AP（Advanced Placement，中文為高級進修） 和 IB（International Baccalaureate，中文為國際文憑）是美國及國際高中的兩套主要課程。在這篇文章中，我們將深入比較這兩套系統，並教學生如何知道哪套系統更合適。
Author: Ivy-Way Academy
What’s A Safety School
Coming up with a list of colleges can take longer than you expect. Many students end up with more colleges than they intended to because they received suggestions from not only teachers and counselors, but also parents, friends, and sometimes even others’ parents (especially in Asia :P). Though you can choose to not apply to reach/dream schools, one thing you must have is safety school, schools you’re almost guaranteed admissions. In this post, we will tell you how to find these schools and help you make that decision.
Top 25 Best Film Schools in America
Many of my students have thought about being a film major or minor in high school, usually following a film project at school or vlogging for a school event. If that sounds like you, here’s the latest list of Top 25 Film Schools according to Niche.com, and you can use it as the first step of your college search. Some schools are exclusively film schools, meaning they do not offer other undergraduate programs besides film-related disciplines, while some are colleges with an excellent film program.
Tips on UC Application Essay Prompts (Part II)
Previously, we looked at 4 of the 8 UC essay prompts and discussed how you may go about writing them. For those who plan to apply to any of the 9 UC campuses, we will move on to the next 4 prompts and provide a general direction for you to follow as you compose your first draft.
Tips on UC Application Essay Prompts (Part I)
The University of California has 9 campuses that offer undergraduate admissions. For those who plan to apply to any of the 9 schools, you would only need to fill out the UC Application once and check the corresponding campus boxes at the end. Recently, UC has changed its essay prompts, now asking applicants to submit four 350-word essays as opposed to its previous two (1000 words total). Let’s dive into these prompts and look at the crucial points you must touch on and elaborate before submitting your final draft.
ED vs. EA
Waiting for college admissions results can cause tremendous anxiety for most high school seniors. Also, with today’s increasing applicant pool, it’s getting harder for colleges to determine where/who their prospects are. For these reasons, early decision (ED) and early action (EA) were born. In this post, we will examine both ED and EA, compare them to regular decision (RD), and explain to you why they might help you get into your dream school.
All Colleges that Superscore Your SAT
Previously, we’ve discussed the steps to take if you wish to cancel your SAT score, and mentioned that if the schools you’re applying to do not require all of your test scores, you might not have to panic. That’s because many schools will “superscore” your tests! In this post, we will talk about what superscoring means, what you can do about it, and which colleges superscore your tests.
How do you write the “Why NYU” Essay (and other “why ___” essays)
While more and more schools join the Common App and Coalition App, they also want to have a better understanding of their applicants from across the world. One way to do so is using supplement essays, and among various topics, the most popular one is the “Why [School]?” essay prompt because it requires applicants to not only elaborate on their reasons for choosing the school, but also show why they are a good match for the school. In this post, we will use New York University (NYU) as a case study and look at how you may go about writing “Why [School]?” essays.
2019 November SAT (US Test): All 5 Reading Passages!
2019 October SAT was this past weekend. Congrats to seniors and those who just finished their last SAT test!
2019 October SAT (Asia/International Test): All 5 Reading Passages!
2019 October SAT was this past weekend. Congrats to seniors and those who just finished their last SAT test!
大學申請表中的內容（針對父母和學生）
完成大學申請可能很可怕。 在過去的四年高中，您已經做了很多事情，但是現在您必須將所有內容放到幾頁中，然後，您夢想中的學校的招生人員會用它來評估您的人格。
When Should I Take the SAT
If you are between 10th-12th grade, you most certainly have been prepping—or at least heard of—the SAT. The SAT or ACT test is one of the most important and challenging parts when it comes to college admissions, and requires a lot of time and preparation ahead of time. However, it could be very hectic if you have school work, basketball games, band practices, and other extracurricular commitments throughout the school year. Planning is key, and we’d like to make this process easier by helping you schedule your tests.
What to Put Down as Your Major in College App
As you complete your college application and later the supplement questions, most colleges would ask you to indicate your “intended major,” “alternative majors,” or something as simple as “area/field of interests.” There are countless myths about what to put down and whether your answer affects your chance of getting in. Every school can be different when it comes to undergraduate admissions: some schools have requirements for different colleges within the school, while some wouldn’t look at intended major at all.
What To Do If Your GPA Is Bad
If you’re an upperclassman with a mediocre GPA, you might be worried about your chance of getting into your dream college. In this post, we offer some ways for you to mitigate the negative impact of bad grades at school as well as the steps to take proactively.
What Kind of Community Service Should I Do
Many high schools put a strong emphasis on community service and encourage their students to participate in campus-wide events to serve those in need. However, the purpose of community service is to understand how we, as high schoolers, can do our part and make our community better. Many students, especially in Asian countries, think they must do impressive large-scale projects–traveling to different cities and countries–so they can add these experiences to their college application and impress admissions officers. Sorry to break the news, but let me tell you why this could potentially jeopardize your chance of getting into your dream schools.
Schools that Use the Coalition App
If you are currently applying or plan to apply to U.S. colleges, you must have heard about the Common Application, also known as CommonApp. It is an online application for students who plan to apply to multiple schools but requires you to fill out the basic information once. CommonApp can save you a lot of time because once you fill out your basic info, you now can focus on every school’s supplements. Now, there is another online application serving the same purpose, namely the Coalition Application.
SAT Subject Tests (SAT 2) Overview
If you were/are prepping for your SAT, chances are you also need to take the SAT II: Subject Tests. These tests are used for colleges to identify and determine a student’s strength and interest in particular subjects, such as math, literature, history, etc. SAT II is offered six times a year, and because each test is 60 minutes, students may choose to take up to three tests on the same day. Most colleges (especially prestigious schools) would specifically ask for 2 or more SAT II scores, while some are test-flexible or test-optional.
SAT Percentiles of the New SAT (since 2016)
As soon as you finish—or even before—your official SAT test, you’re probably wondering what a good score on the test should be. Today, we’ll introduce SAT percentiles for the new SAT administered since 2016, and help you understand how good your score is compared to others’.
Popular Schools Among International Applicants (and their acceptance rates)
In the past 10 years, almost every college in the U.S. has been receiving more and more applications. some have doubled, or even tripled the number since the end of last century. While many schools are adjusting their enrollment and also accepting more students, increasing popularity means the applicant pool is more competitive than ever. In 2017, UCLA became the first school to reach 100,000 applications in a single application season. We will look at the acceptance rate of some popular schools among high schoolers.
How to Write the Common App Essay (Part 2)
Previously, we discussed the general strategies when it comes to writing Common App essays, and examine the following three topics:
