对六位优秀学生的访问纪实
肖 红
今天将刊登几年前我对六位优秀学生的英文电话采访记录。在此之后，被采访的几位优秀学生并非全被常青藤大学录取。由于他（她）们各自的起点不同，其中一个从中国来美国仅几年后便参加了高考。总之，他们各自均有他们的优秀及闪光点。值得当今在校的中学生，高中生，乃至于大学生学习与效仿。衷心地祝愿学生及家长们能通过《海外文轩》此平台所登载的对优秀学生和家长们的访问纪实有所收获！
今天我首先采访的是：蔡小津 （Jennifer Xiaojin Cai ）
Q: Hi, Jennifer! Would you please briefly introduce yourself and list all the awards and honors in high school?
A: Sure. I am Jennifer Xiaojin Cai, from Ann Arbor, MI. As a new alumna of Huron High School, I graduated number one in my class of 469, along with being a 2003 United States Presidential Scholar, National Merit Scholarship recipient, and AP Scholar with Honors. I look forward to joining the class of 2007 at Harvard College this fall. Besides being a student, I enjoy many extracurricular interests that have made me a musician, a scientist, an engineer, a journalist, and a teacher. I have been first chair alto saxophone for three years and am also an officer in the Huron High School Symphony Band that was named as one of the top 7 music programs in the nation by the Grammy Foundation. I serve as a director on the board of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra as well as teach saxophone to students I my community. In 2001, I won top awards at the regional science fair for my research on the application of airplane wings to Bernoulli’s principle. Last summer, I worked in a Columbia University biomedical engineering lab to study the effects of physical stimulation on cartilage-producing cells. I also served as cover, news, and sports editor of the newspaper during my high school career, exposing issues ranging from the war in Iraq to a secret “ dungeon” in the basement of my high school. To help students after-school, I began tutoring in chemistry and biology, two subjects that I love and hope to combine for study in the future.
Awards and Honors
2003 United States Presidential Scholar (2003 )
National Merit Scholarship Recipient ( 2003 )
AP Scholar with Honors (2002 )
Nominated for the 2002 National Council of Teachers of English Writing Achievement Award
Recipient of the Mervyn’s Local Hero Scholarship ( 2003 )
Received the University of Michigan Engineering Scholarship of Honor for $ 40,000 (2003 )
Received a University of Michigan Regents Merit Scholarship ( 2003 )
Named as a Ford Dean’s Scholar from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science of Northwestern University (2003)
Received a Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP ) Merit Award Scholarship (2003 )
Inducted into the National Honor Roll ( 2003 )
First Chair a lot saxophone for 3 years ( 1999, 2001-2003 )
Awarded Best Musician by Huron Band faculty and alumni (2002 )
Received highest rating of I for all State Solo and Ensemble Festival events: three saxophone solo blue medals, one saxophone ensemble blue medals and one piano solo blue medal ( 2000-2003 )
Received highest rating of I for all District Solo and Ensemble Festival events: four saxophone solo blue medals, two saxophone ensemble blue medals, and two piano solo blue medals ( 2000-2003 )
National Adjudicator’s Invitational Superior Rating for performance in the Dixie Classics Festival eld in San Antonio, TX (2001)
Received a score of 97 out of 100 at the annual Student Achievement Testing Day ( SATD) for level 6 in piano (2001 ) . Received two trophies for continued high performance on level 8 ( 2002 ) and level 10, the highest level in Michigan (2003 )
8th place overall at 2002 Science Olympiad Stated Competition, 3 medals at the Science Olympiad Regional Competition, 3 medals at the Clio Invitational ( 2000-2002 )
Southeastern Michigan Science Fair Senior Division ( physics and Engineering ) 3rd place Award; EMU Chapter of Society of Physics Student Award; U of M Women in Science and Engineering Program Honorable Mention Award; Certificate of Recognition from Ann Arbor Chapters of the American Statistical Association; Recognition from the United States Army for Outstanding Project (2001 )
Huron High School Outstanding Academic Achievement Award ( 1999-2003 )
Midwest Talent Search Award for Highest Level of Distinction as top scorer on SAT I over 8,000 students; attended “ Hats-Off” Ceremony for Top Scorers ( 1999 )
Midwest Talent Search Recognition Award ( 1999 )
Q: You are really an outstanding girl from the brief introduction you gave to us. In high school, besides your heavy courses, you took part in a lot of activities and for Band and newspaper even for four years each. That’s a great experience for you. Could you tell us how you managed your time so well to deal with the relationship between academics and activities?
