嗨，大家好！

美国本科申请时，除了Common Application, Coalition Application等申请网站上的Personal Essay以外，很多学校还有自己的文书要求。所以大家在准备申请材料阶段，要把主文书和申请学校的附加文书一起准备好。

今天借着我们2019年一位学生客户本科申请的例子，带大家看看美本申请中，文书要经历怎样的流浪呢～

主文书

美国大部分大学的申请是通过Common Application, Coalition Application等申请网站提交的。这些网站的申请表格里，要求大家在给出的几个题目里选一个，写一篇600字左右的personal essay。这里还要提醒大家，加州大学各分校的申请有一个统一的申请网站UC Application，网站上也统一要求了文书问题。

关于各网站主文书的介绍，大家可以参考我们之前的文章：个人简介Personal Essay 如何写？

学校的附加文书

在大家填完申请网站上的基本信息和材料后，进入要申请的各个学校的申请表格，就可以看到他们各自的附加文书问题了。也有的学校是没有附加文书问题的。接下来我们一起来看看这位学生客户申请的学校中的几所都有哪些附加文书主题和要求。我们的这位学生申请的专业是computer science。

注意！
以下是2019-2020申请季附加文书题目，请根据您的申请时间查询最新的文书要求。

  • Carnegie Mellon University - 三篇短文章

    CMU的附加文书包括三个问题，每篇文书在300字以内：

    • Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study?

    • Many students pursue college for a specific degree, career opportunity or personal goal. Whichever it may be, learning will be critical to achieve your ultimate goal. As you think ahead to the process of learning during your college years, how will you define a successful college experience?

    • Consider your application as a whole. What do you personally want to emphasize about your application for the admission committee’s consideration? Highlight something that’s important to you or something you haven’t had a chance to share. Tell us, don’t show us (no websites please).

    三个问题的主题分别是Why major、成功的大学经历是怎样的和申请材料中的亮点或补充。Why major的短文章是非常常见的，可能在多个学校的补充文书中出现。申请者写好一篇，在针对其他学校的具体要求进行修改即可。

  • Stanford University - 三个问题

    Stanford的附加文书是三个问题，每篇文书在100-250字之间：

    • The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.

    • Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.

    • Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why?

    三个问题的主题分别是：学习的热情、写给未来室友的信和一件对你来说有意义的事。给室友的信是Stanford比较独特的一个文书主题，给大家很多发挥空间。另外两篇，如果在主文书里，你已经选择了学习的热情或有意义的事，那这里可以对主文书进行延伸或换个角度再回答，建议不要重复描写同样的内容。

  • Cornell University - 一篇长文章

    Cornell有六个学院，每个学院的文书要求总体上都是问学生为什么申请这个专业或学院，细节略有不同，大家在填写好要申请的专业后，要仔细阅读附加文书的要求哦。字数要求650以内，算是一篇长文章了。

    下面例子是工程学院的Computer Science 专业的附加文书要求：

    • Tell us about your interest in engineering or what you hope to achieve with a degree in engineering. Describe what appeals to you about Cornell Engineering and how it specifically relates to your engineering interest or aspirations.

    Cornell的附加文书其实是Why major和Why school的组合。如果在主文书里，你选择的主题涉及到了你感兴趣的专业，在写附加文书时，与主文书相呼应，可以提现思维的完整性。

  • Princeton University - 3-4篇短文章

    Princeton的附加文书算是比较多的，包括两篇短文章、一篇长文章和几个细节问题。同时，如果你申请的事Bachelor of Science in Engineering，还需要再加一篇短文章：

    • Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you. (Response required in about 150 words.)

    • Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held. (Response required in about 150 words.)

    • In addition to the essay you have written for the Coalition Application, the Common Application or the Universal College Application, please write an essay of about 500 words (no more than 650 words and no fewer than 250 words). Using one of the themes below as a starting point, write about a person, event or experience that helped you define one of your values or in some way changed how you approach the world. Please do not repeat, in full or in part, the essay you wrote for the Coalition Application, the Common Application or Universal College Application:

      • Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way.

      • “One of the great challenges of our time is that the disparities we face today have more complex causes and point less straightforwardly to solutions.”

      Omar Wasow, assistant professor of politics, Princeton University. This quote is taken from Professor Wasow’s January 2014 speech at the Martin Luther King Day celebration at Princeton University.

      • “Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can fill a life. And insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and make them part of our lives, our lives are meaningful.”

      Gideon Rosen, Stuart Professor of Philosophy and chair,  Department of Philosophy, Princeton University.

      • Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay.

    • Engineering Essay
      If you are interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, please write a 300-500 word essay describing why you are interested in studying engineering, any experiences in or exposure to engineering you have had and how you think the programs in engineering offered at Princeton suit your particular interests.

    短文章的主题包括课外活动（150字）和暑假经历（150字）。长文章要求是从所给的主题中选择一个，联系你的生活经历，描述帮你建立价值观或改变你的世界观的一个人、事或经历。字数要求是500左右（250-650）。细节问题比较容易，主要是问你最喜欢的书、电影、词语等。最后，如果你申请的工程学士学位，还需要写一个300-500字的Why major + Why school文章, 解释为什么申请这个专业方向，为什么选择Princeton的工程项目。

  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - 三个问题

    • If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (50-150)

    • Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (100-300)

    • Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?(100-500)

    三篇文书的主题分别是课外活动、（社区、文化或种族等）背景介绍和Why school。（社区、文化或种族等）背景介绍属于多样性（diversity）主题的文书。这类文书也是很常见的，需要学生结合自己的文化、教育、种族或宗教等背景和对多样性对社会和学校环境的影响来表述自己的想法。

  • Johns Hopkins University - 一篇短文章

    JHU的短文章要求如下：

    Successful students at Johns Hopkins make the biggest impact by collaborating with others, including peers, mentors, and professors. Talk about a time, in or outside the classroom, when you worked with others and what you learned from the experience. （300-400）

    这篇文章的主题是teamwork，考察的是学生团队合作能力、领导力和交流能力等。


除此以外，我们的学生申请的其他学校的附加文书主要是Why major和/或Why school，比如Georgia Tech, New York University, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin - Madison等。也有Diversity主题的，比如Duke University和University of Southern California。

我们的这位学生客户还申请加州大学的三所分校。如文章开头提到的，这些学校的申请都在UC application网站提交，文书问题是一样的。

除了我们这位学生申请的这些学校的文书主题，下面是其他你可能会遇到的附加文书主题：

  • Yale有三篇短文章:

    • Why Yale？

    • Think about an idea or topic that has been intellectually exciting for you. Why are you drawn to it? （250）

    • 以下主题二选一（250字）：

      • Reflect on your engagement with a community to which you belong. How has this engagement affected you?

      • Yale students, faculty, and alumni engage issues of local, national, and international importance. Discuss an issue that is significant to you and how your college experience could help you address it.

  • University of Pennsylvania:

    • Why major + why school

    • At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classrooms, too. How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200)


附加文书主题就列举到这里，当然也有的学校是没有附加文书要求的。

美国本科申请的文书之旅到此结束。希望看完这篇文章，你对要写哪些文书有了大概的了解。