留学申请——文书那点事

1

写在前面

 

确实，非常久没有更新我的公众号了。之前有想法的时候因为课业负担重，没有写，现在闲下来了，反而不知道自己应该写些什么了。也许是想要涉及的内容太多，也许是觉得内容还不够充实，需要有更深入的见地和全面的了解才值得写下来。这个时代不就是这样嘛，关注力就是最大的财富，别人凭什么把时间放在你这里，是因为你有价值啊。

高中时代一直保持着阅读、写作这样一个完整的吸收和表达的过程，所以能流畅地表述自己的观点。大学之后，写的东西越来越偏学术，对于表达自己意见的东西越发变得少了。直到我开始写自己的personal statement（PS），可谓真的是深入浅出地重新认识了自己。本科毕业后出国留学，这个目标从大学为开始前就已经定下，虽然专业、学校、地理位置、就业情况统统都没有考虑，即使这个目标如此模糊，我还是一直受到了它的感召，让我心生向往。而留学申请中最重要的一部分莫过于PS。PS反映出了你标化成绩之外的特点，其实更像是对着心仪的大学表白的过程，写写为啥你是这么的好，为啥女神校应该对你青睐有加。

 

那么PS分为哪几种类型呢？具体需要写些什么呢？如何下笔呢？需要怎么修改呢？这些问题我将在本文和后续文章中 进行具体说明。

2

PS

 

首先声明，由于对于艺术类和文科类的申请我没有相关经历，因此下述的文书类型仅适用于理工科、商科的申请人。

下面将展示18fall申请时遇到的真实题目，具体学校的名字我将隐去，同一以XXX代替，专业名用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)

以上列举了19份文书样例，每一份的要求其实大同小异，基本上可以分成如下几类。

第一类：职业规划、学业规划。

此类型主要是考察个人规划，研究生的学习不同于本科低年级的通识教育，经过两到三年的专业学习，每个人的学业规划和职业规划应该做到清晰、有目的性，不同于本科生申请时的对于个人宏大愿景的描述（学校希望看到一个能够丰富学校学生多样性的、心怀天下的、特别有趣的或是有宏伟目标的人），切实而可行的个人规划是最为重要的。其中个人规划应包含短期、长期的目标，并且小目标与大目标之间存在一定的递进关系。学业的规划建立在对职业的规划上，在此处我认为逻辑链应该：

对自己的能力清楚认知引出自己的不足之处，所以希望在哪些方面进行改善，因此xx项目是一个合适的项目，能够帮助自己在哪些方面进行能力补充和背景补充，从而使得自己在未来竞聘某职位时具有竞争力。通常，在此部分还可以适当补充自己已有的相关学术和工作经历，展现自己已经具备的能力，从而顺利引出选择某专业的原因。

另一方面，优秀的申请人应当对自己的专业具有一定的认知，对行业的发展有一定的预测，从而说明为什么自己需要提升能力和如何一步步实现目标。

综上而言，此部分需要体现的特点是：目标、认知、能力、步骤。

第二类：个人背景

此类型在部分学校的文书要求中被作为了optional essay，但其实还是要写的，另外有部分学校是笼统地把个人历史与目标规划放在一起，要求写成一份。在这个部分，同样强调认识自我。对于personal history而言，哪些部分值得写哪些部分应该重点突出也是有讲究的。在此提出的建议是：1、与career plan和academic plan保持逻辑顺序一致，在这一部分需要体现的是什么样的经历激发了你的理想与目标，什么样的经历塑造了你的个性与特点使得你有能力、资本去追求你的目标与理想。2、事件的描述需要有详有略，在某些部分点出一些小细节，可以使得经历真实可信，同时也需要套用从句和复合句使得表达精炼、准确。3、保持语句和段落之间的逻辑性。（都是社会人，大家还是要注重表达的精确和地道。）

第三类：天马行空的小问题

这类题目遇上的概率并不是很大，个人觉得可能一个学校一个风格，并且不同于本科生入学，对于一个有明确目标的graduate student 更应该强调的是“做什么”、“怎么做”这个过程，而不是“引导着应该去做什么”这样一个思路。这个的话，见仁见智，因此能够突出特点的答案或许更值得推荐，同时这类题目一般字数要求非常短，所以应以“如何出彩”作为作答的出发点，当然同时还是要根植于个人特色啦。

第四类：补充信息。

一般不少学校会将它单独放出来，对于字数也没有要求，唯一的要求是简洁明了。一般需要特别说明的内容无外乎是不及格的原因，低分的原因、gap的原因、被记过的原因，有则写，无则无。简单明确的将事情说出来，不建议隐瞒，也不要有太大的心理负担。

 

 

3

PS注意事项

 

1、真实而丰富

不建议杜撰经历，把已有的经历写得精准而详实同时不啰嗦是一个demanding的事情，需要反复的斟酌和修改，绝不是一蹴而就。与学业和专业相关的背景尽量丰富、有细节感。（如何将一件小事写好，也是一门手艺，考虑之后的文章来写这个内容。）

2、逻辑性

逻辑性的问题我一直反复强调，一方面是内容上的连贯，事件前因后果，目标、规划与行动之间，另一方面更是遣词造句之间，注意语句语义上的逻辑关系。

3、文字要求

看清要求。字数要求是字符数还是词数，行距多少，字体多大，一定要认真看清楚。

4、语言要求

不要犯低级语法错误，语言精准而地道，不啰嗦。

5、耐心细致

这注定是一个需要反复修改的过程，一定要有耐心，反复推敲词句的运用、长短句的穿插、语法的检查和句段的逻辑，内容的删改与补充。