许多国外大学的招生官指出，有的申请者会通过邮件向他们咨询——大学招生办的审查员们最为看重的是申请中的哪个部分呢？事实上，对于招生官们而言，每一个申请部分都是同样重要的，因为它们共同呈现出申请者给招生办留下的完整印象。耶鲁大学招生办就“如何呈现出一份好的申请”，邀请了他们的招生会成员分享了他们的见解。

本文由InVisor翻译自耶鲁大学招生办博客。喜欢请点赞支持哦！

学生们通常都会想知道大学申请中的哪一部分“分量最重”。事实上，你的申请涵盖很多方面，每个方面结合起来会共同帮助我们发掘你独特的综合素质。“学术规范”对于耶鲁的选拔录取过程来说是很重要的，但我们关注的远不仅是考试分数和成绩评分。

每个申请人都会给招生委员会带来一些独特的东西。也许有一份申请会因为出色的推荐信而脱颖而出，而另一份则是因为充分体现出了出色的课外才能而吸引到我们；也许你的个性是通过强有力的文字表达出来的，亦或者是你敏锐的数学思维更有冲击力。我们的目标是组建一个多元化、全面发展的学生群体，这意味着我们会接纳所有类型的优秀学生。你可能会觉得这个答案并不令人满意，但我们向你保证这是真的：所谓的“申请中最重要的部分”是因人而异的。

这篇文章旨在帮助你尽可能地提交最好的申请。我们请招生人员就每个话题发表自己的看法，并在下面整理了他们的回答。我们知道，申请过程可能会令人困惑、气馁，甚至不知所措，但我们希望这一内容能够在你准备申请材料时有所帮助——不仅是对耶鲁大学，对你想申请的其他学校亦是如此。

关于个人陈述

当你写个人陈述和简答时，要写一些对你来说重要的东西。我们想看到你最真实的一面，不要花大力气去写一些令人印象深刻的词汇或过于复杂的句子。如果你在写作过程中坚持使用自己的意见看法去讨论那些你所关注的事情，你的个人陈述会更加令人印象深刻。

我们知道，没有人能把完整的人生故事浓缩成几篇短小的文章，我们也不指望你去尝试这么做。因此，你要选择能够让我们真切了解你的话题。你选择什么话题并不重要，只要它们对你有意义就可以。我们读过寻常话题的精彩文章，也读过罕见话题的薄弱文章。你的视角——你看待话题的视角——远比特殊的话题本身更重要。在过去，学生们写过的个人陈述的话题包括家庭情况、种族或文化、他们有着难以忘怀的学校活动或社区活动、影响他们的人、重要的经历、学术兴趣、个人抱负，或者——更广泛地说——是源于想象生活的话题。

最后：校对，校对，校对！与至少一两个熟悉你的人分享你的个人陈述，如父母、老师、顾问或朋友，并寻求反馈。记住，你可以从根本上控制你自己的文章内容，保留你自己的声音。但给其他人看的话，他们可以发现你其中忽略的错误；如果你超过字数限制，他们还可以为它的删减提供建议。

关于活动

你的课外活动记录应该表达出以下几点:

1. 你乐于参与课堂之外的社团活动。耶鲁有数百个学生组织，我们希望录取那些能够充分利用这些资源并为耶鲁的课外社团做出贡献，注入新活力的学生。

2. 当有机会去担任一个组织领导职务时，你会去积极争取，把你的精力投入到你所选择的活动中。你不需要成为一个国家组织的主席来给招生委员会留下深刻印象。但是，委员会希望看到你花了时间去争取有意义的机会，并对你周围的人产生积极的影响。

3. 你需要证明你是抱着真诚的态度去做某件事，并且真的从中得到了快乐。你在真正重要的事情上所获得的快乐——而不是在简历上罗列一长串的活动——这才会真正提升你的竞争力。

