如何在大學申請中回答“多樣性”文書題目？

差不多一年前，北京時間2023年6月30日淩晨，美國最高法院否決(jue) 了北卡羅來納大學和哈佛大學的Affirmative Action（平權法案），結束了美國大學招生過程中對種族的係統性考慮。

法院的裁決(jue) 對那些選擇性最高的的大學來說是一個(ge) 重大打擊，包括耶魯大學、布朗大學、哥倫(lun) 比亞(ya) 大學、賓夕法尼亞(ya) 大學、芝加哥大學和達特茅斯學院等數十所製定了考慮種族因素的招生政策的院校。

這些大學表示，考慮種族因素對於(yu) 確保擁有多元化的學生群體(ti) 至關(guan) 重要。他們(men) 預測，針對大學的裁決(jue) 將導致少數族裔學生的入學人數大幅下降，諸如非裔與(yu) 西班牙裔等學生的入學率將會(hui) 有大幅下降。

這在現實中已有先例——此前，美國加利福尼亞(ya) 州是禁止在大學招生中考慮族裔因素最大的州，另有其他9個(ge) 州也在不同時期對族裔問題采取過禁令。相關(guan) 研究與(yu) 報道顯示，該政策實施後，非裔和西班牙裔學生在加州的入學率下降了約30%~40%。

這些大學要求招生人員嚐試新的種族中立計劃以抵消這種影響。應對這種變化，很多學校今年在文書(shu) 題目上做出了調整，給出一些新的文書(shu) 題目來變相地了解學生的種族背景。

這類題目往年也有，都涉及學校群體(ti) 多樣性，所以我們(men) 稱之為(wei) diversity/多樣性文書(shu) 。例如：

1 (Optional) Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)

杜克大學尋求才華橫溢、積極投入的學生群體(ti) ，他們(men) 體(ti) 現了廣泛的人類經驗；我們(men) 相信學生的多樣性使我們(men) 的學校群體(ti) 更加強大。如果您想分享您的觀點或經曆，以幫助我們(men) 更好地了解您 - 可與(yu) 您所屬的社區、您的性取向或性別認同，或者您的家庭或文化背景有關(guan) - 我們(men) 鼓勵您這麽(me) 做。我們(men) 人審申請資料，同時也希望盡可能地去了解申請杜克大學的真真實實的人。

2 The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech's community? (Your response should range between 250-400 words.)

當背景、經驗和觀點各異的人聚集在一起時，發明創造的過程最能得以推進。您認為(wei) 自己如何能為(wei) 加州理工學院社區的多樣性做出貢獻？-加州理工大學

3 The quality of Rice's academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? -Rice University

萊斯大學的學術生活質量和寄宿製學院係統深受每位學生的獨特生活經曆及其傳(chuan) 統的影響。您認為(wei) 您將為(wei) 萊斯大學的生活帶來哪些獨特觀點？

4 The late Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Notre Dame's president from 1953 to 1987, served as a trusted adviser to U.S. presidents and popes. A champion for human rights, Fr. Hesburgh was one of the architects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Reflect on the current state of civil rights, the progress that has been made, or the problems still being faced today. -University of Notre Dame

在1953年至1987年擔任聖母大學校長的已故神父西奧多·M·海斯伯格會(hui) 士，為(wei) 多位總統和教皇的顧問。作為(wei) 人權的倡導者，海斯伯格神父是1964年《民權法案》（Civil Rights Act）的製定者之一，該法案禁止基於(yu) 種族、膚色、宗教、性別或國籍的歧視。請您思考：當前民權的狀態，已經取得的進展，或者今天仍然麵臨(lin) 的問題。-聖母大學

5 Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. -CA通用申請

對一些學生來說，他們(men) 的背景、身份、興(xing) 趣或才能很重要以至於(yu) 他們(men) 認為(wei) 如果申請中不提及的話將是不完整的。如果這符合你的情況，請分享你的故事。

什麽(me) 是Diversity/多樣性?

