Personal Statement个人陈述.doc

I am a thinker, but not one to think out loud. I love myself, but am not in love with the sound of my own voice. I want to be loved, but not at the cost of not loving myself. I want to know everything, but realize that nothing can ever be known for sure. I believe that nothing is absolute, but I can absolutely defend my beliefs. I understand that chance is prevalent in all aspects of life, but never leave anything important to chance. I am skeptical about everything, but realistic in the face of my skepticism. I base everything on probability, but so does bably.I believe that all our actions are determined, but feel completely free to do as I choose. I do not believe in anything resembling a God, but would never profess omniscience with regard to such issues. I have faith in nothing, but trust that my family and friends will always be faithful. I feel that religion is among the greatest problems in the world, but also understand that it is perhaps the ultimate solution. I recognize that many people derive their morals from religion, but I insist that religion is not the only fountainhead of morality. I respect the intimate connection between morality and law, but do not believe that either should unquestioningly respect the other.I want to study the law and become a lawyer, but I do not want to study the law just because I want to become a lawyer. I am aware that the law and economics cannot always be studied in conjunction, but I do not feel that either one can be properly studied without an awareness of the other. I recognize there is more to the law than efficiency, but believe the law should recognize the importance of efficiency more than it does. I love reading about law and philosophy, but not nearly as much as I love having a good conversation about the two. I know that logic makes an argument sound, but also know that passion makes an argument sound logical. I have philosophical beliefs informed by economics and economic beliefs informed by philosophy, but I have lost track of which beliefs came first. I know it was the egg though.I always think very practically, but do not always like to think about the practical. I have wanted to be a scientist for a while now, but it took me two undergraduate years to figure out that being a scientist does not necessarily entail working in a laboratory. I play the saxophone almost every day, but feel most like an artist when deduction is my instrument. I spent one year at a college where I did not belong and two years taking classes irrelevant for my major, but I have no regrets about my undergraduate experience. I am incredibly passionate about my interests, but cannot imagine being interested in only one passion for an entire lifetime.I love the Yankees, but do not hate the Red Sox. I love sports, but hate the accompanying anti-intellectual culture. I may read the newspaper starting from the back, but I always make my way to the front eventually. I am liberal on some issues and conservative on others, but reasonable about all of them. I will always be politically active, but will never be a political activist. I think everything through completely, but I am never through thinking about anything.I can get along with almost anyone, but there are very few people without whom I could not get along. I am giving of my time, but not to the point of forgetting its value. I live for each moment, but not as much as I worry about the next. I consider ambition to be of the utmost importance, but realize that it is useless without the support of hard work. I am a very competitive person, but only when competing with myself. I have a million dreams, but I am more than just a dreamer. I am usually content, but never satisfied.I am a study in contradiction, but there is not an inconsistency to be found.Personal Statement - 简介中文是个人陈述，下简称PS,是申请美国，加拿大，英国等西方国家的大学/研究生录取时由申请人写的关于自我的一篇漫谈体文章。