InVisor留学导师说:来自外籍导师Patrick的8个文书写作建议

作者介绍 Patrick H.

专业方向:社会学、经济学、国际关系、法学

Patrick是InVisor的文书副主编,兼任口语培训师。他拥有两个硕士学位,分别毕业于奥地利维也纳大学和欧洲人权与民主研究中心(EIUC),并于瑞士弗里堡大学学习法语。他本科毕业于英国杜伦大学法学院。Patrick目前是欧盟理事会驻非洲某国的政治代表。

此前,Patrick曾在Boltzmann人权中心参与跨国人权项目的运作,并担任欧盟驻联合国纽约总部代表,跟进人权与社会事务类工作,以及参与经济政策的分析。早年Patrick曾在韩国教育部下属的EPIK项目担任英语教师。他熟悉为非英语母语者提供英文口语辅导,深受学生喜爱。

部分录取院校示例:

Imperial College London, UK
London School of Economics and Social Science, UK
Johns Hopkins University, US
Boston University, US


文书写作建议1、给简历上点色



“Colour in” your resume

申请者可以把CL(Cover Letter)和PS(Personal Statement)作为简历的延伸讲好自己的故事,说服招生官自己能够为学院带来价值。纵观整个简历,最重要的是最近的职位和工作内容。(简历的顺序非常重要,一定要记住重要的经历放最开始的地方) 进一步,申请者应告诉招生官这些经历如何从性格和专业两方面重塑了自我。在文书写作中申请者需将这些内容与申请的项目相结合,例如以往的经历如何使自己区别于其他申请者,使自己更加有竞争力。要记住,招生官阅读一份PS的时间不会超过几分钟,因此要尽量简洁连贯地表达自己的观点。

Your cover letter or personal statement is the chance to expand upon and “colour in” the sketched profile that you have conveyed in your resume or CV. Use this opportunity to convince the school or university of the added value that you bring to them. Through your resume, the prospective school should be aware of your most recent positions,and perhaps even your main responsibilities. Go further and tell them how these have shaped you personally and professionally, and most importantly link this back to the school and the course that you are applying for; how has this experience, or the previous study you have undertaken prepared you for the course in a way that sets you apart from other candidates? Try to do this succinctly and clearly, bearing in mind that your personal statement will be read in a matter of minutes.


文书写作建议2、告诉招生官,你就是他们要找的Mr.Right



Tailor your profile and show that you are the ‘best fit’

在文书写作中,平淡地陈列经验是不够的,申请者要特别指出自己的经历是为项目量身打造的,并具体展示自己的知识储备和申请动机。除了硬件的匹配,申请者还可以利用文书展示自己的价值观与学校契合。(这里值得一提的是很多同学都用一模一样的文书来申请不同的学校,这样既不能让对方看到你的诚意,也不能精准地展现你的优势)那么,要怎么高效地做到这一点呢?首先要花时间研究学校和项目的网站,甚至要了解项目的主管教授,课程模块和校友(通过网络联系校友和在校生也是个好选择)。这样才能找到个人学术兴趣和项目的契合点。

Talking about your experience is good. Taking the time to research the school and the course and to explain just why this experience makes you such a good fit for them, is better. This can have the effect of displaying both your specific knowledge and motivation.You can also use this platform to show that your philosophy and outlook align well with the school, making them more likely to consider you a great fit for the program. In order to do this effectively, it is vital that you spend enough time researching both the school and your program of choice. Try to get a realsense of what it is like – research the professors, modules and alumni (even consider contacting alumni or current students online) and try to find amotivation that you can link to a personal interest.


文书写作建议3、不随大流



Be Unique

“I am writing to you to apply for your Masters Program in…”这种开头只会浪费你宝贵的字数而没有任何实际意义,也并不能把你和别的申请者区别开来。(不要套模版不要套模版不要套模版!重要的事情说三遍哦。)相反,如果以一段经历、一个故事、一个对你来说很重要的知识技能或是你的申请动机开头,不仅可以给招生官留下好的印象,也能抓住机会说明自己和项目的契合度。

Try to lose unnecessary openings and generic information such as, “I am writing to you to apply for your Masters Program in…” This is too predictable and does not use your limited word count efficiently. Already you will have failed to set yourself apart. Instead, perhaps begin with a strong opening link between the school and program you are applying for, and an experience, anecdote, piece of knowledge which has personal significance, or a motivation you possess. This gives you an excuse to link the two at the outset whilst giving an initial impression of yourself as a good fit.


