留學申請——文書那點事

1

寫在前面

 

確實，非常久沒有更新我的公眾號了。之前有想法的時候因為課業(yè)負擔重，沒有寫，現(xiàn)在閑下來了，反而不知道自己應該寫些什么了。也許是想要涉及的內(nèi)容太多，也許是覺得內(nèi)容還不夠充實，需要有更深入的見地和全面的了解才值得寫下來。這個時代不就是這樣嘛，關(guān)注力就是最大的財富，別人憑什么把時間放在你這里，是因為你有價值啊。

高中時代一直保持著閱讀、寫作這樣一個完整的吸收和表達的過程，所以能流暢地表述自己的觀點。大學之后，寫的東西越來越偏學術(shù)，對于表達自己意見的東西越發(fā)變得少了。直到我開始寫自己的personal statement（PS），可謂真的是深入淺出地重新認識了自己。本科畢業(yè)后出國留學，這個目標從大學為開始前就已經(jīng)定下，雖然專業(yè)、學校、地理位置、就業(yè)情況統(tǒng)統(tǒng)都沒有考慮，即使這個目標如此模糊，我還是一直受到了它的感召，讓我心生向往。而留學申請中最重要的一部分莫過于PS。PS反映出了你標化成績之外的特點，其實更像是對著心儀的大學表白的過程，寫寫為啥你是這么的好，為啥女神校應該對你青睞有加。

 

那么PS分為哪幾種類型呢？具體需要寫些什么呢？如何下筆呢？需要怎么修改呢？這些問題我將在本文和后續(xù)文章中 進行具體說明。

2

PS

 

首先聲明，由于對于藝術(shù)類和文科類的申請我沒有相關(guān)經(jīng)歷，因此下述的文書類型僅適用于理工科、商科的申請人。

下面將展示18fall申請時遇到的真實題目，具體學校的名字我將隱去，同一以XXX代替，專業(yè)名用XX替代。

1. Your Personal Statement should address your academic and research interests, andfuture career goals as they relate to the graduate program to which you areapplying. The statement should include relevant academic/research, professional, and personal experiences that influenced your decision to applyto the graduate program. If you wish to revise your statement after you submit your application, you will be able to upload a revised statement from your application status web page.
2. Describe your short-term and long-term goals for post-MBA or post-MS. Given thefluctuation of economic and industry hiring trends, identify a back-up planshould your short-term goal not be immediately attainable. How does your pasteducation and experience support your career objectives? Lastly, what aspectsof your intended XXX school program make it a good choice for you to study?(250-500 word limit)*
3. In 25words or less, provide us with an interesting fact about yourself elsewhere inyour application. (25 word limit)*
4. (Optional Essay) share additional information you think is important in the evaluation of your application, including any concerns you think the Admissions Committee may have regarding to your candidacy. (500 word limit)
5. XX requires a combination of mathematical/quantitative abilities and creative thinking. Describe a project you worked on, either as a student or professional, that demonstrates your analytical and creative problem-solving skills. Tell us why this project was interesting to you. (Maximum 750 words)
6. Why does a career in xx appeal to you? Based on your abilities andwhat you know about careers in xx , why do you think this is the right career path for you? (Maximum 750 words)
7. (Optional Essay) Please feel free to provide any other information you think would helpus evaluate your potential to succeed in the program. (Maximum 375 words)
8. Describe how your background, accomplishments, and life experiences led to your decisionto pursue the graduate degree for which you are applying. Include anyeducational, personal, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges oropportunities relevant to your academic journey. In addition, please describeany aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that will allow the department to evaluate your contributions to the University'sdiversity mission. Contributions to diversity and equal opportunity can take avariety of forms, such as efforts to advance equitable access to education,public service, that addresses the need of a diverse population, or research that explores inequalities. Your department may have specialprompts and directions for the Personal History Statement; be sure to check the requirements. (8000 characters)
9. In aconcisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professionalreasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can bestbe done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at XXX. (The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.)
10. (Optional Essay) The purpose of this optional essay is to get to know you as an individual and as a potential graduate student, and to understand how your background will add to the diversity of our school. Please describe how your personal background has motivated you to pursue a graduate degree. You may discuss educational, familial, cultural, socioeconomic, or personal experiencesor challenges; gender identity; community services, outreach services,first-generation college status or other matters relevant to your decision to pursue graduate education.
11. Please upload an essay of approximately 1,000 words describing your academic and professional background, your career goals, and how the program will help you achieve your goals.
12. (Optional Essay) Please upload an essay in which you comment on any item(s) in your application that you think require further explanation. We are most interested in having you address any areas of possible concern to the admissions such aspoor academic performance, gaps in employment or other areas you believe may beseen as weakness. Please keep this essay as brief as possible.
13. Select a project that you have worked on before. Describe the problem and how you approached solving it. If you would like to upload related documentation, go tothe Documents section of this section of your application, and upload it under Work Sample. (Maximum 500 words) *
14. At XXX we pride ourselves on our supportive, close-knit community. We aim to knowevery student by name and become familiar with your story. Please introduce yourself to us as you would to your future xx classmates. (500 word maximum)
15. In asentence or two, please describe how you see your immediate career plans after graduation from XXX. Don’t worry, we won’t hold you to them.
16. As part of our evaluation of your candidacy, the Admissions Committee requires asample of writing as an indication of how your intended program of studyrelates to your goals. Please develop an essay of no shorter than 500 words(typed, double-spaced) that discusses your professional goals and addresseseach of the following questions: Why is this Graduate program right for you,both academically and professionally? What might you contribute to the program,both as a student and afterwards?
17. Based on your knowledge of the XXX and the XX Program, please describe yourmotivation for pursuing a XX degree. Include your past preparation for your fields of study, your professional/academic plans while an XX student and your future career goals. Please be specific about why the XX program is a good fitfor you in the context of your values and goals
18. Please upload a Statement of Purpose. Your statement should include previousprofessional or research experience, current professional interests, and longterm career goals. Please also explain how you became interested in the degree program and how it will help you to achieve your goals. The Statement ofPurpose should adequately explain these areas, but should not exceed 2 pages.Your statement of purpose should be your original work and ideas of others should be properly cited. Please do not copy examples or templates from the internet or other sources. Please refer to the application instructions forfurther information.
19. Explain why you want to attend a graduate program at XXX. What are your academic andcareer goals?? What does XXX offer thatprompted you to apply to this program??Discuss your background and preparation for advanced study in your field.( Please limit your statement to 800 words)

