Common App主文書應該怎麽寫？Common App主文書寫作方案

John

前哈佛本科招辦麵試官

Summertime is perhaps the best time to start your college application essay work. Frequently, students spend days and even weeks sifting through different topics to respond to one of the seven prompts in the Common Application.

夏季或許是開始大學申請文書(shu) 的最佳時間。通常情況下，學生們(men) 會(hui) 花幾天甚至幾周的時間，根據Common Application中七個(ge) 提示之一，來篩選不同的主題。

Common Application

To stay on track with their essay writing, students should focus on the following principles:

· Focus on events from Day 1 of 9th grade – nothing before high school is relevant.

·Think through your most significant obstacles and challenges in high school – colleges don’t want to read about your accomplishments in your main essay (hint: you can brag about your accomplishments elsewhere).

·What were your most memorable experiences in high school? (hint: such experiences are typically ones where you’ve spent the most time, so feel free to look at the Activities section of your Common Application for ideas).

· What experiences and interests do you feel compelled to share with colleges but aren’t sure where you can? Sometimes, sharing a hobby or an interest that isn’t reflected elsewhere on the application can.

為(wei) 了保持文書(shu) 寫(xie) 作的進展，學生應該關(guan) 注以下原則:

• 從九年級第一天開始 —— 高中之前的事情都無關緊要。
• 想清楚你在高中時遇到的最大困難和挑戰——大學招辦沒興趣在你的文章中讀到你的成就 (提示：你可以在其他材料展示你的成就)。
• 你在高中最難忘的經曆是什麽? (提示：這樣的經曆通常是你花時間最多的，所以可以查看 Common Application 的活動部分來尋找想法)。
• 你覺得有哪些經曆和興趣想和學校分享，但又不確定在哪可以分享?有時候，分享一個沒有在 Common Application上體現出來的愛好或興趣也可以。

After going through all your answers to the questions above, pick the two or three ideas that you feel best reflect you as a person beyond your accomplishments and achievements. Many students write essays focused on achievements or accomplishments, which is NOT what colleges want to read!

Recently, one of our students who was accepted by every Ivy League school he applied to wanted to write about his success with science fairs. Even though his accomplishments were noteworthy, his choice of topic was inappropriate because the depth and breadth of his science fair work were captured in the Activities section and the feedback his math and science teachers provided.

The Common App man essay is your chance to differentiate yourself from your peers in a unique and compelling way. We eventually landed on a topic that was both personal and creative – his passion for cooking and how preparing different foods with friends helped him express his creative nature while building bridges with others. Ultimately, the more vulnerable and authentic you can be, the more compelling your overall narrative will be.

瀏覽完以上所有問題的答案後，選出兩(liang) 三個(ge) 除了你的個(ge) 人成就以外最能反映你的想法。許多學生寫(xie) 的論文都是關(guan) 於(yu) 獎勵或成就的，這不是大學想要讀的！最近，我們(men) 的一個(ge) 學生被他申請的每一所常春藤盟校錄取，他之前想寫(xie) 他在科學博覽會(hui) 上的成功之處。盡管他的成就值得一提，但他選擇的主題是不太合適的，因為(wei) 他在科學博覽會(hui) 上取得的成績的深度和廣度都在活動部分以及他的數學和科學老師提供的反饋中得到了體(ti) 現。Common Application的文章需要你以獨特的和引人注目的方式脫穎而出。我們(men) 最終討論並選定了一個(ge) 既個(ge) 性化又富有創造性的話題——他對烹飪的熱情以及如何與(yu) 朋友們(men) 一起準備不同的食物，幫助他在與(yu) 他人建立聯係的同時表達他的創造力。最終，越真實，你的整體(ti) 敘事就越有說服力。

Of course, you also want to avoid the trap of the 4 Ds (disease, death, depression, and divorce). These topics, while they have the potential to show unique aspects of your life experience, are trite and inappropriate from the perspective of most admissions officers.

If there are any hardships you’ve encountered in high school, feel free to provide a summary of what happened and the associated impact in the Additional Information section. Should you choose to use that space for a sensitive topic, we encourage you to be as matter-of-fact about the challenge or obstacle you faced and outline the precise steps you took to mitigate any negative effects.

當然，你也需要避免4D的陷阱(疾病、死亡、抑鬱和離婚)。這些話題，雖然它們(men) 有可能展示你生活經曆的獨特方麵，但從(cong) 大多數招生官的角度來看，是陳詞濫調和不合適的。如果你在高中遇到了任何困難，請自行在附加信息部分欄提供有關(guan) 事件及其影響的摘要。如果你選擇利用這個(ge) 空間談論敏感話題，我們(men) 建議你實事求是地講述你所麵臨(lin) 的挑戰或障礙，並概述你為(wei) 減輕任何負麵影響而采取的具體(ti) 步驟。

Remember, your Common App personal statement will not read like an expository or analytical writing piece. Many students fall into the trap of telling and not showing the reader the message they want to convey. As part of your initial brainstorming activity, try to come up with three to four anecdotes that capture the most powerful moments related to your topic.

