新版Common Application Essay题目及分析

发表于 20xx年07月03日

Please write an essay (250-500 words) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below. This personal essay helps us to become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your

ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

Note: Your Common Application essay should be the same for all colleges. Do not customize it in any way for individual colleges. Colleges that want customized essay responses will ask for them on a supplement form.

说明： 申请文书体现的是你对所选择的主题，能够用清晰、简洁的语言表达，同时通过你自己的语言让你与众不同。除了你上的课程、分数及考试成绩等信息，你希望申请审核人了解你是一个什么样

的人。从以下主题中选择一个完成写作，字数不多于650字，但不少于250字。

从20xx年8月起，应用最广泛的美国大学申请系统Common Application要经历一次大变革。更新内容 包括答题形式的变化，可以创建无限制数量的申请版本等。其中最重大的变化无疑为文书题目的变化。新Common提供五个文书题目，要求学生选择其中一个来写作。延续Common Application的精神，新题目仍然要求学生不要针对任何一个特定的学校进行通用文书的写作。下面是五个新题目和每个题目的写

作建议。

Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

对有的人来说，背景、经历或一个故事是如此重要。如果没有这段经历、背景或故事，这个人就不能算是个完整的人。如果你也有同感，请和我们分享你的故事。

题目分析：该题目的难度其实不大，其实该题目可以解读为分享一个对你来说特别重要的故事。你可以分享任何事，比如你的家族故事，一次登山的经历，一次徒步旅行的见闻，一次志愿者活动的经历，等等。只要这段经历或故事能向学校展示你是个怎样的人。写作时要注意，分享故事不等于只讲故事，叙述完这个故事或经历之后，一定要加入这段经历给你带来的收获。

Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?

讲述你的一次失败的经历，并说明这次失败怎样影响你，你从这次失败中学会了什么。

题目分析：这个题目的重点在后半段，即你从失败中获取的经验教训。怎样的失败不是最重要的问题，招生官关心的是学生如何从失败中获取教训，进而成长和发展的。因此这篇题目对于叙事和议论的篇幅比例控制在3:7左右比较合适。选择这个题目切忌回避失败，或者在失败这个词上玩文字游戏。错误的例子比如某生批评自己太过追求完美，其实是在花费大量篇幅褒奖自己是多么的注意细节。如果没有把握能掌控这个题目，建议不选该题目。

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

请回忆一次你挑战某种观点或信念的经历。是什么促使你这么做？如果再给你一次机会重新选择，你是否仍然会这么做？

题目分析：该题目的意思其实请你讲述一段你挑战权威的经历。讲述这个故事时自然的交代你这么做的原因。比较简单的写作手法是夹叙夹议，在叙事的过程中既交代了原因，也分析了这么做或不这么做会产生的不同后果，再自然的得到结论，如果再来一次你的选择是什么。美国大学喜欢具有挑战精神的人，但要区别挑战权威和无理取闹。并不是说反对老师的每一个要求就是挑战权威。所以选取事例时一定要注意把握。

Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there and why is it meaningful to you?

请描述让你觉得最舒服的一个地方或一处环境。你在那里做过什么？为什么你觉得这个地方对你有特殊的意义？

题目分析：这是一个很能体现学生创新意识和思维能力的题目。Place和environment几乎可以理解为任何地方，大到某个城市，一座山，小到小区的空地上，一间房间，甚至是一张床。如果能挑选一个非常特别的place或environment，并且清楚的讲述出这个地方对你的特别意义，那这篇文章就是一篇吸引人眼球的好文章。

Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

请讨论一下标志着你变得成熟的一个成就或一件事。这件事可以是正式的或者非正式的。

题目分析：这里的成熟不是指生理上的成熟，而是指心理上的成熟。每个人成为一个成熟的人总有一定的契机，有可能是转学到新的学校，在适应新环境的过程中成熟了。也有可能是父母因故外出一段时间，独自一人的生活让你变得成熟了。也有可能是某次成功或失败的比赛经历让你变得成熟。可选的例子有很多，限制也不会那么大，记住要分析为何使你变得成熟的原因。

 

第二篇：application essay

In the book “The Art of War” Sun Tzu said：Precise knowledge of self and

precise knowledge of the threat leads to victory. My dad is an owner of a food

company, and he told me that accounting information allows me know everything

about a company, both your own company and your competitors’. He wishes me to

study accounting so that one day I can come back to help him with his business. Like

father like daughter, I want to be a successful business woman in the future too. So during the summer after I graduate from high school, I worked in my dad’s

company in accounting department, and I found that I was interested in accounting.

To learn accounting is not only my dad’s wish, but also my dream. I will finish my

bachelor’s degree in Hull University and I will continue to get a master’s degree in

England.

After I went into Wuhan University of Technology, I chose accounting as my

major, and I got “A” in every class I had taken. I was awarded the “Three Merits

Student” along with the first class scholarship for my brilliant academic result. Some

students in China get very high scores because they are nerds. I was not one of them, I

got along very well with my friends and classmates, and people like me. Also I joined

the student union, and I raised funds for school sports meet and school parities and

activities. I love sports and music, I play piano well and right now I am learning how

to swim. Every summer, I went to my dad’s company to work in the accounting

department. I found that as my knowledge of accounting got more, there were more

questions I cannot answer, and there were more problems I need to know how to solve,

and I need to study deeper.

Academically, it is very important to me that I continue studying accounting, and

I plan to pass all ACCA exams in three years. I believe that studying the differences

between the British accounting system and that of the Chinese would benefit me a

great deal in the future, and I hope to learn valuable knowledge that will one day

make me a successful business woman.