杜克大學(xué)前高級(jí)招生官給中國(guó)學(xué)生的15條文書(shū)建議Advice from an Admissions Officer on how to write essays for American university applications

編輯_周曉琪 趙冰燃 供圖_啄木鳥(niǎo)教育集團(tuán) 設(shè)計(jì)_ 孫星

預(yù)留學(xué)

杜克大學(xué)前高級(jí)招生官給中國(guó)學(xué)生的15條文書(shū)建議Advice from an Admissions Officer on how to write essays for American university applications

編輯_周曉琪 趙冰燃 供圖_啄木鳥(niǎo)教育集團(tuán) 設(shè)計(jì)_ 孫星

Willie Dixon畢業(yè)于杜克大學(xué)，并取得經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)學(xué)士、法學(xué)博士學(xué)位，曾任學(xué)校高級(jí)招生官，擁有十余年招生經(jīng)驗(yàn)，目前加入啄木鳥(niǎo)教育集團(tuán)任高級(jí)教育顧問(wèn)，首次與中國(guó)學(xué)生書(shū)信分享申請(qǐng)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。

同學(xué)們：

你們好！我知道你們其中一些人剛剛完成赴港的SATI考試。恭喜！經(jīng)過(guò)幾個(gè)月的刻苦學(xué)習(xí)，你們終于可以松一口氣，放松一下了。

Hello Students,

My name is Will Dixon.I am aware that some of you recently sat for the SAT I exam in Hong Kong. Congratulations!! After weeks of careful study you can now relax for a moment and know that you have given your best.

那么，下一步你應(yīng)該做什么？很多人已經(jīng)開(kāi)始辛勤地準(zhǔn)備大學(xué)申請(qǐng)了。下一步最重要的是要完成你的申請(qǐng)文，因?yàn)檫@部分需要大量的思考，反省和時(shí)間。下面是對(duì)完成申請(qǐng)文書(shū)的15項(xiàng)建議。

Now - what is your next step? Many of you are diligently working on your university applications. The most important next step is to complete your essays as this aspect of the application requires a great deal of thought, reflection and time so here are some guidelines for completing your essays broken in fifteen steps:

1. 整理所有要申請(qǐng)的大學(xué)，列出每所大學(xué)的申請(qǐng)文書(shū)題目要求，標(biāo)注出相似性。最重要的是在潛意識(shí)里理解問(wèn)題，這樣就可以一直頭腦風(fēng)暴，隨身攜帶紙和筆，因?yàn)槟銖膩?lái)不知道何時(shí)會(huì)有好的想法。

1.Gather together all of your applications and make a list of the essays required by each. Note any similarities. The most important thing is to get the questions into your subconscious mind so that you will be brainstorming all the time. Always keep a paper and pencil handy—you never know when a good idea will hit you.

2. 研究和理解寫(xiě)作的主題—你自己，才能思考如何寫(xiě)作。如果你僅僅是坐下來(lái)寫(xiě)，沒(méi)有對(duì)主題進(jìn)行深思熟慮，那么你很有可能遇到寫(xiě)作障礙，文思枯竭。為了最大程度地了解自己，你需要反思，并且把它寫(xiě)出來(lái)。

2. Before you even think about writing, you need to research and understand the subject matter, which is you! If you try to sit down and write without doing the necessary research, you will probably have a solid case of writer’s block. In order to maximize what you think you know, you need to reflect awhile, and then write it out.

3. 自我評(píng)估。你看到多少個(gè)版本，是否有什么特別的主題？確定你的興趣，才能以及動(dòng)機(jī)，需要一定的時(shí)間，不一定要一次完成。例如：你有想幫助需要幫助的人的意愿嗎？有投身于公共服務(wù)的渴望嗎？有與生俱來(lái)的經(jīng)商才能嗎？

3. Evaluate your self-assessment. What repetitions do you see? Are there any particular themes? Determine the kind of interests, talents, or motivations you have. Do you see a tendency to help those in need? A desire to be in public service? A business instinct that has been with you since childhood. Take some time with this. It doesn’t need to be done in one sitting.

4. 決定用什么材料向大學(xué)展現(xiàn)你自己。思考申請(qǐng)文書(shū)的問(wèn)題，給出答案，思考一段時(shí)間，接下來(lái)能產(chǎn)生更多的想法。簡(jiǎn)單記下來(lái)所有的要點(diǎn)，否則你會(huì)忘記。

4. Decide which information you will use to present a picture of yourself to the schools. Give the essay questions and your proposed answers time to settle in your brain so that you can continue to generate ideas. Jot any and all nuggets down - you will forget them otherwise.

5. 閱讀其他成功的申請(qǐng)文，了解什么樣的申請(qǐng)文是優(yōu)秀的，謹(jǐn)記那些有創(chuàng)意的想法。

5. Read other successful essays to give you some ideas about what has worked before and to keep those creative ideas flowing in your mind.

