然后Tiffany就这样正式地走进了我的生活。上了初三以后她天天晚上跟我用Skype交流。学的是什么呢？准备去美国上高中的同学可能知道，是一种叫做SSAT的神奇考试。有人会觉得它看起来和SAT很像吧……恭喜你又猜对了，如果说SAT相当于美国的高考，那么SSAT就相当于美国的中考。所以送孩子出国的家长们不要每天说他们没有参加高考什么的多轻松，一点都不轻松！而想去美国逃避高考的孩子们也要想清楚，国外真的没有想象中那么轻松（当然这些也都是我后来才知道的，没有做好心理准备，所以一开始很痛苦）。然后这种神奇的考试呢，分为五个section：一个写作、一个词汇、一个阅读和两个数学，一考就是一上午。最“奇葩”的地方是我一开始看到题的时候直接抓狂了，除了作文以外全是选择题，一道选择题有五个选项，选错了还要倒扣分！这是“神马”理论啊，太“坑爹”了，可以吧！那些我们从小用到大的三长一短选最短，三短一长选最长的方法就都没用了啊……还不能不会的题都选C……最关键的还是大多数题，我确实都不会。翻开词汇，尤其是前面的那个近义词，我笑了。这是英文吗？为什么连题目带选项没一个我认识的单词啊？还都这么长，浪费国家油墨！之后就是艰苦的与SSAT作战的计划了，每每只有做到数学题的时候我才稍感欣慰，果然美国人对数学的研究远远不及我们小时候的奥数竞赛试题。至于其他部分的学习，由于过程太过“血腥”，我自己都已经不敢再去回忆了。每每想起来，眼里总能流下两滴晶莹的泪水。为什么我决定去美国之前没人告诉我还要考试啊？我只能默默地忍下来，然后争取去美国后潇洒地把这些都补回来（在我知道还有SAT这个更高深的大BOSS之后，我就再也不敢这么想了）。
然后就是申请学校，我有找中介也有自己申请。一共申请了有十几所，有点撒网捞鱼的感觉。在这里着重说一下我在YESSAT这个地方学了一段时间的SSAT,听说他们也可以帮忙申请。他们给了我一个类似调查问卷的东西，貌似是要按照我的喜好测出一个最适合我的学校。当时我是很不屑的，这又不是那种小孩子玩的心理测试，四个选项就能看透你？可是我最后去的学校居然真的是这个测试结果的那所……当然这都是后话了（表示我不是YESSAT的托）。还有就是我爸妈居然很想让我去女校！直接点说就是怕我早恋呗！可是像我这种青春期的孩子，总会找个地方寄托自己过剩的热情的。如果去女校，说不定我大学毕业以后带回家的就是一个女生了呢……好了这就是当时我最真实的想法，但凡个正常的好少年都不会愿意生活在只有同龄同性的世界吧！那世界就有一大半的空缺啊（有师生恋倾向和癖好的同学请自动忽略我的存在）!当时我一心想去感和安全感。面试各种紧张啊，虽然现在看来当时也不过是聊聊天，可是那个时候就觉得面试你的人就是决定你的生死的人！
等学校的结果差不多都出来了，最后剩下二选一，Miss Hall（注意这是个女校！）和The Putney School。看完前面的人肯定已经猜到我会选哪个了，我怎么可能去女校呢？可以说这个是主要原因，可是还有很多小细节让Putney赚足了我的好感值。比如，它的校微是一棵绿色的树的轮廓，我本人比较喜欢绿色；比如学校寄来的东西里有张手绘的地图超可爱，增加好感度：又比如，我面试这个学校的时候表现还不错……可能有人会觉得这些理由对于选学校来说都很扯，尤其多数家长都觉得，怎么能通过一个学校的校徽好不好看来决定要不要去这个学校可是如果要去美国读书，就需要尽量接受和理解这种方式。我们从小被爸妈和老育成好学生、好孩子，教育我们要用最理智的方式做事，利益最大化。所以家长学校都要看排名是否靠前，去好大学的是否多。可是在你去之前，永远都不会知个学校是不是真的适合你，所以不要太过依靠排名来决定你的未来。无论任何微细节都将会影响你的决定，日后都可能成为你坚持的理由，仅仅因为这是你自己择。美国人很多选择学校的时候更多注重学校所在地区的环境，学校的优质学科如我的学校艺术类比较好）。很多人选择一个学校都单纯是因为觉得学校的名字而已。如果你坚信自己无法理解这种随性，那么你可能还是更适合在国内生活。
最后，我选择了The Putney School，然后坚定地开始了各种填表和选课活动。这是开学之前必不可少而又在某种程度上对学校生活有影响的重要事件，千万不要忘记做这些。学校的每封邮件都要记得及时看，把该做的都做到。那个时候，我问Libby（学校的Directer of international student program，面试我的就是她）可不可以给我所有中国新生的联系方式。然后建了个Q0群，大家起聊天，在这过程中，我发现很多人根本就不知道有选课这些事，但是那时已经过了截止日期。所以为了避免日后麻烦，多跟老师联系并且及时查看邮件都是很有必要的。之后就是暑假啦，虽然跟中学的同学朋友分开了有点小伤感，但是心里还有更多对新生活的期待，还有暗自庆幸自己没有参加那个令人头痛的中考（虽然后来觉得没这种经历也蛮可惜的）。假期里，我又跟Tiffany学了一个月的语法又练了练听力、口语什么的。然后就开始和家人、亲戚、朋友吃饭，买需要的东西，准备收拾行李了……为了减少一次带的量，我没有带很多夏天的衣服（我们那个地方跟加拿大接壤，很冷），而且用了制胜法宝——真空压缩袋！不知道的同学可以去问“度娘”（百度）普及一下知识。先把最最基本和占地儿的被子、毯子“神马”的塞进去（参考个人学校情况，学校一般会发给你一张需要自带东西的清单，如果没有好好看导致自己宿舍床上堆了两床被子的情况，不要说是我误导你了……）然后就是各种厚的大衣和羽绒服……要到天寒地冻的地方去上学的孩子伤不起啊！
3.The courage—the preparation of leaving
When I returned,Tiffany stepped into my life formally.After I started 9th grade,she started to teach me English by Skype.Specifically,she would teach me an exam called the SSAT.Are you familiar with this name?No?But you must know the SAT.The SAT is the test students have to take to study in a US college.The SSAT is similar.It is the test students have to take to study in US high schools.Chinese people should admit the truth that studying in America is not relaxing at all.This test is divided into fve sections:one essay writing section,one vocabulary section,one reading section and