美国大学文书知多少？-新东方前途出国

很多学生和家长在申请季之前会好奇美国大学的文书到底有那些，为什么大家都说美国大学的文书难写，今天我们来梳理一下。

首先美国大学申请有几个申请系统，不管是common application，CAAS，还是UC申请系统都会让学生列举学生做过那些活动，拿过什么奖项，CA系统里要求填写10个活动5个竞赛，UC系统里一共可以填写20个，所以规划的时候尽可能的多准备一些申请的时候才不会有那么大的压力。这些加上学生的个人信息就可以组成完整的英文简历。这个是大学申请的第一份文书，所有大学都会看。

另外针对CA系统，所有大学都会看的还有主文书，主文书有如下7个，需要7选1，不超过650字。

1.        Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

有些学生相信，自己的背景、身份、兴趣或天赋有着非常重要的意义，没有它们申请就会不完整。如果你也是这样认为，请讲述你的故事。

2.        The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

我们从遇到的困难/阻碍中吸取的教训会为我们将来的成功打下基础。回忆一次面临挑战、遇到挫折、遭遇失败的经历，并说明它是如何影响你的，你又从中学到了什么?

3.        Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
回忆一次你曾质疑与挑战过的某种观点或信念。是什么促使你如此思考？结果如何？

4.        Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

回想某人以一种令人意想不到和惊喜的方式做了一件令你开心或感激的事情，这种感激之情是如何影响或激励你的?

5.        Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

讨论某一次成就，事件或者领悟，它激发了你个人的成长和关于你自己或者他人的一次新理解。

6.        Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

描述一个让你无比着迷以致全身心投入忘了时间的话题、想法或概念。它为什么如此吸引你？当你想要深入了解的时候，你会做什么，或向谁请教？

7.        Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

任选话题写一篇短文。它可以一篇是你过去所写的文章，文章题目不限，也可自行构思。

主文书的题目看着还是比较正常，也比较容易理解。不过选择什么素材，展示自己是什么样的人设，以及怎么写能最大化展示自己的优势，同时和其他的文书形成完整的package就是一项很具有挑战力的工程，这个有专业的老师指导相信会事半功倍。

除了简历和主文书以外，还会有附表文书，也就是小文书，这个不同的大学小文书题目就不同了，小文书的难度也是不尽相同的，咱们可以分为超难文书，正常难度和一般难度。

首先我们来看看芝加哥大学的文书（注意：芝加哥文书每年都会更新）：

1. What if the moon were made of cheese? Or Neptune made of soap? Pick a celestial object, reimagine its material composition, and explore the implications. Feel free to explore the realms of physics, philosophy, fantasy…the sky is the limit!
—Inspired by Tate Flicker, Class of 2025

翻译：如果月亮是奶酪做的会怎样？如果海王星是肥皂做的呢？选择一个星体，重新想象它的质地，探求赋其一个内涵。随意探索物理、哲学、或任何奇幻的世界……一切皆有可能！

——灵感来自于2025届校友Tate Flicker

2. What’s so easy about pie?
—Inspired by Arjun Kalia, Class of 2025

翻译：为什么“Pie”这么简单？

3. In Homer’s Iliad, Helen had a “face that launched a thousand ships.” A millihelen, then, measures the beauty needed to launch one ship. The Sagan unit is used to denote any large quantity (in place of “billions and billions”). A New York Minute measures the period of time between a traffic light turning green and the cab behind you honking. Invent a new unit of measurement. How is it derived? How is it used? What are its equivalents?
—Inspired by Carina Kane, Class of 2024, and Ishaan Goel, Class of 2025

翻译：在荷马的《伊利亚特》中，海伦有一张“能发射一千艘船的脸”。在这里，一海伦是衡量发射一艘船所需的美感计量单位。萨根被用来表示庞大的数量（代替“数十亿”），纽约时刻衡量的是交通灯变绿和你身后的出租车鸣喇叭之间的时间段。发明一个新的计量单位，谈谈它是如何推导出来的？如何使用的？它的等价物是什么？

