| 英文申请书写作技巧 |
|
作者：杜艳／译 文章来源：新东方 点击数： 更新时间：2007-8-28 21:26:20  |
By Sarah Myers McGinty
一份生动而令人信服的申请书将使入学审查者更全面地了解你，帮助你从众多申请者中脱颖而出。下面这篇文章节选于哈佛大学研究生院教师教育项目主管萨拉·迈尔斯·麦金蒂(Sarah Myers McGinty)所著 The College Application Essay一书，希望对有意出国留学的高中生们有所帮助。
The essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it. Check out these tips before you begin.
Dos
Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal
Your essay must prove a single point or thesis. The reader must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Try having someone read just your introduction to see what he or she thinks your essay is about.
Essays that try to be too comprehensive end up sounding watered-down1. Remember, it's not about telling the committee what you've done — they can pick that up from your list of activities — instead, it's about showing them who you are.
Prove It www.ryedu.net
Develop your main idea with vivid and specific facts, events, quotations, examples, and reasons. There's a big difference between simply stating a point of view and letting an idea unfold in the details:
Okay: "I like to be surrounded by people with a variety of backgrounds and interests."
Better: "During that night, I sang the theme song from Casablanca with a baseball coach, discussed Marxism with a little old lady."
Be Specific
Avoid cliche2, generic3, and predictable4 writing by using vivid and specific details.
Okay: "I want to help people. I have gotten so much out of life through the love and guidance of my family."
Better: "My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of sidelines5 until their shoes filled with water. I think that kind of commitment is what I'd like to learn."
Don'ts
Don't Tell Them What You Think They Want to Hear
Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear.
Don't Write a Resume6
Don't include information that is found elsewhere in the application. Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list.
Yawn: "During my junior year, I played first singles7 on the tennis team, served on the student council, maintained a B+ average, traveled to France, and worked at a cheese factory."
Don't Use 50 Words When Five Will Do
Avoid unnecessary words.
Okay: "Over the years it has been pointed out to me by my parents, friends, and teachers — and I have even noticed this about myself, as well — that I am not the neatest person in the world."
Better: "I'm a slob8."
Don't Forget to Proofread
Typos9 and spelling or grammatical errors can be interpreted as carelessness or just bad writing. Don't rely on your computer's spell check.
申请书是申请各部分里仅有的几个你能完全控制的部分之一，所以要花时间好好写。动笔之前先看看这些建议。
切记
重点集中、突出自我
你的申请书必须证明一个要点或论点。读者必须能找到你的主要观点，这个观点要贯穿始终。试着让别人读你的引言部分，看看他或她对你的申请书的评价。
试图面面俱到的申请书结果都缺乏说服力。切记重要的不是告诉委员会你做过什么——他们从你的活动表上都能找到——而是向他们表现你是怎样一个人。
言之有据
用鲜明而具体的事实、事件、引语、例子和理由来展开你的主要论点。简单陈述一个观点与用细节呈现观点之间有天壤之别：
可行的说法：“我喜欢跟有不同背景和不同兴趣的人在一起。”
更好的说法：“那天晚上，我与一个棒球教练合唱了《卡萨布兰卡》主题曲，与一位身材瘦小的老太太探讨了马克思主义。”
明确具体
运用生动具体的细节，从而避免陈词滥调、普普通通和毫无新意的写作。
可行的说法：“我乐于助人。家庭给予我爱和指导，从这样的生活中我受益颇多。”
更好的说法：“我妈妈和爸爸从事很多兼职，直到鞋子里都是水，手指头都发白。我认为这种付出正是我想学习的。”
切忌
不要告诉他们你觉得他们想听的内容
写出点新意来，而不仅是你觉得他们想听的内容。
不要写成简历
申请书中不要包括其他申请材料中可以找到的信息。否则你的申请书会像一份自传、游记或者洗衣单。
让人犯困的说法：“我上三年级时在网球队担任一垒打，是学生会成员，平均成绩保持在B+，去过法国，在一家奶酪厂打工。”
五个词够用的时候不要用五十个词
避免用不必要的词。
可行的说法：“多年来我父母、朋友们和老师们已经指出——就连我也注意到——我不是世界上最爱整洁的人。”
更好的说法：“我是个邋遢鬼。”
不要忘了校对
排版和拼写或语法错误会被视为粗心大意或者写作水平低。不要依靠你电脑的拼写检查。
|
| 文章录入：admin 责任编辑：admin |
|
上一篇文章： 用中国人的成功方法学英语
下一篇文章： 英语并不难学 |
| 【字体：小 大】【发表评论】【加入收藏】【告诉好友】【打印此文】【关闭窗口】 |
用户登录 
新用户注册 
网友评论：（只显示最新10条。评论内容只代表网友观点，与本站立场无关！）