two math sections.The whole test takes fve hours.The most unreasonable part was the guessing penalty.If we chose the wrong answers,we lose points!Most of the problems were very difficult for me.I was wondering is that English?How come I do not know any words in the problems?How could they type those unbelievably long words?They were totally wasting printing ink!Math was the only section in which I felt comfortable.The study of other sections was so cruel and hard,just like a mentalLong March for me.Why?No one told me that I have to take this test before I could study in the US.
Then it was the time for the application.I did a survey of the best US high schools for me.I felt that was not useful at all.No one believed that I fnally went to that“best school”for me in the survey.At that time,my parents wanted me to go to an all-girl school.They did not want me to have a relationship with anyone in high school.But the world is built by both of men and women.How could I live in a world just composed by women?I wanted to go to Lake Forest Academy since I had stayed there previously.(www.xing528.com)
After a lot of interviews and a long time of waiting,I received the decision letters.My
parents helped me to think over every school and got the decision down to two.They were:Miss Hall(an all-girl school)and the Putney School(the result school of my survey).It was really easy for me to choose.How could I go to an all-girl school?In addition to this main reason,there were some details made me like the Putney School more.For instance,the symbol of thePutney School was a green tree and I liked green.Also,the map the school sent to me was drawn by hand instead of formally printed.
That was the cutest part.Also,I was relaxed and did well in the interview…some people might think it is silly to chooseschool by feeling.Parents were like to pick school sbased on the rankings.
But students can’t know if a school is bestbfoar sethdem onuinntsil igthneify icaarnritvdee.tDaielcsi.sAionls otcoouflAd m
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about the location and environment of a school and the strong points of a school.
Finally,I convinced my parents to choose the Putney School and started to fill out forms and choose my courses. Those were the most important things to do before school started and also influenced school life somehow.I also need to check my email on time. Then,I asked the Director of International Students,Libby,if she could give me the contact information of other Chinese students. I built an online chat group and found that many students did not even know we needed to signup for our courses. Even though I was going to be separated from my middle school friends,I still longed for my future life in the US. During the summer,I had to pack all of my things and arrange to have dinner with friends. Vermont!What did this word mean?Snow and down coats!
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