Avoid fighting for high scores and choosing an unpopular major to become a shortcut to college
Don't fight for grades, don't believe in cold degrees, don't trust those that lead to college"Shortcuts"In fact, don't believe in the child buried in my heart.
Due to the relatively relaxed admission rules for studying abroad, especially at American universities, some families try to realize their children's dreams of studying abroad through abnormal means. One of these strategies is called"Curves save the country", that is, by choosing an unpopular major first, and then changing majors to enter the popular majors of your choice, so as to enter the ideal school. Intermediaries often advertise this strategy, but behind this seemingly shortcut lies a dangerous lurk.
Another seemingly convenient way stems from the test selection policy of the popular year, according to which the submission of standardized scores is not mandatory. This has become a shortcut in the eyes of some candidates who are unable to get a high score. However, these so-called shortcuts can have a negative impact on students' futures, not only in terms of their actual adaptation and academic performance in studying abroad, but also in terms of the long-term impact on their outlook on life and values.
There are a number of requirements that need to be met to apply to U.S. universities, including a 30 or above (converted to GPA in **), TOEFL score of 78 or above, or IELTS score of 6A score of 5 or above, and SAT or ACT scores (may be required). These requirements result in a painstaking preparation process for students who begin preparing for the TOEFL or IELTS exams from their sophomore or junior year of high school. However, starting in 2020, many U.S. universities have adopted a test-choice policy, where the SAT or ACT is optional, and applicants can choose not to submit these test scores.
This is one for some students"Shortcuts", they don't need to prepare for the SAT or ACT exams, they only need to submit their high school scores and language test scores (such as TOEFL or IELTS) to submit their application. However, students who give up on preparing for the exam may face some problems. First, the lack of exam stress can cause them to postpone vocabulary improvement, putting off study stress to the college level. Second, the lack of exam supervision can lead to great difficulty in writing and reading in English in the first year of college, affecting academic performance.
In fact, the process of preparing for the SAT and ACT exams is not just about getting test scores, but also about laying the groundwork for college studies in advance. These exams cover the knowledge of English, math, and science required for university study, providing students with the opportunity to prepare for classes in advance. However, students who choose to forgo exam preparation under the test selection policy may lose this early advantage.
In general, choosing a shortcut may seem easy in the short term, but it can be risky in the long run. It is important for students to take a long-term view and see exams as a tool to improve their own strengths, not just a goal. Students who choose to take shortcuts may face challenges in their future academic performance, so this decision should be carefully considered.
For a long time, changing majors at American universities was considered a relatively easy strategy, which led many students to take it"Curves save the country"The method is to enter an unpopular major first, and then transfer to the major that you were originally interested in in the second year. This strategy is not only favored by international student agents and families, but is also considered to be a good way to get into a prestigious university"Shortcuts"。
From a student's point of view, getting into the ideal school with relatively low grades seems to be a strip"Shortcuts", and from an agent's point of view, applying for admission and transferring can generate income for the agent, multiplying its profits. However, this path does not always work out.
According to the test-oriented education policy, some passed"Curves save the country"Students who enter prestigious schools, despite their unsatisfactory SAT or ACT scores, are often investigated and punished by the school due to their poor performance during college, especially some famous science and engineering schools, which soon close the channel for changing majors. In recent years, the number of applicants for popular majors such as computer science has far outstripped the capacity of schools, leading to the closure of some schools"Popular for changing majors"of the gates.
Georgia Tech has announced that due to the high demand for computer science majors, freshmen will not be able to transfer to the program starting in the summer of 2024. Several other universities have taken similar measures, limiting transfer slots for popular courses because of the increasing competition and stringent exams.
Popular promotion majors"The narrowing or even closure of channels means that some are trying to get into prestigious schools"Save the country"of students and parents are in a situation where hope is dashed. In order to successfully adopt this strategy, intermediaries often help students apply to very unpopular majors such as philosophy, theology, and even Chinese, Latin, etc. However, just because these courses are less popular doesn't mean they're less difficult to learn. The subjects of these courses are quite complex, and if students do not do well on their exams, their hopes of changing majors may be dashed.
Transferring schools also means that students need to put in more effort and energy. Some parents who have successfully transferred schools have said:"The child must have a strong desire to transfer to another school on his or her own in order to put in the effort for the whole year. If the child is not motivated, the parent's efforts may be in vain"。
Despite the fact that the social ** is full of students"Help"Behind these successes, there are still many students who are full of anxiety every day as they have to cope with their academics and apply for transfers and take exams. Some students even lost the courage to try.
For example, a student applies to a philosophy degree at a university in the United States and tries to use that as a springboard to apply for the degree of their choice. However, due to their lack of interest in philosophy, they have a poor foundation and are unable to meet the GPA threshold required to change majors. After a few years of hard work, there was nothing they could do.
There are also students who apply for pure physics majors at universities and want to transfer or transfer to popular majors at a higher university. However, investing energy in areas that you are not good at and that you are not interested in will backfire.
However, these failures are often suppressed, only"Saving the country by bend"Success stories will be hyped up by intermediaries.
While there are also some students who are goal-oriented and capable of learning and chase their dreams by putting in more effort, there are also those who try to pass"Curves save the country"It is quite difficult for students who are admitted to prestigious universities to be admitted to universities and then work hard in college. All looking"Shortcuts"of people are walking a tightrope, putting themselves in the middle of an adventurous game that will one day become the norm of life.
In recent years, the U.S. degree application has been in the"Thinking in shortcuts"More and more common, even more severe. In order to gain admission to prestigious schools, some students apply for lifelong courses or extended courses through intermediaries, similar to"**Faculty of Education"or"University of Electrical Engineering"of the course.
There are also agents who can help students apply to community colleges, language courses or preparatory programs near prestigious schools. Here, the tuition fees are low, the admission requirements are low, and you can transfer to your favorite prestigious school after one to two years. However, the environment and student source of community colleges, language classes or preparatory classes are far from those of prestigious schools, and the students are not excellent students from all over the world, if not so much"Mixed with fish"。
In such an environment, it is difficult for students to guarantee good academic performance every day. If they can't successfully transfer to the prestigious school of their choice, their future will be affected.
The environment and people are mutually influential. In language classes and preparatory classes, students may feel that they can be lazy if they see other students not studying. At community colleges, students may lose their fear of drugs if they see local American students smoking**.
Only by accumulating enough strength and knowledge is the real shortcut to studying abroad. All students should build on their own knowledge and strengths, and strive to make their favorite courses and schools continue to improve and develop. There are no shortcuts, the biggest shortcut is to go all out.