我们一直都好奇，美国大学尤其那些顶尖院校的录取标准到底是什么？换句话说，他们偏向于录取什么样的学生，招生官希望在申请人的材料里看到什么样的特质呢？（美本申请）
其实，这些问题，学校官方早已回答过了，答案都在每所学校的补充文书题目中，而且写得清清楚楚。
今天，我将和各位一起分析哈佛大学补充文书题目（补充文书也被称作为小文书），从中窥探招生官的内心世界。
顶尖院校录取偏好的基本逻辑其实是相通的，所以今天的内容就以哈佛小文书为引子。
注：下文的文书范文，选用了与对应题目相符的文章，不一定都是哈佛申请人的文章。
第一题
Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a student body with a diversity of perspectives and experiences. How will the life experiences that shaped who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?
题目前半段提到了“不同的视角与经历”，这时候很多学生就慌了，他们觉得自己没什么很特别的、独特的经历，这该怎么办？其实这些学生选择性地弱化了“视角”这个词，他们忽略了“即便是平凡的生活，只要观察的角度选对了，依然能发现暗藏的独特性”。
题目中段，注意提炼关键词“塑造”，这几乎是所有美国大学招生官的关注点——在某段经历中，你学到了什么？你的思维发生了什么样的变化？这些变化让你得到了什么样的成长？所以大家不要光顾着讲故事，一定要聚焦自己的成长。
题目后段“如何帮助你为哈佛做出贡献”，这里的关键点在你能否给身边的社区带来积极的影响和贡献，社区贡献也是每一所大学的主要关注点。
文书案例1（滚动查看原文）
Aside from my inherent love for bagels, my Jewish background has led me to become more embedded in my community, joining Jewish activists and building a website on Holocaust education.
In the 1930s, 36 members of my family were lost to the Holocaust, and that fact has led me to carry on the memory of my ancestors through tradition—with my Bar Mitzvah—as well as with an educational lens—teaching others about the Holocaust and about specific stories of survivors.
Feeling disconnected from Jewish activism, I decided to become an educator on the Student Leadership Board of the Seattle-based Holocaust Center for Humanity last year. Each week, we met to discuss present-day instances of oppression and discrimination across the world, and finished the year by building a website to share the story of a Holocaust survivor.
Being on the board connected me to a network of other passionate Jewish activists, and helped me to channel the pride for my culture and ancestors into visual media that reaches many viewers. At Colgate, I hope to find myself surrounded not only by like-minded Jewish students, but by a diverse group of people with whom I can learn and make connections. (196 words)
第二题
Describe a time when you strongly disagreed with someone about an idea or issue. How did you communicate or engage with this person? What did you learn from this experience?
这题考察申请人是否具备独立思考能力、批判性思维能力、逻辑思考能力、表达能力、聆听能力以及总结能力，当然还有一个非常重要的——知识和视野。
当一个人具备独立思考和批判性思维能力，那么他可以更容易洞察到同一件事物的不同面，不会轻易屈于某个“正确答案”，敢于提出自己的思想和答案；
当他具备较好的聆听能力，他才能汲取对方言语和思想中的重点（也就是能听懂对面在说什么），然后依靠自己优秀的逻辑思维能力和表达能力，准确清晰地向对方输出自己的观点。
如果他还具备较强的总结分析能力，那么他将在这场“辩论”中学到新的知识，发现自己的缺陷并加以改正。
然而，这一切的前提是足够量的知识面、阅读量以及开阔的视野。不然他就是一杠精，这种人最讨厌了。
文书案例2（滚动查看原文）
I probably argue with my grandfather more than I do with most other people combined. It’s not because we’re at odds. We just have different perspectives, influenced by our experiences—his as a life-long resident of India, mine as a first-generation American.
One pretty common argument we have is over Eastern vs. Western medicine. My solution to a headache, for example, is to take Advil. His is to rub Tiger Balm on his forehead and coconut oil on the soles of his feet. I try to convince him of the benefits of taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, describing how it can reduce inflammation by blocking the production of certain chemicals. He tries to convince me that the balm creates a cooling effect, distracting the brain from pain and relaxing the muscles. Rather than becoming sore at or resentful of each other, we’ve grown closer through these debates, and I’ve learned how to disagree without letting the situation get acrimonious.
