杜克大学前高级招生官给中国学生的15条文书建议Advice from an Admissions Officer on how to write essays for American university applications

编辑_周晓琪 赵冰燃 供图_啄木鸟教育集团 设计_ 孙星

预留学

杜克大学前高级招生官给中国学生的15条文书建议Advice from an Admissions Officer on how to write essays for American university applications

编辑_周晓琪 赵冰燃 供图_啄木鸟教育集团 设计_ 孙星

Willie Dixon毕业于杜克大学，并取得经济学学士、法学博士学位，曾任学校高级招生官，拥有十余年招生经验，目前加入啄木鸟教育集团任高级教育顾问，首次与中国学生书信分享申请经验。

同学们：

你们好！我知道你们其中一些人刚刚完成赴港的SATI考试。恭喜！经过几个月的刻苦学习，你们终于可以松一口气，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，下一步你应该做什么？很多人已经开始辛勤地准备大学申请了。下一步最重要的是要完成你的申请文，因为这部分需要大量的思考，反省和时间。下面是对完成申请文书的15项建议。

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. 整理所有要申请的大学，列出每所大学的申请文书题目要求，标注出相似性。最重要的是在潜意识里理解问题，这样就可以一直头脑风暴，随身携带纸和笔，因为你从来不知道何时会有好的想法。

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. 研究和理解写作的主题—你自己，才能思考如何写作。如果你仅仅是坐下来写，没有对主题进行深思熟虑，那么你很有可能遇到写作障碍，文思枯竭。为了最大程度地了解自己，你需要反思，并且把它写出来。

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. 自我评估。你看到多少个版本，是否有什么特别的主题？确定你的兴趣，才能以及动机，需要一定的时间，不一定要一次完成。例如：你有想帮助需要帮助的人的意愿吗？有投身于公共服务的渴望吗？有与生俱来的经商才能吗？

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. 决定用什么材料向大学展现你自己。思考申请文书的问题，给出答案，思考一段时间，接下来能产生更多的想法。简单记下来所有的要点，否则你会忘记。

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. 阅读其他成功的申请文，了解什么样的申请文是优秀的，谨记那些有创意的想法。

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. 选择一篇申请文书开始写作。基于现有的素材，构建文章的中心思想，找到相应的支持论点，然后以列提纲的形式把这些内容表达出来。

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. 在某个时间限制内完成申请文书的初稿。这个阶段最重要的是要把你的想法转移到纸上，之后再进行提炼和修改。申请文书一般需要经过一次或两次修改才能得到最终稿。

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，搁置几天。如果需要的话，你可以开始写另外一篇申请文书，经历相同的过程。

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. 寻找那些你尊重其观点的人，让他们阅读你的申请文书，并且给出反馈意见。问他们一些问题，例如：申请文书的亮点是什么？你还想多了解哪方面？这篇文章展现了我是一个什么样的人？

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. 大声地阅读申请文，你会惊奇地发现你的耳朵可以识别错误的语法，拙劣的表达及其他。

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

11. 着重申请文的开头和结尾。开头需要抓住读者的兴趣。几种开头的方式：以有趣或是不寻常的事实或细节开头；以奇闻轶事或故事开头；使用有意思的引用；评价有报道价值的或众所周知的事件。几种结尾的方式：总结所阐述的观点；总结然后推断未来；总结申请文书中一些潜在的寓意。

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. 改写! 相对于初稿来说，难忘的写作来自于改写。修改必然会提高写作的质 量。

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

13. 校正申请寓意，至少几遍。检查语法、标点，拼写以及其他机器错误。一个屡试不爽的方法是从后往前读。

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. 请记住你也是申请团队的一部分，啄木鸟的老师是你的伙伴，他们会给你专业的反馈、修改意见以及精准的校对指导。

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. 申请文确认无误，润色完成后，就可以提交了。去庆祝一下吧，因为你出色地完成了申请文的写作！

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

寻找那些你尊重其观点的人，让他们阅读你的申请文，并且给出反馈意见。

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