If you have some problematic academic background, address that as well to reassure the admissions committee. For example, let's say that you got all C's one semester. Take a (brief) paragraph to explain that you had some emotional setback that semester but then demonstrate how your grades have been sterling since then, and that you now have a 3.83 grade-point average in the discipline. If you spin this well, your story will enhance the admissions committee's image of you as someone with the abilities to "take on challenges" and "to finish on time."
如果你大學(xué)期間成績不佳，請給招生委員會一個合理的解釋。例如：某個學(xué)期你所有科目都得了C，請解釋一下是否生活中遇到了挫折而無法專注學(xué)業(yè)，但更重要的是，我們要看到你后來的進(jìn)步，比如，最終的GPA達(dá)到了3.83。如果你能把這個起伏挫折的故事講好，招生委員會會更加欣賞你逆境中自強(qiáng)的精神。
Here's an organization I would recommend: (1) passionate hook; (2) segué to your background in the field; (3) specific classes by title and professors you have had (especially if well-known in the field); (4) related extracurricular activities (especially if they hint at some personal quality you want to convey); (5) any publications or other professional accomplishments in the field (perhaps conference presentations or public readings); (6) explanations about problems in your background (if needed); and (7) why you have chosen this grad school (name one or two professors and what you know of their specific areas or some feature of the program which specifically attracts you).
總而言之，關(guān)于個人陳述的布局結(jié)構(gòu)，我的建議如下：一：有充滿激情的噱頭；二：強(qiáng)調(diào)自己適合學(xué)習(xí)該專業(yè)的背景；三：關(guān)于已經(jīng)選修過的詳細(xì)的課程描述，包括課程名稱和教授名字；四：最好能體現(xiàn)你個性的相關(guān)課外活動；五：在該領(lǐng)域的任何成就，包括發(fā)表的論文，專利，獎項，或參加并發(fā)言的學(xué)術(shù)會議；六：對自身背景中弱點的解釋；七：為什么選擇我們學(xué)校---至少列出一兩個我們系里你熟悉的教授。你對他們的研究領(lǐng)域了解多少？或者我們系還有哪里特別吸引你呢？
I should probably expand on item 7. This is a practical issue as well. If you are applying to ten grad schools, it's a mismanagement of time to write ten separate, tailored statements of purpose. Items 1 through 6 above can be exactly the same for all the statements. Then when you get to item 7, put in a different paragraph for each school. Remember this means the ten statements will all be as long, in terms of word count, as the shortest required length among the ten schools. If the shortest length is 300 words, probably that length will be okay for the 500-word school (in fact the admissions committee at the 500-word place may see you as savvy for not going on and on). But those 300 words will clearly not work for the 1200-word school, so you'll need to expand that one. Don't pad. Find other engaging material in your background.
關(guān)于上述的第七點，我覺得有必要進(jìn)一步說明。假設(shè)你申請十所大學(xué)的研究生院，你不可能寫十篇完全不同的申請文書去迎合每個學(xué)校。對任何學(xué)校而言，從一到六都可以是一樣的回答，但當(dāng)你遇到第七題的時候，針對每個不同的學(xué)校一定要做出不同的回答。這是你該好好做功課的時候。記住，你的十篇文書在字?jǐn)?shù)上可能相差無幾。例如，即使是最少字?jǐn)?shù)的情況下，也不可能低于300，那么你稍稍擴(kuò)充就可以達(dá)到另一個學(xué)校500字的要求。而招生官看到一篇500字的文書感覺還是不錯的，因為他們實在不想看一篇裹腳布一樣沒完沒了的文章。但是，也可能有學(xué)校要你寫1200字，那么就靠你自己去盡量擴(kuò)展你300字的文書了?？繌U話是沒用的，從自己的背景故事里多找素材！
about mentioning professors at each grad school: doing this will portray you as someone "who has done her homework," as someone who is genuinely interested in the field, enough to have done some prefatory work in that area. Don't just mention their names (anyone who can browse a web site can do that). Say something of substance about each professor by name, something that reveals you know and appreciate that person's work. Don't necessarily pick the most famous professor at the grad school; chances are many other applicants will do the same, and the admissions committee members will soon be unconsciously filtering those mentions out. (Besides, the most famous professor doesn't always work with all graduate students or may be out of town half the year, and you may come off as naive if you say you're looking forward to working with her.) Find a lesser-known professor whose work truly intrigues you (andtrulyis the operational word here). Then say something about what you know of that professor's work — remember that person may be on the admissions committee. Don't suck up — don't be a sycophant. Be fair and honest.
