一步步教你怎么寫PS（一）
PS是Personal Statement的簡稱，是我們申請美國研究生院的重要材料之一。一份完美的PS有可能使你申請成功的機會大大增加，同時PS也是很好的認識你自己的過程。通過寫PS，你將更了解你自己，清楚自己想要什么樣的生活，理清自己為什么要去美國，以后將要成為什么樣的人。這對申請者來說至關重要，對admission officer來說，PS是你唯一有機會向他們展示一個鮮活的你的材料。成績單是死的，GRE和TOEFL分數(shù)是死的，而他們要找的是一個活生生的人，是一個有血有肉有思想的人，他們在眾多的申請者中尋找最適合他們的那一位，你如何認識你自己？你的motivation來自哪里？你將來如何打算？這些東西都可以幫助他們走進你，了解你，認識你，然后決定是不是接受你。U of Washington的admission officer指出，他們會把申請者分成四等： "Admit with guaranteed funding, Admit with potential funding, Tabled (a sort of admissions purgatory), and Reject." It is in the case of "Tabled" and "Admit with potential funding" applications, the admissions officer reports, that the personal statement can make a
real difference: "If there is a good match between the applicant's research interests and the particular strengths of the school, this can bump them up a level or two in the hierarchy of admission."
如何寫PS？從PS教程中，我將總結出寫PS的各項注意點，一步步教你怎么寫PS，希望對大家有所幫助。
Preparation
PS的精髓在于將自己的motivation和Objective充分展現(xiàn)出來，它應該是personaland analytical, 任何generalization都需要避免，PS的關鍵在于用specific, personal details來展現(xiàn)你的個人魅力和強烈的motivation。
寫PS時，要盡量完全的真誠。這是訴說一個你自己的故事，你不是在設法創(chuàng)造一個理想的申請者，而是just be yourself。任何的偽造都是很容易被識破的，只有完全敞開的真誠，才能真正打動admission officer，也才能真正的認識你自己，才能真正讓你選擇最適合你的graduate program。
用specific details來展現(xiàn)你的motivation很重要。這些specific details可以包括研究和工作經(jīng)歷、課程、你跟你所感興趣的領域的人的交流、你讀的書、你參加的學術報告會，以及任何可以展現(xiàn)你為何選擇并適合這個研究領域的原因。
你需要明確你未來的方向，至少為自己未來5~10年的事業(yè)做一個規(guī)劃，而這個規(guī)劃應該很適合你所申請的這個graduate program，那也正是你選擇這個領域的原因。
描述為什么這個graduate program適合你，不要用一些空洞的贊美性的語言，一定要be specific, be analytical。
一定不要出現(xiàn)一些粗心的錯誤，那只能證明你不夠認真對待。
避免說一些空洞無意義的套話，避免陳詞濫調(diào)。這里可以舉個例子。
修改前：In the first project Imanaged, I learned many valuable lessons about the importance of teamwork.
修改后：In the first project Imanaged, I made an effort to incorporate all my colleagues as equal members ofa team, soliciting their feedback and deferring to their expertise as needed.
修改前的這句話很空洞的講team work，沒有任何details；修改后的話就展開講了我是怎么展現(xiàn)teamwork的。在寫PS的時候一定要注意展開這些細節(jié)。最好的方法就是以自己的親身經(jīng)歷開始，讓那些展現(xiàn)你的quality和personality的東西自然流露出來，你的那些品質(zhì)不需要總結性的generalities, 人們會從你對自己經(jīng)歷的specific details的描述判斷出你有哪些quality。
不要企圖把你所有的經(jīng)歷都寫進PS里，PS追求的不是廣度，而是深度。好的PS是深入挖掘一個或兩個主題、時間或觀點的細節(jié)。
注意避免敏感話題，因為你不知道admission officer的個人偏見。
不要用冗余的長句。短句更加有力，因為他們更加direct和to the point。舉例：
修改前："My recognitionof the fact that the project was finally over was a deeply satisfying momentthat will forever linger in my memory."
修改后："Completing theproject at last gave me an enduring sense of fulfillment."