A: Sure. Contrary to what many people believe, students these days are no longer narrowly focused on grades and not participating in activities. The problem now has become students spreading themselves thin in order to pad resumes and profiles. I used to think that just because you went to a couple of meetings of a club, you were automatically a member. While that is how it all starts, I had to put in much more effort and time to fully gain the pleasures and rewards of joining an organization. The only way a student can ever put in that time happily is if he/she is having fun as well. There is nothing wrong with signing up for a myriad of clubs your first year; I was guilty of it too. But after a couple of meetings, you should be able to gauge your interest in an activity pretty well. This is when you should start making some decisions. I made my choices based on my passions. I was a member of the band and newspaper for four years each, giving me a sense of pride and it felt like having family at school. They also taught me a lot about how to interact with others to gain a common perspective and reach a common goal, important skills for the future, yet all done somewhat unconsciously while I was too busy having fun.
Q: Your parents must be very proud of your gaining United States Presidential Scholar of 2003. Could you share with us some of the Highlights of National Recognition Week in Washington DC?
A: OK. My parents who brought me up, are very proud of me for gaining 2003 United States Presidential Scholar though it was a big surprise to me. National Recognition Week was an experience I will never forget. It started off with seminars and lectures on the second day. Rabbi Lee Bycel gave a talk on leadership and ethics that turned quickly into a lively debated over semantics of philosopher’s meanings. We spent much of the time discussing Plato’s allegory of the cave from his work, The Republic. I was enlightened to a new way of seeing the ancient piece. Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr spoke next on Near East relations, specifically in his home country of Iran as the foundation for a more effective United States. He emphasized the value of an open forum in these relations. That evening was the Salute to the 2003 Presidential Scholars at the Kennedy Center. It began with a visual arts exhibition that featured paintings, video and photography. One of my favorite paintings was called “ After Supper”., a play on Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper while cleverly fitting the classic into the background. I was so enthralled by the intellectual subtleties the artists were able to portray in their works. What followed was an amazing performance by more Arts scholars that included classical piano and clarinet; compositions; ballet, modern dance , and traditional Indian dance; theatrical monologues; and popular and operatic voice. A the end, every scholar got on stage and introduced him/herself. With “ God Bless the USA” playing in the background, I felt overwhelmingly proud of what we had all accomplished in order to be on stage that night. The big surprise of that evening came when the Vice president of GMAC announced that they took out a full-page ad in USA Today that had all of our names and pictures!
The next day was filled with a State Department foreign policy briefing and a White House Insights Briefing. I learned that you might have trouble becoming a diplomat if you have a unique mark, such as a tattoo and how much effort it takes to manage our nation’s foreign policy. That evening, we were aboard the Spirit of Potomac, as we glided through the river for a lovely dinner cruise. I was so glad to have some time to finally relax with the other scholars, as we talked about our lives back home, plans for college, and shared some good old fashioned “ Bushisms” . Tuesday was a big day: the White House Tour. It is indeed very difficult to obtain a pass into the White House, especially after September 11th. The tour itself was self-guided, so I was able to peek into the majestic Sate Dining Room, shown in all its glory of crown moldings and marble floors. The length-wise dining table was decorated simply with an overflowing bouquet of bright spring flowers. This elegant mood was disrupted briefly by a splattering of red from one scholar’s inopportune bloody nose. That afternoon, we had some free time to explore the National Mall. Our self-proclaimed group first tackled the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History and then the National Gallery of Art where I posed next to some very recognizable portraits of Van Gogh and Rembrandt! That evening came the biggest surprise of all: after waiting for what seemed like decades in the 95 degree heat on Capitol Hill, we were all excited to learn that First Lady Laura Bush would be the keynote speaker at the Teacher Recognition Dinner! This meant a photo-op and general chaos in terms of security. I was nervous while waiting in line; I had never met a dignitary or true celebrity before! She was wearing a light green suit with brass buttons and looked very motherly when I caught my first glimpse of her in person. Up close, she was radiant and looked much younger than on television. She kindly asked me where I was headed off to for college after I introduced myself. Then, it was all over.During dinner, the art gallery where the reception was held, all the scholars were abuzz over our fortune at meeting Mrs. Bush. In a moment of weakness, one scholar asked her in Bush would show up at the Medallion Ceremony as it had been rumored that he wouldn’t make it for the second year in a row. To this, she responded, “ I sure hope he does!”