6. 選擇一篇申請(qǐng)文書(shū)開(kāi)始寫(xiě)作。基于現(xiàn)有的素材，構(gòu)建文章的中心思想，找到相應(yīng)的支持論點(diǎn)，然后以列提綱的形式把這些內(nèi)容表達(dá)出來(lái)。

6. Choose one essay to work on. Based on the information, construct the central idea of your essay and develop supporting ideas. Then put those thoughts in the form of an outline.

7. 在某個(gè)時(shí)間限制內(nèi)完成申請(qǐng)文書(shū)的初稿。這個(gè)階段最重要的是要把你的想法轉(zhuǎn)移到紙上，之后再進(jìn)行提煉和修改。申請(qǐng)文書(shū)一般需要經(jīng)過(guò)一次或兩次修改才能得到最終稿。

7. Do a complete draft within a set time limit. The most important thing at this point is to get the ideas on paper. The refining and shaping will come later. Accept that you will not have a final essay after just one or two drafts.

8. 完成初稿后，擱置幾天。如果需要的話，你可以開(kāi)始寫(xiě)另外一篇申請(qǐng)文書(shū)，經(jīng)歷相同的過(guò)程。

8. After you finish a draft, let it sit for a couple of days. You can start on anotheressay if necessary at this point, going through the same process.

9. 尋找那些你尊重其觀點(diǎn)的人，讓他們閱讀你的申請(qǐng)文書(shū)，并且給出反饋意見(jiàn)。問(wèn)他們一些問(wèn)題，例如：申請(qǐng)文書(shū)的亮點(diǎn)是什么？你還想多了解哪方面？這篇文章展現(xiàn)了我是一個(gè)什么樣的人？

9. Ask people whose opinion you respect to read through the essay and give you advice. Ask them questions like “ what stands out ? What do you want to hear more about? What does the essay reveal about me?

10. 大聲地閱讀申請(qǐng)文，你會(huì)驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)你的耳朵可以識(shí)別錯(cuò)誤的語(yǔ)法，拙劣的表達(dá)及其他。

10. Read the piece aloud-you’ll be amazed what your ears can detect regarding faulty grammar, awkward language, and the like.

11. 著重申請(qǐng)文的開(kāi)頭和結(jié)尾。開(kāi)頭需要抓住讀者的興趣。幾種開(kāi)頭的方式：以有趣或是不尋常的事實(shí)或細(xì)節(jié)開(kāi)頭；以奇聞?shì)W事或故事開(kāi)頭；使用有意思的引用；評(píng)價(jià)有報(bào)道價(jià)值的或眾所周知的事件。幾種結(jié)尾的方式：總結(jié)所闡述的觀點(diǎn)；總結(jié)然后推斷未來(lái)；總結(jié)申請(qǐng)文書(shū)中一些潛在的寓意。

11. Put special effort into your beginning and ending. Beginnings need to grab the interest of the reader. Some ways to begin:

1) start with an interesting or unusual fact or detail;

2) begin with an anecdote or story;

3) use an interesting quotation; make reference to a newsworthy or well-known event. some ways to end:

1) summarize what you have said:

2) summarize then extrapolate about the future:

3) summarize some potent ial implications from your essay.

12. 改寫(xiě)! 相對(duì)于初稿來(lái)說(shuō)，難忘的寫(xiě)作來(lái)自于改寫(xiě)。修改必然會(huì)提高寫(xiě)作的質(zhì) 量。

12. Rewrite! Memorable writing comes from rewriting than it does from the first draft. By rewriting you will inevitably improve the piece.

13. 校正申請(qǐng)?jiān)⒁猓辽賻妆?。檢查語(yǔ)法、標(biāo)點(diǎn)，拼寫(xiě)以及其他機(jī)器錯(cuò)誤。一個(gè)屢試不爽的方法是從后往前讀。

13. Proof the essay, at least several times. Check for grammar, punctuation, spelling and other mechanical errors. One tried and true method; read the essay ( backwards) from end to beginning.

14. 請(qǐng)記住你也是申請(qǐng)團(tuán)隊(duì)的一部分，啄木鳥(niǎo)的老師是你的伙伴，他們會(huì)給你專業(yè)的反饋、修改意見(jiàn)以及精準(zhǔn)的校對(duì)指導(dǎo)。

14. Please remember that you are part of a team this process. Your ZMN counselor is your partner who will give you feedback, suggestions to revisions, and precision proofing .

15. 申請(qǐng)文確認(rèn)無(wú)誤，潤(rùn)色完成后，就可以提交了。去慶祝一下吧，因?yàn)槟愠錾赝瓿闪松暾?qǐng)文的寫(xiě)作！

15. After your essays are error free and polished, send them out, and go celebrate a job well done!

尋找那些你尊重其觀點(diǎn)的人，讓他們閱讀你的申請(qǐng)文，并且給出反饋意見(jiàn)。

Ask people whose opinion you respect to read through the essay and give you advice.