Part One 拓展阅读
链接：https://www.zhihu.com/question/19711002/answer/20091955
来源：知乎
个人陈述写作：能力、经历和规划，面面俱到
作者： Ardevan 牛津大学|法学硕士
法兰克福大学富布莱特访问学者|哲学专业
芝加哥大学 |哲学学士
Credentials
信任状（能力）
Credentials are things, usually degrees, awards, or other ‘objective’ standards of assessment. Credentials are ‘universal’ in this sense, because everyone will know what they mean. “I received my B.A. in Economics with highest honors from the University of Chicago in 2011” has a clear and distinct meaning to everyone who reads it: I did the required coursework and fulfilled the major requirements and received distinction from my teachers. Credentials should be the foundation of your personal statement, because they show that you are qualified to enter the graduate program. Other examples of credentials include any standardized exams you have taken, grades earned, honors, or other forms of distinction. Credentials don’t require explanation and immediately show you are, for lack of a better word, credible. They make the reader instantly pay attention.
信任状是指你在个人陈述中所提供的任何客观标准下对自身能力的评估，常用到的诸如学历、所获奖项等等。从这个层面上来讲，此时你给出的信任状应该是普适的，意即每个人都应当能理解其背后的隐含意义。“我于2011年以第一名的成绩从芝加哥大学经济学专业顺利获得本科学位。”——这就是一个对读者来说非常清楚直接的介绍：我完成了既定课业、履行了专业要求并从老师处获得了赞誉。你个人陈述的根基就是这些信任状，因为它们是体现你资质过硬、足以进入研究生院校的最有利证明。信任状也可以是其他一些你参加过的标准化规范考试、平时成绩、荣誉，或者任何能凸显你才智卓越的第三方认可。信任状的存在无需多言便可以向他人展示出你的优秀可靠，它们能够在第一时间抓住审阅官的注意力。
Experience
经历
If credentials are objective and ‘hard’ proof, experience is the soft, subjective side of your application. Both are important—an essay that only talks about degrees and reads like a resume is boring. You have to discuss your personal experience in particular circumstances: a specific class you took that excited you, a specific professor you studied with, a job or even an experiment or book that motivated you. Talking about these experiences will demonstrate that you have the passion for the subject and aren’t just interested in racking up degrees and honors.
如果说你提供的信任状是你的硬实力表现，那么你的个人经历相对来说就是一种软实力，是申请中更具主观特色的一方面。这二者重要性相当——毕竟，一份罗列了各种学位和证明、看起来犹如简历般的个人陈述是极其无聊的。你应该适当提及自己过去在某一特殊领域的经历：可以是你曾经上过的一堂激动人心的课，也可以是你具体师从的一位教授，还可以是鼓舞你前进的一份工作、一次实验或简单一本书。这些个人经历的作用在于它们能让你在文字叙述中更具人情味，让审阅管看到你对自己专业的热情，更重要地，它们可以证明你的所作所为完全不单单局限于对学历和荣誉的追求。
Vision
规划
If you have good credentials and can articulate your experiences well, the vision that you display in your personal statement is ultimately going to be decisive for admission. What do I mean by ‘vision’? Vision is explaining how your previous experience and credentials have led you to a problem that you want to solve in graduate school. This is essential, because good credentials and passion for the subject won’t be enough: admissions committees want to see that you can push your research to the next level.
假若你给出的信任状足够具有说服力，经历部分的呈现又做到了精准有力，那么你在个人陈述中所将描绘的规划与远景将起到决定性作用。在这里，“规划”是什么意思呢？其实就是将你的信任状、以往经历与你的研究领域联系起来，点出到底这二者起了怎样的催化作用，使得你想要在研究生阶段开展特定课题的探讨。这是非常必要的，因为强大的信任状和单纯对科研的热情在此处是远远不够的：招生办希望看到的是一个能够鞭策自己在科研领域不断前进、有所提升的人才。
Let’s me give an example of how these elements are supposed to balance each other. Say I am applying to Economics PhD programs. My credentials would be my undergraduate degree in Economics. My experience would be the advanced seminar in Microeconomics that I took with a great teacher. My vision is that I want to apply what I learned in Microeconomics to a pressing question in a new field (say, public policy of taxation). Now I’ve come across as a strong applicant: I’ve shown I have credibility, I show I’m passionate about a particular field, and I have a vision for the future.
不如让我来给你一个如何在个人陈述里将这三要素照顾周全的例子。打比方说，我计划申请攻读经济学博士学位。那么我可以给出的信任状便是我所获得的经济学专业的本科学历；至于个人经历，我将描述自己在一位非常出色的老师开授的微观经济学高级研讨班上收获的知识和教训；而我的未来规划就是我希望能将自己在微观经济学中所得应用于解决某一新领域的突发问题（比如说，关于税收的公共政策）。这样一来，一份相对突出的个人申请就基本成型了：我首先是一个在这方面具有可信度的人；其次，我表现出了自己在这一领域的研究热情；最后，很显然，我对自己的未来有一份明确的规划。
Part Two Composition （draft）
Having discussed the XXX with Professor XXX, I am attracted to the major English and American Literature of your graduate school. I received my B.A. in Spanish with highest honors from the University of XXX in 2015. I was concentrated on Shakespeare in college.
I am firmly convinced that your admission will be my first step of success. With this in mind, I submit my application and wait your favorable reply.