Diversity/多樣性包括但不限於(yu) ：種族、階層、性取向、獨特的觀點態度。不同的個(ge) 體(ti) 匯成了整體(ti) 的多樣性。可以從(cong) 多個(ge) 方麵放開思路去尋找你的特別之處，比如社群、身份、觀點等等。

需要注意的是，這是找到屬於(yu) 你的特性標簽，不需要擔心是否別人也有這個(ge) 特性，這裏追求的不是“唯一性”。

那麽(me) ，如何在大學申請中回答“多樣性”文書(shu) 題目呢？下邊分享國外專(zhuan) 家給的一些建議，供同學們(men) 參考。

Community/社群

1 首先，確定社群

羅列出你所屬的所有“社群”。“社群”可以用地點、行為(wei) 、興(xing) 趣、境況等界定。

（1）地點：一群在某地點一起生活、工作、娛樂(le) 的人們(men) 。拿一個(ge) 美國學生Jerry為(wei) 例：洛杉磯LA（我現在居住地）、第三文化小孩（我成長於(yu) 在拉美和美國兩(liang) 地）。

（2）行為(wei) ：一群人共同協作去創造某物、做某事、解決(jue) 某問題，由此給世界帶來改變，包括“Black Lives Matter /BLM黑人的命也是命”運動、Girls Who Code 編程女孩計劃、為(wei) 我們(men) 的生命遊行(March For Our Lives)等運動。拿一個(ge) 美國學生Jerry為(wei) 例：沒有圍欄的零工劇院（在一整年裏，我組織了一個(ge) 戲劇團體(ti) 幫助移民群體(ti) 的工人權益）、Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today (ACCEPT，一個(ge) 專(zhuan) 業(ye) 協助申請的組織，我在裏邊工作幫助高中生申請大學）

（3）興(xing) 趣：因共同的興(xing) 趣、經驗或專(zhuan) 長而聚在一起的人群。拿一個(ge) 美國學生Jerry為(wei) 例：愛書(shu) 人（我從(cong) 小就愛閱讀）、籃球（我在高中時期打籃球）、戲劇（高中時候是戲劇癡，我跑到大學學習(xi) 戲劇）、愛聽爵士樂(le) 、旅行（“遊遍各大洲”是列在我的人生清單上）

（4）境況：因機緣或外部事件而聚到一起的人群。拿一個(ge) 美國學生Jerry為(wei) 例：男性身份、祖先來自歐洲、56路公交車的常客（高中時期坐這班車，期間認識了一些很酷的人）

2 確定了你所屬的社群之後，開始構思文章內(nei) 容。

在那個(ge) 社群裏你做了什麽(me) ？（用主動動詞比如“組織”“管理”來明確表達你在該群體(ti) 內(nei) 的職責。）

你解決(jue) 了哪類問題，是個(ge) 人的、地區的、或者全球的？

你產(chan) 生了什麽(me) 具體(ti) 影響？

你學到了什麽(me) 技能、特質或價(jia) 值觀？

你如何在社群內(nei) 外運用你所學到的經驗？

Identity/身份

在回答字數要求較少的文書(shu) 題目時，將注意力集中在一個(ge) 身份上，比如：內(nei) 向型人格、作為(wei) LGBTQ+身份出櫃，或是具有天生的“媽媽氣質”。對於(yu) 字數要求較多的題目，可以描述各種不同的身份，比如，在現實生活中兼具多重身份：家裏的兄弟姐妹、學校實驗室裏的研究員、橄欖球隊的隊長；也可以是在社交媒體(ti) 個(ge) 人資料中命名的多重身份：“憤怒的棕色女孩，女權主義(yi) 者，歌手，迷因愛好者”。隻需注意，在不同身份描寫(xie) 間要有清晰有效的過渡。

Perspective/觀點視角

關(guan) 於(yu) 視角：思考塑造了你的那些不尋常的經曆。例如，你的價(jia) 值觀是否與(yu) 家人的價(jia) 值觀有複雜的衝(chong) 突？你是否被以不尋常的方式養(yang) 大？你是否曾努力促成他人之間的理解與(yu) 接納？是什麽(me) 塑造了你看待世界及你在其中扮演的角色？請注意，選擇perspective這個(ge) 角度可能會(hui) 寫(xie) 出很棒的文章，但通常也更具挑戰性，因為(wei) “視角”比“身份”或“社區”更為(wei) 抽象。

根據問題的要求（以及字數限製），考慮在Diverity文章結尾添加一些“為(wei) 什麽(me) 選擇我們(men) 學校？”的內(nei) 容。你將以何種方式為(wei) 校園多樣性做出貢獻？大學裏是否有團體(ti) 或組織可以讓你延續以前在高中做過的事情？如果沒有的話，那你是否想要創辦一個(ge) 組織？在文中展示你打算如何深度參與(yu) 學校社群。

最後，看兩(liang) 篇範文：

例文-1 （社群-2行為(wei) ）

When I joined the Huntsville Youth Commission, a group of students chosen to represent youth interests within local government, I met Jack. Jack told me his cousin’s body had been stuffed into the trunk of a car after he was killed by a gang. After that, my notion of normal would never be the same.

