金牛座男生的爱情软肋:美国本科高端申请之 PS/Essay 写作

      美国本科高端申请的最重要一环就是“文书创作（essay writing）”（请注意：不是“翻译”！那样的话，你的申请之路就彻底毁掉了。）这个过程中，申请人要和顾问和文案老师进行不断的沟通和接触，不断挖掘和发现学生的亮点，引导学生说出自己的过往故事，不必惊天动地，但要特立独行、韵味十足，不要大而广，而要细而精。以下是一个美国学生进行文书创作时采用的一个头脑风暴模式，很有借鉴意义，希望每位心怀高远的高端本科申请人浏览一下，希望有帮助。

Getting started: Brainstorming exercises

Writers of application essays often feel that they have either too much to say or too little. In either case, a good way to get started is to do some writing that will help generate and focus your ideas.

Use the space below to do some brainstorming and mail your writing to yourself later (using the form below) to keep a record of what youve written. If youre more comfortable writing by hand, take this opportunity to brainstorm on paper in response to the questions and suggestions below.

Some specific questions to consider

1. What experiences and/or education have made you want to pursue this degree program?

2. When did you first become interested in this field of study? How have you been pursuing your interest (e.g., education, volunteer work, professional experience)?

3. What most appeals to you about this program -- in general (i.e., the field of study) and more specifically (i.e., the particular department or schools program)? What makes you and your interests a good fit?

4. What do you plan to do with the education you hope to receive?

5. What do you think is the most interesting or notable thing about you? How do you think it might relate to the program that you want to pursue? How could you use it as a jumping off point or organizational device for your essay?

Writing a draft: From outline to essay

Now that you have a sense of what you want to write about, draft your essay.

Make an outline

Use the space below to make an outline for your essay. What will the main theme be? What points do you want to be sure to include? If you already have a draft written, use this space to jot down the organization of your essay based on what youve already written.

Develop your body paragraphs with example and explanation

Try developing examples and explanations for one statement that youd like to make about your experience or interest in this program. Be on the lookout for those cut-and-pastable sentences and replace them with details that show, rather than tell.

Back to the beginning: The introduction

Once you have a good sense of your essays focus, try writing an introduction that will engage your reader and suggest the direction in which your essay will go.

Not every essay has to have a clever or original introduction. One which is straightforward and to the point can also be effective and may, in some cases, be what a particular program wants to see. Most important is its effectiveness in setting a tone and direction for what follows.