Unfortunately, the President was unable to attend the Medallion Ceremony the last day. Commissioners of the program gave us our hefty medals inscribed with our names and Bush’s signature back stage and the Secretary of Education Rod Paige spoke at length about a promising future. At this point, I had already been in heels for more days and hours than I cared to imagine and was just trying to stand up straight! One more walk across the stage with my fellow scholars marked the end of an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience that will forever be ingrained in my memory.
Q: It is said that you got full scores for both of your SATI and SATII. How did you manage to get them as well as balancing with extracurricular commitments?
A: I realized early on that standardized tests were the only across-the-board measurement of students’ abilities from all over the nation, and therefore was the key to placing myself in a better position for admission into a top school. I know many students take courses to improve their SAT scores, but I believe that those classes are very useful for a boost when your base score is under 1300. If your goal is higher, then in my experience, the best method is to purchase or borrow practice books from the different study material companies, such as Barron’s, Kaplan, Princeton Review, ARCO, Peterson’s , etc. First, be sure to understand the concepts hat you are being tested on. It doesn’t make sense to do problems when you don’t even know what it’s asking. Then focus on your weak areas with isolated practice over and over. It may be slow at first, but that’s because there is always a learning curve involved. There really are no “ tricks”; just repeated practice and it’s the way I mastered my SAT I and SAT II’s.
When it comes down to studying for the SAT’s and taking time to participate in an extracurricular activity, I always weigh the consequences and specific situations. In most cases, you only have a short window of time to study for the exam and no one wants to take it again, so a couple of months before, I tend to study more intensely. However, this does not mean that you have to give up your activities entirely. Senior year, I was going to take the chemistry SAT II and found that I just didn’t have enough time blocked out for studying due to extracurricular. I finally made the decision, along with my parents’ guidance, to hold off on my piano lessons for achievement testing that spring until after the big test. I not only managed to get a perfect score on my Chemistry exam, but also passed level 10 of the Michigan Music Teacher’s Association’s s SATD. So I think it is entirely possible to juggle the two, as long as you prioritize for the short term while not forgetting the long term.
Q: At the seminar, your Mom was invited to give a speech. From what she talked we can see that your family has a lot of time sharing, right? Could you tell us how important your family’s guidance and example to your life from childhood to today?
A: As an only child, I knew I was lucky because I did not have to fight for my parents’ attention. I thought of being an only child as something special and an experience that not every kid gets. As a result, I have always had a wonderfully open relationship with my parents where I know that I am being unconditionally loved and supported. I used to be introverted little girl, but over the years, I have found my personal voice and am not afraid to pursue what I believe is important. I owe much of this to my parents who have given me the confidence and security to take on challenges outside the home. I think my ability to make informed decisions come from my parents’ love of discussion and debate. When I was younger, I would listen intently as my parents weighed the pros and cons of every important decision. As I grew older, they would encourage me to add my own insight to a situation. It made me feel engaged and active when they considered my ideas. This regular exchange of dialogue also bred my creative thing so that I was able to come up with unique and improvised comments. I also learned how to make reasonable compromise and to solve problems in the real world, a skill that I think is indispensable in every aspect of life. I have since brought many a dilemma to my parents for a family meeting and I always come out feeling better about a tricky situation or more confident in my position. Most of these discussions would be held at the dinner table. It wasn’t until I went over to a friend’s house for a sleepover that I realized that not all families eat together. Dinnertime was an opportunity to share our experiences of the day and there was always that question: “ How was school today?” I often worked a little harder in a certain subject or made an extra effort to be helpful so that I could report back that evening something positive that my parents would be proud of. Later, this motivation to excel grew beyond the dinner table and became inborn, something that I wished for myself and not just for my parents. Subsequently, I became consciously aware of the fact that I wanted to be a well-rounded person, with many interests and a diverse collection of ideas. High school was the perfect place for me to explore these interests and mold my personality into one that was caring, honest, and determined. I strongly believe that through my family’s guidance and example, I am able to realize the kind of person I want to be now and in the future.
