在美國大學官網的申請清單中，個人陳述 ( Personal Statement ) 是必要的申請材料。每年申請季，各高校招生官都會閱覽數以萬計的 PS 文章，哪些內容會讓他們眼前一亮 ? 哪些表達又會讓他們惱火 ? 美國哥倫比亞大學官網給出 30 個小建議，教你如何寫好一篇個人陳述。
1 ) Answer the questions that are asked. Don ’ t be tempted to use the same
statement for all applications.
回答所問，不要所有大學的申請都用一篇個人陳述。
2 ) Tell a Story. Show or demonstrate your points using concrete examples from
your experience.
講一個故事。用一個具體的例子來闡述你的觀點。
3 ) The essay should come from your heart and brain.
文章應該是你精心制作，凝聚心血的作品。
4 ) Give yourself some distance. During revision process put your writing away for
a day or two and then come back to look at it with fresh eyes.
適當遠離你的 PS。在修改過程中，可以先把你的文章放一兩天，再重新審閱。
5 ) Don ’ t be afraid to delete. It ’ s okay to let it go. Sometimes you will need to
delete words, sentences or entire paragraphs as your writing and ideas evolve.
Get rid of that which no longer fits.
懂得舍棄，刪除那些不適合的單詞、語句、甚至整個段落。
6 ) Be specific. Broad sweeping statements will not make you stand out as an
individual. Illustrate your points with personal examples or experiences.
具體。寬泛的描述不會讓你脫穎而出，用你自己的真人真事來闡述觀點。
7 ) Find an angle. An angle helps you to focus and make your statement
interesting.
找到獨特的角度，讓你的文章變得有趣。
8 ) Have a strong opening paragraph. Your first paragraph should state your
thesis and grab the reader ’ s attention. Examples include a remarkable or life-
changing experience, an anecdote, or a question that will be answered by your
personal statement.
有一個強有力的開頭。
9 ) Show continuity. Conclude your personal statement by referring back to the
introductory paragraph and restate your main thesis in a slightly different way.
文章要連貫。
10 ) Avoid cliches and quotes. This statement is about you and should not borrow
from other ’ s words.
避免陳辭濫調和引用。
11 ) Write well. Be meticulous about your writing style. Type and proofread your
essay very carefully. Don ’ t rely on spellchecker.
使用修辭，註意文采。
12 ) Don ’ t write a descriptive resume. This is a common mistake. Don ’ t restate
your extracurriculars in prose. This can be found in other parts of the application.
不要簡單地描述，像一篇毫無感情的散文。
13 ) Have an adult comment on your essay, but not re-write your essay.
對你的文章有一個較成熟的評價。
14 ) Caution writing about experiences before high school. Colleges will expect
that you have had significant experiences while in high school.
註意寫一些在高中的活動實踐經歷。
15 ) Don ’ t focus too much on another person, even if they have been influential in
your life.
註意文章主角是你，對他人的筆墨不宜過多。
16 ) Do not solely discuss why you want X career/major. Instead, again, try to
discuss what experiences led to your choice and what unique attributes you will
bring to that field.
不要直接表達你想要什麼工作或機會。
17 ) Be positive. Don ’ t badmouth anything.
顯示積極的態度。
18 ) Avoid controversial issues. The person ( s ) reading your statement may feel
offended or awkward.
避免出現有爭議的話題。
19 ) Be honest.
誠實。
20 ) Everyone Fails. Writing about a failure can demonstrate that you have been
able to learn and grow from your mistakes.
可以有失敗經歷。
21 ) Find a balance between creative and cautious. This can be tricky. There is a
fine line between creative and interesting and odd and gimmicky. Don ’ t write your
personal statement as a poem unless asked.
註意在積極和謹慎中尋找平衡。
22 ) Be concise. This is greatly appreciated by those who are reading thousands
of applications.
簡潔。
23 ) It ’ s hard to be a stand-up comedian. Humor is difficult and can be
misinterpreted. It ’ s best to avoid it.
盡量避免刻意幽默。
24 ) Read the statement aloud.
大聲朗讀你的 PS。
25 ) Keep it a reasonable length. If the length is prescribed, keep it within that
length, otherwise a good rule is to keep it to two pages.
將文章篇幅控制在合理范圍。
26 ) Double space and make the margins at least an inch.
註意文章佈局。
27 ) Put your name on each page.
在每一頁上寫上你的名字。
28 ) A title is not necessary.
標題並不是必須的。
29 ) Do not write like a thesaurus. Avoid words you don ’ t understand.
別寫得像古文一樣晦澀，避免使用那些你不知道的詞。
30 ) Use an "active" voice.
態度積極。
看瞭這麼多建議，是不是覺得自己的個人陳述踩瞭好多 " 雷區 "? 那還不趕緊把這些建議運用到自己的文書寫作中，制作出一份能夠獲得招生官青睞的 PS。
關註微信公眾號【留學戰書】：
人手一本經典留學用書 在線免費閱讀
