An angry voice awoke Wang Lin. The 21-year-old electronic information science and technology major at Nanjing University heard a voice shouting,"Why are you constantly changing my consultant(顾问)?""It must be my roommate arguing again with his study abroad agent," Wang thought. It had already happened several times,which made Wang wonder if having an agent was a wise choice.
In fact,many students who plan to study abroad have the same concern. Below,their upperclassmen(高年级学生)will talk about their experiences and professionals will offer some advice.
Poor writing
Zhang Na is a student of Peking University. She decided to leave the application work to a study abroad agent. At first,the process was smooth,but when Zhang read her recommendation letter she noticed a problem. "I wasn't satisfied with it," says Zhang. "I could tell the writer hadn't put any thought into it because it said‘I'm a promising young man’ in the letter." She had to rewrite the personal statement and recommendation letters by herself in the end. "I didn't trust them any more,"she says.
Change of consultants
Another problem Zhang experienced with the agent was changing consultants. "My first two consultants left the company midway through the application process, so I had to get used to a new one twice," she says.
Do it by yourself or find a study abroad agent?
Meng Fang, 22, studies computer science at Tsinghua University. She decided to apply for the master's degree program by herself after comparing the process of applying by herself to applying through an agent. "I evaluated different elements of the application process and came to the conclusion that I should do it by myself," she says.
Cao Xianshui, a senior study abroad expert, believes that whether students should hire a study abroad agent or not depends on their individual case. "For students from rich families who want to apply for a less competitive university, finding a study abroad agent is a good way to save some trouble," he says. "But for students who have good learning and analysis skills, applying by themselves may give them a better chance of getting into a top university."
【小题1】The first paragraph serves as a(n) ________.A.introduction | B.explanation |
C.background | D.instruction |
A.its poor writing |
B.her bad performance at university |
C.its high price |
D.her fault-finding attitude |
A.to do it by yourself |
B.to choose a study abroad agent |
C.not to go abroad |
D.not mentioned |
A.The education department. |
B.The students hoping to study abroad. |
C.The study abroad agent. |
D.The students from wealthy families. |