A Letter To College Applicants 给大学申请者的信
Brennan Barnard
本文作者：布伦南 巴纳德
This was an article written by Brennan Barnard for Forbes and translated for International students and families by Interface Educational Blog. The author in this letter tries to help applicants maintain a positive outlook while applying for College.
It is easy for college applicants and their parents to get caught up in the fear, frustration, and frenzy of the admission experience. Those of us who counsel families through this journey have the benefit of having watched hundreds and thousands of students and their parents as they fumble, fixate and flourish. This breadth of experience, and what we have come to know, can be valuable to current families. In a recent blog post , Rick Clark, director of undergraduate admission at Georgia Tech, wrote a “letter of hope” to parents of students applying to college. It was a thoughtful invitation to remain grounded and to “be the example” in their community, on social media, and for their family, providing encouragement, positivity, and perspective. It is in this same spirit that I offer a letter to high school students who have applied or are approaching the college search. It is similarly one of hope and gratitude.
大学申请者和他们的父母很容易陷入入学过程中的恐惧、沮丧和疯狂之中。我们这些在这段旅程中为家庭提供咨询的人，有幸目睹了成千上万的学生和他们的父母在这一过程中摸索、注视和成长。这种广泛的经验，以及我们所了解到的情况，对目前的家庭可能是有价值的。在最近的一篇博客中，乔治亚理工大学本科招生主任Rick Clark给申请大学的学生家长们写了一封“希望之信”。这是一次深思熟虑的邀请，希望他们能保持脚踏实地，在社区、社交媒体和家庭中“成为榜样”，带给大家鼓励、积极的态度和观点。正是本着同样的精神，我给申请或即将申请大学的高中生写了一封信。同样，这也是一种希望和感激。
Dear Students,
亲爱的同学们，
College admission essentially asks, “who are you and what do you want?” Easy, right? It is often talked about as a rite of passage and, for some, it can be a transformative time of exploring identity. For others, it is a more practical pursuit of specific goals. Either way, it can be an experience layered with expectation, doubt, and challenge. Applying to college is not a test or project that you can, nor should attempt to, ace. It is an opportunity to be purposeful and grateful (more on this at the end of the letter).
大学录取本质上是问，“你是谁，你想要什么?” 很简单,对吧? 它经常被认为是一种成人仪式，对一些人来说，它可能是探索身份认同的变革性时刻。对另一些人来说，这是对具体目标更实际的追求。不管怎样，这都是一种充满期待、怀疑和挑战的体验。申请大学不是你能或者你应该尝试的考试或项目。这是一个目标明确、心怀感激的机会(更多信息请见信末)。
When I was first starting out in education, a colleague suggested that when planning my classes for the year, I consider what “beach knowledge” I wanted my students to have. What he meant was that when they are sitting on the beach in July, what should students remember about my class and what they learned. Each summer, before I head back to school, I think about that concept. I know that I will again work with amazingly talented students who are bound for success, but who also question that truth most days. I know that I will hear students anxious and disconcerted about whether they will get into college and if it will be a place where they can grow and thrive. And each year, ultimately, my students land well. Talk to your friends who graduated last year, or the year before, from your school and they will tell you the same thing.
当我刚开始接触教育行业时，一位同事建议我在规划一年的课程时，要考虑我希望我的学生拥有什么“海滩知识”。他的意思是，当我的学生们7月份坐在沙滩上时，他们应该记住我讲的哪些内容以及他们学到了什么。每年夏天，在我回到学校之前，我都会思考这个概念。我知道，我将再次与那些有着惊人才华的学生一起工作，这些学生注定会成功，但大多数时候他们也会质疑这一真理。我知道，我将听到学生们为是否能进入大学，是否能在大学里茁壮成长而焦虑不安。每年，最终，我的学生都能很好地完成学业。如果你和去年或前年从你学校毕业的朋友聊天，他们也会告诉你同样的事情。
So, even though it is the middle of winter, I want you to channel summer and soak up the beach knowledge that I have learned in my two decades of work in this field. As you go through your college experience, my hope is that you will add to this list and take it to heart.
