請問國際學生有什麼辦法可以免托福進DeAnza?

(請各位大德耐心且不棄嫌的先聽一段心路歷程......)

話說我本身英文平平 雖不至於太爛 但就是怕考試(跟 cpthk的朋友一樣)

6年前來米國 先是進了Mission College(在Santa Clara)的ESL program
目地是希望能藉由他們提供的語言課程幫助我pass TOEFL
但這個學校的教學不生動活潑 - too academically orientated - 讓我覺得
粉像台灣的教育制度那樣讓人喘不過氣來.  因為不喜歡 所以放棄了.

本以為沒希望了 就等著回台灣吧. 但當時因離既定的回台機票日期還有
兩個月 於是就上網到處晃晃 結果發現有家語言學校在我當時住的附近
叫Golden Gate Language Schools (在Campbell). 於是車子開了馬上過去一探究竟.
這家language school讓我免費audit兩堂課 我聽了滿意就sign up了他們的class.
(我個人很推薦這家語言學校 除了因為不用考TOEFL的一大誘因 還有 師資優
教學生動風趣 學習環境氣氛很好 不死板 學校還提供校外活動....)

同樣的  一進去都要先做placement test所以校方才知道你的level在哪裡.
Golden Gate有12個levels, 每個 level/session 為期1.5個月. 我當時被place在level 11.
但我當時太chicken對自己沒有信心所以不相信自己的成績 因而主動降級到level 10.
覺得比較comfortable 而且當時只想說上完這個session就回台灣了 管它那麼多!
(待會兒我會有原因告訴你們我後悔雞婆自動降一級.....) :hitwall:

後來 在session快結束之前 裡頭的班主任問我要不要續讀 我跟她說我沒信心
且我害怕考試 所以打算回台灣了. 但也因此得知了原來Golden Gate有跟幾家
community college & university有合作  就像"保送大學"之類的program
How it works:
1. 必須達到/完成所有12 level 的課程 (Here is the important message I wanted to
    deliver: the higher the level you are placed,  the less time/money you need to
    spend to finish the whole 12-level course.)
2. 畢業前請班主任及選一位任課老師幫你寫推薦信函(recommendation letter)
    然後將這兩封recommendation letters連同你的入學申請表一起交到學校去

P.S. 我倒忘了如果該學生有意要參與這個guaranteed program是否要先跟校方報備
       反正如果有此打算 先跟他們打探一下問些資訊也好

謝謝收聽/閱讀  偶就是醬的因緣際會下進入De Anza的啦......
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以下資訊拮自Golden Gate Language Schools

TOEFL WAIVER — GUARANTEED TRANSFER PROGRAM

      Golden Gate Language School maintains a formal transfer agreement with several regional and national universities and colleges. Affiliate institutions will accept, without TOEFL scores, applicants who have satisfactorily completed level 12 of the GGLS Intensive English Program. Guaranteed transfer assumes that other GGLS and affiliate institution requirements have been met.

Affiliate two-year institutions offering Certificate Programs and Associate Degrees:

          Cañada College, San Mateo, California
          DeAnza College, Cupertino, California
          Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, California
          San Jose City College, San Jose, California
          Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood, Colorado
          West Valley College, Saratoga, California
          Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, Washington

    These two-year institutions are called junior or community colleges. Students can enter if they are 18 years or older. Students study at a junior college, under the guidance of the school's counselor, for one or more of the following reasons: 1) They can enroll in certificate programs, which provide vocational training in technical fields. 2) They can earn an associate degree, which signifies completion of the required classes at a junior college. This degree normally takes two years to earn. 3) They can take their general education requirements towards a bachelor's degree at a junior college before transferring to a four-year university for the remaining classes.

Affiliate four-year institutions offering Bachelor's and Master's Degrees:

          Davenport University, Grand Rapids, Michigan
          Lincoln University, Oakland, California

    These four-year affiliate institutions are called universities because they offer undergraduate (bachelor's) and graduate (master's) degrees. Students have a choice of when they wish to enter an undergraduate university program: either after graduation from high school (12th grade or equivalent), or after completion of the university's general education requirements at a junior college. Earning a bachelor's degree takes about four years of study. To achieve a master's degree, students continue their education at the university for approximately two more years. All course work must be done under the guidance of the university counselor.


Golden Gate Language Schools
591 W. Hamilton Avenue, Suite 101
Campbell, California, 95008-0521, USA
Phone: 1 (408) 374-9954
http://www.goldengatelanguage.com/

後續:
那至於為什麼還有那麼多人願意考TOEFL?  那是因為他們有信心不用花那麼多錢&時間
去完程所有12個levels的課程 不像我這種有"exam anxiety"的人.....  Good for them!

我也要補充一個學校

SJSU的SAL
進該program也是有placement test(所以可以把你分進適當的level)
每個學期完後也會再考一次試
要是你考試的成績有過500 就可以以此成績免托福轉到De Anza喔
因為他們跟De Anza有簽約
我覺得該校師資不錯 而且不像De Anza的ESL品質良莠不齊
沒記錯的話 該校有分D,F,E,G的樣子
G最高 再來E 再來F 再來D 每個level都有上下兩段班
我當時進去是分到E2 後來下學期我就升到G1
其實我在E2的收穫比較多 因為那時候唸的很勤
到G1時 認識我現在的男友 兩人都跑去約會 書就沒唸的很透徹

不過說真的 英文還是要自己苦讀 我前半年唸E2的基礎自問打的不錯 但也是勤唸來的

我以前剛來美國時第一次考他們的placement test(可說是像模擬托福吧)
是440分 當時跟我分到同班的大家都超過450, 500分以上的也有
當時我覺得自己很沒用 懷著雄心壯志來美國唸書 結果第一次考試就潑冷水
又遇到中秋節 想到台灣的親友們一定都在烤肉吧
我當時坐在書桌前看著那張440分的成績單 眼淚掉下來 整個人很喪氣
後來我每天唸書 看不懂的單字就查 老師說要看的報紙還是書什麼的 我就早一點準備
就是希望自己可以懂多一點 前三個月上課像是鴨子聽雷一樣 很痛苦
聽不懂keyword 回家要自己摸索很久也要把書讀的很徹底 考試才不會考差
不過這樣的辛苦是有代價的 該學期結束後的考試 我考了507分
我就是以這個成績免托福轉到De Anza

PS. 不過等我轉進De Anza後我才知道其實我根本當初就不用唸SAL
因為我是綠卡 所以只要申請即可 但是我並不後悔
De Anza的ESL跟SAL比起來還是有差
SAL的老師都是美國人 而且感覺都不是那種亂請的
De Anza的...哎 上了就知道 我覺得師資沒有SAL來的好