美国名校众多,如大家熟知的哈佛大学、麻省理工学院、普林斯顿大学等等,想要进入到这些名校学习,肯定是非常艰难的。下面出国留学网小编给大家简单介绍留学美国该如何准备个人陈述。
首先来看看如何书写好个人陈述,换位思考很重要。
1.整体构思上
很多学生的个人陈述设计是非常失败的,他们的思路是典型的中国思维,在文书写作上往往是大而全,希望在申请文书中体现自身所有的内容。故此,无论是小时候的把一分钱交给警察叔叔的经历,还是大学抗洪救灾,都会一股脑的往上放,这使得文章整体的布局出现严重的思路不突出,内容不鲜明的特点。
其实,申请人为什么不“换位思考”,看看录取委员会想要什么呢?如果自己是录取委员会的一员,期待着学生的文书是什么样子?到底是一个宽泛的自述,还是针对专业的一个有针对性的个人表达?其实,个人陈述就是一个围绕专业的表达,录取委员会感兴趣的就是和专业有关的内容,至于其他的内容并不是他们所关心的。一个学习计算机的学生,他的计算能力和编程经验,录取委员会会非常感兴趣,至于他参加抗洪救灾没有,除非是他参与了抗洪救灾的计算机程序设计,录取委员就不会太感冒了。
故此,个人陈述的整体布局要以录取委员会的喜好作为基础,录取委员会希望看什么,就写什么,如果没有兴趣的,就不要花任何力气去写了。这一点来说非常重要。
2. 写作内容上
由于没有“换位思考”的意识,申请人在个人写作内容上的把握往往和录取委员会的期待值离的甚远,这主要体现在申请人对写作内容如何表达上。中国申请人对自己的工作经历往往会进行着力描述,但是很少体现自己的思维、学习和提高过程。而录取委员会一方面注重前者,一方面对于申请人的思维过程和自身提高上极其看重。他们看个人陈述,往往会采取一种逻辑的角度,即申请人的成长和进步过程前后有没有逻辑性,前面做的工作是否为后面的情况进行了铺垫,而后面的成就是否是前面工作的深化和提高。这些逻辑性是很多中国学生不具备的。
有些同学做的事情很多,但是都是在文章中进行详细的列举,没有把这些重要的内容以逻辑的角度串成一条线,展示给录取委员会。这和录取委员会的思路就相距甚远,极大影响了自己文章在他们心目中的质量和水平。
3. 写作风格上
很多申请人在写个人陈述的过程中,希望“语不惊人死不休”,力求将申请文书写的完美,这一点本身没错,一篇优美的个人陈述,是能够给自己申请结果加上很多分数的。不过,英语有一句话叫做“Substance over form“,意思是内容重于形式,在阅读申请材料过程中,录取委员会其实也更注重申请人的实质性东西,希望看到申请人的专业水平和研究工作经历。而很多申请人却将大量的精力放到了如何使语言更优美的方向上去,用的单词生僻,读起来不能朗朗上口,这实际上是本末倒置,无法得到录取委员会的青睐。
我曾经接触过有些学生,写的个人陈述好像是隔海临风的散文,而不是脚踏实地的文书,这种材料不是录取委员会的思路,也很难获得录取委员会的青睐。
从上面三点来看,“换位思考”是一个很重要的申请概念,特别是在研究生申请个人陈述写作方面,可以说是申请人必须要做的一个环节。故此,同学们应当尽量把录取委员会的思维和自己的思维结合起来,对个人陈述进行撰写和调整,方能获得理想的结果。
接着来看看 个人陈述一般都写哪些内容。
申请原因
文书的最开始当然是要交代自己的背景啦!
要让admission看一眼就知道你递交申请的原因是啥,简单直接的表达会让你的application在多如牛毛的personal statement里成为一股清流,还省去大学招生办不少过滤废话的时间!
短短的一段或两段里,小伙伴们应重点解决以下两个问题:
为什么申请这个科系:何时开始对这个科目感兴趣?你是否有逐渐加深对这个科目的了解?
你如何保持对这个科目的兴趣?你对这个科目的兴趣是否影响了你的未来甚至职业规划?你为什么想要在大学阶段选修这门科目?为什么选择来美国求学:过去有无接触英式教育?如有,何时开始、为什么、是否对你的大学申请选择有直接影响?如无,为什么选择美国大学本科?
个人努力
然后,就是小伙伴们向大学证明自己真的辗转反侧、茶饭不思、悬梁刺股、炒鸡炒鸡想读这个系的好时候啦!
我:报告大学,我才不是思想的巨人,行动的矮子呢!我可脚踏实地啦!
大学:那就证明一波呗。每年辣么多人申请,我干嘛非要招你?
我:那当然是因为——学术篇:上学期间你是如何储备相关知识的=你选择的A-Level(alevel)科目对你理解这个科目有什么作用?
课余你是如何储备相关知识的=读过的书、看过的电影、听过的讲座、follow过的节目?
平常有没有多看书多读报?
近期你申请科目的领域里有没有发生什么大事件?你是否读过相关的报道分析?这些事件如何启发了你?