像the fact that這種詞就是完全冗余的。
Brainstorming
1. Performa self-inventory of Your Unique Experiences, Major Influences, and Abilities.
Long and short term goals
1. 這所學校為什么吸引你
2. 你對哪個faculty的研究最感興趣？你最想跟誰一起工作？
3. 你具體想從你所申請的program中獲得什么？
4. 你的事業(yè)抱負是什么？這個graduate program對你實現(xiàn)事業(yè)理想有什么幫助
5. 你理想的工作的是什么？未來的5~10年甚至20、30年，你想成為一個什么樣的人？
Skills and Characteristics
6. 你有哪些品質(zhì)有助于你在該領域獲得成功？You need to make strong connections between your experiences and the qualities you wish to convey.
這里列舉一些admission officer認為很重要的qualities：
Seriousness of Purpose (to pursue graduate education)
Intellectual Ability (to handle graduate study)
Intellectual Curiosity (about the field you wish to enter)
Creativity (as reflected in the way your mind addresses issues in the field of your choice)
Open-Mindedness (to ideas, people, and circumstances different from your own)
Maturity (as demonstrated by being responsible and trustworthy)
Concern for Others (either by devoting time to social service activities such as tutoring or by being considerate and empathetic to others' feelings; the latter is more difficult to pull off in an application essay)
Initiative (as in the ability to start a project or take on a responsibility on your own)
Enthusiasm (as demonstrated by your eagerness to engage in activities)
Confidence (in your ability to handle difficult situations and novel challenges)
Being Organized (as in the ability to stay on top of multiple tasks)
Sense of Humor (as in your ability to find humor in difficult situations; in many ways this is an index of maturity)
Diligence/Persistence (as demonstrated by your ability to stay with a task until you complete it; this is particularly relevant for programs requiring a dissertation)
Leadership (as shown in your ability to inspire others to work together to reach a mutual goal)
Risk Taking (as shown in your ability to deal with uncertainty in order to reach your goal)
Insight (as reflected in your ability to use introspection to understand aspects of yourself, such as your preferences and your motivations)
Optimism (as reflected in your ability to find positive aspects in seemingly negative situations)
Compromise (as in your ability to be flexible in negotiating with others; at a more abstract level this can mean the ability to reconcile ideological opposites or dialectical pairs among others or within yourself)
Overcoming Adversity (as demonstrated by your resourcefulness in dealing with serious problems such as divorce, death, illness, etc.)
7. 你所擁有的skills（比如communication,leadership, analytical)，注意用specific details來展示你的這些skills
8. 你比其他申請者的優(yōu)勢在哪里？
9. 你可以貢獻給你所申請的學校哪些東西？（給你的fellow students，你的faculty,你的broader community)
10. 你認為你為什么會在這個program的申請中勝出？
11.讓admission officers對你感興趣的最compelling的原因是什么？
Background/Accomplishments: Personal
12. What's special, unique, distinctive, or impressive about you or your life story? What details of your life (personal or family problems/history, any genuinely notable accomplishments, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants? 哪些人影響了你的選擇？
13. Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (e.g., economic, familial, physical) in your life? 你所必須克服的困難？
14. Have you borne significant care-giving responsibilities for family members? For an ailing parent, a sibling, a disabled or aging relative, a child? How has this impacted your academics? Your professional life? Your goals and values? 你從小就需要照顧什么人嗎？囧，這點對獨生子女不利哎。。。
15. (If you live in U.S. but are not a native-born American) How did you deal with the challenges of moving to the U.S. from your home? Did you experience culture shock? How did you adapt? What was most difficult for you? What aspects of your new home did you enjoy the most? 在美國如何適應的問題，看來美國交流經(jīng)歷還在這個personal方面可以起到一些作用~
16. If work experiences have consumed significant periods of time during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has the work contributed to your personal growth?
Background/Accomplishments: Academic
17. When did you originally become interested in this field? What have you since learned about it-and about yourself-that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained? 你如何對這個領域感興趣的？
18. How have you learned about this field-through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?
19. Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain?
