美本申請文書tips：美國大學本科文書補充題目

Common Applicaiton系統即將在下個月開放，打算申請美本2020Fall的小伙伴們，你們的文書準備好了嗎？

在申請美國大學過程中，文書是繞不過的一道坎，而不同的時間準備和安排，最終的申請結果也會大不相同。其中，英文寫作能力和時間管理能力都是不可忽視的關鍵因素。但是你知道，英語寫作拖后腿、時間安排不合理，可能就一不小心和夢校失之交臂！！

我們常說的英文寫作的文章類型主要有Persuasive Essay議論文、Expository Essay敘述文、Personal narrative個人陳述文。

Persuasive Essay建立在一定的綜合英語基礎上，大量運用于美本申請與海外課堂上，比如托福綜合作文中的摘要總結、新SAT考試議論文的分析性寫作、申請文書中的why essay、大學課堂學術討論、演講、辯論以及每學期要交的論文。因此我們將為大家詳細分析Persuasive Essay，即議論文的寫作技巧。

寫作就像建房子要畫藍圖、框架非常重要，只有事先勾勒出文章的結構，才會有完整的邏輯和論述。這就要求我們寫作時有全局觀，在寫具體內容之前，在腦中搭建文章的大致框架，常用文章結構為Intro簡介-Body正文-Conclusion結論。

正式開始寫作時，申請生則需要從以下幾個方面來入手：

1.選擇合適的觀點，這個觀點必須要你認可并贊同。要想說服被人，首先自己要有充分的自信，如果自己對所選擇的觀點都有疑慮，那你很大概率是無法成功說服別人的。

2.合理使用邏輯，Persuasive Essay的寫作，強調清晰性，具體是指在行文的微觀邏輯上，做到簡單易懂、毫不費力。這聽起來很簡單，但實際并不容易實現。

很多人寫作都是從自身出發，以自我為中心，加上在中國的語文課堂中，老師都強調作文立意要高，這與Persuasive Essay寫作的要求是不同的。實際上，在Persuasive Essay寫作中，所有的東西都應該是最簡單、最清晰的。

很多學生在寫作時甚至表達不清楚自己的觀點，只是把一些耳熟能詳的概念轉化為英文，這樣表達出的概念會讓考官不知所云。在寫作時，想象這篇文章的讀者是三歲的孩子，你只需要你把一件事清楚地解釋給他聽。

3.擺出合理的論據，支撐你的觀點，如果論據不充足，那文章就會顯得空泛，論點也沒有說服力。盡可能找到合理、客觀、可靠的論據，所以大家最好通過擺事實，特別是公認的事實來說理，更容易被大家所接受，也可以嘗試從不同的角度來舉出更多的論據。

4.利用反論點進一步加強觀點。雖然Persuasive Essay中不是一定要包含counter-arguments，但是通過counter-argue可以使文章更有力度

在進行counter-argue時，可以試想有一個不同意你觀點的人，最容易提出什么樣的論據來反駁你或者有哪些理由可能會推翻你的論文，然后你再根據這個抗辯。

5.總結全文要點。在寫作結尾用精煉的語言重申文章觀點，也許你在開頭已經比表過態了，那結尾就再來一遍，注意變換一下表達方式，這樣才能給讀者里留下深刻印象。

除了CA系統的文書題目，美國各大高校也在近期公布了自己的補充文書題目，其中不乏芝加哥大學、加州理工學院等知名牛校，一起來看看它們的題目都是什么吧！

芝加哥大學

Question 1(Required)

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

Question 2: Extended Essay

Required，6選1

1. Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has three lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else—conceptual or actual—have, and why?

——Inspired by Kendrick Shin, Class of 2019.

2. If there’s a limited amount of matter in the universe, how can Olive Garden (along with other restaurants and their concepts of food infinity) offer truly unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks? Explain this using any method of analysis you wish—physics, biology, economics, history, theology… the options, as you can tell, are endless.

——Inspired by Yoonseo Lee, Class of 2023.

3. A hot dog might be a sandwich, and cereal might be a soup, but is a a ?

——Inspired by Arya Muralidharan, Class of 2021 (and dozens of others who, this year and in past years, have submitted the question “Is a hot dog a sandwich,” to which we reply, “maybe”)

4. “Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.”

——Jessamyn West Inspired by Elizabeth Mansfield, Class of 2020.

5. UChicago has international campus centers around the world, but we don’t have any interplanetary, interstellar, or interdimensional campuses… yet! Propose a spot in time or space, in this or any universe, for a new UChicago campus. What types of courses would be taught at this site? What cultural experiences await students who study there?

——Inspired by Peter Jasperse, Class of 2022

6. “Don’t be afraid to pick past prompts! I liked some of the ones from previous years more than those made newly available for my year. Also, don’t worry about the ‘correct’ way to interpret a question. If there exists a correct way to interpret the prompt I chose, it certainly was not my answer.”

——Matthew Lohrs, Class of 2023.

加州理工學院

【Essay Option 1】Describe three experiences and/or activities that have helped develop your passion for a possible career in a STEM field. Use the separate spaces provided below, one for each STEM experience and/or activity.

STEM experience/activity 1 and explanation (10-120 字):

STEM experience/activity 2 and explanation (10-120 字):

STEM experience/activity 3 and explanation (10-120 字):

【Essay Option 2】

Much like the life of a professional scientist or engineer, the life of a “Techer” relies heavily on collaboration. Knowing this, what do you hope to explore, innovate, or create with your Caltech peers? (250-400 字)

【Essay Option 3】

Caltech students are often known for their sense of humor and creative pranks. What do you like to do for fun? (250-400 字)

【Essay Option 4】

The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech’s community? (250-400 字)