关于面试

面试是帮助你的申请脱颖而出的另一种方式。面试不是必须的，但如果你有面试的机会，我们强烈建议你去参加。耶鲁关于面试的政策可以在面试页面上找到。

面试官会问你很多问题，你要准备好成为一个积极的健谈者。不要只用一个词来回答问题，而是要把每一个问题都当作一个阐述你的各个方面的机会。你要把任何你觉得招生委员会考虑的额外信息分享给他们，让他们充分欣赏你的想法、求知欲、性格和价值观。面试官也可以通过他们提出的有趣的、深思熟虑的问题来了解你。

关于推荐信

在推荐信中，我们可以了解到你思考和学习的方式，你如何为你的学校社团做出贡献，以及你为课堂增添了什么活力。最好的推荐信并不总是来自你成绩最好的那门课程的老师，而是来自那些最了解你，并能讨论你才智和性格本质的老师。我们对你的求知欲和适应力，以及你与生俱来的能力和职业道德同样感兴趣。一系列通用的高级词汇，不如对你的优点进行详细、深思熟虑的讨论有用。

所有大一的申请者都需要两封推荐信，这两封推荐信需要来自于教授你核心学科的老师：这些学科一般是数学、英语、外语、社会研究或科学。通常来说，在你高二或高三时教授过你的老师会写出最有见地的信。这些老师最能说明你最近的进步，你对大学课程的严格准备，以及你在课堂之外的潜在贡献。

关于补充材料

补充材料可以为你的申请的某些部分提供更广阔的背景，但是它们常常是多余的，而且会分散注意力。例如，一封来自指导你课外研究项目的人的推荐信，可能会解释说明你做了什么重要的工作。但是，如果这封推荐信的内容与你其他两封推荐信类似，那么这份对你赞不绝口的推荐信并不一定会提升你的申请。事实上，这更可能会冲淡那两封推荐信的效果。更多相关信息请访问链接：https://admissions.yale.edu/supplementary

成绩单和测试

你的成绩单是你申请中的重要部分，我们可以了解到你在高中时的成绩表现。我们对于学校环境是非常关注的：你们学校有哪些课程？你是否在这些课程中有着自己严格的课程规划？你的成绩单是否能反映你的学术潜力？我们依靠学校简介和指导顾问，来帮助我们了解你的学校以及你是如何从事学术活动的。

我们也会考虑你的标准化考试成绩，将这些测试看作申请的另一部分。如果你还未达标，那就在当你感觉自己的成绩能够大大提升后，再去重新参加考试。如果你的测试成绩是在达标范围内，那么它可能不会是你候选人资格的决定性因素。换句话说，不要老想着在标化成绩上多得几分。与之相反，多把你的时间花在能帮助你自己成长的事情上：比如学校的工作，课外的机会，和朋友在一起的时间——这些事情能让你对自己有更强的认知，从而使你成为一个强有力的大学申请竞争者。

Reference：

Yale University. (n.d.). Advice on Putting Together Your Application.Retrieved from https://admissions.yale.edu/advice-putting-together-your-application

【英文原文】

Students commonly want to know what part of the college application “carries the most weight.” The truth is, there are many parts to your application, and together they help us discover and appreciate your particular mix of qualities. Academic criteria are important to Yale’s selective admissions process, but we look at far more than test scores and grades.

Every applicant brings something unique to the admissions committee table. Perhaps one application stands out because of sparkling recommendations, while another presents outstanding extracurricular talent; maybe your personality shines through a powerful written voice, or maybe your keen mathematical mind packs more punch. Our goal is to assemble a diverse, well-rounded student body, and that means admitting exceptional individuals of all types. You may find this answer unsatisfying, but we assure you that it is true: the part of the application that carries the most weight is different from applicant to applicant.

This section of our website aims to help you submit the very best application possible. We asked admissions officers to weigh in with their own thoughts on each topic and we have compiled their responses below. We know that the application process can be confusing, daunting, even overwhelming, and we hope this page proves helpful as you compile your applications, not only to Yale but to every school on your list.

