编者按：我校陈同学早申阶段被罗切斯特大学（University of Rochester）大学录取。

“谁的青春不迷茫？”找到一个适合自己成长的环境，“先做起来”，在不断的探索中，前路就会明晰起来！相信看完她的成长和申请经历也会对你有所启发。

注：罗切斯特大学建于1850年，被誉为新常春藤，2022年U.S. News美国最佳大学排名第34名。

Editor's note: July Chen was admitted to University of Rochester for her ED application. "Which teenager doesn’t get confused in their adolescent years? "  Find an environment suitable for your growth, "Do it first", and then if you keep exploring, the road ahead will be clear!  I believe that you will draw your inspiration from reading this article on how she grew up and how she applied for college.

PS: Founded in 1850, the University of Rochester is known as the New Ivy, and ranks 34th according to the U.S. News.

当我拿到罗切斯特录取通知书的那一刻，我真切地体会到了什么叫劫后余生。

When I got the letter of admission to Rochester, I truly felt what a lucky survivor I was.

恍惚的情绪将我拉回到了四年前。那时，我还在体制内学校与无数的试卷和习题奋战，看着墙上挂着“离中考还有97天”的牌子越发感到焦虑。当时，如果有人问我，你现在做的这一切，究竟是为了什么，我一定回答不出来。我只是，在跟随大多数人的脚步，做大多数人认为应该做的事。可随着时间的流逝，我越来越犹豫、踌躇不前。我开始隐隐意识到，这样的学习方式和学习环境并不是我喜欢的，也并不是最适合我的。“一考定终身”或许对很多人来说是开启成功大门的契机，于我而言则是方枘圆凿。于是在中考结束之后，我大胆地改变了我原本的选择，将目光转向了国际学校。几经辗转之后，我来到了上海宏润博源学校。

My trance took me back to four years ago when I was still struggling with countless examination papers and exercises in the public school system, and I felt more and more anxious when I saw a sign on the wall saying "there are 97 days left until the high school entrance examination".  If anyone had asked me then “why are you doing all this”, I would not have been able to answer it.  I was just following the footsteps of the majority, doing what the majority think should be done.  But as time went by, I became more and more hesitant to move forward. I began to vaguely realize that that way of learning and learning environment was not what I liked, nor was it the most suitable for me. The result of one exam may lead to success for many people, but for me, it is just like getting a square peg by chipping a round hole. So after the high school entrance examination, I boldly changed my original choice and turned my eyes to the international school.  After many twists and turns, I came to Shanghai Hongrun Boyuan School.

初到宏润博源的时候有个适应期，但是我很快调整好了状态投入到新的学习氛围里。这都要得益于学校在各方面给我提供的机会和帮助。首先，学校丰富的AP课程给予了我足够的自由和发挥的空间。课程的设置也非常灵活和广泛，使我可以在感兴趣的领域里进行尝试，找寻合适自己水平的课程。在这个基础上，合理的学分制也能够让我不落下基础课程的学习。这就好像学校为我们搭建了稳定的地基，让我们能够放心地在上面自由选择和创作。其次，学校升学办会定期举办大学宣讲活动，让我深入了解了优质大学的校园文化，并且有机会向招生官们提问。学期中的目标教育，职业生涯教育等活动也不断地在推动我进行自我探索，对未来进行合理规划。活动方面，学校的艺术节、建设上海项目等课外拓展性项目都拓展了我的眼界和认知，让我有舞台去实践自己的想法。

There was an adaptation period when I joined SHBS, but I soon adjusted myself to the new community, thanks to the opportunities and help provided by the school.  First of all, plenty of AP courses offered by the school gave me enough freedom and space to give play to myself.  The courses offered were also flexible and extensive, so that I could try in the fields I was interested in and find courses suitable for my level.  On this basis, the reasonable credit system also enabled me to keep up with the learning of basic courses.  It seemed as if the school had provided us with a stable foundation on which we could freely choose and create.  Secondly, the college advising department regularly held university publicity activities, which enabled me to have a deep understanding of the campus culture of top universities and have the opportunity to ask the admissions officers questions. Education sessions such as goal setting, career exploring and other activities also constantly motivate me to explore myself, to make a reasonable plan for the future.  In terms of activities, the school's art festival, Building Shanghai project and other extra-curricular projects have broadened my horizon and cognition, enabling me to practice my ideas on a big stage.

我曾经也有过一段不知道自己的兴趣究竟在哪，也不知道自己将来要做些什么的时刻，更不用说选择哪一所大学了。但就像我的一位老师和我说的一样：“迷茫在这个年龄段是很正常的，最重要的是不能止步不前，自我放弃。有任何想法都要勇于付诸行动，先做起来。”

There were moments when I didn't know what my interests were or what I wanted to do in the future, let alone which college to choose.  But as one of my teachers said to me: "Confusion is normal at this age. The most important thing is not to stop and give up.  Whatever you have in mind, do it first."  

