疫情徹底改變了美國高等教育，尤其是大學的招生。此前，我在的文章中，預測並提醒國內家長，要注意美國大學招生的潮流逆轉，SAT、ACT等標準化考試分數不重要了，甚至要徹底取消。這兩個月，這個趨勢一直在增強，目前超過半數以上美國大學，包括所有常春藤大學已經明確表示，不再需要學生的標準化考試成績。
很多教育界人士和家長很焦慮，沒有分數了，美國大學招生標準是什麼？申請明年入學的學生，包括今後幾年的，要按什麼去準備和申請？
昨天，哈佛大學等美國315所大學招生主任聯合發出了2021年新的招生指引。這個倡議幾乎顛覆了此前的美國大學招生導向，也可能成為以後的招生錄取標準，值得大家仔細研讀。孩子年齡小的家長，也值得留意，這股教育潮流的逆轉將深遠的影響未來的高等教育，下面為大家解讀。完整的英文指引附在文末。
一、什麼是美國大學看重和不看重的
這個指引，是由哈佛大學教育學院牽頭，美國300所著名院校招生主任聯名發布的。（聯名從最初的165所大學增加到315所，目前還在增加）。目的是告訴2021年季申請的學生和家長，什麼是錄取時重要的，什麼是不重要的。
首先，最值得注意的是，新指引把自我照顧和照顧他人，提到了前所未有的重要位置。學術表現，尤其是分數，在錄取的地位大大降低了。招生官強調，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，如何努力的。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，而不是結果。
核心理念：公平（equity）、平衡（balance）、自我照顧（self-care）、照顧他人（care for others）、有意義的學習（meaningful learning）。
二、招生錄取所遵循的五大標準
1. 自我照顧Self-care
這是第一個標準，但著墨最少。放在全球疫情背景下，申請明年入學的學生，講述自己如何經歷面對疫情，肯定是必不可少的。這一部分表述的比較籠統，我的理解是在疫情當下，學生首先要照顧好自己，才能談其他，在學業上不要過於苛責自己。放在美國背景下，年輕學生的自律也是很重要的，譬如戴口罩、保持社交距離、遠離聚會等。
2.學術表現 Academic work
學生的學術表現當然重要。但招生官在看學生學術成就時，會把它放在疫情造成的困難的背景下。另外，錄取會評估學生在疫情前和疫情後的學術成就，也就是說，要看到學生如何克服困境的努力。學生不會因為AP、IB測試，其他標準化考試取消而處於劣勢。招生官在評估這些學術成就時，會放在課程、學術資源、能得到的支持等因素上考量。
3. 服務和對他人的貢獻 Service and contributions to others.
重點來了，這是招生指引著墨最多的部分，學生和家長要高度重視。招生官強調看重學生對社區的貢獻，強調學生的參與。一部分是疫情時的貢獻，範圍很廣，譬如可以是輔助疫情知識、病例接觸追蹤、支持老年人、幫助送餐等。另一部分是與疫情無關的，譬如選民登記、保護環境、反擊種族不公正不公平、阻止網絡恐嚇等。
招生官強調，他們的興趣不是學生是否創立了一個新項目，或者體現出了領導力。不是要讓學生在公共服務的「奧林匹克競賽」中去比拼，而是看這個貢獻是否發自內心的，是否是有意義的（authentic and meaningful）。
譬如給防疫前線的工作者寫便條、查看被隔離的鄰居。招生官會評估學生在做這些服務面臨的困難，從這些活動中學習到什麼，對他/她自己，對所在社區，對所屬的國家。需要指出的是，招生官列出這些例子，不是要給你一個活動清單，而是鼓勵你，再小的事情和服務，只要是體現你可貴的品格，都是有價值的。
4. 家庭貢獻Family contributions.
招生官在此強調了一個長期以來的申請誤區，學生的申請材活動應該是那些高大上的，譬如去非洲當志願者，而費時費力更深層次的家庭貢獻被忽略了。鼓勵學生把對家庭重要的貢獻都呈現出來，它對申請者只會有正面的影響。包括照顧兄弟姐妹、照看生病的親人、為家庭賺錢補貼家用等。舉個例子，生活在貧困家庭的孩子，能幫忙準備一日三餐，照顧兄弟姐妹，就是他/她最大的貢獻。
5. 課外活動和暑期活動 Extracurricular and summer activities.