Through these interactions, I’ve learned that a discussion shouldn’t be confrontational. The purpose isn’t to win, but to share my knowledge with the other party and learn from them as well. So rather than saying, “Rubbing balm on your forehead is stupid; you should just take Advil,” I say, “While rubbing balm on your forehead seems to work, I’ve noticed that taking an Advil has a stronger and more immediate effect.” Respecting the opposing party makes them more willing to hear you out.
I’ve also learned there’s a fine line between logic and emotion. I try not to take personally the things my grandfather says in an argument. Just because he doesn’t think taking Advil is the better solution doesn’t mean he thinks I’m stupid. If I take it that way, we begin to move away from what the argument really was about—the facts.
I’ll continue to apply these learnings in discussions and debates I have with others, realizing that having a “successful argument” isn’t about winning. It’s about sharing my opinion and learning from theirs, expanding our perspectives without alienating each other.
第三题
Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are.
感觉和第一题有些重叠，关键词都是“经历+塑造”。当然这一题聚焦的是学生的课外活动。
感觉第三题是第一题的补充——进一步告诉大家所谓“经历”可以是任何的场景下，无论是高端大气美轮美奂，还是平平淡淡粗茶淡饭，都能找到好的角度去展现自己的独特性。
文书案例3（滚动查看原文）
“The word is YES, say it a million times … it always leads to something good.” - Jim Carrey, Yes Man
But there are dangers to being a Yes Man. Accepting opportunities and information without questioning can lead to sticky situations and embarrassing moments.
Fortunately, my participation in policy debate has taught me to be anything but a yes man. Sifting through databases of information to research both sides of a resolution has instilled in me a healthy skepticism of overly simple solutions to complex societal problems. Just as my speeches are typically filled with indicts of my opponents’ cases, I find myself instinctively detecting the fallacies in billboards and commercials.
So, for most questions, it’s a maybe from me—until I consider several other possibilities and perspectives.
As Jim Carrey comes to realize,
“Maybe’s fine. I like maybe!” (135 words)
第四题
How do you hope to use your Harvard education in the future?
招生官很在意一个点：学生与学校的适配性。
这个适配性，可以拆分出两点，其一，学生和学校资源的适配性；其二，学生对资源的运用能力。
隐藏问题：如何“运用”所学知识，换句话说如何创造价值。
文书案例4（滚动查看原文）
European politics and the limits of multiparty democracies, the future of the European Union, refugee policies, and the power of community engagement and social media... my interest in these issues led me to seek UT’s International Relations and Global Studies program with a regional concentration in European Studies. As the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, and an active member of community and school groups, I am interested in studying the factors that weaken or strengthen public engagement in national and local politics, and opportunities for a global agreement on issues relating to the environment and human rights.
My favorite classes in high school have been Human Geography and Comparative Government/Politics. When I started learning about the UK, I was intrigued by the UK's parliamentary system and its ramifications for economic and social issues, all of which play out differently in the US. Outside of class, I continued doing my own research on the Unitary System and the way it impacts the Irish question, Brexit and European monetary policy. This is why I plan on following the footsteps of Dr. Michael W. Mosser and his work on the European Union and security. Even if there was no mandatory study abroad requirement, I would still have jumped at the opportunity to study at the University College London.
Also, majoring in IRG will prepare me to address different issues affecting my community. We can gain valuable insights on immigration or climate change, by studying how other countries address social problems. When I joined V3ssel, I realized the importance of engaging with local officials on issues such as education, immigration, public health, and environmental policy. As an IRG major, I can continue becoming a world citizen and build a career focused on global issues and community engagement. (293 words)
第五题
Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.
这题说白了就是招生官想看看更多的申请人的独特性（就是其他的材料没提到的），也就是继续给你空间吹自己。
回到题目，你可以给未来的室友（以及招生官）展示什么呢？
1. 你可以展示自己性格上的、行事风格上的专属于你的特色，也可以讲讲你的各种爱好——学术的，非学术的都行，这一条看的就是你是否能接纳多元文化，是否能把握多样的机会和资源。
2. 可以思考一下自己在什么样的地方影响到他人，作为室友，要一起学习生活多年，所以彼此之间一定会产生相互的影响，当然是积极正面的影响。
以下是一篇类似主题的文书范文：
文书案例5（滚动查看原文）
Hello!