Q: Congratulations to all you have achieved! Thank you for you accepting my interview.
A: Thank you too for offering me this opportunity to have this interview.
下面我将采访的是：火冰。
Brief Introduction: Huo Bing, graduated from Troy High School in 2002 and now as a sophomore at California Institute of Technology (Caltech), majoring in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering. In his spare time, he likes playing piano and computer games. Also he actively involved himself in church youth group.
Q: As a sophomore at Caltech, through one year’s study, what’s the big difference between high school and university?
A: After a year in college, to sum it up, it is NOTHING like high school. If you ask if anything changed since high school? The answer would be a lot shorter. College is much harder than High School, regardless of if your attending a top university or a Community college. The course load and the work load are incomparable. You will spend less time in classes and more time doing work. And the work is simply much harder. I found myself completely shifting from giving help to everyone else to begging for help from everyone else. Almost all of the people who found high school to be a blow off will find a rude awakening.
Most people who found high school to be easy are used to everyone coming easily. This WILL change in college, and you can either change and be ready for it or be swallowed by it. All the suicides and dropouts you hear about at MIT or whatever are people who could not deal with the fact that not everything comes so easy any more. So before you go to college, you need to prepare yourself. The classes will NOT be easy. The homework will NOT be a breeze. You will ( most probably ) NOT be at the top of your class. And the hardest, yes, you WILL have to learn how to study. Anyone starting college will just have to be prepared for this, because college is not just a tougher version of high school, it’s a whole new animal.
With the freedom that all high school students seek so much, comes much greater responsibility and hassle. You are on your own now, and you will have to start taking care of stuff that you did not have to before. It is just all a part of the big wheel of life. It will be challenging and uncomfortable at first, but at the end of the year, you will realize tat you are a tougher, more independent, and wiser person. Trial by fire, if you will the freedom is great, but sometimes you will still miss certain things about home that you took for granted.
Q: Some high school students take as many as possible for AP classes by competing with their friends. What is your advice to them? What is the advantage and disadvantage in University for those taking more or less AP classes in high school?
A: A bit part of high school that is almost overshadowing SATs is APs so of course, the typical response of overachievers and Asian parents everywhere is: OVERRACT!!! Take as many as you can! It can make the difference between executive at multibillion international corporation or diseased street sweeper on the streets of Mogadishu. The truth? NO NO NO!!! APs are more for your own benefit than anyone else. Yes, taking more APs will help colleges know that you are challenging yourself. Yes, more AP credits may mean skipping base level classes, saving on tuition , and graduating earlier. But at what price? Many people mess up their GPAs in their senior year by taking too many AP classes ( I know at least one such person , heh heh heh…) And sometimes,
Testing out of classes backfires. Not learning certain classes at a college level may be harmful towards your later education ( if your do not know the subject as well or as deep as you thought ). Saving on tuition does not always happen, and graduating earlier is overrated. And in some cases, APs might not even get you as much as you thought. In my clases, APs might not even get you as much as you thought. In my case, none of my AP credits count for anything. And if I HAD actually skipped out of some classes, I would have missed a lot of course material that I did not actually know. It would have come back and bitten me when I took higher level courses.
Does that mean do not take APs? No way! MY advice to high school students is: take them, take the tests, skip out of classes. But with everything else, like SAT preparation, GPA, extracurricular: do not overreact. Just think about what the actual benefits are, and make the rational choice. Easier said than done, but most times it should be somewhat obvious. Take calculus AB for a physics major? Probably. Take Microeconomics and European medieval art AP for a electrical engineering major? Probably not.
Q: What social work do you currently do at Caltech besides academically? Do you think it is worthy to take part in some activities in the University?