经历篇:(在你到目前的所有经历里找和报的科系关联度最高哒!)你是否参加过任何活动或竞赛?这些活动与你申请的学科有无直接关系?如有,你收获了什么?如无,这个活动对你有什么特殊意义/对你起到了怎样的帮助值得你写进文书?
你是否有过任何工作或社会活动经验(包括班干部、学校图书管理员啥的)?是有偿或志愿?如有偿,你工作的目的与对这个科目的兴趣有关吗?如无偿,你认为自己从中获得最大的收获是什么?是否有任何个人兴趣爱好或特殊才能?这些特长对自己/未来对大学有什么帮助?
国际生:你认为自己有足够的英语水平应对美国的大学课程吗?你过去有完成过任何纯英教学的课程吗?有无任何证据能显示你具备良好的适应与交流能力(在美国高中参加辩论队会是个炒鸡好的例子!)?
附加信息
还有一些关于自己的额外信息,同学们千万记得提供哦!
deferredentry:有gap year的计划吗?如有,打算利用这一年完成什么事情?(记得要证明自己并没有荒废青春哦)已经过了gapyear?过去一年都做了什么事情/为自己的大学生活做了什么准备?
AS成绩不太理想是否有任何非人为不可控因素的干扰?是否有任何证据能说服大学你的A2预估成绩妥妥的?
国际学生这一条真不是歧视。但我们要用自己棒棒哒的英语表述证明自己一点都不比本地学生弱!分分钟写作水平还高过美国同学好吗!
最后来看看参考范文。(哈佛大学)
The Experience A couple years ago, I set a goal to purchase my first piece of real estate within three years of graduation from Harvard College. I realized this goal, two years and three months ahead of schedule when I closed on a charming one-bedroom condo in [lower Manhattan]. It was September 5th, 2001. Six days later, the world as I knew it changed when the World Trade Center towers collapsed, killing thousands, engulfing [lower Manhattan] in a cloud of debris, shattering apartment windows, and seeping signs of destruction in through my windows, onto my window sill, and all over my newly polished floors. I fled that day to the safety of [deleted] County and the security of my parent's house. Back at my parent's home I settled in front of the television. That day, I probably only moved from in front of the television twice. I was demoralized when the television provided the first glimpse of [lower Manhattan]. There sat my new home, encased in dust, surrounded by debris, and marred with shattered glass. A lot happened those first 24 hours in front of the television, prayers were said, thankfully prayers were answered, resolutions were made, and the most profound leadership experience of my life took shape.
The Leadership Role That day, while watching the news coverage, I vowed that I would move back to [lower Manhattan] and become part of the rebuilding effort. I have done this and more. Shortly after September 11th, I founded the [deleted] Association with three other residents (none of whom I knew prior to the disaster). We started out as a small Executive Steering Committee, concerned with assessing the immediate impact on the community, determining the safety of residents, confirming reoccupation dates for the displaced, and disseminating information. When the first wave of residents were allowed back into the neighborhood, the Steering Committee held a town hall meeting to assess the needs of residents and develop a rapport with the community that we had collectively pledged to help.
With time the scope and goals of our organization morphed to fit the needs of the community. In December of [deleted] I was appointed President of the [deleted] Association. With the majority of residents now back in their homes it was time for me to redefine the goals of the organization. Under my direction, the [deleted], lobbied public and government officials for economic relief, assisted the transition of residents back into the community, publicized the re-opening of businesses, secured resident access to the neighborhood past checkpoints, built strategic relationships with relief organizations, and provided transportation alternatives. Long-term, as President of the [deleted], I have been instrumental in the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. On a daily basis I convey the visions, needs, and voices of residents to the public, offer solutions and assistance to solve the problems of residents, provide information and resources to the neighborhood, and sponsor activities that foster community spirit.
The Leadership Lessons Serving as President of the [deleted] Association has been a defining leadership experience for four distinct reasons. 1) This experience has taught me how to concurrently serve the needs of thousands of individuals and give representation to multiple contingencies often with conflicting agendas. Accomplishing this task has been harder than I could have ever imagined. Representing a community of 12,000 to the press, elected public officials, businesses, and public is a difficult exercise in negotiation. 2) My time as President has been instrumental in teaching me how to manage a multitude of commitments. My work with the [deleted] Association is time consuming but forces me to find innovative solutions to balance my commitment to the [deleted], with my professional career, extracurricular commitments, and personal aspirations. 3) This experience and my solid record of accomplishments has been powerful in confirming to myself that not only do I enjoy leading but that I am a successful leader. And in the true mark of a leader, I have discovered that I have the innate leadership qualities necessary to mobilize specific individuals and large amounts of people behind my vision. And 4) and perhaps more importantly than knowing that I have the ability to effectively deliver results, over the past year and a half, through countless triumphs, setbacks, failures, and successes, I have learned that a community wrought with tragedy—can recover.
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以上,就是30高考网小编给大家带来的留学美国该如何准备个人陈述全部内容,希望对大家有所帮助!