目前，肯特咨询正以咨询顾问的身份协助一些中国高中筹备国际体系或国际分校的建立和运行。今年暑假，肯特咨询作为顾问协助一所中国顶级高中圆满走访了哥伦比亚大学、普林斯顿大学、耶鲁大学、布朗大学、哈佛大学、麻省理工学院等顶尖美国高校。期间，该高中的负责人参与了会议交流，参观了校园并参加了大学的信息发布会。肯特咨询策划并见证整个过程，并希望在此分享如下感悟。

● 品牌建立及宣传
中国高中往往并不擅长在顶尖大学和学院中宣传和推广自身的品牌。实际上，这一点至关重要。因为在中国，即便一些名牌高中成功地输送了不少学生至世界顶尖高校，他们所面临的竞争仍然十分激烈。中国高中多在相同领域竞争，因此与众不同就显得格外重要，而此次肯特咨询策划的“美国名校之旅”帮助了参加这项活动的高中脱颖而出。在走访美国期间，该高中的负责人与美国高校的招生官们进行了直接交流。通过这次交流，该高中加强了对申请流程和部分重要申请环节的认识。招生官们非常友好并坦诚地分享了一些信息，甚至推荐了一些辅助工具来帮助学生们准备申请。此外，肯特咨询为该高中设计的宣传册给招生官们留下了深刻的印象，而该高中精心准备的礼物也使得他们的到访与众不同。

● 开拓眼界
通过这次走访，该中国高中进一步了解了先进的教育理念、教学方法、具体教材和实用的教学辅助工具。与招生面试官们的直接接触和交流进一步丰富了他们的思想，也激发了他们的灵感。由此，他们在课程设计和指导学生方面获得了不少创新性的想法，并计划在新学期付诸实践。在引导参观校园时，这些名校的优秀学生展示出了他们的能力和素质，为中国大学生和未来的大学生树立了榜样，也使得该高中清楚地了解了需要专注于哪些领域以及需要训练学生哪方面的能力。

● 奠定合作的基础
大部分美国高校都有针对高中生设立的项目或课程，包括人文学科、地理、文学、社会研究、计算机工程、机器人学、科学研究等。通常，这些项目或课程会安排在暑期甚至延长到假期以外的学期。而这次走访美国高校的中国高中从中发现了一些与美国高校合作项目的潜在机会。该高中非常期待并将在新学期实施跟进的计划。例如，该中国高中已邀请了一些招生面试官在夏末秋初时到中国进行回访。

KCG is serving Chinese high schools as an adviser for their establishments and operations of international curriculum / branches. This summer, as an adviser, KCG has helped a top tier high school from China accomplish a very successful visit to USA. The tour covered some top tier schools like Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Harvard and MIT. The Chinese high school had chance to set up meetings, take campus tour and attend information sessions of those schools. KCG planned and witnessed the whole process. Here are some reflections to share.

● Branding and Promoting
Normally Chinese high schools have not much idea about promoting brand of their schools among the top tier universities or colleges. Actually, this is critically important given the competition environment in China even some prestigious high schools from China have many of their students admitted by top tier universities across the world. As Chinese high schools are competing in the same category, the differentiation is crucial. The trip arranged by KCG helped the Chinese school stand out from others. In the process, the school got direct contacts with AOs of those top universities. The school’s communications with AOs reinforced its understanding of application procedure and important components behind the scene. Some AOs are quite friendly and frank to share the knowledge and even recommended some instruments to help students on preparations. In addition, the Chinese high school’s impressive view book, which was designed by KCG, and gifts made its visit especially unparallel.

● Open Eyes
Leaders from the Chinese school have broadened their visions and horizons on advanced educational ideology, methodology and specific material or instruments they can access or use. Their first hand experiences of talking and interacting with AOs have ignited their minds and inspired their thoughts. They got many innovative ideas on designing their courses and coaching their students and planned to try them out when they start a new academic year. Many outstanding college students from those top universities have demonstrated their overall qualities and personalities during their campus tour guides. Those students played like role model as college students as well as for many perspective students of China. The Chinese school got more clear idea on where they should focus on and what kind of skills they should train their students on.

