As we approach summer, it’s a great time for your daughter or son to take advantage of the free time and frankly, read.
However, the question may be: What should they read?
A Top 10 Boarding School, Milton Academy recommends the following fiction novels for their rising 6th graders:
近日，我們一位中學家長查詢：頂級寄宿學校與一般學校的分別是甚麼？這是一個非常好的問題，而且可以有很多不同的答案。其實每位學生都有不同的生活體驗，成長背景，個人能力等等的情況，學校會視乎學生的需要而提供合適的元素。我們希望把所發現的資訊整理與你們一一分享。
在整理的過程中，我們學生大部份都考進了頂級的寄宿學校，甚至畢業後成為我們教學諮詢團隊的一份子，真的感到很欣慰！其中一位寄宿學校顧問—Tim Wong，分享他對美國頂級的寄宿學校的想法和母校的內幕消息。在安多弗畢業的他希望以「過來人」的身份讓學生們了解更多進入馬薩諸塞州，菲利普斯學院安多弗的優勝之處。
在安多弗的三年是我人生最美好的三年。
我喜歡安多弗不是因為它是常青藤的背景或是它風景如畫的綠色大草坪；亦不是名人的畢業生名單或輝煌的歷史；更不是多元化的課程或是出色而滿有教學熱誠的教授們，雖然，這些都無不使安多弗美好，但對我來說它最特別的地方其實很簡單—人。
有許多統計數據指出安多弗在網站宣稱他們代表45個州，有 9%的國際學生代表，但這些數據仍不能形容學生組織的能力和獨特性。在其他學生到校前一星期，我參加了一個國際學生的迎新營成為我留學的美好序幕。迎新營是由學生自發舉辦的，他們熱情和溫暖的款待，滋潤和安慰我們30多名遠道而來的留學生的心靈。當時的破冰活動我仍歷歷在目：＂大聲說出自己的成就＂，我們中間有奧運選手，有在世界上最大的音樂廳表演的音樂天才，有出版文學的作家，而他們都不超過15歲呢！縱然在安多弗的大廳充滿富有才華，驚人天賦的學生，但他們的學生都表現得謙遜有禮，好學不倦而且力求創新，這就是安多弗的實力—啟發和培育學生的能力。
安多弗能吸引如此優秀的學生羣，它的資助承諾可記一功。在美國任何一間中學的資助，先進設施的贊助都只是小例子，安多弗的財務資助計劃—「全數贊助」(dollar for dollar)，比許多頂尖大學更令人印象深刻！安多弗提供100 %補助（無貸款形式）(Need-blind Aid) 給所有申請人，甚至國際學生。我的母校杜克大學(Duke University)擁有$7億美元的捐贈也沒有如此承諾。所以，不論你需要學費資助是一個事實與否，我相信安多弗這個資助承諾更能證明他們培育最優秀學生的決心和貢獻。我一些最要好的朋友都是在安多弗認識的，他們都是最有才華，聰明而忠誠的人。我相信，不用我說，任何頂級寄宿學校都提供一流的和全面的教育，而安多弗更是有過之而無不及。
雖然到目前為止我好像只說母校的優點，但這些都是事實，然而安多弗的寄宿生活並不是適合每一個人。我沒有資格為其他的寄宿學校發言，但安多弗需要，甚至期望每一位學生都成功。大部份到安多弗的學生都是在非常精於他們所長的，但是第一週的課堂往往令很許學生追悔莫及：記得我的第一個化學考試中，滿分100的考卷我只有20多分，我懷疑自己是否不屬於這裡（後來發現20分是學生普遍的平均值）。當然，成功的形式有很多種，而不僅僅是學術上，學生們在課餘時亦參加體育，藝術，音樂，領導和其他課外活動發展所長。雖然我很難用三言兩語綜合“典型”安多弗學生是怎樣，但我看到安多弗的學生不是只滿意自己單一成就面的人，在安多弗茁壯成長的學生都是富好奇心，積極主動和多元化的。每個學生都帶著自己獨特的背景，天賦和觀點進入安多弗，當寄宿生每天24小時住在校園裡，與世界一流的師資和多元化的學生群體不斷互動時，學習永遠不會停止，這些就是令安多弗獨一無二的原因。
〜Tim Wong，三立教育美國寄宿學校顧問，2009畢業於安多弗， 2013畢業於杜克大學
Recently, one of our middle school clients was inquiring, “What are the differences between the Top Boarding schools?”