20. Can you recall a specific incident that convinced you that you had chosen the right career path?用一個具體的事例來證明你為何選擇了正確的道路
2. Consult Friends, Relatives, Colleagues, or Professors for Ideas
別人往往可以看到你性格特征中你自己沒有注意到的地方，所以向別人請教可以幫助你更好地了解自己。不妨來做一個調(diào)查問卷，向了解你的請教~
I am applying to _________ and must prepare a personal statement as a part of that process. I want to be sure to include all relevant data about myself and my background, so I am soliciting information from various individuals who know me and whose judgment I value. Thank you for
your help.
1. What do you think is most important for the admissions committee to know about me?
2. What do you regard as most unusual, distinctive, unique, and/or impressive about me (based on our association)?
3. Are you aware of any events or experiences in my background that might be of particular interest to those considering my application to graduate school?
4. Are there any special qualities or skills that I possess that tend to make you think I would be successful in graduate school and in the field to which I aspire to become a part?
一步步教你怎么寫PS（二）
Topic Selection
上邊我們講了通過brainstorming的方式來挖掘自己，現(xiàn)在你手上應該有一大把的經(jīng)歷想要來訴說。你可以深入描述一段經(jīng)歷，也可以寫多個經(jīng)歷，但是寫的事情越多，每件事情可能就不能做到非常深入了。下面給出一些指導來幫助你narrow down your topic.
Finding the pattern that connects
一定要尋找那些跟你申請的program相關的經(jīng)歷
Conveying something meaningful
一定要找到一個能展現(xiàn)你獨一無二personality的經(jīng)歷
Painting a complete portrait
一定要全面展現(xiàn)出你的能力，如果你只說自己的一段經(jīng)歷，這段經(jīng)歷應該能全面展現(xiàn)你的各方面能力；如果你要說自己的多種經(jīng)歷，這些經(jīng)歷之間應該互為補充。
Standing out
一定要突出的unique的地方，如果你覺得實在很難做到unique，那就be more specific and personal.
Keeping your readers interest
從別人的角度來思考，如果你是讀者，你讀這篇文章的時候會想要了解更多嗎？
Staying grounded in detail
一定要用事實說話，一切言語都要建立在事實證據(jù)的基礎之上。
Answering the question
每個學校針對PS提的問題可能不一樣，一定要保證你選的topic能回答大部分學校的大部分問題，PS也要根據(jù)學校的問題進行適當調(diào)整。
What to avoid 一下幾點千萬要避免！
Resorting to gimmicks 不要用那些小花招，小伎倆，咱還是應該嚴肅點
Focusing on negative 應該重點突出你的positive attribute
Repeating information that's listed elsewhere in the application 千萬別重復那些你在簡歷里已經(jīng)展現(xiàn)出來的東西，需要展現(xiàn)你更加personal的東西
Being too controversial
Seeking pity
You can describe misfortunes or a disadvantaged background, but do not use them as an excuse for bad performances or to seek pity. Doing so not only could sound manipulative, but also means that you haven't emphasized your strengths sufficiently. Thus, as in the case of weaknesses, you should bring up obstacles in your past only to show how you have overcome them.
想要通過PS來解釋自己某方面不足的同學請?zhí)貏e注意上面第二點和第五點。注意表現(xiàn)你positive的一面，表現(xiàn)你如何克服困難的一面，少些negative的東西，也不要刻意去解釋什么。
一步步教你怎么寫PS（三）
Graduate statement themes:
你必須搞清楚的幾個問題：
Why have I chosen to attend graduate school in this specific field, and why did I choose to apply to this particular school's program?
What are my qualifications for admission?
What is special, unique, or impressive about my life story?
The future over the past
admission officer想要從PS看三點：你來自哪里你想從我們的program中得到什么？你未來的打算是什么？
你的PS應該重在未來的職業(yè)規(guī)劃，而不是重復過去的榮耀。如果你過去的經(jīng)歷確實很出彩，一定要多一些分析，不要羅列你的成績
Why Graduate School?
Early exposure to your field: 避免用一些陳詞濫調(diào)，比如“I have always wanted to..."
Do not rely solely on your initial reason and forget to justify your choice with more recent experiences.
