Caught in the frenzy of securing a few admissions to the latest reported top universities before the end of their high school senior year, it is not uncommon for students (and their parents) to cast a wide enough net to encompass both US and UK universities.

大学升学季，学生和家长们常常会对排名靠前的一流大学院校陷入狂热的追求，争相申请。大家抱着“广撒网，多敛鱼，择优而从之”的心态，所申请的学校通常涵盖美英两国。

Many view the two countries as insurances for each other, should one not yield the results they hoped for. However,often times little to no consideration is given to characteristics other than a school’s reputation and world ranking, sacrificing the idea of “fit” that guidance counsellors everywhere constantly try to instill in their students on the altar of a “reputable” university admittance.

许多人认为同时申请这两个国家的多所学校能起到双保险的作用，万一落选英国的梦校，那还能去美国的梦校。然而，无论出于何种考量，大家的关注点永远聚焦在大学的“排名”与“名气”上，对其他方面的因素却疏于深思。一些所谓的留学顾问也不断鼓动学生们申请那些“声明显赫”的大学，而非“最适合自己”的大学。

However, UK and US institutions are looking for very different kinds of students, and one needs only to go as far as the application system to see that. 

事实上，英国与美国的学府吸纳学生的类型大相径庭。通过两国大学申请流程和要求的差异就能感受一二。

While the UCAS application requires a statement about why students are interested in pursuing the major they have selected, how their academics and extracurricular activities have supported that interest, and one academic reference alongside their grades, the Common Application* requires students to submit not only a personal statement that should evidence their intangible qualities, but also a long list of extracurricular activities, several recommendation letters, and an answer to the prompt “Why do you want to attend X University?”.

（英国）高校招生服务处的申请要求包括：一份说明，阐述学生为何对所选专业感兴趣、学生自身的学术能力与课外活动对所选专业有何助力。同时需递交本人的考试成绩以及一封学术推荐信作为学术能力参考。而美国的通用申请*（Common Application, Common App，美国大学本科入学网上申请的一站式网站）则要求学生提交一份能充分体现自身无形品质的个人陈述、一长串课外活动清单、若干推荐信并回答“为何要申请某所大学”这一问题。

Where the British model emphasises early specialisation, the American model focuses on exploration and interdisciplinary connections. British universities expect students to devote themselves to the one academic major they have chosen, and who demonstrate the academic ability to do so. Students in the UK choose a major before applying to universities, and spend the remaining three years taking courses that fall within that major.

US universities look for a well-rounded individual who not only holds academic promise, but also has demonstrated a commitment to a community, and an ability to think about the practical outputs of their academic studies. Students can typically wait until their second year to declare their major (there are exceptions), and have the choice to major in one or two subjects, or major in one and minor in another, or even create their own majors (this tends to occur more in Liberal Arts colleges).  Alongside the credits required by their major, students also have to satisfy a certain amount of elective credits, by taking core courses in writing, mathematics, science, and political science. 

英国大学教育强调早期的专业化，而美国大学模式侧重于探索及跨学科关联。英国大学希望学生们进入大学后即刻全情投入到他们选择的专业上。学生们需要证明自己确有足够的学术能力驾驭本专业的学习。学生们在申请前就已明确专业，入学后整个大学阶段都要钻研于此。

美国大学则渴望塑造“全人”：学生不仅必须拥有匹配的学术水平，还需要能积极投身社区工作。同时他/她也应该具备将书面知识转化为实际产出的思考能力。美国大学的学生通常（当然也有例外）可以等到大二再决定自己的主修专业：可以选择主修一至两个科目或者主修一个科目辅修另一个科目。学生甚至有权创建自己的专业（这在文理学院较为常见）。学生们除了获取主修专业所要求的学分外，还必须学习写作、数学、科学、政治科学等核心课程以达到一定数量的选修课程学分要求。

Classes and assessments vary greatly. In the UK; learning happens for the most part outside of the classroom, as students are expected to conduct hours of independent research and independent studying to prepare for a final exam that typically counts towards 100% of the student’s final grade. The American system relies on in-class participation and small assignments throughout the semester to ensure everyone is keeping up with the coursework. The final grade awarded takes into consideration not only the students’ performance in assignments and exams, but also the level of participation in daily class discussions. 

英美大学的课程设置与评估体系也大不相同。在英国大学，学生们在课余要花费大量的时间，他们需要进行长时间的独立研究与独立学习以应对期末考试。这一考试成绩几乎100%决定了该学生该科目的最终成绩。美国的教育体系则立足于学生的课堂参与度和贯穿整个学期的小作业。这些作业旨在确保每个学生都能跟上课程的进度。而最终成绩不仅参考学生在作业和考试中的表现，还要综合该学生在日常课堂讨论中的参与程度。

With this in mind, students should be aware of the key differences in the approaches to teaching and learning that each country presents, and make a choice informed by their personal preferences and strengths.

有鉴于此，升学季期间，学生们首先应当了解各国教学方法的显著差异，随后再根据每个人的喜好和特长做出最合适的选择。