關(guān)于提及每個研究生院的教授：能詳細(xì)提及并表示研究興趣的學(xué)生會被看作是充分做了功課并且對所學(xué)領(lǐng)域真正感興趣的。否則又怎么會事先就對該領(lǐng)域做了一番功課呢？僅僅提及教授的名字沒有什么意義（任何人看看學(xué)校的網(wǎng)站都可以做到）。你需要提及某教授的時候不止提及他的名字，更要表明你了解和欣賞此人的學(xué)術(shù)成就。你無需選擇研究生院里最有名的教授，因為很多申請人都會這么做，導(dǎo)致錄取委員會自然而然地把這些俗套的提及都忽略不計。（另外，最著名的那些教授并不總帶研究生，或者一年有一半的時間都不在本校，所以當(dāng)你說你非常希望和某個這樣的教授學(xué)習(xí)工作的時候，你就顯得太天真了。）你更好的選擇是，找一個不是最著名的教授，但是他（她）的研究領(lǐng)域確實令你感興趣。你需要具體談一下對該教授的研究了解多少---要知道，這位教授可能就是錄取委員會的成員。即便如此，切記不要諂媚。要誠實自然。
Be sure to show your statement of purpose to several professors. Remember they will have different ideas about what constitutes an appropriate and effective statement of purpose. If one of your professors has a connection with a specific grad school, she may have some inside knowledge about what kind of statement of purpose will work best at that school. Make your final editing decisions based on what will convey you most accurately as you see it. Again, be specific, be dynamic, come alive on paper. Continue to get advice from your professors on later drafts.
在提交前一定要把你的個人陳述給幾個教授看。記住，他們對于一篇恰當(dāng)有效的個人陳述會有不同的看法。如果你的某位教授和某個申請大學(xué)的研究生院有聯(lián)系，他（她）可能更清楚該校喜歡什么樣的申請文書。在改至終稿時，最重要的考慮是文書是否最準(zhǔn)確地反映了你的個性。再次強(qiáng)調(diào)，一定要具體，生動。在修改的過程中盡量多地尋求教授的修改意見。
Proofread your statement of purpose. Copyedit for consistency, accuracy, and style. Ask your friends to copyedit and proofread your statement; perhaps you can do the same for them if they are also applying for grad school.
認(rèn)真校對你的申請文書。在連貫性，準(zhǔn)確性，文風(fēng)方面反復(fù)修改。請你的朋友閱讀和修改你的文書。如果他們也正在申請學(xué)校，你也可以幫助他們做同樣的工作。
Remember that style in writing can be parallel to style in dress: the second affects your image in person while the first affects your image when you may not be present. Leaving in typos and misplaced commas is like dressing in your grubbies for a coat-and-tie / cocktail dress event. Being too wordy is comparable to dressing in an evening gown or a tuxedo for a casual get-together. Being too glib, too mannered, may be like wearing a furry rabbit costume to a party which turns outnotto be a Halloween bash. Be careful. Be a perfectionist.
切記：文風(fēng)和穿衣的風(fēng)格相似：穿衣的風(fēng)格影響你的個人形象，而文風(fēng)影響你給人無形的印象。文中充滿拼寫和標(biāo)點錯誤就如同在正式社交場合穿著邋遢的衣服。說話太??氯繽?謁嬉獾木芻嶸洗┥險?降耐砝穹?脫轡卜?Ｌ?妥旎?嗷蜃扒蛔魘坪帽仍諞桓霾⒎峭蚴ソ誑窕兜某『仙澩┟?茲椎耐妹?紛?。因此?歡ㄒ?⌒模?×勘Ｖつ鬮氖櫚耐昝饋?br />
Keep working on your statement of purpose even after you have sent it to the school(s) with the earlier deadline(s). You might have a later epiphany about your personal and academic background, your motives for applying for grad school, your long-term plans, and this epiphany may be just the thing that gets you into the school(s) with the later deadline(s).
即使你已經(jīng)把申請寄了出去，也需要繼續(xù)修改你的申請文書。在寄出后，也許你會對于自己的個人和學(xué)術(shù)背景，你申請研究生院的動機(jī)，以及個人的長期計劃，突然有了靈光一現(xiàn)的新認(rèn)識，而這種靈感也許可以幫你被錄取期限較晚的學(xué)校錄取。
To close, the statement of purpose, in the eyes of Department Heads, Program Chairs, and Admissions Committee members, can be the most important document in the application. Other parts of your graduate-school application — test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, writing samples — do not say as much about you as a person as the statement of purpose can: your proudest accomplishments alongside your fondest hopes and dreams.
總之，在系主任和錄取委員會的眼中，申請文書可以算是申請材料中最重要的一環(huán)。至于你其它的申請材料---標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化考試成績，在校成績單，推薦信，寫作范例等，都不能像申請文書那樣更充分地體現(xiàn)你到底是一個什么樣的人。申請文書可以展示你最傲人的成績和你最大的夢想。
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