A few years ago, one of our students wanted to write about his experience struggling in art class but couldn’t come up with examples he felt were compelling. During the brainstorming process, we asked him to think about the most significant challenges he had throughout the year and how he overcame them. Within a couple of sessions, he was off to a great start!

記住，你在Common Application的個(ge) 人陳述讀起來不應是說明性或分析性文章。許多學生陷入了一個(ge) 陷阱，僅(jin) 僅(jin) 是敘事而不是向招生官傳(chuan) 遞內(nei) 涵。作為(wei) 你最初頭腦風暴活動的一部分，試著想出三到四個(ge) 與(yu) 主題相關(guan) 的奇妙時刻的軼事。幾年前，我們(men) 的一個(ge) 學生想寫(xie) 他在藝術課上掙紮的經曆，但找不到他覺得有說服力的例子。在頭腦風暴的過程中，我們(men) 讓他想想他在這一年中遇到的最重大的挑戰，以及他是如何克服這些挑戰的。幾個(ge) 階段之後，他就有了一個(ge) 很好的開始！

Before you start writing your first draft, spend some time outlining the structure.You typically want a hook that’s a stream-of-consciousness style introduction followed by a paragraph that provides some context. Subsequent body paragraphs should highlight unique lessons or stories associated with your chosen topic. In the concluding paragraph, you can talk about how the topic of your essay has shaped who you are today and/or your hopes for the future.

在你開始寫(xie) 初稿之前，花點時間整理結構。你通常需要一個(ge) 意識流風格的引言，然後是一個(ge) 提供一些上下文的段落。接下來的主體(ti) 段落應該突出與(yu) 主題相關(guan) 的獨特經曆或故事。在結束語段，你可以談談你的文章主題如何塑造了今天的你或你對未來的期望。

Of course, you’ll need to make time to revise your essay. One of the most powerful guiding questions a student can ask is the “so what?” question.Years ago, I worked as a business consultant for Fortune 500 companies, and my managers and clients would frequently request that every page of a presentation should answer the most basic of questions. Each of your body paragraphs should have a key takeaway. One of the best ways to strengthen the main idea of each body paragraph is to insert topic sentences that anchor the point(s) you want to make in the paragraph.

當然，你還需要花時間修改你的文章。一個(ge) 學生所能提出來的一個(ge) 最有效的引導問題之一是： “那又如何？”的問題。幾年前，我在《財富》500強公司擔任商業(ye) 顧問，我的經理和客戶經常要求我PPT的每一頁都應該基本回答了所提出的問題。你的每一個(ge) 主體(ti) 段落都應該有一個(ge) 關(guan) 鍵的要點。加強每個(ge) 主體(ti) 段落主旨的最好方法之一就是插入主旨句，以此來鞏固你在這段話中想要表達的觀點。

Sometimes students worry about issues related to length, grammar, and style. I frequently encourage students to not worry about the 650-word limit for the Common App Main Essay in the first two to three drafts because you’re working on strengthening your ideas, not making them “sound” better. Students usually find it easier to cut down words to be more concise than fill up space to meet the word limit. Additionally, you can rectify most issues related to grammar and style by using a software package like Grammarly and/or having an editor do a final review of the essay to correct any of these issues.

有時學生擔心與(yu) 篇幅、語法和文體(ti) 相關(guan) 的問題。我經常鼓勵學生們(men) ，在前兩(liang) 到三稿中，不要擔心Common Application主文章的650字限製，因為(wei) 你在加強你的想法，而不是讓它們(men) “聽起”來更好。學生們(men) 通常會(hui) 發現，刪減單詞比填滿空間來滿足字數限製更容易做到簡明扼要。此外，你可以通過使用像Grammarly這樣的軟件來糾正大多數與(yu) 語法和文體(ti) 相關(guan) 的問題，以及/或者找編輯對文章進行最後的檢查來改正這些問題。

Finally, keep in mind that good essays take time. You’ll typically need at least four to five sets of revisions, and feedback from an experienced counselor also helps. Occasionally, students find themselves changing topics after several weeks. Doing so is completely okay!

Moreover, you should feel free to solicit feedback from teachers, other adults, and peers who are strong writers so you can benefit from their perspectives. With the right amount of external input and personal effort, you’ll be well on your way to crafting an excellent personal statement.

最後，請記住，寫(xie) 好的文章需要時間。你通常需要至少四到五次的修改，經驗豐(feng) 富的顧問的反饋也會(hui) 有幫助。有些時候，學生們(men) 在幾周後會(hui) 改變選題。這樣的做法完全沒問題！此外，你也可以自主地征求老師、其他成年人和擅長寫(xie) 作的同齡人的反饋，這樣你就可以從(cong) 他們(men) 的反饋中獲益。有了適當的外部反饋和個(ge) 人努力，你就能很好地撰寫(xie) 一份優(you) 秀的個(ge) 人文書(shu) 。