My name is Pradyoth. You might be struggling to pronounce my name, but don’t worry. I’ve had quite a bit of experience with this. In fact, I even wanted to change my name because people would often butcher it even when I corrected them. However, after learning it’s meaning in my native language, Telugu, and its significance to my parents, my perception of my name changed. Instead of thinking of it as an impediment to getting along with others, I now use it as a reminder to keep a positive mindset.
I also enjoy solving complex problems. Currently, I am in a multivariable calculus class where I get to do what I feel I do best. I love setting up problems so I can identify patterns and determine the best method for solving them. Even if I don’t get the correct answer, I always learn a new approach to a problem, which is my favorite part.
Finally, I’m a big fan of Bay Area sports. Over the past decade, I have seen the highest of highs (like the Warriors’ NBA title in 2015) and the lowest of lows (like the 2016 49ers season). You’ll definitely see plenty of sadness from me when one of my teams loses. When you see me whip out my traditional Indian snacks, you’ll know my team suffered a loss and I’m eating my feelings. Feel free to try murukkus, which are my favorite!
Those are some things about me. So, what are you like? (250 words)
以上，我们通过分析哈佛大学小文书题目，总结出了学校在招生的时候会关注申请人的哪些特质。
这些内容看似简单，但是值得大家反复去思考，因为这些内容可以对美本的申请规划起到引导作用。
最后，我还是想给大家多讲一些干货——今天的内容既然涉及到了补充文书（小文书），那么我就进一步讲讲小文书的写作技巧。
最典型的小文书有两类：Why School/College文书、Why Major文书。
Why School/College 文书该怎么写？
如何才能写出一篇合格有效的why school文书。
1.招生官的考察点：
a.你是否真心向往我们学校？拿到offer后入学的概率有多大？
b.你是否具备在学校获得成功的潜质？文书中是否提供了其他材料没有的信息？
c.你是否和本校的校园文化契合？能否给校园社区带来积极的影响？
d.你对未来的规划是否清晰合理？该校的资源可否满足你的愿景？
2.申请人常在why school文书中陷入的误区——流于表面，比如文书内容只聚焦于该校拥有顶尖的教育水准、教授阵容、很先进的教学理念等等，缺没有招生官真正想看到的东西。
3.why school文书应该聚焦于什么？
答案还是申请人本身。申请人需要提炼出一个具体想法、目标或理念，比如第一篇案例中，作者希望系统进行语言学研究；第二篇案例中，作者想研究媒体对社会的影响。在提炼出这个核心后，再去与学校进行关联。
如何写好 Why Major 文书？
给大家说几个技巧：
技巧1：避免笼统和表面的描述
比如，有的同学会在文书中写“"Math is the language of the universe"，"Studying communications will help me learn how to collaborate with others better."，"Computer science is about problem solving"等内容。
写这些本身没问题，这些主题也很好，但问题是很多学生的文书就“止步于此”了，缺乏进一步思考和拓展，停留在了表面。
怎么改进？很简单，只需从自己感兴趣的领域和目标出发，抛出具体的问题，并且把自身的经历和融入到文章里，表达出你对该领域的强烈兴趣。
比如你想写生物学相关的内容，你可以具体一些，把"biology"进一步扩展成"molecular biology and its impact on genetic engineering."
技巧2：试图找到新奇的角度
提到医学，大家的第一反应是帮助别人摆脱疾病的困扰；提到计算机科学，大家的反应就是人工智能、机器人。这些没毛病，但是太多人这么写了，所以你们需要继续深挖，去找你喜欢的领域还能解决什么样的问题，试着换个角度。
技巧3：要清晰地表达出“与其他学校相比，本校提供的课程和资源有什么独特之处？”
技巧4：展示自己在该领域已有的成绩。让招生官看到你的探索精神，以及对该学科的热情。
实在不知道怎么去写why major文书，我给大家讲一个万能公式，但切记，此公式仅供头脑风暴，不要生搬硬套：
第一步：表达自己对某学科的热爱，并写出具体原因，这里就可以讲个故事让文书更生动；
第二步：凭借着自己对该学科的热爱，未来想要做到什么？
第三步：真诚地表达出“为什么该校提供的资源和课程可以帮助自己达成学术目标”。
以上就是今天的全部内容啦，欢迎大家关注博文儿，我们一起聊聊美本申请。
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