被自己申請的學(xué)校全數(shù)錄取是種什么體驗(yàn)？
Soa Andrian在申請學(xué)校時(shí)，選擇申請了14所大學(xué)。剛開始，她的主文書是圍繞一次暑期課程中的公開演講展開，主旨內(nèi)容平談無奇——如何克服了害羞內(nèi)斂的性格最終敢在眾人面前勉強(qiáng)展現(xiàn)自己。按理講，這樣的內(nèi)容招生官早就見怪不怪，更何況申請者中精英云集，這樣為了迎合招生官的喜好寫出的文書根本不是明智之舉。
最終，她推翻了原文書，將自己不幸的童年經(jīng)歷寫進(jìn)了文書當(dāng)中，令人感到驚喜的是，這篇文書打動了包括哈佛大學(xué)在內(nèi)的14所美國一流院校招生官。
除了哈佛大學(xué)之外，她還獲得了布朗大學(xué)、芝加哥大學(xué)、哥倫比亞大學(xué)、佛羅里達(dá)大學(xué)、約翰霍普金斯大學(xué)、邁阿密大學(xué)、麻省理工學(xué)院、西北大學(xué)、賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)、萊斯大學(xué)、斯坦福大學(xué)和華盛頓大學(xué)在內(nèi)的Offer。
看看這閃亮亮的錄取結(jié)果，是不是羨慕嫉妒恨……
以下是她的文書原文：
Four boys stood above me on a pile of garbage. Their words, "Bota, bota, matava" — "chubby", "fatty" suffocated me:
A familiar sensation of frustration and hurt gripped me. Looking for defense I only saw a cinderblock at my feet, impossible for my eight year old body to heave, so, I screamed in English:
"You are just jealous that you are poor and I am American!"
As the words flew out of my mouth, I knew I was wrong — there was no sense of triumphant satisfaction. I abruptly turned and ran into the refuge of my aunt's home.
Upon finishing a tearful narrative to my aunt and father, I preferred the comfort of the former's arms. I avoided my father's disappointment: I knew as well as he did, that I was not the victim.
Later, my hysteria subdued and guilt temporarily forgotten, I ventured outside to explore the crevices of Antananarivo. The boys were still playing atop the rubbish, then seeing me, scrambled off their mountain and ran in the opposite direction.
It's okay, I thought, I wouldn't be a fan of me either.
As I began walking up the street, I heard shouts:
"Wait, wait!"
The boys caught up to me and proudly waved hundred ariary bills in my face. In their broken English, they said in earnest and without malice,
"Look! We are not poor! We have money! We are Amreekan too!"
I agreed they were right and smiled sadly: one US dollar was the equivalent to seven thousand Malagasy ariary.
I was made sharply aware of what separated me from these children: oceans, experience, money. Politics, ignorance, the apathy of millions. Ironically, it was also the first time I belonged to my "motherland". I could share in the simple joy of relishing what "is", be proud of the sense of resourcefulness engendered by scarcity.This memory has woven itself into my philosophy and my dreams. The very personal knowledge that millions live in a way such that electric toothbrushes are an unfathomable luxury (my cousin, Aina), has given me the following personal rules:
Education is an opportunity, not a burden;
You always have enough to share.
While I may not be certain of my future, I know for certain that I want to serve. I realize that service is as important an aspect of education as is academic work. I know this passion will follow me throughout my life and manifest itself in my actions at Harvard. This memory is a mandate to serve indiscriminately and without prejudice towards those I work with. I am all the more willing to cooperate to bring improvement to the community within the College and beyond the campus. I can bring innovation in problem solving born out of the deep desire to help others. I work for these boys, for all the proud Malagasy (and even those who are not proud to be Malagasy), and the children who cherish "what is" instead of mourning "what could be".
這就是斬獲14所牛校的文書，并沒有很華麗、很復(fù)雜、很高深對不對，可就是很打動人心。所以這樣的文書，對于將申請18fall的小盆友來講，不失為一種寫作指導(dǎo)。
最后，給大家提供一些文書方面的寫作指導(dǎo)：
1、整理所有要申請的大學(xué)，列出每所大學(xué)的申請文題目要求，標(biāo)注出相似性。不要擔(dān)心現(xiàn)在就要完成所有的寫作，一篇申請文可以變化成多個(gè)版本，可以運(yùn)用到很多地方，還需要一些過程。最重要的是潛意識地理解問題，這樣就可以一直頭腦風(fēng)暴。
2、研究和理解寫作的主題——你自己，才能思考如何寫作。如果你僅僅是坐下來寫，沒有對主題進(jìn)行深思熟慮，那么你很有可能遇到寫作障礙，文思枯竭。你也許認(rèn)為你很了解你自己，但是為了最大程度地了解自己，你需要反思，并且把它寫出來。
3、自我評估。你看到多少個(gè)版本，是否有什么特別的主題？確定你的興趣，才能以及動機(jī)，需要一定的時(shí)間，不一定要一次完成。例如：你有想幫助需要幫助的人的意愿嗎?有投身于公共服務(wù)的渴望嗎?有與生俱來的經(jīng)商才能嗎?
4、選擇一篇申請文寫作?；诂F(xiàn)有的素材，構(gòu)建文章的中心思想，找到相應(yīng)的支持論點(diǎn)，然后以列提綱的形式把這些內(nèi)容表達(dá)出來。
5、在某個(gè)時(shí)間限制內(nèi)完成申請文的初稿。要接受初稿是不可能完美的事實(shí)，這個(gè)階段最重要的是要把你的想法轉(zhuǎn)移到紙上，之后再進(jìn)行提煉和修改。申請文一般需要經(jīng)過一次或兩次修改才能得到最終稿。如果你想要寫出優(yōu)秀的申請文，這個(gè)過程是需要時(shí)間的。此外，往往失敗的申請文中也包含很多有價(jià)值的想法。因此，修改申請文非常重要。
6、完成初稿，擱置幾天。遠(yuǎn)離申請文書一段時(shí)間會給你帶來一定的客觀性。如果需要的話，你可以開始另外一篇申請文，經(jīng)歷相同的過程。
7、尋找你尊重其觀點(diǎn)的人，讓他們閱讀你的申請文，并且給出反饋意見。問他們一些問題，例如：申請文的亮點(diǎn)是什么?你最喜歡哪部分?你要修改什么?你記得哪些詞和短語?你還想多了解哪方面?這篇文章展現(xiàn)了我是一個(gè)什么樣的人?我想要表達(dá)的主旨是什么?
8 、大聲地閱讀申請文，你會驚奇的發(fā)現(xiàn)你的耳朵可以識別錯(cuò)誤的語法，拙劣的表達(dá)及其他。
9、著重申請文的開頭和結(jié)尾。開頭需要抓住讀者的興趣。幾種開頭的方式：以有趣或是不尋常的事實(shí)或細(xì)節(jié)開頭；以奇聞軼事或故事開頭；使用有意思的引用；評價(jià)有報(bào)道價(jià)值的或眾所周知的事件。幾種結(jié)尾的方式：總結(jié)所闡述的觀點(diǎn)；總結(jié)然后推斷未來；總結(jié)申請文中一些潛在的蘊(yùn)意。
10、改寫?為什么?相對于初稿來說，難忘的寫作來自于改寫。修改必然會提高寫作的質(zhì)量。
11、校正申請文，至少幾遍。檢查語法，標(biāo)點(diǎn)，拼寫以及其他機(jī)器錯(cuò)誤。一個(gè)屢試不爽的方法是從后往前讀。