4. "There is no such thing as a new idea" - Mark Twain. Are any pieces of art, literature, philosophy, or technology truly original, or just a different combination of old ideas? Pick something, anything (besides yourself), and explain why it is, or is not, original.
—Inspired by Haina Lu, Class of 2022

5. It's said that history repeats itself. But what about other disciplines? Choose another field (chemistry, philosophy, etc.) and explain how it repeats itself. Explain how it repeats itself.
—Inspired by Ori Brian, AB’19

翻译：人们常说历史总是会重演。那么其他学科呢？请选择另一个学科（化学、哲学等）并解释它是如何重复/重演的。

6. In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose your own question or choose one of our past prompts. Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun.*

翻译：在探索知识的精神下，可以选之前的题目或者自理题目。请务必原创、创意、引人深思。引出你配得上作为作家、思考者、先知、社会评论家、先贤、世界公民或者未来芝加哥公民的最佳品质；冒下险，开心一刻。

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.*

翻译：如你所知，芝加哥大学如何能够满足你对学习、社区和未来的渴望？请具体写出您自己的愿望，以及它们如何与 UChicago相关。

下面我们来看看弗吉尼亚大学的文书-正常难度：

l  College of Arts and Sciences

What work of art, music, science, mathematics, or literature has surprised, unsettled, or challenged you, and in what way? (Max 250 words)

翻译: 文理学院：哪一个艺术、科学、数学或文学作品使你震惊、不安、或被启发的？它是如何做到的？

l  School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Describe an engineering feat that serves the common good and why it inspires you to study engineering.* (max 250 words)

翻译：工程与应用科学学院 - 描述服务于大众利益的工程壮举，以及为什么它激励你学习工程学。

Required of ALL applicants, regardless of school or program. Answer one of the following questions in a half page or roughly 250 words (Please select the prompt you are responding to)

   所有的申请者请从下面选择一个题目回答。篇幅半页左右，或者大约250字（最多300字）。

l  What's your favorite word and why?

l  We are a community with quirks, both in language and in traditions. Describe one of your quirks and why it is part of who you are.

l  Student self-governance, which encourages student investment and initiative, is a hallmark of the UVA culture. In her fourth year at UVA, Laura Nelson was inspired to create Flash Seminars, one-time classes which facilitate high-energy discussion about thought-provoking topics outside of traditional coursework. If you created a Flash Seminar, what idea would you explore and why?

l  UVA students paint messages on Beta Bridge when they want to share information with our community. What would you paint on Beta Bridge and why is this your message？

l  Rita Dove, UVA English Professor and former U.S. Poet Laureate, once said in an interview that “…there are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about you complaints.” Describe a time when, instead of complaining, you took action for the greater good.

翻译：

l  你最喜欢的一个词是什么？为什么？

l  我们是个有个性的社区，不论是语言上还是传统上。讲讲你的一个怪癖，为什么它会是你身份的一部分呢？

l  学生的自我管理能鼓励学生积极地投入更多的精力和主动性，这是弗吉尼亚大学校园文化的一个特征。Laura Nelson在读大四的时候，创办了Flash Seminars，一种高强度的讨论传统课业之外并且引人深思话题的一次性课程。如果你创办一起Flash Seminar，你会讨论什么话题？为什么？

l  UVA学生喜欢把想与大家分享的信息涂画在Beta Bridge（校园里的一座桥）上，你有什么想分享的？为什么想分享这个信息呢？

l  UVA英语教授、前美国诗人奖得主Rita Dove在一次采访中说："在生活中，有时我们并不抱怨，而是去改变让你抱怨的事。”描述一次你不是抱怨，而是为更大的利益采取行动的经历。

最后我们来看看伦斯勒理工的文书-一般难度

1.      Required: Why are you interested in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? (Max: 250)

翻译：你为什么对伦斯勒理工学院感兴趣？

2.      Required: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. （Max: 300）

翻译： 请简单地描述一个对你很重要的课外活动或者工作经历。（字数限制：300字）