A: Yes. It keeps your college life more interesting if you do something besides academically and also it develops a more rounded person, and keeps you sane sometimes. I participated a few different campus organizations, like the Christian Fellowship, the community service group, and even the school newspaper. I have also become involved in my residence houses government after being elected into an office. There are many chances to do social events with other students, as well as intramural sports. It’s a good way to meet people and to spend your free time. And no matter what your interests are, at any college, you will find people who share the interest. All work and no play will make anyone a really dull, imbalanced, and one-dimensional person.
And aside from the purely social events, take advantage of your surroundings and what they have to offer. I took advantage of the proximity Hollywood with a Price Is Right appearance. That, I am definitely thankful for and makes me appreciated choosing Caltech over other schools. No matter where your school is, the area will have something special and unique to offer. It might not be game shows, but I am sure it can be just as meaningful and fulfilling.
Q: Thanks for your accepting my interview and giving so many valuable advices to high school students.
A: It is a pleasure for me to do so. And also thank you for offering me this opportunity to talk to the students from high school or the freshman to the Universities.
下面我将采访的是：Jenny 胡。
Brief Introduction: Jenny Hu, came to the U.S. just four years ago and graduated from Troy High last year, now as a sophomore majoring in both Engineering Arts-Supply Chin Management and Packaging in Michigan State University.
Q: Hi, Jenny! I called you last night, but your parents told me that you were working in Wendy’s. Do you think by working in the restaurant can help you gaining some experience?
A: Yes. Working at Wendy’s helps me significantly on adapting to the society---teaming up with crew, and communicating with people has improved my speaking skills.
Q: You came to the United States just four years ago. How did you manage to overcome your language problems and quickly adapt yourself to the most pressured high school year and enable you passing the entrance exams of ACT and SAT smoothly?
A: Looking back in the high school days, there were so much memorable moments. I went to Troy High as a sophomore. For four years there, I went through bilingual, basic, regular, and college prep English courses. In my senior year, I took three AP classes, which are Calculus BC, Physics BC, and Chemistry. I know I wouldn’t be able to handle English related AP courses due to my poor English, so I choose the fair amount for myself, in order to receive a better grade. Fortunately, these classes brought me a comfortable status in college. Basic and higher level of classes gave me a perfect balance for my freshman year.
Q: From your seminar, I can feel that you are kind of “ knowing yourself well and trying to be yourself “ girl, so how did you choose the fair amount of AP classes, and then made you have a good start in your college?
A: Yes. I am that kind of “ knowing myself well and trying to be myself “ girl. Basing on my ability and language skills, I only took three AP classes in high school. However, friends of mine who took lots of AP classes in high school, once they got into college; they had to compete with sophomores and juniors. And we should know that people have to spend at least one semester to get used to the college life as our first entering into the college. There are so much distractions going on in college, which you have to learn how to resist. Anyway, do not compare with friends on how many AP classes you are taking, do how much you can do . That would be my best advice for all the high school students. In a word, taking fair amount of AP classes in high school made me have a good starting in college and a good starting in college also provided me so much confidence for my future studies in the Michigan State University.
Q: How is your first summer vacation in the college? Working every day? Would you please share with us some of your vacation life?
A: Your question about my summer life makes me feel most proud of. Now I have been taking three summer courses and at the same time have three jobs. Time management seems the most important thing to me now. Why three classes, you may ask? Because of my double majors--- I wish that I can take as many classes as I can to save up time for my further abroad studies or internship in Australia. And in this way I can at least have two
Benefits: Easier professors and cheaper tuitions. Why three jobs? First, because I what to be more independent, trying to pay as much as I can for college and reducing my parents’ duty. Secondly, three different jobs now provide me different experiences. Witnessing ------Focused more on people’s relationship; Wendy’s ------fast food service helps me picking up working speed; and for New York & Company’s retail selling makes me learned language art, such as: how to introduce products to the customers and making them feel interested and willing to buy the products from you. Also I’ve learned how to evaluate people’s dressing color, style and fashion, etc. Above all, I like challenging myself, for you never know how much you can do until you give a try . But also I always talk to myself: ”Don’t push too hard”, for this might make you both study and work wisely.
Q: Congratulations to you, Jenny! Within such a short time------four years, you have achieved great progress in all different fields. Before ending this interview, do you have something to say to the current high school students?
