作者：Andrew Daum
链接：https://www.zhihu.com/question/22968065/answer/915329367
来源：知乎
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It’s a very broad question but I’ll do my best. I think—on average—I’ve reviewed about 100 PS/CVs (and various mutations thereof) per year, since 2011. Via the team I manage, that number jumps far higher; at least into the 10,000s. So, I’ve generated a little ‘perspective’ on this. And yet, throughout, I’ve also maintained an enthusiasm for this type of document and a firm belief that—done right—they can bring you (the author) more benefits than you might imagine.

First and foremost, do not overthink. Keep it simple. Don’t wear the task heavily and don’t treat it like a chore or something to be feared. You are what you are and you can’t change facts about your educational, professional, and personal development to date. What does lie within your influence is the manner in which you present these facts to the admissions officers.

When I say, ‘your capacity to influence’ I mean that the documents are an environment created by you. You have the reader’s attention for a short period of time. What you do with that is entirely subject to your will and the application of your intellect to the task. That is a powerful and unusual opportunity. If we’re ambitious, we should always seize on variables that lie within our influence. We should do so with zeal.

When I say, ‘the manner in which you present’, I mean there are simple tools you can keep in mind, basic conventions, and fundamental facts about the problem-solving exercise that is Western admissions (let’s call them ‘the basics’). Adhering to the basics drastically improves the quality of the document you submit.

Here are some of the basics:

Scrutinize the question posed:Break it down into its component parts;Seek to understand precisely what is being asked; and

Answer every part of it.

Appreciate the underlying objective. Together, these documents should both assert and then substantiate an underlying proposition. That proposition is: I am motivated and equipped to be a success at your school and beyond (let’s call this the ‘core of your case’)Understand that the word limit exists (partly) in order to emphasize to you that each word included in the document is a precious commodity.A word represents a sliver of the admissions officer’s time and attention. You should select each word carefully.

You should also select each part of the content carefully; examples should be given with purpose. That purpose should be to support assertions that, in turn, support the core of your case.

Write well:

When you’re describing things you did, use specific, concrete nouns.While being selective in the details you provide, you should also provide details that give the reader adequate context to understand and visualize the examples you’re providing.

If you include a general term such as ‘team-work’, ask yourself whether you’ve substantiated it with your content (and if you have, ask yourself whether you even need to bother asserting your ‘team-work’ prowess; is it already naturally conveyed to the reader?)

Give the reader some credit: Don’t explain basic things you might see in a textbook primer. E.g. ‘the operation of market is fundamental to contemporary society’.

Stay on-point: The point is YOU. Is this information about you? That’s a good acid test for anyone considering writing at length about their mother’s work at JP Morgan or their uncle’s factory or, indeed, extensively describing anything else that isn’t directly related to you and your capacity to contribute to the program.

I’d also add, the point is YOU NOW. Did this happen in the last few years and does it relate to my most advanced level of development? Your learning capacity and teachability is obviously important but it shouldn’t be chronicled since childhood. Examples for a grad school application shouldn’t come from stuff that happened to you in high school. This is a general rule; it doesn’t apply in every case; in some cases, there can be real value in this. But in general, with many of the statements I review, this value is not present. Why? The reason for this is fairly obvious: Time is limited, the reader’s key requirement is to know where you’re at now and what drives you to excel every day of the week now. Why? Because that’s most relevant to their interests (see ‘core of your case’). Show strategic nous by knowing both what this document is and what it is not (clue: it’s not your autobiography).

Understand the documents as an interrelating ‘package’: Don’t list out classes you attended by name when these are on your transcript; don’t put scores in your PS for the same reason (unless they are integrated into your argument, showing something valuable such as a pattern of improvement). In short don’t repeat content between documents.

Understand how the documents relate to eachother given their distinct purposes and the attendant types of writing they necessitate:

The PS is a piece of persuasive writing. That means it presents and evaluates information about you in order to support different types of claims (at different scales) e.g.:

‘I am excellent at teamwork.’

‘I am highly motivated by the study of macroeconomics.’

‘Social issues, particularly the wealth gap, are highly motivating to me in the context of policy.’

‘I will be a success your school.’

Great! Let’s see why.

Demonstrate it! Illustrate a pattern of conduct that attests to (i) the depth of your motivation; or (ii) the impressiveness of the capacity you’ve developed. (Clue: (i) show sustained action outside of mandatory requirements over a long period of time, or at an elevated level of intensity; (ii) show what you’ve used your positions and role to achieve; show what you’ve achieved by providing specific concrete (perhaps quantifiable!) detail). Prove it!

The resume is descriptive writing. The purpose is to provide a factual overview. There are certainly a litany of powerful ways to be strategic about how you provide these facts (which are probably beyond the scope of what I’m trying to do with this particular post). The main point I want to make here is: We should recognize the contrasting writing types of these two documents and permit that understanding to inform our work on them.

Do your research and show you’ve done it: This is your life, school is expensive, it matters. The school you attend will have a fundamental impact on your education and progress. That’s fairly obvious! How much you know about the school you attend in advance is within your control, and it’s worth your time in the name of making good, responsible decisions about your future. Oh – and don’t echo or reword the program website, don’t meaninglessly list courses or refer to ‘outstanding facilities,’ without also mentioning what it is about the program, the faculty, their objectives, or indeed, those deeply compelling facilities of theirs, that speaks to you, and interests you, and could serve your needs (to the greater benefit of the program).

Keeping the basics in mind and permitting them to underlie your decisions about how you prepare your documents will allow you to approach this challenge intelligently. By understanding what these documents are for and why they’re set up this way you will be able to infer what is required in any particular case. I wish you well. Good luck.