所以，即使现在是隆冬时节，我也希望你们能够利用好夏天，吸收我在这个领域二十年工作中学到的海滩知识。当你经历你的大学生活时，我希望你能把它记在心里。
College Admission IS:
A personal journey. This is your search so own it.
An invitation to explore identity and purpose. This will not happen overnight.
Imperfect. It is a human process, so expect “user error.”
A celebration of your hard work.
About engagement, so lean in.
Exciting. The minute it becomes a chore stop and check yourself. Enjoy the ride.
An investment in you—both short and long term.
About unity, not vanity, so don’t sacrifice relationships for status.
A privilege, so take advantage of the opportunities you have.
Full of choice, so be open and consider all of your options.
大学招生是:
一场个人的旅程。这是你探索并值得拥有的。
一次探索身份和目的的邀请。这不会在一夜之间发生。
不完美的。这是一个人为的过程，因此也有可能会出现 “用户错误”。
一场辛勤工作的庆典。
一次约定，请向前一步。
令人兴奋。当它变成一件烦心事时，停下来审视一下自己。祝你旅途愉快。
对你的短期和长期投资。
团结，而不是虚荣，所以不要为了地位而牺牲关系。
一种特权，所以要好好利用你所拥有的机会。
充满选择，所以要敞开心扉，考虑你所有的选择。
College Admission is NOT:
A value judgment on whether you are “good enough”.
Life or death.
Fair.
About status. Aim high, but for the right reasons.
A game or prize.
The final exam for high school. You only do high school once, so live in it.
One size fits all.
To be taken at face value. Dig deep and ask probing questions.
A reason to create an unreasonable schedule, so prioritize balance.
A passive experience. You are in control so assert it.
Linear. There are many pathways to your future, so consider them all.
A search for perfection. There is not one “right” college.
A test. Like life, this is the real thing, so be in it.
大学招生不是:
判断你是否 “足够好” 的价值标准。
生与死的较量。
公平。
关于地位。目标要高，但要有正确的理由。
游戏或奖品。
高中期末考试。你只会上一次高中，所以要好好度过。
一刀切。
按表面价值计算。深入挖掘，问一些探索性的问题。
一个制定不合理计划的理由，所以优先考虑平衡。
一次被动的经历。你掌控着一切，所以要坚持下去。
线性的。通往未来的道路有很多，所以把它们都考虑进去。
追求完美。没有一所 “完美 的” 大学。
一次考试。就像生活一样，这是真实的，所以要活在其中。
When you are accepted, denied, deferred or waitlisted; when you do not get that invitation to an honors program; when a financial package or scholarship does not work out at your first choice school, I hope that you will remember, and be completely confident in this—you are bound for success. You ARE. Students never believe this in September, and frequently not even in January, but this is all going to work out.
当你被录取、拒绝、延期或候补; 当你没有得到荣誉项目的邀请; 当你的第一志愿学校没有提供经济资助或奖学金，我希望你能记住这一点，并对此充满信心——你一定会成功。你会。学生们在9月份从来不相信这一点，甚至在1月份也不相信，但这一切都将得到解决。
I hope you will look at your college admission experience as an opportunity to grow closer to your family. Done right, searching for, applying to, and ultimately selecting a college should provide you with opportunities to connect and to appreciate your relationship with your parents and loved ones. I hope you will not miss this in your experience. It seems trivial, but you are where you are, and in many ways who you are, because of them.
我希望你能把你的大学入学经历看作是一个与家人更亲近的机会。正确的做法是，寻找、申请、最终选择一所大学，为你和父母以及你爱的人彼此更加亲近和珍惜创造机会。我希望你不会在你的经历中错过这个机会。 这看似微不足道，但正因为有了他们，才有了今天的你，他们在很多方面成就了今天的你。
This experience is about connection, communication, gratitude, and choice. Prioritizing relationships and investing in people will not only dictate the success of your college search and application experience but will also have implications for your college career and life well beyond it. While you may be the one applying, the college admission experience is a team effort that requires communicating honestly, frequently, and openly, in order to stay unified. Do not try to go at this alone. Whether to a parent, grandparent, older sibling, guardian or another concerned adult, be sure to express your love and gratitude early and often.
