申請大學時ESSAY寫作的基本指導思想

首先申明，我自己沒有任何這方麵的經驗，都是從書本或網上得來的信息，版權絕對不歸我所有。現在列出來這個是我存下來的一個FILE，當時我覺得很有啟發。 對很多有經驗的父母來講可能沒有幫助了，就給那些跟我一樣對這個神秘的大學申請過程好奇而又知道得不多的父母參考吧。

admissions officers at the nation’s most prestigious schools want to hear directly from their applicants, in their own voices, via the personal essays.

Whatever the topic and format of the question or questions, a few things remain clear about the college essay:

(1) It must reflect your personality and your voice.
(2) It must shed light on significant aspects of your character and experience, providing
insight into you both as a scholar and as a human being.
(3) It should be an intimate and lively portrait of yourself that none of the other application elements can provide.
(4) If the application in question asks you to comment on a work of literature or art, you
must still relate the cultural object in question back to yourself and your personal
experience.
(5) If you are asked why you are applying to a particular school, you should discuss how
the school’s offerings relate to your personal interests.
(6) No matter what the topic, all essays essentially ask the same question: What makes
you tick。

Of all the educational,emotional, transitional, happy, sad, funny, and silly experiences you have had in your life, you must focus on a single one that succinctly and artfully conveys a sense of who you are. You simply cannot write about everything, no matter how tempting each significant experience may be. Nor can you simply offer a factual account of your life’s experience. You must choose a particular moment or aspect of your experience in microcosm that depicts the whole of your character in macrocosm. That is the trick. Again, no matter what the topic, question, or guideline, the personal essay is a chance for you to shine, to speak out in your own unique voice, and to show an admissions reader why you would be an invaluable member of the next incoming freshman class.

Do's ：

Be honest
Show, don’t tell!
Let the reader hear your own voice
Follow instructions and answer the question!

Don’t:

(1) Bad grammar. (2) Students underselling themselves.(3) Not answering the question。 (4) An essay that is so highly edited by others。（5）Write about global events that have had little
impact on your private life.

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