如果一篇文书开头就让你屏住呼吸，那它已经赢了。
(文书原文，可上下滑动查看)
Where Math Collides With Art
Pop quiz:A bird shoots through the crisp morning air of New York City, dodging skyscrapers at a speed of thirty kilometers per hour. The sun breaks through the horizon, blinding the bird in both eyes. The bird manages to catch its reflection in the shining glass of the Empire State Building—but by that time, it's too late. How do we use velocity, angles,distance,and force to find the point at which the glass shatters?
For me, math is more than just numbers. It's a mode of visualizing movement in action, the synthesis of my imagination and the physical world. When I'm problem-solving, I'm not just generating a string of numbers on paper. I'm picturing the spiral of a rollercoaster, the friction of a waterslide, and the curvature of an asteroid's impending collision with Earth.
In high school, when precalculus was taught as a series of step-by-step instructions, it felt like the vivid and colorful world I had come to love was being broadcast in black and white. I saw this reflected in the growing disinterest of my classmates, who saw math as a monotonous chore rather than a universal language with boundless explanatory and creative power. I had to step in. I had to show people what I saw.
This inspired me to begin writing creative math questions for my peers. My parametric equations are not simple problems with one-step calculations– they are cinematic universes that jolt audiences with excitement. They invite others to embrace mathematics as a practice of external—and even internal—discovery that was missing in my school.
When I present my famous "bird crashing into the window" problem students enthusiastically gather around the whiteboard to uncover its mysteries. I watch their impassioned discussions unfold with a sense of satisfaction as each drawing and scribble brings them closer to the truth. Witnessing their pride as they finally arrive at the answer reminds me of why I teach.
I've since honed question-design into an art, creating math tests and exercises for Teachers Pay Teachers so that teachers around the world can give my imaginative questions to their students. I hope that students not only learn the concepts I'm teaching– but also critical thinking and reasoning that provides new ways to solve challenges in their lives.
I have also used the medium of math beyond problem sets and assessments. As captain of the Math Olympiad, I use it to transform confused faces into laughter and excitement, to test my teammates'courage and strengthen team bonds. When I tutor Mu Alpha Theta or teach in Wall Street Lions, it is a language of empathy and connection to connect with students with interests outside of STEM. And in CivicSpark—the non-profit I co-founded to help students gain agency through civic engagement—I deploy the logic and reasoning of math without the numbers. Through a curriculum of imaginative puzzles, I empowered students in schools across Southern California to reach out to their representatives to ignite real change.
In this way, I have used math as a brush to paint a canvas that extends beyond the visual to what matters most—infusing life with greater meaning and heart. It is this creativity that compels me to pursue Applied Mathematics. There is no greater or more fulfilling challenge than the application of mathematics to real-life problems. However I hope to take this application a step further: If every calculation is a story, what does it mean for us to become storytellers? And how can this intellectual artistry transform the world?
As for the bird that caught its reflection in the office window–perhaps it isn't about the force of the collision, but what happens after. The way the shards of glass multiply a single reflection into thousands of new perspectives. The way a barrier opens to reveal spaces that were previously hidden. And the infinite possibilities of what happens next.
Admissions Committee Comments
Pursuing knowledge and connecting resulting discoveries to the wider world is one of the foundational pillars of the Hopkins mission. In his essay, Anthony explores the beginning of his interest in mathematics, diving into the many classrooms and personal experiences that created and strengthened it. He takes this interest, and the essay, a step further by showcasing the ways that he translated this interest into real world impact. By connecting his interest in math to work he's done through teaching, a non-profit, and a school club, Anthony demonstrates an ability to impart his passions and knowledge through a number of different avenues. These skillsets and mindsets will allow him to take advantage of the opportunities at Hopkins and show strong alignment with the University as a whole.
"Do not think of the personal statement as an essay; think of it as a love letter. It is the story of why you give your time and energy to do what you love, and how that love has changed you. In expressing it, you reveal passions and desires no one else could ever copy. The personal statement no longer describes your character; it embodies it."