这种体验是关于联系、沟通、感恩和选择的。优先考虑人际关系和对人的投资不仅决定了你大学选择和申请的成功，还会对你的大学生涯和生活产生深远的影响。虽然你是申请学校的那个人，但大学入学经历是一个团队努力的过程，需要诚实、频繁、公开地交流，以保持统一。不要试图独自去做这件事。无论是对父母、祖父母、哥哥姐姐、监护人还是其他关心你的人，一定要尽早并经常表达你的爱和感激之情。
Here is what I know: When I was in my early thirties, my mother (then in her late fifties) was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and frontal lobe dementia. This began a five-year deterioration of her memory. Did she remember all of the special moments from my childhood? Did she remember driving me and my brothers from activity to activity? Did she remember the battles we had about homework? Did she know how selfless she had been since the day I was born? Did she remember our visits to colleges and the laughs we shared as I dreamt about my future and she hesitantly anticipated my departure? Did she know how grateful I was? Did she know how much I loved her? I assumed she did, but how often did I intentionally pause and say it?
我所知道的是: 当我30岁出头的时候，我的母亲(当时她50多岁)被诊断出患有早发性阿尔茨海默氏症和额叶痴呆。这开始了她长达五年的记忆力衰退。她还记得我童年所有特别的时刻吗? 她还记得开车带我和我的兄弟们参加一个又一个活动吗? 她还记得我们为家庭作业争吵的事吗? 她知道从我出生那天起她是多么无私吗? 她还记得我们去访校时，一起畅谈未来时的笑声吗? 她知道我有多感激她吗? 她知道我有多爱她吗? 我以为她知道，但我有多少次故意停下来说出来呢?
I hope that after you read this you will go find your parents or the caring adult in your life. Look them in the eyes and tell them that you need them to know two things: that you love them and you appreciate them (you can add a hug for emphasis). It is that simple…” I love you” and “thank you”. My former colleague, Bruce Berk, used to require this exercise of students as they began their college search, and it was amazing how it established a sense of gratitude and closeness that endured throughout. Don’t laugh it off with sarcasm as you tell them. Don’t text it to them. Don’t dismiss this exercise because your love and appreciation is “a given” or “no brainer”. Choose to express yourself and acknowledge the awesome power they have given you.
我希望在你读完这篇文章后，你会找到你的父母或你生活中关心你的人，看着他们的眼睛，告诉他们你需要他们知道两件事: 你爱他们，你欣赏他们(你可以增加一个拥抱来强调)。就是这么简单……“我爱你”和“谢谢你”。 我以前的同事Bruce Berk在学生们开始寻找大学的时候，曾经要求他们做这样的练习。令人惊讶的是，这种练习建立了一种贯穿始终的感恩和亲密感。当你告诉他们时，不要用讽刺的口吻一笑了之。不要短信告诉他们。不要因为你的爱和欣赏是 “天赐之物” 或 “无需动脑筋” 就放弃这个练习。选择表达自己，承认他们给你的巨大力量。
I hope you are excited. I hope you remain confident. I hope you are ready because you are bound for an amazing college experience filled with opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. Where all of that will happen is a mystery—and like all good mysteries, it should be filled with twists, turns, discovery, new places, and interesting people. My hope is that you will find joy in uncovering the clues that lead you, and that ultimately you will arrive on a college campus confident and excited to embrace the opportunity. Enjoy the journey.
我希望你很兴奋。我希望你保持自信。我希望你已经准备好了，因为你一定会有一段美妙的大学生活，充满了学习、交流和成长的机会。所有这些都将发生在一个神秘的地方——就像所有美好的神秘事物一样，它应该充满曲折、转折、发现、新地方和有趣的人。我希望你们会在发现引导你们的线索中找到快乐，最终你们会满怀信心和兴奋地走进大学校园，迎接这个机会。享受你的旅程吧。
Brennan Barnard
本文作者：布伦南 巴纳德