● Lay Foundations of Cooperation
Most of those top tier universities got some specific programs or projects for high school students. There could be some programs on humanity, geography, literature, social study, computer engineering, robotics, or scientific research etc. Normally, the programs will be arranged in summer break or even be extended into normal semesters. The Chinese high school has identified few potential opportunities of working with some top universities for some projects. The school was quite excited and wanted to follow up in the coming semester. As part of follow up actions, the Chinese school has invited AOs to pay a return visit to their school in China in the next information session of late summer or early autumn this year.

当最初开始在异国他乡的求学生活时，许多国际学生常常困惑于到底应该选择走读学校还是寄宿学校。在此，我们将从社交生活、学业学习以及心理成长等三个方面来分享这两种不同类型学校的特点。

在社交生活方面，就读于走读学校的国际学生往往会住在学校当地的寄宿家庭中。与当地家庭一起生活、共同参与本地的社会交流活动能够帮助国际学生很快地适应新生活并融入当地社会。而另一方面，寄宿学校里的学生则有机会感受到更多元化的文化氛围。这是因为住校的学生通常不仅仅来自于学校附近的局部地区，而是来自全美国甚至全世界。不过，在享受混合文化环境带来的开放和包容时，国际学生也很可能自然而然地选择与自己说同一种母语(如汉语)的其他学生待在一起，这会妨碍他们对英语语言和当地文化的学习及融入。

在留学生活中，学业表现是国际学生及家长最为关心的内容之一。走读学生通常能够在料理日常生活方面获得更多的家庭支持，从而得以将更多的时间与精力投入到学业中。同时，适当的家长监督也有助于年龄较小的学生提高学习能力，尤其是对那些自律性不强、尚不够成熟的学生。在另一方面，住校学生在学习上则完全依靠他们自己。同时，因为居住在学校里，住校学生能够更充分地沉浸在浓厚的学术氛围中。例如，他们拥有更多的时间到图书馆里学习或是与老师和同学进行课下的讨论。

就心理成长而言，尽管走读学校和寄宿学校都要求国际学生具备较高的独立自主能力、人际交往能力以及责任感，不同类型学校所带来的影响仍有区别。寄宿学校往往青睐更加自觉主动及责任感较强的学生，而走读学校则更倾向于拥有出色人际交往能力的学生。因为除了老师和同学，走读学生每天离开学校后还需要应对各种各样的人际关系。

如上所述，走读学校和寄宿学校各有利弊。因此，国际学生需要根据自身的不同情况及特定诉求来谨慎地选择更加适合自己的学校类型。

International students often do not have clear ideas about whether they should choose a day school or a boarding school when initially start their journeys across the ocean. Here, a few thoughts about the two types of schools would be shared, in respect of social life, academic study and psychological development.

To begin, in terms of social life, international students who choose a day school would most likely live with a local host family. In this way, students can quickly get adjusted to the surrounding community, as they share the same ways of living with local people and have the opportunities to take part in local activities or events. On the other hand, students in boarding schools would have access to a more diversified student culture. This is because boarding students are not always from local areas, but from the whole country and even from all over the world. However, while international students embrace the open and inclusive environment, they may have the tendency to stay with those students who speak the same native language, like Chinese. Thus, it will be somehow problematic for them to learn English well or to quickly adapt to local society.

Furthermore, academic performance is one of the most concerns from international students and their parents. Day school students might receive more family support in their daily lives and thus develop a more comprehensive study approach. Appropriate supervision at home could also be very helpful for younger students, especially those who have not developed mature self-disciplined character. In contrast, students in boarding schools will highly rely on themselves to dedicate in academic study. As they live in school, boarding students will be more absorbed in the strong academic atmosphere. For instance, they can spend more time in the library or having academic discussion with lecturers and schoolmates.

Finally, in regards to psychological development of the distinction between day and boarding schools also matter as both of them would require high levels of independence, interpersonal skills and sense of responsibility. Boarding schools will demand more self-driven and responsible, while day schools usually expect students to possess better interpersonal skills to satisfactorily deal with various kinds of people other than just schoolmates and teachers.

As demonstrated from above, day schools and boarding schools both have their own pros and cons. Therefore, international students are recommended to make prudent decisions based on specific requirements and status of themselves.

