在上一篇《照着这份清单准备研究生申请材料就对了!系列之一》中,我们介绍了简历、成绩单、和推荐信的相关内容,今天我们继续给同学们介绍个人陈述(Statement of Purpose)和小文书(Essay)。
个人陈述
Statement of Purpose
个人陈述(Statement of Purpose),也就是我们常说的“主文书”,是招生官评估申请者的综合素质和潜力的重要依据之一。通过个人陈述,申请者可以表达对目标专业的热情,展示自己的专业能力,从而让招生官相信,你具备竞争力和发展潜力。
个人陈述通常包括以下内容:
● 申请研究生的原因和动机
● 个人学习/研究方向和兴趣
● 申请者的背景和相关经历
● 为什么选择该学校的该研究生项目
● 未来的职业规划和目标
一篇能够打动招生官的SOP应该具备结构清晰、内容充实、表达精准的特点,通过展示申请者的个性特点和能力优势,凸显与目标项目的“匹配度”。不同项目对个人陈述的字数有不同的要求,常规情况下,我们建议不超过1000单词。
小文书
Essay
Essay常见于商科项目中,不同的项目对于小文书的数量、题目、字数要求不尽相同。部分商科项目文书题目如下:
● 23Fall约翰霍普金斯凯利商学院 (JHU Carey Business School)
1. 你未来的行业会如何发展,你希望用哪种方式来激发变革并创造持久价值?(300-500单词)
How is your future industry evolving and in what ways do you hope to inspire change and create lasting value?
2. 下列题目三选一回答(300-500单词):
1)描述一个你在个人生活或职业生涯中经历的挫折或者失败,你当时是如何应对的,你从这次经历中学到了什么?
Describe a time in your personal or professional life when you experienced a setback or failure. How did you react during the situation and what did you learn from the experience?
2)阐述一个你人生中的关键转折点—某个成就、事件、或关键时刻—让你对自己和周围的世界有了新的认识
Discuss a turning point in your life – an accomplishment, event, or other critical moment – that helped you understand yourself or the world around you in new ways.
3)在约翰霍普金斯,我们的共同目标是改善他人生活。从应对世界上最大的挑战,到给本地社区带来发展,我们的毕业生致力于用不同的方式去改善社会。请描述你曾经如何为所在社区(家庭、学校、邻里、职场)做出超出预期贡献的经历。
At Johns Hopkins University, we have the common goal of improving the lives of others. Johns Hopkins graduates work to improve society in different ways, from taking on the world’s biggest challenges to transforming their local communities. Describe one way in which you have already contributed to one of your communities (family, school, neighborhood, work place) beyond the expected.
● 23Fall杜克大学富卡商学院 (Duke University Fuqua School of Business)商业分析项目
小问题1:你为什么选择该方向?(金融、营销、风险、战略)(1000字符)
Why did you select your preferred track(s) (Finance, Marketing, Risk, or Strategy)
小问题2:商业分析研究生毕业之后,你的短期职业目标是什么?(1000字符)
What are your immediate career goals after completing the MQM: Business Analytics program?
长文书1:“关于你的25件随机小事”。除了成绩单和简历上呈现的学习和实践经历以外,招生官希望了解申请者的生活经历、你的喜好、兴趣、成就、趣事等等,从而帮助我们了解你是一个什么样的人。(1.5倍行距,全文不超过2页)
“25 Random Things About Yourself”. The admissions committee wants to get to know you beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. You can share with us important life experiences, your likes and dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.
长文书2:商业分析项目的招生官希望可以找到乐意与同学们积极互动的申请者,因为我们认为课内和课外都是学习的过程,而课外实践是商业分析项目很重要的一个组成部分。请描述,你打算如何在课外积极参与社区,并且你独特的视角、经历、热情等,如何为我们的社区做贡献。(350单词)
For our MQM: Business Analytics class, the Admissions team is looking for students who are eager to engage with, and learn from, their classmates. This learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom, as extracurricular engagement is an important part of the MQM experience. Describe how you would plan to be engaged outside of the classroom, and how your unique perspective, experiences, and passions will add to the MQM community.
商学院下的各类项目,少则1-2篇,多则4-5篇Essay需要同学们完成,文书题目多样,且字数要求灵活。在专业技能以外,招生官还看重申请者的实践、团队、沟通、领导力等软性能力,而顶级项目的学生,更应该具备前瞻眼光和服务社会的精神。
Reference:
https://carey.jhu.edu/programs/admissions/how-to-apply/full-time-master-science
https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/programs/mqm-business-analytics/application-instructions