很多学生写专业相关文书时都会陷入一个误区，他们花了大量篇幅证明自己有多喜欢某个学科。喜欢数学的人写竞赛；喜欢生物的人写实验；喜欢文学的人写阅读。但招生官真正想知道的从来不是：“你喜欢什么？”；而是：“这种热爱如何塑造了你，又如何通过你影响了别人？”
这篇文书最终使得学生被JHU大学录取。
表面上看，这是一篇关于数学的故事。实际上，它讲述的是一个学生如何把兴趣转化为创造力、领导力和社会影响力的过程。
01从数学题到一封写给数学的情书这篇文书做对了四件事
1.叙事钩子：用“鸟撞玻璃”悬念开场，把招生官直接拉进现场
绝大多数申请文书的开头，都在做同一件事：交代背景。比如“我从小对数学感兴趣”，或者“某次经历让我爱上了计算”。但作者直接把这些全部砍掉。他没有告诉你他为什么喜欢数学，他直接给了你一只鸟——高速飞行、瞬间失明、撞向帝国大厦的玻璃。从"A bird shoots through the crisp morning air"到"but by that time, it's too late"，只用了三句话就把一个完整的灾难现场搭建完毕。
然后用一道物理问题收束所有动能——"How do we use velocity, angles, distance, and force to find the point at which the glass shatters?"读者的好奇被抬到了极限，你不可能不往下读。更关键的是，这个开头完成了一个隐蔽的自我定义：他不是在“介绍自己热爱数学”，他是在用行动证明，数学在他手里就是讲故事的媒介。他没有说我与众不同，但他一出手就让招生官知道——这个人和你预想的任何一个数学申请者都不一样。
2.热情具象化：把数学写成“彩色电影”，而非黑白默片
文书里最无力的句子，就是“我热爱某个领域”。因为“热爱”是一个结论，而结论不能让读者产生任何感受。作者完全绕开了这个陷阱。他不说热爱，他直接让你看他解题时的画面"I'm picturing the spiral of a rollercoaster, the friction of a waterslide, and the curvature of an asteroid's impending collision with Earth."过山车的螺旋、水滑梯的摩擦力、小行星的弧线——这不是修辞，这是他认知系统的真实界面。数学在他这里不是公式和数字，而是动态、立体、充满想象力的世界。
而当他写到课堂上的数学被教成了"the vivid and colorful world I had come to love was being broadcast in black and white"，这个对比之所以抓人，是因为你已经亲眼见过他脑子里的那个彩色世界有多鲜活。黑白默片不是他的感受，是他看到的事实。更难得的是，他没有停在抱怨上，抱怨在文书里从来都是减分项——而是直接动手，开始自己创作题目。从欣赏彩色电影的观众，到自己拿起摄影机，这个跨越才是招生官真正要看到的画面。
3.影响力递进：从“我”到“我们”到“更大的世界”，用行动证明热爱可以传递
这篇文书最聪明的地方，在于叙事重心始终在向外扩展。最开始是帮助同学理解数学；随后是在 Teachers Pay Teachers 平台上向全球教师分享题目；再后来，他甚至把数学中的逻辑与推理迁移到 CivicSpark 的公民教育项目中。这里最关键的一句话是："I deploy the logic and reasoning of math without the numbers."数学不再只是学科知识，而变成了一种能够创造价值的思维方式。作者展示的已经不是“我擅长数学”，而是“我能用数学影响更多人”。
4.闭环升华：把一道数学题写成关于可能性的隐喻
很多文书结尾会总结收获、展望未来，但这篇文书没有这样做。他重新回到开头那只撞向玻璃的鸟，却把关注点从碰撞本身转向玻璃碎裂之后:"The shards of glass multiply a single reflection into thousands of new perspectives."原本只有一个倒影的玻璃，在破碎后产生无数新的视角；原本封闭的边界，也因此出现新的可能。至此，数学不再只是寻找答案的工具，而成为打破单一视角、发现未知空间的方法。这不仅完成了与开头的呼应，也让整篇文书从一道数学题，最终上升到关于创造力与可能性的思考。
02招生官视角为什么JHU认为这是“满分文书”
1.他用行动完美诠释了JHU强调的”Knowledge for the world”
作为一所研究型大学，JHU始终强调知识的现实价值。作者没有空谈这个理念，他整篇文书就是一串证据链：从自己学数学，到为同学设计问题，再到通过线上平台影响全球师生，再到在公益组织里用数学思维赋能青少年公民行动。每一步都是从“知识”走向“连接”，从“个人兴趣”走向“公共价值”。招生官看到的是一个已经把JHU使命活出来的人，而不是一个在文书里表决心的人。
2.他在多个场景中反复验证了自己的影响力。
课堂、网络平台、竞赛团队、跨学科辅导、非营利组织——五个完全不同的场域，却有一个贯穿始终的主线：用数学连接他人、激发他人。这种多场景、多角色的证据网络，让招生官无从质疑他的真实性和一致性。他不是在某一个老师面前表现好，而是在每一个有人的地方，都在做同一件事。正如JHU对这篇文书的评价所说，他展示了”通过教学、非营利组织和学校社团等多种途径传递热情与知识的能力”。
3.他创造了一个无法被复制的人设。
招生官每年读几千份文书，堆砌奖项和罗列经历的人不计其数。但他用一个贯穿全文的“创作者”身份，把天赋、共情和行动力拧成了一股绳。他不是“数学好的学生”，他是“以数学为语言，把知识转化为影响力的构建者”。这个人设独特、清晰、每一段都在强化——而最核心的是，它无法被模仿，因为它是从他真实的实践经验里长出来的。
03
拆解之后
你可以学到的三样东西
1.让读者“看见”，而不是“被告知”。
如果你的文书里出现了"I'm passionate about…"这样的句子，请把它删掉，然后问自己：当我沉浸其中时，我到底看到了什么？作者没有说"I love math"，他写了过山车的螺旋、水滑梯的摩擦、小行星的弧线,这些画面本身比任何形容词都有说服力。读者看到了画面，就会自己帮你补上结论。你一旦替读者把结论说了，他们就失去了参与感，文书的张力就塌了。
2.从“我很强”转向“我能让什么变强”。
顶级的文书从不以自我炫耀为终点。招生官想看到的不是你有多厉害，而是你的厉害有没有溢出、有没有让别人也变得更好。作者做的每一件事——设计题目、带队参赛、跨学科辅导、创立公益组织——核心逻辑都是“我的存在让周围变得不同”。检查你的文书：你的能力是在装饰你自己，还是在影响他人？
3.找到属于你的“碎玻璃”——一个贯穿始终的隐喻。
文书的最高境界不是“讲一个关于你自己的故事”，而是让这篇文书本身“成为你”。这篇文书做到了，因为作者找到了一个可以承载全部精神内核的意象——数学与画笔，碰撞与碎玻璃，单一视角与万千可能。这个意象从标题贯穿到结尾，赋予全文诗意的统一性。你也需要一个属于你自己的隐喻，它不必宏大，但必须真实；不必复杂，但必须精准。找到它，你的文书就有了灵魂。
