提到美國(guó)本科留學(xué)申請(qǐng)，除了語(yǔ)言考試、GPA，相信最讓大家燒腦的部分，應(yīng)該是Personal Statement（個(gè)人陳述）的構(gòu)思和創(chuàng)作?；蛟S大家心中都有疑問(wèn)，每個(gè)申請(qǐng)者都是獨(dú)一無(wú)二的，那么我的文書(shū)如何在眾多文書(shū)中脫穎而出呢？是否有統(tǒng)一的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)呢？

College Board在其出版的關(guān)于文書(shū)寫(xiě)作的輔導(dǎo)書(shū)籍The College Application Essay (P28)中，指出：

“There is not set combination of items that every applicant must have to gain acceptance at a certain college. You, your essay, and your application profile do not have to match a single narrow standard.”

就是說(shuō):要拿到大學(xué)錄取并沒(méi)有一套固定的因素組合。你個(gè)人，你的申請(qǐng)文書(shū)，以及你的全套申請(qǐng)文件都不必特意迎合某種狹隘的所謂標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。

那么今天小編為大家梳理下，對(duì)于大學(xué)申請(qǐng)文書(shū)PS，有哪些意見(jiàn)和建議值得我們深思和采用。大家可以在閑暇之余，對(duì)照文章中的建議，并結(jié)合自己的親身經(jīng)歷，開(kāi)始探索在接下來(lái)的申請(qǐng)季中該如何開(kāi)始準(zhǔn)備自己的文書(shū)，學(xué)會(huì)分享。

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE ABOUT WRITING A COLLEGE ESSAY?

COLLEGE ESSAY TIPS FROM UNIVERSITY ADMISSION ADMINISTRATORS

1. Know that the best ideas for your essay—the perfect opener, a great twist, a brilliant insight—often come when you least expect them.

（你要明白，你文章中出現(xiàn)的最好的想法—完美的開(kāi)場(chǎng)白、一次巨大的轉(zhuǎn)折以及一個(gè)絕妙的見(jiàn)解，往往會(huì)在你最意想不到的時(shí)候出現(xiàn)。）

That’s why it’s a good practice to keep a reliable collection system with you at all times as you’re preparing to write your essay. It could be your phone. It could be index cards. It could be a Moleskine notebook (if you really want to do it with panache). Just don’t store it in your own brain thinking that you’ll remember it later. Your mind may be a magnificently wonderful idea-making machine, but it’s a lousy filing cabinet. Store those ideas in one place outside your brain so that when inspiration hits you in the bathroom, in the car, on a hike—wherever—you’ll have a place to capture it and come back to it later when you need it.

This college essay tip is by Ken Anselment, Marquette University graduate and Vice President for Enrollment & Communication at Lawrence University.

人的大腦就好比是一個(gè)龐大的“思維儲(chǔ)存庫(kù)”，但它并不是一個(gè)毫無(wú)疏漏的儲(chǔ)存空間。因此，我們?cè)跇?gòu)思文書(shū)的時(shí)候，需要一個(gè)更加可靠和完善的信息收集系統(tǒng)，比如你可以把自己的想法記錄到手機(jī)、筆記本或者建立索引。這樣更加便于我們把隨時(shí)隨地有可能產(chǎn)生的靈感記錄下來(lái)，并且轉(zhuǎn)化成文書(shū)的素材。

2. Do not feel pressure to share every detail of challenging experiences, but also do not feel that you need to have a happy ending or solution.

（盡可能多的去描述每個(gè)富有挑戰(zhàn)性的細(xì)節(jié)和經(jīng)歷，不用刻意為每個(gè)故事設(shè)置一個(gè)美好的結(jié)局或解決一切難題。）

Your writing should provide a context within which the reader learns about who you are and what has brought you to this stage in your life. Try to tie your account into how this has made you develop as a person, friend, family member or leader (or any role in your life that is important to you). You may also want to make a connection to how this has inspired some part of your educational journey or your future aspirations.

This college essay tip is by Jaclyn Robins, Assistant Director of admissions at the University of Southern California. The tip below is paraphrased from a post on the USC admissions blog.

