编者按： Unique Information Unique information about yourself is an important part of your personal statement for Graduate and ...
Unique Information
Unique information about yourself is an important part of your personal statement for Graduate and Professional Schools because for many committees this is their first (and perhaps only) chance to find about you as a person. This information should highlight your talents, interests, and accomplishments; it should also give life to your academic records. Though you want your personality to show in your statement, remember to keep the tone of the statement professional. Never include anything that could be misconstrued as offensive in any way. Keep in mind that humor is very difficult to pull off. Unless you are extremely confident (and have asked several people to read your essay), it may be best to steer clear of jokes and sarcasm.
The unique information in your statement should include an opening that will grab the reader's attention. Remember one of the main goals of this essay is to make yourself memorable to the committee. Consider beginning with a particular experience that relates to your career interests. But stay away from wild stories that bear little relevance to your career goals or other main points in the essay. While many applicants like to begin with a quotation, this is overused. Only take this strategy if the quotation is truly meaningful to you or ties in creatively with the rest of your essay. Be sure to include any relevant personal or work experiences, particularly if they do not appear elsewhere in your application. Somewhere in the essay, perhaps towards the end, you should consider pointing out why the specific institution is a good match for you.
This handout was written with the help of Landon Moore.
译:
与众不同的信息
无论申请研究生院还是商/法学院, 申请信中的关于申请者本人的与众不同的信息至关重要, 因为对于许多校方录取者而言, 申请信是把申请者作为一个"完人"来了解的第一个(也许是唯一的)机会. 这些信息应该能够提纲挈领地展示你的天赋,兴趣和成就; 同时也能够使你的那些成绩分数变得不再枯燥.尽管你想使申请信充满个性,但是请记住保持专业的行文风格.永远不要在文中包含任何可能被误会为冒犯性的内容. 请记住, 在申请信中使用幽默很难达到你想要的效果.除非你非常有把握(并且让其他人阅读过你的文章), 否则最好还是离那些笑话和讽刺远一些.
你的申请信中与众不同的信息应该包含一个能够吸引读者注意的开篇.请记住,这种文章的功能之一就是使你在在录取方心中留下印象. 你可以考虑在文章开头讲述一段与你的职业兴趣有关系的特殊经历. 但是请不要使用那些与职业目标或者文中其他重点没什么太大关系的荒诞故事. 很多申请者喜欢在文章开头引用名人名言,但是这种做法被滥用了.只有当所引用的话对你而言真正的有意义,或者与文章的其他部分巧妙而紧密地结合在一起, 你才这么做. 请一定要提到任何相关的个人信息或工作经验,特别是当这些信息不会在申请资料的其他地方出现. 在文中的某个地方, 最好在靠后一点的部分,你应该考虑说明一下为什么这个学校适合你.