美国大学申请写作的技巧

美国大学申请写作的技巧

很多学生觉得自己中文写作很在行，所以就干脆用中文把要求的作文写好，原句的翻成英文，然后找个外教改一改，就觉得可以交差了。如果你申请的是百名内的名校的话，你这样做就等于断送了自己被录取的机会。

大学申请的作文程序第一就是要选对题目。很多大学提供了不同的作文题目让申请者选择，例如Common Application 里的基本作文题目里就列出了6个，其中一个就包括了你自己可以选题。选题的技巧当让就是要选一个你最能发挥的题目，题目一般不难，对于申请者来说，要考虑的是写出来的东西能够让招生官员看到自己的亮点，如何利用一个简单的题目把你的。。在短短250-500字里表达出来。简单来说，你可以先想想大部分的同学会怎么回答这个问题，你要决定的就是，千万不要落入这个俗套！

要记住，一篇好的文章可以让招生官员看到你生动活泼的观点，而且是你除了分数之外可以帮助招生官员是否决定录取你的重要因素。

1. 文章内容一定要有你自己的个性，表现出你独有的观点，而且理念要统一，不要前后矛盾。在开始主题之后，记得用生动的例子来证明你的观点，才能吸引读者的兴趣。你的学术程度已经在GPA和SAT分数里可以看得出来，你所要在文章里面表现的一定是分数里面看不出来的东西，如个性，想法，领导能力等等。

2. 尽量避免陈腔滥调，太泛的写法 – 不要有太多的形容词形容自己有多聪明，多优秀，多完美，招生官员对这样的文章会觉得不切实际。如果你真的想表现自己的优秀，必须要有实际的例子来表现。

3. 不要拍马屁，而写一些你以为招生官员听了会很高兴的话 - 招生官员见多了文章写的尽是‘你们大学非常好，学术能力强，设备好，有某某有名教授或校友，是我从小就想进的唯一大学’等等的语言，还不如实际一点好好表现你自己的长处，或是你如何在这样竞争的环境中生存。

4. 不要像写简历一样的写作文 – 你的学术经历和活动过程在申请表里面都详细的填好了，尽量不要在作文里面重复已有的内容，而是让招生官员更清楚的看到你独特的观点。

5. 有的学生为了要充满要求的字数，想出很多不相关或是多余的词句来填补空间。不管申请作文要求的是几个字，你必须要把握的是要字字珠玑。

6. 写完之后，自己一定要读过来确定内容是否通顺，是否有表达清楚你自己的意思?拼写和文法是否正确？如果只是用电脑里面的拼写检查通常是不够

的，因为有的字你拼错以后如果是别的意思，WORD里面的拼写检查没法检测出来，也不会自动帮你修改。

当然要写好一篇满意的作文当然不是那么容易，因为每个大学要的文章不同，准备的早的学生可能会花两三个月的时间从构思开始，然后修改，复读，听取专家意见，再最终定稿。如果需要参考资料的话，可以推荐一本由美国College Board 出版的书：The College Application Essay， 作者是：Sarah Myers McGinty，书上除了很详细的介绍写作的最好方法外，还有很多好的范文可以做参考，是在美国申请大学非常权威的一本参考资料。

When I wake up to the ear-splittingsound of my alarm clock, and blindly search for the snooze button, a suddenthought dawns: "What am I doing?" The time is 5:30 AM; all is dark andhushed. My weary body feels completely drained of energy. While straining toopen my eyes, still warm and snug in my comfortable bed, I am overcome with afeeling of lethargy. "Perhaps I should call in sick." Despite all mymusing, and my bed's magnetic pull, I still manage to rise each morning at thisungodly hour to join the cross-country running team in rigorous training.

Cross-country running, a sport thatrequires the fusing of body and mind, strives to maximize your physical abilityby testing your mental tenacity.

Everyday represents a new struggle to beatyesterday's maximum output, an issue of mind over matter. I have known theagony of this conflict since I joined the newly established cross-country team.As convincing as my morning doubts are, I do not heed them. Through pains andsprains and through

adverse weather and unfavorable conditions, I run because Imade up my mind three years ago to succeed.

With amenities such as cars and buses,I have no pragmatic reason to use my feet, especially if I lack a destination.I do not run to the gym to acquire a stylish figure, for my slender frame doesnot require it. And this grueling run differs from a relaxing jog to a coffeeshop. I am pushing myself constantly to run faster and farther, for my team aswell as for personal glory. Somehow with tireless effort and unflaggingcommitment, I run through the sleeping streets of my neighborhood with theawareness that I am steadily reaching my

goal-maintaining the discipline thatcross-country demands. In my mind I see a victory line that symbolizes theresults of perseverance and hard work. This line makes me realize that ambitionand tenacity do not go in vain. And it constantly

reminds me that all thosemorning in which I struggled to leave my cozy cocoon have allowed me to fly.

While the world slept, I, Jane Smith,was awake and working hard to attain my goal. I feel more confident now, thaton the road of life, when others may be walking, I will be running. I will runthrough ankle injuries and through fatigue. I will endure the inevitable hillsand valleys. I will endure, and I will achieve.