It was a great question and one which has many answers. Obviously, each student will have a different experience and depending on their background, their abilities and many more circumstances, the schools can offer different elements to different students. We’ll try our best to share what we’ve found about all of them here in a later series. At the same time, we’ve been graced with the fact that many members in our past student bodies have attended them and even members of our education advising team. One of our Boarding School Consultants kindly shared his thoughts about what we feel is the #1 U.S. Boarding School despite what the Business Insider says. His goal was to provide the “inside perspective” that hopefully helps students realize what are the potential benefits of attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachussetts.
我們為你編製了一個對照表，讓你清晰算出語文部份60條，數學部份50條， 閱讀理解部份40條各需答對多少才能有
「好成績」，入讀他心儀的學校。
SSAT 百分比對照表-八年級 (男)
Courtesy of Business Insider
Another list comes out about the top private schools in the United States which provide room and board at a cost. Compared to our Top U.S. Boarding Schools – Co-ed List, there are a number of similarities. We wonder if Business Insider took a look at our results which started in 2013. While we pulled out some single sex schools from our list, there are number of “boys only” and “girls only” education options here in the Top 50. There are also a good number of schools we don’t profile as well since we limit it to just 25 in our published edition.
If you do come in for a visit, we have definitely a number of other schools that are prized and Business Insider profiles a few here. Thanks to the publication which culls together a number of sources like we do for their interesting list. Their methodology as they state is basically “[they] factored in each school’s endowment, acceptance rate, and average SAT scores, as reported by BoardingSchoolReview.com. [They] weighed each of those criteria equally to rank the schools.”
Average SAT score: 2107*
Endowment: $1,150 million
For the 19% of applicants accepted, Phillips Exeter Academy offers small class sizes — typically around 12 students — and hundreds of courses across a variety of subjects, including anthropology and computer science. Students can also take part in numerous study abroad and internship opportunities.
*Data from Phillips Exeter Academy
Average SAT score: 2076
Endowment: $800 million
Phillips Academy Andover accepts a mere 13% of applicants. Last year 92 students — nearly one-third of the 2013 graduating class — went on to Ivy League colleges.
Courtesy of Groton School
Average SAT score: 2104
Endowment: $361 million
Groton has a 94% success rate for students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams. The school has a 12% acceptance rate, and offers small class sizes, usually around 13 students.
St. Paul’s School Office of Admission/Facebook
Average SAT score: 2028
Endowment: $483 million
Students at St. Paul’s can choose from over 50 advanced or AP classes across numerous disciplines, including chemistry, Japanese, and art. The school accepts 15% of applicants.
Average SAT score: 2000
Endowment: $492 million
One of the oldest schools on this list — founded in 1797 — Deerfield has a 15% acceptance rate, and offers college-level courses in all subjects. One hundred percent of Deerfield graduates go on to attend four-year colleges and universities.
Upcoming or Past Visits from Top Boarding SchoolsAs a service to many of you parents looking to apply to Top Boarding Schools in the U.S., we’ve gone ahead and found all the past dates the private schools have used to visit the great city of Hong Kong and answer all the questions you can answer. Many of the Top Boarding Schools visit in November, but there are other dates as well to pay attention. We will let you know what the “confirmed dates” are as soon as we find out, but we’ve also provided the contact information for many of the admissions staff and offices below as well.
