申請美國大學課外活動少怎么辦？史密斯學院資深招生官為您解答

在這個美本均學霸的時代，你的履歷上只有零星的幾個課外活動，對比其他申請者滿滿的活動列表，你是否會存在申請焦慮？看著別的申請者寫申請論文時行云流水，洋洋灑灑地寫了一篇又一篇，豐富的經歷讓他們能寫出很多有趣的故事，而你憋了半天也只能在無趣的生活里找到一些看似有趣的經歷，平淡的生活對比豐富的經歷，自己這份簡歷實在是拿不出手。遇到這些情況應該怎么辦？課外活動少之又少，填不滿列表怎么辦？自己生活太平淡了，沒什么好寫的，應該怎么辦？

國際競賽/背提項目請掃碼報名咨詢【翰林提供報名服務】

對此，史密斯學院的資深招生官針對這些問題進行了解答。

中文版

“對于像你這樣的學生來說，聽到周邊同學們如何將自己滿滿當當的活動試圖擠進列表里，或是聽見他們激動人心的討論自己的經歷有多少值得寫入論文中，這確實會產生焦慮。但其實，你所保留的一些“空白”正是招生官們想看到的。

在每一個競爭激烈的大學里，招生官們比起活動列表上的條目類型更關注學生的承諾。活動列表滿滿當當不代表一定是好事，招生官會很容易懷疑這位候選人是否真的為每個項目都投入了優質時間。另一方面，就算你只有四項活動，但這四項活動都是你感興趣的項目的話，更能吸引招生官的注意，正所謂活動在精不在多。

另外還要注意一些社區活動或是志愿者活動，大多數人都至少有一些不會被認可是申請素材的個人追求，例如：收集黑膠爵士樂唱片、給視力受損的祖父母朗讀、利用手風琴創作民謠等等，這些都會是吸引招生官注意的事情，因為這些事會讓招生官更了解你這個人本身。

要記住，你不需要將你的活動列表都一一填滿，一份長長的活動列表并不會為你的申請加分。

至于論文，雖然豐富的經歷確實會為論文增添一些靈感，但是招生官并不會為“我在xxx的夏天”、“我在挖地道的時候學到的東西”這些內容感興趣，甚至做不到在申請中脫穎而出。

至于一些手術經歷或是他們口中所謂的困難，只有當這些困難確實是困難時，它們才能作為論文中出彩的部分。某些候選人的論文，例如足球賽季期間過度運動導致半月板撕裂這種事情，對于青少年來說確實是一種困難，但是比起同期候選人的“住在無家可歸收容所”、“與白血病做斗爭”這種深刻的困難面前，就顯然缺少了吸引力。

一篇好的論文往往出自類似你這樣的學生之手，他們沒有華麗的辭藻，也沒有出國度假的經歷，甚至連一場奇妙的冒險都未曾有過，但正是如此，他們才會對自我進行深度分析，“什么讓我興奮”這個問題才能讓招生官停留。我讀過最好的幾篇論文是包括：“關于洗衣事故的故事”、“關于摘土豆的故事”、“我為什么要去沃爾瑪購物”之類的題材，一篇揭示你的想法和感受的文章可以在申請時成為你寶貴的“資產”，將他展示給招生官看，這才是你需要做的。”

英文版

"The Dean" knows that it can be daunting for students in your shoes to hear about classmates who are deciding which of their 27 extracurricular activities they can squeeze onto the Common App or how many of their exciting travels — or tragedies — are essay-worthy.

However, you're actually in good shape — perhaps even in better shape than they are.

Let's begin with the activities: Admission officials — even at the most hyper-competitive colleges — are far more interested in the depth of a student's commitment than they are in the number of entries on a list. So whenever they see that all 10 slots are full, they are apt to wonder if the candidate really gave quality time to each of these ventures. Four activities, on the other hand, might suggest that you've chosen undertakings that you care about. If the "Activities" section doesn't provide adequate space to explain an atypical endeavor or to describe an unusual role, then you can provide details under "Additional Information" later on.

Also keep in mind (and most seniors don't) that college folks don't just want to learn about organized school or community clubs, sports and so on. By the second week of application-evaluation, most of them are up to their eyeballs in Mock Trial, Model UN and marching band! So they're likely to sit up straighter when they stumble on a passion or hobby that a student pursues independently — collecting vinyl jazz recordings, reading to a sight-impaired grandparent, composing ballads for accordion, etc. In fact, most teenagers have at least a couple personal pursuits that they don't feel are application fodder, yet which would indeed intrigue admission committees. And, of course, paying jobs certainly count as "activities" as well. But don't feel that you must fill up all of those extracurricular slots — or even half of them — because you don't get extra points for a long list!

As for the essay, "The Dean" always includes "Travel" on my hit-parade of topics NOT to write about! Sure, a winning essay can really be about anything, if it's well done. But a "My Special Summer on the Kibbutz" or "What I Learned from Digging Ditches in Costa Rica" submission is not going to stand out in a crowd. As for surgeries or other "hardships," I endorse these as essay subjects only if they were truly hard. A torn meniscus during soccer season can certainly be a trial for a teen, but isn't going to help to push an application file toward the "In" pile, especially when competitor candidates may be writing about living in a homeless shelter or fighting leukemia.

Instead, I've found the best essays often come from students like you — who can't write about adventures abroad or in a hospital bed — and thus must dig deeper to ask themselves "What makes me tick?" In fact, the best essays I've read over many eons have included one about a laundry mishap, one about a summer job picking potatoes and one called "Why I Shop at Walmart." An essay that reveals how you think and feel — and your sense of humor (if humor come naturally to you) — can be an asset at admissions time, even if it's not (or especially if it's not??) about a pricey vacation or a routine medical event.

But as you decide which aspect of your "boring life" will best lend itself to an essay, there is one idea I will caution you to avoid. DON'T write a "This is my room and what it says about me" essay. ("My sketchbook on the shelf shows how much I like to draw. The sweaty socks on the floor are a reminder that I will go for my daily run this afternoon ..."). Although this information can be revealing, the topic is overdone, and so you'll have two strikes against you before you start, if you choose it. BUT ... even if the look-around-my-room approach won't help you with your essay, it might allow you to come up with a couple more "Activities" for your list, if you're still convinced it's too skimpy!