从本质上讲，阅读是件奢侈和休闲娱乐的事。一般来说，从事文学工作的人会利用闲暇之余阅读不计其数的书籍和小说，一些学者和专业人士则可能会密切关注他们领域内的学术文献。但是，极少数的人可以说自己终生都在用批判性眼光去阅读。批判性阅读不是一个技能或技巧，也不遵循“实践出真知”的道理。我们需要把批判性阅读当成一个有生命的有机体或系统性机制，充分发挥我们的热情、分析能力和认真谨慎的态度。学生无法通过课堂或任何其他的传统教育方式学会批判性地学习。相反，他们必须勇于让自己在社会大课堂的间隙中冒险探索，挑战自己的思维，超越简单的和肤浅而表面的认知。不过遗憾的是很多学生还没有认识到这一点，从而在SAT考试中表现不佳。

SAT的批判性阅读大致分为两部分，基于段落的问答和句子填充题以及词汇考察题。通过考试实践准备，学生会发现题目中极少出现显而易见的答案或是直接概述短文内容的选项。这些问题的目的是为了检验学生是否透彻地理解了段落或句子，包括段落和句子深层含义和引申义。由于篇幅限制，就如何成功应对批判性阅读本文无法深度探讨，但却可以分享一个有用的缩写词：CTY，即内容、文章基调和个人观点。

要成功应对批判性阅读，首先要认真仔细地考虑全文语境和作者本身。当分析文章的社会、历史、甚至政治层面的时候，请始终记得5W原则：什么人(Who)，什么地方 (Where), 什么时候 (When), 发生了什么(What) ，为什么 (Why)。接下来，仔细留意作者在字里行间中流露出的语气基调，例如反对的还是维护的。作者的语气常常是分析段落引申义的重要线索。最后，考虑“你怎么想？”、“你对作者的论点和论据最初的感觉和反应是什么？”。这并不是要求学生武断地进行阅读，而是鼓励学生擅用阅读理解本身的主观性本质。

恐惧、焦虑、怀疑是常困扰SAT考生的几种情绪。和我们一直强调的一样，批判性阅读是一种思维方式，是一种可以通过实践进行衡量和考查的能力。因此即便对于最富有经验的老师来说，传递批判性阅读的批判性精髓也是一项苛刻的任务。从最根本和最自然的层面来讲，批判性阅读彰显了时间的魅力，对文学精神的欣赏以及人生的潮起潮落。

Reading by nature, is a luxurious and recreational affair. The average literal individual will read countless books and novels in their time; a handful of scholars and professionals may engage rigorously with their professional and academic literatures. Few however, can truly claim to have grasped the life-long ability to read critically. Reading Critically is not a skill or technique, nor is it a learn-as-you-do science. Instead, Critical reading should be seen as a living organism, a systematic mechanism that thrives on passion, analysis, and inscrutable care. Students cannot learn via a classroom or any other conventional educational means, to learn critically; instead, they must themselves dare to venture into the crevices of sociological discourse and challenge their minds to go beyond the simple and the obvious. Unfortunately however, many students do not ever embark on this journey and are thus completely blindsided by the SAT exam.

The SAT’s Critical Reading Examination is loosely segregated in two dichotomies, a passage-based question test and a fill in the blanket, vocabulary portion. As students work through practice examinations, they will come to the realization that the questions are rarely observational or summarization based. Rather, the questions are designed to evaluate whether a student has thoroughly understood the passage or sentence, at a deeper and more subtle level. Extensive insight into excelling on critical reading may not be appropriate for the limits of this article, but a simple acronym may be useful to consider none the less: CTY：Content, Tone, Your opinion.

To begin, set you up for success by carefully considering the context of the article as well as its author. Keep the 5W’s of Who, Where, When, What, Why in the front of your mind as you evaluate the social, historical, or perhaps political aspect of your passage. Next, monitor closely the tone of the author through the passage; are they argumentative, or perhaps defensive? The tone of the author will often give away important clues to more subtle qualities of the passage. Lastly, what do you think? What are your initial emotions or reactions to the author’s claims and arguments? This is not an invitation to be subjective about what you are reading, but embracing the subjective nature of reading comprehension.

Horror, anxiousness and wonderment, are just a few of the emotions that come across prospective SAT students. Critical reading, as have been emphasized throughout this article, is as much a mode of thinking as it is an examinable trait. It is therefore a heavy-handed task for even the most experienced of teachers to pass on this reviled gift. In its most organic and natural form, critical reading is a manifestation of time, an appreciation of the literary spirit, and the ebbs and flows of life.

