美国院校对PS的一般标准之四.doc

美国院校对PS的一般标准之四

Step Three: Execution

Writing with a Distinctive Voice
Once you’ve gathered your information and selected a structure for your essay, you are now ready to write your statement. A key element of the writing process is choosing which point of view you will use to present your information.

It’s important to remember that you’re not being judged on your creative writing skills. Many styles that would be effective and engaging in a short story or a magazine article would seem strained and awkward used in an application essay. The vast majority of writers use the first person singular, as in, "I feel that I am uniquely qualified for a career in law." It is a straightforward, easy-to-read style that can be
very effective. Make sure that you vary your sentence structure, length and rhythm to keep the essay flowing.

In seem excessively casual and a more traditional reader might take it as "sloppy." It is best to use this device sparingly, in sentences where the "you" could be replaced by "one." For instance, "You can always achieve your goals if you plan wisely, work hard, and delegate."

Third-person narration (using "he" or "she" to refer to yourself) is extremely difficult and does not work well in form of a personal statement. The commonest reaction to a piece written in the third-person is simply confusion. "What’s going on here? We were
expecting an essay from the applicant, but this is an essay the applicant. Who wrote this?" It would be disastrous to write about yourself "from the point of view of" a favorite teacher or mentor and have the admissions committee suspect that you are forging letters of recommendation. Even if your literary device is understood and accepted, it’s easy to come across as eccentric, affected and self-important by referring

The best bet is to use your own style--this isn’t the time to experiment with a new "voice." Just make sure that whatever you write is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. Don’t try to impress the admissions officers by using big words; simply make sure that the ones you *do* use aren’t misspelled.

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night...
Your introductory paragraph could well be the most crucial portion of your entire essay. A good introduction grabs the reader’s attention and has them halfway through the personal statement before they realize what’s hit them. It’s best to draft multiple openings and then select the one which is most compelling. You don’t have to summarize your whole essay in the first paragraph if you can instead draw the reader in to read what follows. If you are absolutely set on the dramatic effects of third-person narration, you may want to use it in your introduction. For instance, you could describe a galvanizing moment in your life--"It was only the first day of the sixth grade, and already the funny-looking new boy, the little Chinese kid, was being sent to the principal’s office"-- as an introduction to the difficulty of assimilating to a new culture. Be certain to take "ownership" of the paragraph, though ("That kid was me. It was just the beginning of my long struggle to fit into mainstream American culture coming from a remote province in China") and move into first-person narration fairly quickly.
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The Meat of the Message
The bulk of your essay should consist of events, experiences and activities, arranged either chronologically, by topic, or in order of importance. Feel free to give emphasis to those accomplishments that you believe deserve particular attention -- remember, you are selling yourself to the readers. Don’t merely tell them that you deserve to get admitted to their school; tell them *why*. Be confident but not arrogant; let them know that you would be an asset to the incoming class, but don’t tell them that they’re lucky to have you. Give each paragraph a distinct point that you could sum up in one sentence if necessary, and make sure that the segues between paragraphs are smooth.

Wrap It Up
An effective personal essay, like any strong piece of writing piece, is "front loaded." Your most compelling anecdote or fact should come right at the beginning; don’t bury the "good stuff" or leave dramatic revelations for the last paragraph. Conclusions should be brief and to the point, summarizing your qualifications while not rehashing the entire content of the essay. You may wish to restate your goals and motivations in a forceful, compelling style: "my excellent academic record, experience in the business world, and incomparable leadership skills make me a confident, accomplished and promising candidate who would be an asset to the incoming class" rather than "I have worked hard in school and I believe that I will be successful at your school."