以上列舉了19份文書樣例，每一份的要求其實大同小異，基本上可以分成如下幾類。

第一類：職業(yè)規(guī)劃、學業(yè)規(guī)劃。

此類型主要是考察個人規(guī)劃，研究生的學習不同于本科低年級的通識教育，經(jīng)過兩到三年的專業(yè)學習，每個人的學業(yè)規(guī)劃和職業(yè)規(guī)劃應該做到清晰、有目的性，不同于本科生申請時的對于個人宏大愿景的描述（學校希望看到一個能夠豐富學校學生多樣性的、心懷天下的、特別有趣的或是有宏偉目標的人），切實而可行的個人規(guī)劃是最為重要的。其中個人規(guī)劃應包含短期、長期的目標，并且小目標與大目標之間存在一定的遞進關(guān)系。學業(yè)的規(guī)劃建立在對職業(yè)的規(guī)劃上，在此處我認為邏輯鏈應該：

對自己的能力清楚認知引出自己的不足之處，所以希望在哪些方面進行改善，因此xx項目是一個合適的項目，能夠幫助自己在哪些方面進行能力補充和背景補充，從而使得自己在未來競聘某職位時具有競爭力。通常，在此部分還可以適當補充自己已有的相關(guān)學術(shù)和工作經(jīng)歷，展現(xiàn)自己已經(jīng)具備的能力，從而順利引出選擇某專業(yè)的原因。

另一方面，優(yōu)秀的申請人應當對自己的專業(yè)具有一定的認知，對行業(yè)的發(fā)展有一定的預測，從而說明為什么自己需要提升能力和如何一步步實現(xiàn)目標。

綜上而言，此部分需要體現(xiàn)的特點是：目標、認知、能力、步驟。

第二類：個人背景

此類型在部分學校的文書要求中被作為了optional essay，但其實還是要寫的，另外有部分學校是籠統(tǒng)地把個人歷史與目標規(guī)劃放在一起，要求寫成一份。在這個部分，同樣強調(diào)認識自我。對于personal history而言，哪些部分值得寫哪些部分應該重點突出也是有講究的。在此提出的建議是：1、與career plan和academic plan保持邏輯順序一致，在這一部分需要體現(xiàn)的是什么樣的經(jīng)歷激發(fā)了你的理想與目標，什么樣的經(jīng)歷塑造了你的個性與特點使得你有能力、資本去追求你的目標與理想。2、事件的描述需要有詳有略，在某些部分點出一些小細節(jié)，可以使得經(jīng)歷真實可信，同時也需要套用從句和復合句使得表達精煉、準確。3、保持語句和段落之間的邏輯性。（都是社會人，大家還是要注重表達的精確和地道。）

第三類：天馬行空的小問題

這類題目遇上的概率并不是很大，個人覺得可能一個學校一個風格，并且不同于本科生入學，對于一個有明確目標的graduate student 更應該強調(diào)的是“做什么”、“怎么做”這個過程，而不是“引導著應該去做什么”這樣一個思路。這個的話，見仁見智，因此能夠突出特點的答案或許更值得推薦，同時這類題目一般字數(shù)要求非常短，所以應以“如何出彩”作為作答的出發(fā)點，當然同時還是要根植于個人特色啦。

第四類：補充信息。

一般不少學校會將它單獨放出來，對于字數(shù)也沒有要求，唯一的要求是簡潔明了。一般需要特別說明的內(nèi)容無外乎是不及格的原因，低分的原因、gap的原因、被記過的原因，有則寫，無則無。簡單明確的將事情說出來，不建議隱瞞，也不要有太大的心理負擔。

 

 

3

PS注意事項

 

1、真實而豐富

不建議杜撰經(jīng)歷，把已有的經(jīng)歷寫得精準而詳實同時不啰嗦是一個demanding的事情，需要反復的斟酌和修改，絕不是一蹴而就。與學業(yè)和專業(yè)相關(guān)的背景盡量豐富、有細節(jié)感。（如何將一件小事寫好，也是一門手藝，考慮之后的文章來寫這個內(nèi)容。）

2、邏輯性

邏輯性的問題我一直反復強調(diào)，一方面是內(nèi)容上的連貫，事件前因后果，目標、規(guī)劃與行動之間，另一方面更是遣詞造句之間，注意語句語義上的邏輯關(guān)系。

3、文字要求

看清要求。字數(shù)要求是字符數(shù)還是詞數(shù)，行距多少，字體多大，一定要認真看清楚。

4、語言要求

不要犯低級語法錯誤，語言精準而地道，不啰嗦。

5、耐心細致

這注定是一個需要反復修改的過程，一定要有耐心，反復推敲詞句的運用、長短句的穿插、語法的檢查和句段的邏輯，內(nèi)容的刪改與補充。