被美國大學Waitlist該做的五件事！LOCI怎麼寫才對？

進入大學Waitlist (候補名單)可能讓你同時感到希望和困惑，並不是直接被拒絕，但也沒有確定的名額。經過協助數百名學生應對大學入學的複雜情況，讓我們來分析一下候補名單的情況，為什麼會存在，以及如何提高自己被錄取的機會。

為什麼會有Waitlist (候補名單)

• 有太多合格的申請者：特別是在競爭激烈的學校，優秀的申請人數遠超過提供的名額。候補名單是一種讓有前途的學生仍然有機會的方式。
• 保護錄取率(Yield rate)：大學密切追蹤他們的Yield Rate，這邊指的是收到錄取通知的學生最終選擇入學的百分比。這對規劃非常重要。如果大學原先預測的Yield Rate太高，候補名單就像一種保險，同時提供了靈活性。
• 策略性的塑造新生組成：學院的目標是建立一個專業、背景和才能多樣化的新生班級。如果初始的錄取人數在某些方面不足，候補名單允許他們策略性地填補空缺。
• 較緩和的拒絕：直接拒絕優秀的申請者可能會令人不快，並損害與高中的關係。候補名單使大學能夠保持積極的聯繫，並表示他們仍然看到學生的潛力。

如果你進入了Waitlist (候選名單)該怎麼辦

雖然沒有保證，但有一些行動可以讓你最大程度地提高錄取機會，同時保護你的選擇，你可以參考以下步驟：

1. 接受名額（或拒絕）

首先，決定是否要留在候補名單上。如果你確定這所大學已不再適合你，立即拒絕候補名額。這個決定是永久的。如果有任何可能你會入學，就接受你在候補名單上的位置。按照大學的指示行事，因為可能需要填寫特定的表格或進行溝通，並注意截止日期。

2. 寫一封有力的信表達興趣 Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)

這不僅僅是重新表達你的興趣；它是要展示你的成長，並展示為什麼你更適合這所大學。請記住：

• 重新說明你的熱情: 具體說明為什麼這所大學仍然是你的首選。
• 闡述任何重大更新: 展示自你申請以來的成就、成績改善、新的領導角色等。你是否發現了與大學優勢相關的具體熱情？
• 持續展示興趣：提到學校提供的具體資源、教授或獨特機會，讓你感興趣。自你申請以來，你的興趣是否有所改變？
• 分享你的未來計劃：你的目標如何符合學院的使命？你是否計劃了與你的專業相關的有趣暑期活動？
• 保持簡潔和專業：每個詞都應該有意義。這應該比一封隨意的電子郵件更正式。

3. 擁有計劃B（和C）

候補名單是不可預測的，所以選擇另一所你喜愛的大學，並在5月1日截止日期前支付訂金是至關重要的。這樣可以確保你的位置，並提供安心，即使最終候補名單被接受。此外，如果候補名單不成功，還可以考慮其他途徑：

• 轉學：是否有另一所學院更適合你的夢想學校？
• 間隔年 (Gap year)：工作、旅行或專注學習一年是否會豐富你的經歷？

提醒：如果你從候補名單中被錄取，你可能會失去你計劃B學校的訂金。

4. 保持積極和耐心

等待會帶來壓力，但試著專注於完成你的高中學業，並享受你已經答應的學校。候補名單的過程可能需要一些時間，所以保持耐心（別忘了繼續表現對你理想學校的興趣）。

5. 提高機會的其他步驟

• 查看更新：一些學院可能在你進入候補名單後要求提供額外資訊，例如更新的成績單。一定要遵循大學的任何具體指示。
• 溝通：與招生主任保持聯繫，讓他們了解你個人檔案的更新情況，隨時詢問候補名單的時間表，以及是否還有其他你可以提供的東西。直接溝通通常能展示持續的興趣。
• 如果可以的話提高成績：雖然不能保證會有所不同，但對學業和課外活動的持續投入不會有害。如果你可以重新參加SAT/ACT考試或提高你的GPA，這可能會給你一個優勢！
• 考慮提供補充資料：如果大學接受，提供更新的成績單或額外的推薦信可能會加強你的申請。在發送任何東西之前，一定要與大學確認。

強而有力的Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI)範例

Dear Stanford Admissions,

Since graduating, I’ve focused on self-exploration, seeking to deepen core interests but also forage in new areas.

I have a new fascination with extreme sport. I confess, much to the sadness of the critics on Rotten Tomato, that I was triggered by the action movie xXx, featuring Vin Diesel. The airborne scenes in xXx made me realize that I’ve literally never felt an airborne sensation except flying so I changed that! On January 14th, I bungy jumped at the Nevis bungy in Queenstown, New Zealand, which has a record-breaking 134m drop. The only thing worse than wind howling against your body overlooking a gaping canyon is realizing you have to jump into it! Paradoxically, I loved it. I was falling so fast in fact that if I were to equate KE with GPE, estimating the equilibrium position of the rope at half the height, I would have flown at an astounding 130km/h!

I also enrolled in a rock climbing gym called “Climb Fit”. Funnily enough, I predominantly climb with Physic Club mates. We aren’t the usual climbers with our constant physics jokes but we are a community. I can’t wait to further my climbing at the Stanford Climbing Wall which seems to have the most Yelp reviews of any climbing wall I’ve ever seen!

My fascination with artificial intelligence has grown since the victory of AlphaGo as I plot Australia wide expansion of MCQuizzKnox and our Android rollout. As I read about growth hacks to amplify app downloads, I was surprised to find how many companies pay Facebook heavily to drive app downloads. I discovered how intensively Facebook’s advertising platform uses data science and machine learning. I’d love to understand how these kind of algorithms work theoretically but also be able to think through applications into new businesses. As I continue to broaden my understanding of data science, I come across more and more Stanford inspired coursework with innovative partners like Coursera and practical Data Science Master’s degrees. While I’ve only started with Statistical Reasoning on Stanford’s online platform, I get excited about developing these interests as a Stanford student alongside challenging peers. The number of Stanford recruits getting hired in high stakes positions at Facebook and Snapchat is electrifying.

I’ve also been running HSC seminars on Maths and Physics at Knox. Last year, I found these seminars helpful but there was a real need to improve them for the next wave of the Knox “Tartan” army.

While I care about Knox, the challenges students face are more profound in China. My sister and I started an organization called LEAFA (Learning and Education Available For All). In December, we collected 1500 books from Knox families, Aussie libraries and garage sales (bargain hunting the 50 cent copies) to be shipped to my mum’s rural middle school called Jinshan ZhongXue. We hope our humble start will be a powerful tool for educational empowerment in this community.

I’ve taken concrete action to fight against air pollution in China by volunteering as a photographer for The Nature Conservancy. While statistics are crucial, vivid images, which translates the toxic environment many Chinese citizens struggle with everyday, are powerful tools in soliciting donations in the West.

Stanford has inspired environmental conservationists like Professor Gretchen Daily to practical design-centred engineering masterminds like Evan Spiegel. I am thrilled by the university’s interest in my candidacy and I hope to develop my sprawling passions within a community of gifted quantitative minds, social entrepreneurs and changemakers.

Yours Sincerely,

結語

如果你感到不知所措或不確定如何應對，不要猶豫尋求專業指導。我們的專家可以幫助你量身定制你的Letter of Continued Interest，並引導你走過這個過程的每一步，最大程度地提高你的錄取機會。立即預約諮詢，或前往服務頁面了解更多。