今天的blog文章是轉載Harvard與其他共315所學校的聯合聲明
日前包括哈佛大學等美國315所大學招生主任聯合發出了2021年新的招生聲明。 這份聲明幾乎顛覆了以往我們所認知的申請重點，也可能成為以後的招生錄取標準，相信這股教育潮流的將深遠的影響未來的高等教育，非常值得大家仔細研讀。
文中強調，學生要呈現自己在面對疫情困境時，遇到哪些學業上的困難，如何努力。更強調學生在特定的家庭生活背景下的學術表現；對家庭、社區和他人的貢獻；強調學生的努力過程，而非結果。 聲明文中核心理念包括做有意義的學習（meaningful learning)、公平（equity）、好好的照顧自己與他人（care for self and others）。
小編將重點節錄如下:
1. Self-care - 希望學生可以好好的把自己照顧好。
2. Academic work - 招生官不會特別看重學生的學業成績以及標化考試。
3. Service and contributions to others - 招生官強調看重學生對社區的貢獻，強調學生的參與。學生不用特別『創立』新專案，或者參與多『高、大、上』的活動。他們在乎的是學生是否發自內心、關心、真誠、在乎、幫忙那些有需要幫助的人。
4. Family contributions - 學生對家庭的幫助在這個時候顯得非常重要，如何幫助父母親分攤家務、照顧兄弟姊妹，這非常的重要。
5. Extracurricular and summer activities - 學生申請時不會因為沒有參加課外活動、暑期活動而在錄取時受影響。
大學招生從來就沒有看重特定的課外活動或者暑期經歷，而是把學生的工作和家庭責任作為有價值的考量，尤其這在後疫情時代更顯得重要。
至於那些趕潮流、花重金參與名校大學教授的研究主題、參加各種去大競賽、或是去非洲等地方刷志願者經歷等活動的，真的是沒必要、無功用且浪費金錢。
現在學校更看重學生和家庭本身，如何發掘潛能、努力上進，克服困難取得進步。所以，同學們要學會發去發掘自身和家庭的亮點，做自己喜歡的事情。不要去追逐那些費錢、費力、看上去高大上的課程或是夏令營等活動。
總體說來，這個新的聲明在回歸教育的本質上走。那些花俏、高大上的課外活動，真的是不重要。
申請沒有捷徑，但NEO可以帶你少走彎路
Making Caring Common’s Turning the Tide project releases statement from college admission deans to convey what deans value in admissions during the pandemic
Cambridge, MA - A new collective statement from more than 315 college admissions deans released today by the Making Caring Common project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education seeks to send clear messages about what college admissions deans value in students during this time. It also aims to relieve stresses on students and their caregivers.
“Care Counts in Crisis: College Admissions Deans Respond to COVID-19” provides guidance on self-care, academic work, service to others, family contributions, and extracurricular and summer activities.
“Students and parents understandably have many questions about what college admissions deans are expecting during this time of the pandemic, and there’s all sorts of misinformation swirling around,” says Richard Weissbourd, the Faculty Director of Making Caring Common. “This statement seeks to answer these questions, to dispel the fog of misinformation, and to affirm the deans’ commitment to meaningful learning, equity, and care for self and others.”
More specifically, this statement underscores the following:
Self-Care. The deans recognize that many families during this time are struggling to get by and that a wide range of students are dealing with stresses of many kinds. The statement encourages students to take care of themselves.
Academic Work. While the deans emphasize that students’ academic work matters to them during the pandemic, they also recognize that many students are facing obstacles to academic work. The deans underscore that they will assess academic achievements in the context of these obstacles, and mainly base assessments of academic achievement on work before and after this pandemic. They further state that no student will be disadvantaged because “of their school’s decisions about transcripts, the absence of AP or IB tests, their lack of access to standardized tests (although many of the colleges represented here don’t require these tests), or their inability to visit campus.”
Service and Contributions to Others. The deans express that they value contributions to others and service during this time for those who are in a position to provide these contributions. They emphasize that they are not looking for extraordinary forms of service or leadership during the pandemic. They don’t want to create a “pandemic service Olympics.” They are looking for contributions that are authentic and meaningful, including contributions that respond to the many needs created by the pandemic.
Family Contributions. The deans recognize that many students have family responsibilities, including supervising younger siblings, caring for sick relatives, or working to provide family income that can impede their capacity to engage in school and other activities, and that these responsibilities may have increased during this time. They view substantial family contributions as very important and encourage students to report them in their applications.
Extracurricular and Summer Activities. The deans convey that no student will be disadvantaged for not engaging in extracurricular activities during this time, and they state that students will not be disadvantaged for lost possibilities for summer involvement, including lost internship opportunities, summer jobs, camp experiences, classes, and other types of meaningful engagement that have been cancelled or altered.