A: Yes. All roads lead to Rome. I believe everyone has his or her ability or disability in some fields. For me I didn’t do well in the ACT or SAT, but it doesn’t matter. I can still find a way out. My life in Michigan State looks great for me so far. Not all the Chinese students have to aim for Harvard, MIT, Yale, etc. Always setting realist and best fit goals for yourself is very important. At last, good luck for all the high school students.
下面我将采访的是：陈亦橙。
Brief Introduction: Yicheng Chen , graduated from Troy High School this year and was a freshman in Harvard University of 2003.
Q: Hi, Yicheng! I went to the seminar last Saturday, your speech impressed me that you are a goal oriented boy. In high school, you set not only short term goal, but also long term goal. In your speech, you even used “ sacrifice” that word to describe your study status, which few kids like your age can do, I think. Do you mind me having an interview with you now?
A: No, not at all.
Q: How did you sacrifice those things you were interested in and how did you focus on short term and long term goals which enabled you to enter Harvard?
A: I loved TV, video games, and sports as much as any other boy. However, I also loved reading and learning. My goal was to get into a top college to pursue a quality education. With the help and support of my father, I began to plan a way to achieve this lofty goal. I realized that in order to accomplish this long term dream, I needed to fulfill many small requirements. Thus I made many short term goals which were essentially steps toward my long term goal. I prioritized these short term goals based on urgency and importance and tried to focus on them one at a time. By splitting my Herculean task into small chunks, I was better able to see the progress I made and this boosted my motivation. Also, it was easier to keep my goals in mind and work toward accomplishing them.
Whenever I wanted to watch TV or play video games or go out with friends, I would remember the practice test sitting on my desk or the club activity I had to plan . Keeping my goals in mind helped me balance my time between work and play and helped me avoid losing myself in entertaining but unproductive activities.
Q: In your presentation, you told the audience that applicants to top colleges can not only just simply by telling them you are smart and you are different from others. How did you do it? Would you please give me more details how you made yourself stand out on your college application and essay?
A: Only my college application, I mentioned all my accomplishments in school, as well as my involvement in extracurricular activities and competitions. Colleges were able to infer from my excellent grades, test scores, and competition results that I am an intelligent, dedicated, and capable student. My leadership positions and involvement in extracurricular activities also reveals my dedication, leadership skills, and social skills. Thus, by presenting myself through my actions, I was able to provide colleges with evidence that I am different, I am special, and that I am a student that the college wants among it freshmen class.
Q: OK. I understand what you mean now. On your college application and essay, you tried to use the facts and detail actions to make them believe how special you are and make them really think that you are the right outstanding boy they have been searching for, right?
A: Kind of like that.
Q: Do you think you should owe your personal success today all to yourself or some to your parents?
A: Although I believe family is important to a student’s success, I think the majority of the responsibility falls to the student. No matter how hard parents push their children, if the child does not want to work hard, the child will resist the parents. The student must set his own goals; he must have the desire to reach his goals; he must have the self discipline to make sacrifices in order to reach his goals. For me, although my parents helped me in planning an supported my efforts, it was I who pushed myself to accomplish my goals and to realize my dream.
Q: Thank you for your accepting my interview today and wish you good luck at Harvard University.
A: Thank you for your offering me this opportunity to have this interview.
下面我将采访的是：金裕善（Yuahn Kim )。
Brief Introduction: Yuahn Kim，came to the United States at age of five. Since then she said she became a very driven, goal-oriented, but also caring person. She just graduated from Athens High School this year and became a freshman of MIT of 2003, but with her major undecided yet. Her hobbies are: crafting, scrap booking, watching classic movies, and reading.
Q: As a student in Athens High School, do you feel any difference with the students in Troy High? How do you think of your teachers’ teaching method and the studying environment of your school?
A: Even though many students from Troy High might disagree, I feel that the Athens environment is just as good as Troy High’s. We have the same programs, and our teachers are of the same quality. Athens is often considered inferior to Troy High, but I would describe out environment more nurturing because there isn’t as much tough competition and pressure to excel. No matter what anyone says, I still stand firm that Athens is an excellent school.