文书写作建议4、画一张丰满的自画像



Paint a picture of yourself as a ‘rounded’ and open-minded individual

志愿工作和课外活动可以把你和别的申请者区别开,此类经历不仅能提升你的能力,还能向招生官展示你的人文价值和社会关爱。如果你有出国留学(交换)的经历就更好了,抓住这个机会展示你的适应性,在舒适圈外生存的能力,思想的开放性和对文化差异的理解,这些都对申请十分有帮助。

Volunteering work or extra-curricular activities can set you apart from the competition. Not only can it be a great way to get a more practical perspective to round off your profile, it can have the effect of showing a school that human values motivate you, and that you are a “people person”. If you have spent time studying or working abroad, this can be even better, as you will be able to use your work as evidence of adaptability, success outside your comfort zone,open-mindedness, or your understanding of cultural differences – all extremely important when applying for grad schools abroad.


文书写作建议5、既能单打独斗,也能团队协作



Show your skills, both as an individual and as a team player

切记在文书中要展示自己作为团队一份子工作的例子,如果能进一步展示你的领导力就更好了。具体说来,在这部分要着重讲述你和同龄人通力合作取得成功的例子,要自信地展示自己的价值和团队对你的依赖。突出自己的灵活性和适应能力,以及如何在快节奏的工作环境中顶住压力。

Make sure to demonstrate examples of yourself as a team player. It is even better if you can combine this evidence with proof of your leadership skills. For this, highlight genuine and convincing examples of when you collaborated with your peers to achieve a successful outcome, as well as when you took responsibility. Have confidence in how valuable you were and how reliant your team were upon you. Show how flexible or adaptable you were, or how you coped in a fast-paced environment.


文书写作建议6、告诉招生官你的职业规划



Give the admissions officer an insight into your future career

这不仅能使你的文书更私人更有说服力,也能说明你经过深思熟虑,觉得这个项目能帮你从个性和专业两个方面实现成长,从而实现自己的职业目标。这一点要阐述的越具体越好,要能让招生官看出你对相关学科和行业做了详尽的调查。

This will not only help your application to be convincing and personal, but it will allow you to demonstrate that you have considered how the school and the program can help you to getthere, both personally and professionally. Be as specific as you feel comfortable being. This in turn will allow you to demonstrate that you have researched your target subject as well as the industry.


文书写作建议7、尽量简洁



Be concise

注意这一点,所有想说的话都要在1000字(英文)讲完,要注意空格和页边距。如果洋洋洒洒写了三页纸,招生官可能压根不会点开你的文书哦。

Incredibly importantly, you should aim to do all of the above in less than 1000 words! This means with at least a small amount of visible white space and sensible margins. It may seem a tricky task, but great blocks of text stretching over three pages will be an instant turn off for any recruiter and you will be behind before you’ve even had a chance to impress them.


文书写作建议8、检查检查再检查



Proof Read

写完文书或者自己多读几遍,或者让朋友帮你修改,或者让InVisor帮你修改一遍,千万要校对好!(特别对于母语非英语的我们来说,校对和无语法错误是非常重要的。)宁可多花几个小时,也不要在点击提交之后再后悔。商学院研究生申请动辄收到上百封申请信,一定不要犯低级错误,给招生官一个把你第一轮就刷下去的理由呀!

Do it yourself, get Invisor to do it, get your mum to do it, but don’t skip it! It’s predictable advice, but there’s little worse than spending hours on an application, and realising later that it did not quite convey what you wanted and that it contained mistakes.Many schools receive hundreds of applications, and they may be actively looking for reasons to exclude you – don’t give them one on the first line!


InVisor国际教育 | 引路名校,赋能起点
InVisor国际教育 | 引路名校,赋能起点
InVisor是一个由名校海归创立的教育品牌,团队成员覆盖4大洲近10个国家的教授、招生官、名校校友。InVisor国精于高品质的国际教育规划、科研活动和留学申请,助力学生录取世界名校,实现更好的个人发展。

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