我們的文書(shū)中需要提供一個(gè)場(chǎng)景，讓招生官了解到你是誰(shuí)？是什么因素塑造了現(xiàn)在的你。嘗試從你自己、你朋友眼中的你、家人眼中的你以及作為leader的你，這些不同的角色，如何影響你的性格、個(gè)性以及未來(lái)的發(fā)展規(guī)劃。

3. We want to learn about growth.

（我們想要了解你的成長(zhǎng)）

Some students spend a lot of time summarizing plot or describing their work and the "in what way" part of the essay winds up being one sentence. The part that is about you is the most important part. If you feel you need to include a description, make it one or two lines. Remember that admission offices have Google, too, so if we feel we need to hear the song or see the work of art, we'll look it up. The majority of the essay should be about your response and reaction to the work. How did it affect or change you?

This college essay tip is by Dean J, admissions officer and blogger from University of Virginia. The tip below is paraphrased from a post on the University of Virginia Admission blog.

很多學(xué)生花大量的時(shí)間來(lái)描述情節(jié)和作品，但“你以何種形式”獲得現(xiàn)在的成果，卻是寥寥幾筆結(jié)束。這里劃重點(diǎn)啦，你需要始終牢記文章中關(guān)于“你”的部分才是最最重要的，招生官希望看到你在這個(gè)活動(dòng)、或者完成某項(xiàng)任務(wù)中經(jīng)歷了哪些，是否有所啟發(fā)？是否遇到難題？你是如何解決的？如果作品或者成果需要描述，簡(jiǎn)單幾句就好。但關(guān)于這個(gè)自我成長(zhǎng)的過(guò)程，我們不能完全不涉及。

4. Be specific.

（再詳細(xì)，也不為過(guò)。）

我們來(lái)看下面兩個(gè)例子：

Consider these two hypothetical introductory paragraphs for a master's program in library science.

“I am honored to apply for the Master of Library Science program at the University of Okoboji because as long as I can remember I have had a love affair with books. Since I was eleven I have known I wanted to be a librarian.”

VS.

“When I was eleven, my great-aunt Gretchen passed away and left me something that changed my life: a library of about five thousand books. Some of my best days were spent arranging and reading her books. Since then, I have wanted to be a librarian.”

This college essay tip is by Chris Peterson, Assistant Director at MIT Admissions. The tip below is paraphrased from the post “How To Write A College Essay” on the MIT blog.

我們來(lái)看下，上面兩段文字，每一個(gè)段落包含45個(gè)詞，內(nèi)容基本相同（一個(gè)小姑娘想成為一名圖書(shū)管理員的夢(mèng)想）但閱讀后發(fā)現(xiàn)這兩段文字，給讀者帶來(lái)的吸引力，截然不同。很明顯，第一段的描述比較一般，而第二段更加具體。我們?cè)赑S的寫(xiě)作中，同樣需要這些specific 的描述來(lái)豐富我們的topic，盡量使我們的文書(shū)看起來(lái)有血有肉，更加豐滿(mǎn)。

5. Tell a good story.

（要把故事講得精彩~）

Most people prefer reading a good story over anything else. So... tell a great story in your essay. Worry less about providing as many details about you as possible and more about captivating the reader's attention inside of a great narrative. I read a great essay this year where an applicant walked me through the steps of meditation and how your body responds to it. Loved it. (Yes, I'll admit I'm a predisposed meditation fan.)

This college essay tip is by Jeff Schiffman, Director of Admissions at Tulane University and health and fitness nut.

大多數(shù)人喜歡精彩的故事。所以，盡量讓你的故事引人入勝，不要吝嗇提供各種關(guān)于你的細(xì)節(jié)來(lái)吸引讀者的注意力。要讓讀者有代入感，讓她or他主動(dòng)走進(jìn)你的故事。

溫馨小貼士:

Eager to write your essay but not sure how to begin? Start with my brainstorming exercise: "Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me"

不知道如何開(kāi)始寫(xiě)essay,讓我們從練習(xí)頭腦風(fēng)暴開(kāi)始吧，我想讓大學(xué)了解我什么呢？

6. Imagine how the person reading your essay will feel.

(想象一下讀者的感受。)

No one's idea of a good time is writing a college essay, I know. But if sitting down to write your essay feels like a chore, and you're bored by what you're saying, you can imagine how the person reading your essay will feel. On the other hand, if you're writing about something you love, something that excites you, something that you've thought deeply about, chances are I'm going to set down your application feeling excited, too—and feeling like I've gotten to know you.