随着青少年大学生逐渐成熟并开始迈入二十岁，正等待他们的是潮水般涌入的就业大军所带来的就业压力，而雇主们并不会完全凭借成绩单、课外活动成绩甚至光彩夺目的专业成绩来做出雇佣决定。可以肯定的是，各行各业的专业人士依然会注重应聘者的教育背景，但很多公司和企业比以往更渴求一个具备真正生活经验的应聘者，而这一点并非教育机构可以提供的。

相对来说，由于世界各地高校招生人数与日俱增，即便是名牌大学的学士学位的含金量也急剧下降。如今，雇主需要寻找一种新的方式来筛选最合适的应聘者。例如，传统的志愿者活动和暑期项目经历在以往很被看重，但现在工作实习则已成为更好的选择。学生和家长不可轻视暑期实习的机会，因为学术型夏令营也许能在短期内帮助学生，但其长远价值却是有限的。

在本质上，实习类似于教学活动。直观地说，这点体现在两个方面。一方面，实习可能遵循或挑战社会或经济的塑造结果，但核心在于它为青年人提供了一个窥探未来职业可能性的机会。理想状态下，实习生应该充分利用他们相对来说压力较小的环境，全面发掘自己真正喜欢的职业方向。实习可以为学生提供无法比拟的、真正的生活工作经验，而这点是学生在课堂学习中无法完全领会的。

另一方面，实习让决策者和雇主了解员工，并仔细对比和测试合格的应聘者。通过实习，企业可以深刻了解他们所注重的员工应具备的品质和能力，根据他们的选择标准来选择称职的应聘者。从这点出发，实习能同时满足雇主和求职者双方的需求，从而为招员工和找工作两难的这一深刻社会问题提供实际的解决方式。

最后，值得一提的是实习可以提供一个良性的、清晰分明的社会认同感，这或许也是实习最令人向往的一点。实习生是一个特别的称谓，虽然听起来有些不够分量，但“实习生”这个词语本身用的却也没错。实习生的角色客观而直接。实习可以说是连接职场和教育机构的理想桥梁，没有过高的期望且只需适量的紧迫感。实习生很清楚自己的角色和目标，他们的雇主和整个经济市场需求也同样清楚。正是实习本身“学习”的本质赋予了实习存在的意义，以及实习在我们社会中稳固的地位。

As young college-aged adults mature and enter into their early 20’s, the traffic jam like work-force that awaits them may not be sensitive to their report cards, their extra-curricular, or perhaps even their glistening academic achievements. To be sure, professions of various trades will give some credence to educational backgrounds. However, now more than ever, companies and businesses are seeking employable young men and women who have what no educational institution can claim to offer: real life experience.

Relatively speaking, the weight of a Bachelor’s Degree from renown Universities has dropped significantly, given the enormous enrolment numbers at major universities across the world. Now, employers must turn to a new method of determining which potential candidate will be the most suitable for their ventures. Internships just offer a unique alternative to the more conventional summer events and program that high school students adopt. The opportunity of the internship should not be taken lightly by students or their parents. Academic summer programs may be helpful to a student in the short run, but are limited in value when speaking of the long run.

Internships are by nature, a pedagogical experience. This is true into two direct senses. On the one hand, while it may adhere or contort to social or economic shaping’s, it is at the core an opportunity for young individuals to garner a glimpse into their possible futures. Ideally, interns should take full advantage of their relative pressure-free environment, and fully explore the annals of their preferred career. Internships offer unparalleled real life working experience, something that no amount of class-room learning can fully prepare students for.

On the other hand, an internship allows decision makers and employers to survey the work-force landscape, and carefully cross-examine between qualified candidates. An internship program offers companies insight into the qualities and abilities they value most in an employee, and then based on these preferences tap those applicants who satisfy these requirements. In this sense, internships marry both the wants of the employer and the employee, offering a practical solution to a deep social question.

The final element of internships worth noting, and perhaps most savory, is its innocuous and completely definitive offering of a social identity. An intern is a unique title, albeit slightly pejorative, the phrase “the intern” leaves little doubt; it is a role that is completely objective and direct. Internships serve as an ideal bridge between the workplace and educational institutions, with neatly tempered expectations but just the necessary dose of urgency. Interns have a clear understanding of their role and goal, as do their employers, as does the economic market place. It is the “learning” quality of the internships that gives it life, and a firm role in our society.