同時被4所藤校錄取的文書長什麽樣？

在美國社區問答（Quora）的論壇上，有一個(ge) 這樣的問題：“What essay got you into an Ivy League university?（什麽(me) 樣的申請文書(shu) 讓你進了常春藤盟校？）”該問題迎來了各路藤校學子的真實分享。其中，有一位名叫“Ethan Li”的學生的回答獲得了高讚。

圖源Quora

Ethan Li 的父母都是中國人，從(cong) 小在美國長大，是一位亞(ya) 裔美國人。他在Quora上分享了自己的這篇申請文書(shu) ：《黑白叢(cong) 林：國際象棋如何幫我度過父母離婚的日子》，一起來看看吧。

The Black-and-White Jungle:

How Chess Got Me Through My Parents’Divorce

The first time I saw a chess board, I stood—an unsmiling first-grader—spellbound by the curious horses and castles that the wizened fifth graders shuffled confidently in my school cafeteria. Beneath the ornate wood surface of those pieces, I discovered a uniquely layered beauty.

My parents had split two years earlier. I remember Dad buying us two movie tickets to the new Spider-Man and a week later buying himself a plane ticket to China. Our apartmentdevolved from a cozy, lively homeintoasmall, subdued residence. Mom mustered a brave smile and promised that Dad was just going back to visit his family.

圖源網絡 版權屬於(yu) 原作者There’s a pervasive yet hushed stigma surrounding divorce in Asian culture. Growing up, I struggled to comprehend why none of my Asian friends had single parents like myself. I would getintofights at school. When I invariably drew the ire of my teachers, Mom would drive down to school, hug me reassuringly, and take me to her office where I spent the remainderof the day. One of those evenings, I waited near her cubicle coloring carelessly on lily-white printer-paper while she typed diligently at her desktop. Suddenly, the familiar click-clack of the typing died, and I heard stuttered sobs sway the air. I froze, confused: I didn’t know Mom could cry. Mom was strong; she had warm, kind hands and she knew why the sky was blue and why Dad was visiting Grandpa and Grandma for so long. But now Mom sat shattered, back hunched over a shoddy wooden desk, warm hands clutching a damp face. I was scared so I cried with her.

Chess becameanelaborate escape for me. During sleepless nights, I readily replaced opaque stares at the apartment ceiling with enchanting chess puzzles lit by a gentle desk-light. When I sat at the chessboard, the deafening external din—my ineffable worries, Mom’s inexplicable tears, the fragile stillness of our quiet apartment—faded softlyintothe background. I crossedintothe black-and-white jungle, that beautiful mosaic of sixty-four checkered squares, a diverse biosesphere inhabited bymy loyal pawns, gallant knights, and fearless rooks. And I, the king, was responsible for their livelihood, defending my kingdom against the opponent. Chess gave me a sense of control during a time when I felt I had none.

圖源網絡版權屬於(yu) 原作者In my first year, I rose to the top of my elementary school club, and near the close of the school semester I placed fourth at the national K-1 championships in Nashville, Tennessee. I remember the announcer calling my name and my six-year-old self bouncing up the stage to claim a comically colossal trophy. I remember Mom smiling because I was happy, and I was happy because she was smiling.

Through the years, my passion for the game strengthened as I accumulated more state championships and national titles. Chess became a staple in my life—it sharpened my critical thinking skills, and it trained me to creatively break down seemingly difficult situations. Although I had turned to chess to escape my problems, the black-and-white jungle slowly cajoled me to face them. Last year, I bought my own plane ticket to China and visited my father. We talked—laughed even—and he challenged me to a chess match. I let him win, but he doesn’t know that. He said he was proud of me. I didn’t know that.

圖源網絡 版權屬於(yu) 原作者Above all, chess taught me the power of resilience. Last summer, I qualified for the All-American team just two days before the deadline, successfully pulling together a month’s worth of training. Mom met me at the train station when I returned. Nearly a decade had passed since that first national championship in Tennessee, but her smile looked the same. As I drifted to sleep on the drive homeward, I embraced the elusive feeling of absolute safety like that I felt when I was a child, dozing peacefully in the backseat of my parents’ worn Toyota Camry.

這篇文書(shu) Ethan Li 寫(xie) 於(yu) 2017年申請季的夏天，經曆了多次修改後，在12月提交給了申請學校，最終收獲了普林斯頓大學、耶魯大學、哥倫(lun) 比亞(ya) 大學和康奈爾大學四所藤校的offer。對於(yu) 正在經曆申請季的學生們(men) ，Ethan Li給出了一些建議：寫(xie) 一篇包含獨特活動、並描述特定的經曆來間接展示你的個(ge) 性的文書(shu) ，找到一個(ge) 冥想的環境，閱讀一些詩歌文學來激發你的風格，然後自由寫(xie) 作。但同時不要想太多，過度思考有時會(hui) 令人窒息。

這篇文書(shu) 裏，Ethan同學不光很謙虛的提到了自己堅持多年的興(xing) 趣（國際象棋）和成就（獲得多個(ge) 州和國家級別的獎項），闡釋了從(cong) 中培養(yang) 的能力，更是用講故事的方式娓娓道來講述了自己的家庭和父母的影響，讓人感觸良多。不知道對於(yu) 屏幕前的你是否有所幫助呢？