除了通用申请的Essay之外，有些学校还提供另外写一篇Essay的机会。有些学校让你在他们提供的题目中作出选择；而有些学校则没有任何限制。比如耶鲁大学的要求非常简单，只是要求你写一篇500单词以内的你想让耶鲁阅读的Essay即可，基本没有任何限制。哈佛大学也是让你自行决定写什么内容、什么题目，只不过给出了几个可能的写作题目建议：

a) 你生命中的一个不寻常经历；

b) 你在其他国家旅行和生活的经历；

c) 对你最具影响力的书；

d) 某学术经历(课程、研究项目、论文、或研究课题)；

e) 过去一年中你读过的一系列图书。

请记住，这些只是哈佛建议的题目，决不是要限制你从中挑选，你完全可以自定题目来写。

题目样本

请提供你的个人自传及解释你的教育目标。

挑选并详细描述一次值得纪念或具代表性的生活经验，好让我们对你有更深入的了解。

描述你的一次最幽默或最尴尬的经验。

你的教育和事业目标是什么？这所大学能怎样帮助你达到这些目标？ 你为何会选择现在的学习科目？而你又会怎样将你所学的回馈家国？ 描述生活中一些启发你成长或你从中有所得著的事件。

描写你在家乡在2100年的生活。

如果你可以遇见某个已去世的人，并可与他交谈，你希望遇见谁又会和他说些甚么？

提示：简介影响你选择主修科目的因素，特别注意那些引导你选择研究这些课程的经验或想法。

入学申请文章的目的

你的文章较你的学业成绩或推荐书更能让入学委员会了解你的自我和性情。 你能藉此向入学委员会介绍你特别的地方，从而显示出你是与众不同。

如你的学业成绩记录显示弱点，例如你在某一班或某次考试有问题，你可藉此文章去解释或彰顯你的长处。

向校方显示你的写作能力。

当有关的委员会难以决定是否接受你的申请时这篇文章可显示你的认真度以作最後决定。

写作提示

应该做的

仔细阅读题目并花多些时间去思考。

保证你没有问非所答。

与你的父母、朋友或教师讨论该题目。

同样认真地回答那些短问答。当被问及你参与课外活动的表现时，应列举你花费大多数时间参加的几个活动来回答，并说出该些活动对你的意义。

花费几天的时间去思考题目及准备写作。

先做一个大纲及组织文章的内容。

写一个初稿：使用一种简单的文体和语调写作，并力求简洁。使用你感舒适的字眼，有助别人更易於理解你的想法。让别人过目并对你的草稿提出意见。 改正和修辑你的文章。

整齐写出或者打印出你的终稿。

校对你的文章。

不应做的

不要只是重复你已经填写过的资料。

不要详述或恭维你想申请的学院。委员会想要知道的是有关你的东西，而非该学校的情况。

不要以相同的散文套用在不同的学院。

不要写一些你不知道或认识的东西。

不要使用艰深的字眼以图使委员会对你有更佳的印象，你可能会错漏百出。使用简单、易於理解的字眼去清楚表达自己更为重要。

不要请其他人代写你的文章，因委员会通常都能够辨别出来。如果他们查明属实，你可能会被取消资格。

Too Easy to Rebel

In my mother’s more angry and disillusioned moods, she often declares that my sisters and I are “smarter than is good” for us, by which she means we are too ambitious, too independent-minded, and somehow, subtly un-Chinese. At such times, I do not argue, for I realize how difficult

it must be for her and my father—having to deal with children who reject their simple idea of life and threaten to drag them into a future they do not understand.

For my parents, plans for our futures were very simple. We were to get good grades, go to good colleges, and become good scientists,

mathematicians, or engineers. It had to do with being Chinese. But my sisters and I rejected that future, and the year I came home with Honors in English, History and Debate was a year of disillusion for my parents. It was not that they weren’t proud of my accomplishments, but merely that they had certain ideas of what was safe and solid, what we did in life. Physics, math, turning in homework, and crossing the street when Hare Krishnas were on our side—those things were safe. But the Humanities we left for Pure Americans.

Unfortunately for my parents, however, the security of that world is simply not enough for me, and I have scared them more than once with what they call my “wild” treks into unfamiliar areas. I spent one afternoon interviewing the Hare Krishnas for our school newspaper—and they nearly called the police. Then, to make things worse, I decided to enter the Crystal Springs Drama contest. For my parents, acting was something Chinese girls did not do. It smacked of the bohemian, and was but a short step to drugs, debauchery, and all the dark, illicit facets of life. They never did approve of the experience—even despite my second place at Crystal Springs and my assurances that acting was, after all, no more than a whim.

What I was doing when was moving away from the security my parents prescribed. I was motivated by my own desire to see more of what life had to offer, and by ideas I’d picked up at my Curriculum Committee meetings. This committee consisted of teachers who felt that students should learn to understand life, not memorize formulas; that somehow our college preparatory curriculum had to be made less rigid. There were English teachers who wanted to integrate Math into other more “important” science courses, and Math teachers who wanted to abolish English entirely. There were even some teachers who suggested making Transcendental Meditation a requirement. But the common denominator behind these

slightly eccentric ideas was a feeling that the school should produce more thoughtful individuals, for whom life meant more than good grades and Ivy League futures. Their values were precisely the opposite of those my parents had instilled in me.

It has been a difficult task indeed for me to reconcile these two opposing impulses. It would be simple enough just to rebel against all my parents

expect. But I cannot afford to rebel. There is too much that is fragile—the world my parents have worked so hard

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