指引指出，疫情影響下，各種活動都取消了，因此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。招生官也強調，大學招生從來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，這在疫情時代尤其重要。
三、家長不要浪費錢去參加高大上的活動
指引最後強調了學生報告信息的重要性。招生錄取機構會從學校收集課程信息，學術資源和學校支持方面的信息。但鼓勵學生提供任何對學業表現有負面影響的因素。譬如沒有網絡、沒有安靜的環境學習、需要承擔家庭責任等。鼓勵學生詳細的描述，這些影響他們學習表現或學術能力的負面環境，譬如每周學生要花多少時間承擔家庭責任，照顧生病的親人等。
總體感受，這個新的指引在往回歸教育的本質上走。那些花裡胡哨，高大上的課外活動，權重降低甚至可以說無關緊要了。也給給那些趕潮流，花重金去非洲等地方刷志願者經歷的家長和孩子敲個警鐘，沒必要做無用功。而是更強調學生和家庭本身，如何發掘潛能、努力上進，克服困難取得進步。所以，學生尤其是平民子弟，要學會發去發掘自身和家庭的閃光點，不要去追逐那些費錢費力看上去高大上的課程、活動、夏令營等。
今年2月，中國學生向民主黨總統候選人拜登索取推薦信未果
四、這是長期趨勢不是短期措施
中國學生在這條岐路上已經走的太遠。另外，今年年初有個新聞，有中國學生花7000美元參加「民主旅遊」，去愛荷華州觀摩美國大選。有中國學生去總統候選人拜登的競選團隊當志願者，真實目的卻是去拿拜登的推薦信。不但沒拿到，還被媒體曝光了。完全沒必要那麼功利，即使真的想呈現自己這方面的興趣和經歷，老老實實去做志願者，把自己的感受經歷寫出來，沒必要去拿拜登的推薦信。
最後，有家長會犯嘀咕，這個指引是不是臨時的，明年疫情緩解後就會回到分數為王的老路上？我的回答是：不會。我在之前文章中提到過，疫情只是催化劑，這是一股教育變革的潮流。分數依然重要，但不會像以前一樣成為錄取的中心。大學入學，尤其是美國大學入學，會更看重學生在具體的家庭和社區環境下，所體現出來的表現和潛力，就像這個倡議呈現的一樣。
倡議原文
What We Care about in this Time of Crisis: A Collective Statement from College Admission Deans
As admission and enrollment leaders, we recognize that we and the institutions we represent send signals that can shape students』 priorities and experiences throughout high school. This collective statement seeks to clarify what we value in applicants during this time of COVID-19. We are keenly aware that students across the country and the world are experiencing many uncertainties and challenges. We primarily wish to underscore our commitment to equity, and to encourage in students self-care, balance, meaningful learning, and care for others.
More specifically, we value the following:
1. Self-care
Self-care is of high importance, especially in times of crisis. We recognize that many students, economically struggling and facing losses and hardships of many kinds, are simply seeking to get by. We also recognize that this time is stressful and demanding for a wide range of students for many different reasons. We encourage all students to be gentle with themselves during this time.
2. Academic work
Your academic engagement and work during this time matters to us, but given the circumstances of many families, we recognize that many of you face obstacles to academic work. We will assess your academic achievements in the context of these obstacles. In addition, we will assess your academic achievements mainly based on your academic performance before and after this pandemic. No student will be disadvantaged because of a change in commitments or a change in plans because of this outbreak, 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. We will also view students in the context of the curriculum, academic resources, and supports available to them.
3. Service and contributions to others.
We value contributions to one’s communities for those who are in a position to provide these contributions. We recognize that while many students are not in this position because of stresses and demands, other students are looking for opportunities to be engaged and make a difference. This pandemic has created a huge array of needs, whether for tutoring, contact tracing, support for senior citizens, or assistance with food delivery. We view responding to these needs as one valuable way that students can spend their time during this pandemic.
We also value forms of contribution that are unrelated to this pandemic, such as working to register voters, protect the environment, combat racial injustice and inequities or stop online harassment among peers. Our interest is not in whether students created a new project or demonstrated leadership during this period. We, emphatically, do not seek to create a competitive public service 「Olympics」 in response to this pandemic. What matters to us is whether students』 contribution or service is authentic and meaningful to them and to others, whether that contribution is writing regular notes to frontline workers or checking in with neighbors who are isolated. We will assess these contributions and service in the context of the obstacles students are facing. We also care about what students have learned from their contributions to others about themselves, their communities, and/or their country (Please see Turning the Tide for additional information about the kinds of contributions and service we value). No student will be disadvantaged during this time who is not in a position to provide these contributions. We will review these students for admissions in terms of other aspects of their applications.
4. Family contributions.
Far too often there is a misperception that high-profile, brief forms of service tend to 「count」 in admissions while family contributions—which are often deeper and more time-consuming and demanding—do not. Many students may be supervising younger siblings, for example, or caring for sick relatives or working to provide family income, and we recognize that these responsibilities may have increased during these times. We view substantial family contributions as very important, and we encourage students to report them in their applications. It will only positively impact the review of their application.
5. Extracurricular and summer activities.
No student will be disadvantaged for not engaging in extracurricular activities during this time. We also understand that many plans for summer have been impacted by this pandemic and students will not be disadvantaged for lost possibilities for involvement. Potential internship opportunities, summer jobs, camp experiences, classes, and other types of meaningful engagement have been cancelled or altered. We have never had specific expectations for any one type of extracurricular activities or summer experience and realize that each student’s circumstances allow for different opportunities. We have always considered work or family responsibilities as valuable ways of spending one’s time, and this is especially true at this time.
Reporting information that is important to students and to us.We will gather information from schools themselves about curriculum and academic resources and supports, but encourage students to communicate any factors specific to their circumstances that impeded their academic performance. Those factors might include, for example, lack of access to the internet, no quiet place to study, or the various family responsibilities described above. We encourage students to describe concretely how any of these circumstances have negatively affected their academic performance or ability to engage in activities that matter to them. It is helpful to know, for example, how much time students spent per week taking on a family responsibility, such as taking care of a sick relative. This information will be treated completely confidentially. Both the Common Application and the Coalition for College application provide opportunities for students to describe how they have been impacted by the pandemic.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b7c56e255b02c683659fe43/t/5ef9bf0b67d0746239a5b429/1593425675919/FINAL+Statement_+TTT+Deans+20200629.pdf