于是，我带着“先做起来”这四个字，和我的迷茫与满腔热血出发了。探索自己的第一步，就是去做自己喜欢的事，来发掘自己真正的兴趣所在。我从小就非常喜欢小狗，路上遇到流浪狗，在条件允许的情况下我都会施以援手。但在这之前我从未想过更加系统和专业地去帮助它们。于是，我加入了“Bark4Life”救助小组，和一群同样是高中生的人每个月都进行流浪狗救助活动，帮助流浪狗找到温暖的新家庭。随着不断了解，我创建了自己的流浪狗救助公众号，以文字的形式让更多人知道如何正确地帮助流浪动物。在这个过程中，我也认识了很多在流浪狗救助领域努力着的人们，并和他们建立了紧密的联系。

Therefore,  bearing "do it first" in mind, I set out filled with confusion and enthusiasm.  The first step to discover yourself is to do what you love to find your true passion.  I have been fond of dogs since I was a child. When I met stray dogs on the road, I would give them a helping hand if conditions allowed.  But I never thought about helping them in a more systematic and professional way.  Therefore, I joined the rescue group "Bark4Life", and a group of high school students carried out stray dog rescue activities every month, helping stray dogs find warm new families. Having gained a deeper understanding, I created my own stray dog rescue wechat account, and tried to let more people know how to correctly help stray animals in the form of words.  Meanwhile, I also got to know a lot of people who were working hard to rescue stray dogs and established a close relationship with them.  

音乐是一个我有记忆以来就一直伴随着我的爱好。我从4岁开始学钢琴至今，期间还学过古琴和美声。小学到初中9年的时间都在校合唱团担任钢琴伴奏和声部成员，跟随团队参加了无数个比赛，时刻感受到集体的力量。进入高中以后，我在SHBS创立了choir club，并在机缘巧合下与音乐老师还有一群同样热爱音乐的伙伴们一起创造了“Selcouth”，开始打造属于我们的原创音乐剧。在这个过程中，我不断地获得锻炼机会，不断地因为团队凝聚力而受到鼓舞，不断地在成长。

Music is a hobby that has been with me for as long as I can remember.  I began to learn to play the piano at the age of 4, during which time I also learned to play the guqin and sing bel Canto.  From primary school to junior high school, I served as piano accompaniment and voice member in the school choir. I participated in numerous competitions with the team and was always aware of the power of it.  After entering high school, I founded Choir Club in SHBS, and created "Selcouth" together with my music teacher and a group of friends who also loved music, and began to create our original musical.  In this process, I kept getting opportunities to develop and improve myself, to be encouraged by our team and to grow up. 

除了音乐，传媒也是我另一个兴趣点。和传媒的结缘是因为我的升学指导老师。为了确认我是否真正对传媒这一领域感兴趣，我申请了纽约大学的夏校，用两个月的时间去系统的学习媒体，体验如何当一个合格的新闻工作者。于是我发现，媒介将世界上不同性格，不同地区的人们紧密联系在一起，就好像无形中有一根绳索在连接着彼此。我感叹且享受媒介的奇妙，也越发坚定了想要在这条道路上继续走下去。于是，我开创了自己的Youtube频道，拍摄了各类型的视频，将自己的观点和想法通过媒体传达给更多人，也希望能够影响到更多的人。另一方面，我也花费了很长时间来研究媒体与性少数群体之间的关系，在调查中收到了几百份不同的观点。罗切斯特在录取通知书里对我说的一句话也极大地鼓励了我：“我们知道，你将对罗切斯特社区产生积极的影响，因为你表现出了利用媒体改善他人生活的极大热情。”

In addition to music, I am also interested in media.  I got involved with the media because of my college counselor.  In order to confirm whether I was really interested in the field of media, I applied for the summer school of New York University, and spent two months systematically learning media and experiencing how to be a qualified journalist. Hence, I found that media closely linked people of different personalities and regions in the world, just like an invisible rope connecting each other.  I was amazed at and enjoyed the wonder of the media, and became more and more determined to continue exploring this field.  Therefore, I set up my own Youtube channel and shot various kinds of videos to convey my views and ideas to more people through the media, hoping to influence more people.  On the other hand, I spent a long time researching the relationship between the media and sexual minorities and received hundreds of different opinions in my survey.  I was also greatly encouraged by what Rochester said to me in their admission letter: "We know you will have a positive impact on the Rochester community because you have shown a great passion for using media to improve the lives of others."  

于我而言，为了申请大学而做准备的这三年里，“申请大学”更像是一个推动我进步的名头。这三年，我从最初的踌躇不前，到兴趣使然，勇敢迈出脚步去实践、去做很多我原本不敢做的事，再到逐渐发现自己的优势和擅长的领域，并且不断地深入，最后清楚地知道自己的目标，知道自己在做什么。一切发生地顺理成章，可回过头来看，却又都有迹可循。

For me, during the 3 years of high school, "applying for college" was more like a title that pushed me forward.  In the past three years, from the initial hesitation to the interest-driven action, I have  taken bold steps to practice and do many things I dared not to do, and then gradually discovered my advantages and areas of excellence, and constantly deepened, and finally clearly knew my goal and what I was doing.  Everything happened in a logical way, but when I looked back, I found there were traces. 

很感谢宏润博源给我提供了探索和展示自己的平台，刘峰老师以及学校的每一位老师给予我的帮助，还有Chris校长在关键时刻给我的建议和指导，并且帮助我修改文书、选择学校。感谢我的父母给我最大的自由去选择我喜欢的一切。

I am very grateful to SHBS for providing me with a platform to explore and show myself, Mr. Will Liu and every teacher in the school for their help, as well as principal Chris for his advice and guidance at the critical moment, and for helping me refine my personal statements and choose a college.  I also give my thanks to my parents for giving me the greatest freedom to choose whatever I like.  

“先做起来。”共勉！

Let us encourage each other in our endeavour with “Do it first.”

文 | July Chen

翻译 | Dawn Xu

排版 |  Jang

 

文章转载自：【上海宏润博源学校】