Advice on Essays

When you write your essays and short answer responses, write about something that matters to you. Use your own voice. Do not worry about making a special effort to include impressive vocabulary words or overly complex sentences. If you sound like yourself and discuss something you care about, your essay will be more effective.

We know that no one can fit an entire life story into a few short pieces of writing, and we don’t expect you to try. Pick topics that will give us an idea of who you are. It doesn’t matter which topics you choose, as long as they are meaningful to you. We have read wonderful essays on common topics and weak essays on highly unusual ones. Your perspective – the lens through which you view your topic – is far more important than the specific topic itself. In the past, students have written about family situations, ethnicity or culture, school or community events to which they have had strong reactions, people who have influenced them, significant experiences, intellectual interests, personal aspirations, or – more generally – topics that spring from the life of the imagination.

Finally: proofread, proofread, proofread! Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well – such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend – and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit.

Advice on Activities

Your record of activities outside the classroom should demonstrate a number of things:

1. You engage your community beyond the classroom. Yale is home to hundreds of student organizations, and we want to admit students who will take advantage of these resources and contribute to Yale’s vibrant extracurricular community.

2. You take leadership positions when they are available, and you invest your energies into the activities you choose. You do not need to be president of a national organization to impress the admissions committee. But, the committee would like to see that you have spent time pursuing meaningful opportunities and that you have had a positive impact on people around you.

3. You demonstrate a deep commitment to and genuine appreciation for what you spend your time doing. The joy you take in the pursuits that really matter to you – rather than a resume padded with a long list of activities – will strengthen your candidacy.

Advice on Interviews

Interviews are another way to help your application stand out. An interview is not required, but if you are offered the opportunity to interview, we strongly encourage you to take it. Yale’s policies regarding interviews can be found on the interviews page.

Although the interviewer will get the ball rolling with questions, come prepared to be an engaged conversationalist. Rather than answering a question with a one-word, direct answer, approach each question as an opportunity to elaborate on various aspects of who you are. Share whatever additional information you feel the admissions committee should consider in order to fully appreciate your ideas, intellectual curiosity, character, and values. Interviewers can also learn about candidates from the interesting, thoughtful questions they bring to the table.

Advice on Recommendations

Recommendations tell us a great deal about the way you think and learn, how you contribute to your school community, and what you add to a classroom dynamic. The best recommendations are not always from the teachers in whose class you earned the highest grades, but rather from those teachers who know you best and can discuss the substance of your intellect and character. We are as interested in your intellectual curiosity and resilience as in your innate ability and work ethic. A string of generic superlatives is not as useful as a specific, thoughtful discussion of your strengths.

All applicants for first-year admission should request two letters of recommendation from teachers who have taught the student in core academic subjects: usually Math, English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, or Science. Teachers who have taught you in your junior and/or senior years often write the most insightful letters. These teachers will best speak to your recent progress, your preparation for rigorous collegiate coursework, and your potential contributions beyond the classroom.

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials can provide broader context to some parts of your application, but they can just as often be superfluous and distracting. For example, a letter from someone who supervised your extracurricular research project may answer important questions about the work you’ve done. But a third recommendation that raves about you, just as your other letters do, will not necessarily enhance your application. In fact, it may dilute the effect of the two required recommendations. For more information visit our page on supplementary materials.

Transcript and Testing

Your transcript is a significant part of your application. We look at your overall record, from all four years of high school. We always remain mindful of context: what courses are available at your school? Did you take a rigorous curriculum given these course offerings? Are there patterns to your transcript that reflect on your academic potential? We rely on school profiles and guidance counselors to give us an understanding of your school and the ways in which you have been academically engaged.

We also consider your standardized test scores. Think of testing as just another part of the application. Only retake a test if you feel you will significantly improve your scores. If your testing is in the right ballpark, then it probably will not be the deciding factor for your candidacy. In other words, don’t worry about trying to get an extra few points. Instead, spend your time on things that will help you grow as a person: school work, extracurricular opportunities, time with friends — the things that will give you a stronger sense of yourself and, as a result, make you a stronger college applicant.