對于申請留學的中國學生而言,應對考試小菜一碟,可是說到寫文書,真的是太南(難)了,尤其是美國本科名校申請,文書不止一篇。
以Common Application申請系統(tǒng)為例,除了一篇主文書外,申請院校還有附加文書的要求。好不容易搞定主文書,附加文書又上了心頭,在小文書類型中why school 受到很多院校的青睞,那么why school小文書怎么寫才能打動招生官呢?小編為大家分享寫作方法。
Why School提問類型
搞定why school首先你要仔細閱讀題目,從題目中明確招生官想要獲取的有關你和這所大學某些緣分動機。
單刀直入型
Why Yale?
What is it about Yale that has led you to apply? (125 words or fewer)*
(是什么讓你想要申請耶魯大學?)
Why Michigan?
Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?*
(描述吸引你進行密歇根大學申請的特定本科學院或學校(包括優(yōu)先錄取和雙學位課程)的獨特品質。它的那些課程會如何支持你的興趣發(fā)展?)
Why NYU?
We would like to know more about your interest in NYU. What motivated you to apply to NYU? Why have you applied or expressed interest in a particular campus, school, college, program, and or area of study? If you have applied to more than one, please also tell us why you are interested in these additional areas of study or campuses. We want to understand - Why NYU? (400 word maximum)
(我們想知道更多你對紐約大學的興趣。是什么促使你申請紐約大學的?為什么你會申請某個特定的校區(qū)、學院、項目或學習領域等等?我們想了解為什么是紐約大學?)
婉轉隱晦型
Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. (300 words or less)
(你最看重哥倫比大學的什么?為什么?)
How do you believe Caltech will best fuel your intellectual curiosity and help you meet your goals? (0-500 word)
請問你覺得加州理工將如何激發(fā)你的求知欲并讓你走向你目標的人生巔峰?
準備工作要做足
盡可能的從多方面、多角度、深入全面、細致了解你要申請的院校,向招生官展示你對學校特別了解。
1. 院校官網(wǎng)要常去,并對網(wǎng)站做深入研究。了解學校的校園風格、院校師資、課程設置、研究中心等。
2. 尋找與申請專業(yè)相關的信息。如果你對有關數(shù)學專業(yè)的課程感興趣,你可以在網(wǎng)站中查找有關這個專業(yè)的所有課程,你也可以查找有關這個專業(yè)的教授信息等。
3. 充分利用網(wǎng)絡。學校的Twitter、Instagram以及Youtube等社交平臺,你可以進行線上訪校,也可以通過學生上傳的視頻看到學生們的互動活動和實驗室環(huán)境等。
4.校友或者參加summer school
如果你在這所學校恰巧有認識的校友,那就和他們建立聯(lián)系并保持溝通吧,也可以問他們學校正在發(fā)生的事情。如果你在文書里提到了近期發(fā)生的事情,說明你是時刻關注院校動態(tài),也會贏得招生官的好感。
參加和申請院校相關的summer school課程和科研活動也是你和學校建立聯(lián)系的一種方式,如果有你喜歡專業(yè)的相關課程,而你又學習了該課程或者是和你授課教授相處的很愉快,無論是在學術上還是情感上都能拉近和招生官的距離。
申請是一個雙向選擇過程
在你的文書里一定要向招生官傳遞這樣的信息:
你是獨特的,你和院校的理念特別match,對學校做了非常深入的了解。切忌空洞描寫,要從細節(jié)上生動具體,你可以把你感興趣的導師姓名以及他的具體研究領域在文書中點明,讓學??吹侥愕恼\意。
展示你想做的研究以及未來的職業(yè)發(fā)展,或者導師的研究方向和興趣符合你的學術需求,能給與你互動的導師和同學帶來價值感,比如你對學術觀點的探索和新發(fā)現(xiàn)。
為了這所dream school你還做了與學術相關的各類行動和科研活動,談及在科研活動中如何克服困難的經(jīng)歷,突出你是個意志堅強的人。用實際行動展示你申請學校的決心和努力。
最后,我們來鑒賞一篇好的why school究竟是什么樣的。
杜克大學why school優(yōu)秀范例:
When I visited the Duke campus last fall, I immediately felt at home. The Gothic architecture and tree-shaded walks created an atmosphere of peaceful but serious reflection. The place is at once Southern — which, as an Alabamian, is important to me — and universal as it reflects the traditions of Europe and the classical world. The Trinity College liberal arts curriculum also reflects this unique pairing of the modern South and the global past. For example, I am considering a major in history, and am very interested in the combination of geographic and thematic areas of study offered by Duke’s history program. The combinations of areas offer seeming endless areas of specialization. One interesting possibility is a focus in the geographic area of the U.S. and Canada, combined with a thematic study of Women and Gender or African Diaspora. By juxtaposing and intertwining these two foci, my understanding of the American South — and much more — would be greatly enriched. This innovative and flexible approach to both traditional and non-traditional subject matter is greatly appealing to me. I know by reputation and from a friend currently enrolled in Trinity College that the liberal arts curriculum is very challenging, but also rewarding. I believe I am more than prepared for these challenges, and that I will thrive in this climate. Duke University’s campus already feels like home; I believe that its academic opportunities will also provide a stimulating environment in which I feel I belong.
賞析
文章寫了三部分:
首先,單刀直入,說自己訪問過杜克,夸贊杜克的教堂和樹林很美很美。這里隱含的夸贊了著名的杜克標志性建筑——杜克大教堂和杜克森林。杜克大學校園占地8709英畝,這還沒有包括8,470英畝的杜克森林。杜克校園面積之大在私立大學中只有斯坦福大學可以匹敵,這一點正是杜克值得驕傲的地方。
第二部分,講三一學院的課程很吸引我,證明自己對杜克做過細心的了解。學生聰明的展示了杜克歷史專業(yè)的獨有特色——地理與主題相結合的學習方式。沒有做過深入的調查,是不可能知道這一點的。
第三部分,作者從已在杜克就讀的朋友那里詢問過杜克,了解到課程有很大挑戰(zhàn),但是并不擔心,并表達了作者的決心,同時也表達了自己與杜克大學的某種冥冥之中的聯(lián)系。