Q: Yes. I remember Janet H. Jopke---superintendent of Troy School District also told me that no big difference between Troy High and Athens Schools when I had an interview with her one year ago by asking her the same question. Kim, did you set your goal to enter into MIT as you just entered into high school or some time even earlier than that?
A: No. All I knew during most of high school was that I wanted to do well in classes to keep the best options open for the future. If I would have been told in my freshman year that I would have done as well as I did in high school and would eventually get accepted to MIT, I would not believe it. Only later on during my junior year did I seriously look into my options for college, and I set MIT on the very top of that list.
Q: I called you last night, but our Mom told me you had already been in MIT for the Freshman Orientation Program, right? Would you please tell us something about your MIT Freshman Orientation Program? Then we call can share the joy with you.
A: I’m actually in a Freshman Pre-Orientation Program. There many of them here at MIT, and the freshmen who participate come a week earlier than the rest of freshman. My FPOP is the Freshman Urban Program, in which we volunteer all over the Poston-Cambridge area to make a difference in our new urban environment. We learn all about the major urban issues, become familiar with our new home earlier than most freshmen, and also meet so many ( about 70) of our new classmates. Some kink of exciting stuffs might be waiting for me in the coming week and days, I think. I would like share with you some other time later.
Q: Do you think now it is the right time for you to set your new goal? What is your short-term and long-term goal at MIT?
A: My short term goal is to decide which dorm hall I want to stay in permanently. My long term goal is not only to graduate within four years, but to have many learning experiences, meet new and interesting people, excel academically, and grow as a person to better understand the real world.
Q: Thank you very much your accepting my interview.
A: You are welcome.
下面我将采访的是：吕珊珊。
Brief Introduction: Sharon Lu, just graduated from Troy High School and is a freshman in Yale University of 2003.
Q: Hi, Sharon! I went to the seminar last Saturday. What you impressed audience most is that you took part in a lot of activities in high school. Could you tell us how you managed to do that as well as still kept high GPA and good score for SAT?
A: In high school, I participated in Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) and by senior year, I was elected the treasurer. I was also part of the National Honors Society, and I was chairperson for one of the activities. For all four years, I participated in the Troy High Symphony Orchestra, and the Troy Country Fiddlers for the last two years. Outsider of school, I volunteered over 150 hours at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. In addition, I was also selected to be a news correspondent for Teen People magazine. Through my involvement with the magazine, I was chosen to be one of 25 youth leaders in the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Over the course of a year and a half, I participated in 3 national conferences, a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, and worked with various medias ( Teen People, The Detroit Free Press, Channel One ) to promote our teen pregnancy prevention.
Q: Do you think one’s character is important to his or her success?
A: Yes. I believe that succeeding—both in high school and beyond—is more the result of one’s character than one’s intelligence. Being “smart” is not knowing all the right answers to test questions, but rather what one must do to get there. I have a strong believe in hard work and its ability to bridge the gap between the “natural geniuses” and the more “normal” students, like myself. More than anything in high Schoo, I realized that the people we call “smart” are the people who put in the most work. And so in that sense, whether or not one succeeds ultimately depends upon his or her desire to do so.
Q: Do you think it is important for your getting counselor’s recommendation letter for the application of the college?
A: Yes. It is very important for you to get to know a counselor as soon as you get into the high school. For as we know, usual hundreds of students by writing recommendation letters for them. So in this way, my advice to high school students is: as earlier as possible to get a counselor and as much as possible to approach him letting him know you better than the others, such as: what is your short term and long term goal and how you have tried to get them achieved one by one, etc. Anyway, only by letting your counselor know you well can make him ( her ) write a good recommendation letter for you as you apply for the universities.
Q: I know your parents, your twin sister and you get along with very well. Would you please share with us some of your close relationship family life ?
A: Yes. Without question, my close relationship with my family has allowed me to achieve over and beyond what I thought was possible. Throughout high school, my parents were a constant source of encouragement and support. However, the most important thing they offered me was the reassurance that they will always be behind me regardless of my SAT or final exam scores. Being able to communicate with my family about my ideas and activities really provided me with the opportunity to grow and really understand what it is that I love, that I am passionate about.
Q: Thank you for your accepting my interview today and wish you a good luck at Yale University!
A: Thank you for your offering me such an opportunity to have this interview.