留學個人陳述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."如何寫留學個人陳述 從PS教程中，我將總結(jié)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。PreparationPS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(shù)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(jié)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。Brainstorming1. Performa self-inventory of Your Unique Experiences, Major Influences, and Abilities.Long and short term goals1. 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 Characteristics6. 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skills8. 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: Personal12. What's special, unique, distinctive, or impressive about you or your life storyWhat 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 membersFor an ailing parent, a sibling, a disabled or aging relative, a childHow has this impacted your academicsYour professional lifeYour 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 homeDid you experience culture shockHow did you adaptWhat was most difficult for youWhat 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: Academic17. When did you originally become interested in this fieldWhat 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 fieldWhat 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