当然有的学校要求的文章题目不一定叫PERSONALSTATEMENT，如有的学校让你写出动机(Motivation)兴趣，经历等。由于在中国的升学体制中，基本上是唯分数论的，因此中国的申请人对这类文件的写作和思维方式不熟悉。而欧美大学录取学生，发放奖学金，是通过全面综合考察申请者的条件来决定的。所谓留学文书，如PS，推荐信，RP(Researchproposal),CV等是一套文件系统，用以向录取院校从各个角度展现您的求学动机，学术学习能力，工作和研究经历，结合一系列更“客观”，可量化的指标：如GRE，TOEFL，IELTS，GPA等构成您的全貌。留学文书在西方的文化背景下是申请入学(奖学金)的极为重要的组成部分。其中PS往往对您的申请是否成功起到很大的作用。笔者在为数百计的申请人进行留学文书的咨询和写作过程中发现，由于中西方教育体制的差异和网上各种良莠不齐的“范文“的误导，许多申请人的PS写作理念非常混乱，本文结合中国申请人文书写作的常见弊端，简述PS的写作要领。 个人陈述是每个人个性和独特经历的体现，并没有统一的语言要求和写作格式。但是在留学文书的准备中，个人陈述属于正规的书面文体，用语最好符合书面语的规定。版面的安排应该整洁有序。同时在个人陈述的准备过程中应该仔细阅读申请学校的网页，寻找学校是否对于语言和格式有明确的要求。在个人陈述的写作中切忌不要堆砌辞藻，不要过多使用长句和难懂的单词。否则会使阅读者头疼，可读性降低。写作要真实、诚恳、具体，语言要流畅，逻辑要清晰，内容要有血有肉，富有感染力和说服力。一般以1-2页600-800字为佳，太长则令人没有耐心仔细读完。另外，不要把文章写成炫耀你词汇量和句法的“GRE阅读文章”。Personal Statement - 主题1)准备你的材料 你坐下来写之前,做一些准备,为了避免实际写作过程中找不到材料带来的无所适从。建议把Personal statement申请相关的文件副本全部打印放在手边随时参考,虽然计算机也可以随时查阅,但是毕竟屏幕大小有限,很难让你在多个文件之间查找内容,还 不会因为找信息而打断你宝贵的思路. 这些文件包括:所有草稿、相关资料如奖状/成绩单以及申请表,磨刀不费砍柴功,将这些材料准备的越详细,越能让你后面的写作更顺畅容易. 然后草拟一份VIP信息表即,用特定的名字和精确的标题把最重要的信息标记出来,以便给自己一个清晰 的思路,比如作为工作申请,你应该标记学校和专业,专门的实习工作,组织过的活动,以及你的工作经验,或适当的志愿者所涉工作等。用这种方法,你可以在写 作时即快又准的参考这些材料。 2)写初稿 你有收集了这些材料之后,是时候开始写Personal Statement了。对于以下列出的问题,申请人在写Personal Statement/Application Letter初稿时必须时刻牢记: 回答大问题:通常申请程序,比如工作申请或者学位申请都有具体的要求,会让你用Personal Statement回答一个大问题,这个问题会让所有申请者都回答,所以这个问题的答案是整个Personal Statement的核心。例如,一个申请要求可能要你来讨论为什么到我们这个公司或者申请我校的某个学位?。如果你用整个文章详述你的学历或根本没 有提到过是什么吸引你进行申请,你肯定将一败涂地,这篇Personal Statement一定是不过关的。为了避免这个风险,仔细阅读申请要求,并且用笔或者计算机记录下具体问题的书目,把他们隔行分开,自己加上注释,这样 方便你将问题以及你在Personal Statement里的问题答案描述一一对比,不要漏掉任何一个问题。记住:在做一个好申请人之前,先做一个好读者!。 关注“I”(我)的问题:这是一个针对你的个人陈述,即Personal Statement,使用第一人称代词“我”是可接受的。申请人往往感到很不自在,因为使用第一人称用多了会让人觉得很狂妄,不够谦虚,而他/她 或者你自己名字的使用会让人感觉比较谦逊,很多文章也是如此教导申请者尽量用第三人称,所以我发现很多人会避免第一和第二人(“你”),但是根据我20年 的专业写作经验,在任何类型的正式写作中,第一人称是很必要的,因为它让你的散文更生动。而使用第三人称可能导致模糊不清,让文章读起来冗长而且死气沉 沉。当然要避免在每个句子都用“我”,这是不可取的,总之你记住:句子的主体不仅仅是你一个人,还有你的经验,你的上市,你的下级,你的朋友,你的家长, 让他们把我烘托出来,但是又不要完全不写我,避免死气沉沉过于谦虚,这是东亚人共有的问题,美国人并不会过分谦虚。 避免不必要的重复:有时候一个申请人倾向于把信息重复写,反复写,试图轰炸阅读者来起到突出某种信息的作用,比如在他或她的Personal Statement大量抄袭申请要求需要包括的附件内容,如中英文简历,成绩,申请表格等。比如我看到最多的,反复在Personal Statement提到成绩单,一次次表明自己成绩的优秀,拿分数轰炸审阅者,这是没有必要的,而且很可能起到反作用!简单提一下学术奖项以及奖项的 情况即可,而整个学术经验或者工作经验也需要简明扼要的说明,更详细的讨论会在后续的面试中进行,没有必要在personal statement里把所有细节写出来。 用文字让自己独特:许多申请人想让他们的Personal Statement通过独一无二的格式或者某种比较少见的写作方式从其他竞争者当中脱颖而出。我认为这种方式是可取的,但是你必须言之有物而不是花架子, 比如把小段文章写得惊心动魄让人好奇,或者以一种传记体的方式描述家庭成员或者推荐人对你个人的影响,而这种影响又是如何奇妙的让你去追求需要申请的学位 或者工作的。总之这个策略确实会人你的Personal Statement令人难忘,新颖独特。 保持简单:通常Personal Statement限于500-1000单词或1张A4打印页,很少会抄过2页A4,所以写简洁是重中之重。确保每一段被紧紧地集中在一个单一的思路上 (你的优势,你的项目研究经验,你的课外活动等),不要使文章变得太长了。同样,找一本韦氏大辞典,或者用网上的同义词查询工具,好好研究一下选择词汇, 同义词,尽量不要用一个词汇超过2次,尤其是形容词,这样会让你的Personal Statement看起来重复较少,更加精炼准确。 格式 如上所述,Personal Statement的要求不同,但一般Personal Statement都包括固定信息,可以遵循这种格式(见下面)模型。 自我介绍 许多Personal Statement都是开始于一段类似邮件的开头,阅读者也习惯了这种方法,而且作为一种获取读者的注意力的方式,你可以采用很多方式增加阅读者对你的关 注,比如你从何处了解这个申请的,有何人推荐,有什么人曾经是成功申请成功给你这个信息的,你认识哪位审阅委员会成员等,你所处的地位,你的职位或者学 位,你在寻找什么职位或者学位,都要在第一段一目了然的写清楚。 详细的支撑段落 后续段落应该直接回答任何申请要求的具体问题,结合你自己的长处,你自己的资格/位置,你的团队精神和认证,你的长远目标和过去经验等。每一个段落应 该集中有一个主题句,只需要展示重点。你要记住,每段都需要案例,每个案例都必须和你本人/申请要求有密切关系,无时无刻支持你有资格通过这个申请。 结论 在各种主题归集在一起,再强调一遍,并重申你对申请目标的兴趣,以及为什么有兴趣。你可以表明这个学位或者职位和长期目标有密切关系。 Application Letter可能格式上类似,但是因为格式是申请单位给定的,所以不如Personal Statement灵活,通常篇幅也会收到限制.Application也不会有自我介绍段,看上去比较生硬,都是详细信息直来直去,让人一目了然,如果 你写得是固定格式的Application Letter,不要自作聪明的写很多自我介绍,因为审阅者可能会很烦。 总之不要把personal statement或者application letter写得太详细,很多内容你可以心里打底,放在面试再说,如果因为你写得太冗长失去面试机会,写100页也是无济于事! 3)修改