This college essay tip is by Abigail McFee, Admissions Counselor for Tufts University and Tufts ‘17 graduate.

寫(xiě)的是文字，讀的是心情。我們?cè)趯?xiě)作的時(shí)候，往往會(huì)將某種情感寄托于文字。此時(shí)，文字不再是簡(jiǎn)簡(jiǎn)單單的幾行字、幾段話(huà)，而是肩負(fù)著傳達(dá)作者情感的使命。沒(méi)有人會(huì)將寫(xiě)大學(xué)essay的過(guò)程作為人生中美好的一段時(shí)光。但是，如果你坐下來(lái)寫(xiě)你的文書(shū)，感覺(jué)像是一件苦差事，你對(duì)自己的文字感覺(jué)到厭煩。你可以想象讀到你文章的人，會(huì)是什么感受。相反，如果你的文書(shū)，描述的是你喜歡的東西，讓你充滿(mǎn)熱情的事情，或者你深入思考和關(guān)注的問(wèn)題，那么閱讀到你文章的人，也同樣會(huì)被這份真摯的情感所吸引，甚至感動(dòng)。我們?cè)趯?xiě)文書(shū)的同時(shí)，不妨換位思考。把自己當(dāng)成是讀者，給自己的文書(shū)評(píng)分。

COLLEGE ESSAY TIPS FROM COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EXPERTS

1. Just make sure that the story you’re telling is uniquely YOURS.

（故事講述的是那個(gè)獨(dú)一無(wú)二的你）

I believe everyone has a story worth telling. Don’t feel like you have to have had a huge, life-changing, drama-filled experience. Sometimes the seemingly smallest moments lead us to the biggest breakthroughs.

This college essay tip is by Maggie Schuh, a member of the Testive Parent Success team and a high school English teacher in St. Louis.

相信每個(gè)人都有屬于自己的故事。這個(gè)故事，不一定必須是巨大的，改變你一生的，充滿(mǎn)戲劇色彩的經(jīng)歷。有時(shí)候，那些看似微不足道的瞬間，卻能讓我們實(shí)現(xiàn)最大的突破。而這種突破，就是屬于你的，獨(dú)一無(wú)二的經(jīng)歷。

2. Keep it simple!（簡(jiǎn)單即可！）

No one is expecting you to solve the issue of world peace with your essay. Often times, we find students getting hung up with “big ideas”. Remember, this essay is about YOU. What makes you different from the thousands of other applicants and their essays? Be specific. Use vivid imagery. If you’re having trouble, start small and go from there. P. S. make sure the first sentence of your essay is the most interesting one.

This college essay tip is by Myles Hunter, CEO of TutorMe, an online education platform that provides on-demand tutoring and online courses for thousands of students.

很多學(xué)生在構(gòu)思essay的時(shí)候，會(huì)眉頭緊鎖的望著我說(shuō)：老師，我就是一個(gè)普普通通的高中生，我覺(jué)得我的人生非常平凡，沒(méi)有什么“大事”發(fā)生，這樣會(huì)不會(huì)顯得我特別平庸呢。

其實(shí)，沒(méi)有人指望你通過(guò)一篇文書(shū)就變成超級(jí)英雄，就有能力去改變世界了。很多學(xué)生是被“偉大的思想”這個(gè)觀點(diǎn)束縛。請(qǐng)記住，這篇文書(shū)是圍繞你來(lái)展開(kāi)的。你需要知道你和其他人不同的地方在哪里，你的閃光點(diǎn)是什么就好。從小處著手，然后從那個(gè)點(diǎn)開(kāi)始，構(gòu)思你整個(gè)文章的框架，以及你想表達(dá)的主題和思想。

3. Honor your inspiration.（尊重你的靈感）

My parents would have much preferred that I write about sports or youth group, and I probably could have said something interesting about those, but I insisted on writing about a particular fish in the pet store I worked at—one that took much longer than the others to succumb when the whole tank system in the store became diseased. It was a macabre little composition, but it was about exactly what was on my mind at the time I was writing it. I think it gave whoever read it a pretty good view of my 17 year-old self. I'll never know if I got in because of that weird essay or in spite of it, but it remains a point of pride that I did it my way.

