) Nanjing(1) Shenzhen(3) Wuhan(1) Xi'an(1) Xi'an(1) Beijing(1) Hangzhou(4) Shenzhen(1) Xi'an(1) Beijing(8) Chengdu(1) Hangzhou(4) Shenzhen(7) Wuhan(1) Xi'an(1) Beijing(1: $27,000) Chengdu(1) Nanjing(2) Shenzhen(1) Nanjing(1) Shenzhen(1) Wuhan(2) Beijing(2) Hangzhou(2) Xi'an(1) Hangzhou(1) Shenzhen(1) Wuhan(1) Xi'an(1) Hangzhou(1) Beijing(5) Hangzhou(3) Nanjing(1) Shenzhen(1)
LAC 06 LAC 08 LAC 12 LAC 16 LAC 24 LAC 28 LAC 63 LAC 63 LAC 70 Unranked
Wellesley College 卫尔斯利女子学院 Carleton College 卡尔顿学院 Harvey Mudd College 哈维穆德学院 Hamilton College 汉密尔顿学院 Macalester College 麦卡莱斯特学院 Colorado College 科罗拉多学院 Beloit College 伯洛伊特学院 College of Wooster 伍斯特学院 Hendrix College 汉德里克斯学院 Babson College 巴布森学院
1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2
Hangzhou(1) Beijing(1) Nanjing(1: Full FA) Shenzhen(1) Xi'an(1) Beijing(1) Hangzhou(1) Nanjing(1: $1,000) Shenzhen(1: $10,000) Xi'an(2) Xi'an(1) Beijing(1) Shenzhen(1)
ART ART
Rhode Island School of Design 罗德岛设计学院 School of art institute of Chicago 芝加哥艺术学院
1 1
Shenzhen(1) Shenzhen(1)
Cover picture: Albion College Project Manager Pei Yen, Duke University Editor in Chief Kam Yan, Smith College Editors Donna Ding '17 Nanshan Foreign Language School Echo Cheng '17 Shenzhen Middle School Winnie Shi '17 Shenzhen College International Education David Zhang '17 Singapore Raffles Institution Art Editor Sherry He, Macalester College '16