A melting pot of ideologies, skins, socio-economic classes, faiths, and educations, the HYC is a unique collaborative enterprise. Each member adds to our community’s network of stories, that weave, bump, and diverge in unexpected ways. Jack talked about his cousin’s broken body, Witnessa educated us about “food deserts,” supervisor Evelyn Scott explained that girls get ten-day school suspensions for simply stepping on another student’s sneakers, and I shared how my family’s blending of Jewish tradition and Chinese culture bridges disparate worlds. As a person who was born in Tokyo, lived in London, and grew up in the South, I realize difference doesn’t have to be an obstacle to understanding. My ability to listen empathetically helped us envision multifaceted solutions to issues facing 21st-century youth.

My experience in this space of affirmation and engagement has made me a more thoughtful person and listener. I want to continue this effort and be the woman who both expands perspectives and takes action after hearing people’s stories. Reconciling disparate lifestyles and backgrounds in the Commission has prepared me to become a compassionate leader, eager to both expand perspectives and take collaborative action.

例文-2 （身份-Josh’s cousin）

Is Josh ok?

My whole family is sitting around the living room on a lazy Sunday afternoon when we suddenly hear sirens. Lots of sirens. Everyone stops. My dad peers out the window, trying to get a glimpse of the highway. My mom gets up and goes to the phones. After a few stressful rings, the person on the other line answers. My mom bursts out, “Is Josh ok?”

(點評：Nice hook! We’re engaged by the questions this paragraph raises: Why the sirens? Is Josh ok? Who is this Josh?)

Josh is my fourteen-year-old cousin, and he lives less than a mile from my house. Whenever we hear sirens, my mom will give their house a call or shoot my aunt a text, just in case. Josh was born with a syndrome which affected the formation of the bones of his head and face. As a result, his hearing, vision, breathing and some of his brain structures are compromised. He’s unable to do athletics, his tracheostomy always provides a possibility of disaster, and an unwieldy head brace used to grace his head.

(Here the author gives context by explaining who Josh is. He also defines “difference” with a few specific details.)

Living so close to Josh, we have had the opportunity to interact daily. We go on vacations together, I drive Josh to school twice a week, at every holiday we either go down to their house or they come up to my family’s house, we play wiffle ball in the yard behind their house, and one of my favorite activities is board games with him—Risk, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, we play it all. Last Christmas, there were endless laughs when, prompted by our fathers’ nostalgia, we constructed a slot car track and raced those miniature cars around tight turns and short straightaways. This game was perfect for Josh, as he could stay in a comfortable seat and still experience speed and excitement that he is usually barred from.

(In this paragraph, the author shows us how close he is with Josh, and the final sentence shows his sensitivity. )

It goes without saying that Josh has not had an easy childhood. He has had to fight for his life in the hospital when his peers were learning how to multiply and divide in school or playing capture the flag on the beach. A large portion of his childhood has been arbitrarily taken from him. That is most obviously unfair.

(Value: Empathy)

At our high school, I see Josh every day walking from second period to third period, and every day I say hello and have a small conversation with him. One day I was walking with a few of my friends when I stopped to talk with him. During the conversation, I made a little joke at Josh’s expense. It wasn’t at all relating to his disability, but to something completely independent of that—specifically, his Instagram habits. My friends were horrified, and chastised me as they saw appropriate.

(He’s setting up for the ending and also raising a question: Why did he make the joke at Josh’s expense?)

My friends didn’t understand. He is not some extremely delicate dandelion who falls apart at every breath that causes a slightly adverse situation. Everywhere he goes, he’s the most popular guy in the room; people flock to him, surround him, pity him, overwhelm him. All Josh wants is to be treated like any other person. He is my cousin, and he is my friend, so I treat him as such. We joke, we make fun of each other, just as any other two friends do.

(Insight! The author chooses to treat Josh as he would treat any of his friends—like a normal human being.)

Josh has proved to me that people with disabilities are exactly that—people. As if that needed proving. But it’s something that is too easily forgotten. It’s hard to see anything except the handicap. A person’s wheelchair or white cane inevitably trumps any other characteristic. It’s a natural human reaction, but it too often leads to the dehumanizing of disabled people. One of my favorite people on Earth has lived a life of disability. And he plays a mean game of Monopoly.

(Here, he connects the dots and provides a bit more insight: Treating people differently because of their disability can be dehumanizing. (And for some reason, that Monopoly line makes me cry every time.)