講一些你小時候的事情可能可以吸引讀者，一些小時候的興趣愛好如何發(fā)展成為學術喜好的呢？
Goals 明確自己未來的職業(yè)發(fā)展目標。很多人可能會說自己會進入學術界，那么為了使你的goals顯得與眾不同一些，你必須突出自己特殊的research interest; 對于想要到學術之外的領域發(fā)展的人，必須identify a specific issue and explain the origin and evolution of your interest.
Research interests 有些學校會讓你寫個statement of purpose來表明你的研究興趣，你可以認為你的讀者是一個faculty，但是一個不是專家的人應該也能津津有味地看下去
Addressing the school（在我們寫每一個學校的PS的時候，都要做大量的搜索工作！）
You should do this research for your own sake, of course, but discussing your discoveries in your personal statement can help convince the admissions committee that you are a good fit. Avoid mistakes like discussing the school's rank or prestige, or simply offering generic praise. Instead,mention faculty members by name and indicate some knowledge of their work. Discuss your interest in becoming involved in a particular student organization or activity. Consider contacting faculty members first and discussing their current research projects and your interest in studying under them. Then refer to these contacts in your essay.(套磁的作用就出來了哦?。?/span> You may also want to discuss your interest in becoming involved in a particular student organization or activity.
mentioning several professors is not as effective as describing one in further depth
Why qualified?
Details about the process are paramount. What we mean by the "process" is the path to achievement. The rest of the application has already summarized your accomplishments and activities. Show the reader what you did in concrete terms, and most importantly, highlight your active roles.
research experience
Remember to keep the discussion personal. Do not become bogged down in minute details and jargon. Ultimately, the focus of the story should remain on you and your growth or success.
field experience
unrelated work experience
Extracurricular Activities
Why Unique
這里給大家舉幾個unique的例子：
This applicant starts by noting the diversity of his ethnic and religious background. When mentioning such points, you should not assume that such diversity is an end in itself. Rather, you should show how your background and culture have shaped your perspective and given you something unique to offer. This applicant does a good job of noting how Zoroastrianism has given him guiding principles, but he never follows through to discuss concrete examples.This essay would have benefited from more details to show his diversity in more tangible terms.
This applicant's story is fascinating, at times harrowing, and ultimately triumphant. From committed social activism to drug and alcohol addiction to a reengagement with the world, the author pulls no punches in telling his unique tale. While he does not whitewash his experience with drugs and alcohol, notice how he situates it in a larger context, showing both how it made him oblivious to the things he really cared about (Third World injustices) and how his reintroduction to those things helped him pull himself out of his downward spiral. In doing so, he demonstrates both a strong social conscience and a dedication to his beliefs. Additionally, his story makes him very hard for an admissions committee to forget. Just be careful that any discussion of past mistakes or difficulties leads to an indubitably positive conclusion.
This applicant shows that you do not need to be a true one-of-a-kind to demonstrate uniqueness in the admissions process. In fact, what sets him apart is a rather typical job in the computer industry. What makes his application unique, however, is that he is applying to a geological sciences program. His interest in mathematical modeling gives him a novel area of specialization to offer to the intellectual diversity of the program.
（原來跨專業(yè)申請也算unique）
Finally, this applicant shows that a personal, revealing story can be enough to set someone apart. By recounting a particular episode that sparked her epiphany as a writer, she gives us an in-depth look at her unique approach to her craft. Again, this essay does not discuss exotic experiences, but instead succeeds by painting a detailed, deeply personal portrait that no one else could have written.
Explain Blemishes
Staying up late the night before the GRE is not a legitimate reason for a bad performance, whiledocumented sickness could be. A particularly bad semester could be explained by a death or illness in the family. If you lack research experience, you might point out the number of hours you had to work to make college more affordable for you and your family.
Your best approach might be to try to transform such blemishes into something positive bypointing out particular courses in which you performed well, especially those that were more advanced, more relevant to your intended career path, or more recent.
make sure that you do not take a contentious tone. Don't accuse your teachers of unfair grading standards or complain about lack of extracurricular opportunities at your school. Be clear that you're not trying to excuse yourself of responsibility, but emphasize that you simply want the schools to have the complete picture.