This college essay tip is by Mike McClenathan, founder of PwnTestPrep, which has a funny name but serious resources for helping high school students excel on the standardized tests.

靈感源自經(jīng)歷，或許在父母眼中有些看似“幼稚”的事情，對(duì)于一個(gè)高中生來(lái)說(shuō)，恰恰是一次最難忘的經(jīng)歷。文章的主體，始終是你自己。在文書(shū)的選材上面，可以適當(dāng)聽(tīng)從他人的意見(jiàn)。但自己也需要有主見(jiàn)。

4. Write about things you care about.(選擇你關(guān)心的事情）

The most obvious things make great topics. What do I mean? Colleges want to learn about who you are, what you value and how you will contribute to their community. I had two students write about their vehicles—one wrote about the experience of purchasing their used truck and one wrote about how her car is an extension of who she is. We learned about their responsibility, creative thinking, teamwork and resilience in a fun and entertaining way.

This college essay tip is by Mira “Coach Mira” Simon, Independent Educational Consultant and professionally trained coach from the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), who combines her expertise to help high school students find their pathway to college.

大學(xué)想要了解的是，你是誰(shuí)？你看重什么？你如何對(duì)社區(qū)做出貢獻(xiàn)。即使參加同樣一個(gè)活動(dòng)，由于每個(gè)人擔(dān)負(fù)的職責(zé)不同，對(duì)于活動(dòng)的感悟也不盡相同。

5. Be yourself.（做自己）

A sneaky thing can happen as you set about writing your essay: you may find yourself guessing what a college admissions committee is looking for and writing to meet that made up criteria rather than standing firm in who you are and sharing your truest self. While you want to share your thoughts in the best possible light (edit please!), avoid the temptation minimize the things that make you who you are. Show your depth. Be honest about what matters to you. Be thoughtful about the experiences you've had that have shaped who you've become. Be your brilliant self. And trust that your perfect-fit college will see you for who truly you are and say "Yes! This is exactly who we've been looking for.”

This college essay tip is by Lauren Gaggioli, NYU graduate, host of The College Checklist podcast, and founder of Higher Scores Test Prep provides affordable test prep help to college applicants.“

我就是我，是顏色不一樣的煙火。”此處，小編不禁聯(lián)想到一句略有年代感的歌詞。我們?cè)趯?xiě)大學(xué)文書(shū)的時(shí)候，也需要堅(jiān)持自我。這是什么意思呢？就是我們不要刻意猜測(cè)或者迎合大學(xué)喜歡的學(xué)生模樣，強(qiáng)行改變自己的初衷，去搭建一個(gè)完全不一樣的人設(shè)。而需要體現(xiàn)最真實(shí)的自己以及自己思想的深度。總會(huì)有學(xué)校在茫茫人海中，對(duì)你念念不忘。并認(rèn)為你就是他們一直尋找的那個(gè)人。

6. Find a way to showcase yourself without bragging.（展示自己的同時(shí)避免吹捧）

Being confident is key, but you don't want to come across as boasting. Next, let them know how college will help you achieve your long-term goals. Help them connect the dots and let them know you are there for a reason. Finally (here’s an extra pro tip), learn how to answer common college interview questions within your essay. This will not only help you stand out from other applicants, but it will also prepare you for the college interview ahead of time as well.

自信當(dāng)然是需要的。但不能給招生官留下吹牛的印象。要讓大學(xué)知道如何幫助你實(shí)現(xiàn)長(zhǎng)期目標(biāo)，讓他們認(rèn)為招收你是有原因的。此外，學(xué)習(xí)如何在文章中回答大學(xué)面試常見(jiàn)的一些問(wèn)題。這不僅能讓你從眾多申請(qǐng)者中脫穎而出，還能為大學(xué)面試做準(zhǔn)備。