有些国际学生在得知需要提交个人陈述（一般申请中的500字文章，即Essay）时很惊讶，而当他们发现在申请美国大学的过程中还要提交更多资料时就更加吃惊了。所有这些材料的写作都要求耐力、专注和良好的态度，还需要一些组织技巧。在写作前完整地规划一下，你会发现在材料中你至少要包括以下一些内容。

一篇五百字的通用申请文书。

一篇短文书，内容为你的主要课外活动经历，包括社团活动或工作经验。

除此之外，大部分学校还会要求你提交一篇大约2,000字的文字材料阐述你的学术兴趣。很多学校会要求学生交一个很重要的文书，阐述你将怎样对他们的学校的多元化做出贡献，如何应对一个伦理难题，或写一个自我介绍给未来的室友等等。

所以，再次重申，你应当提前规划好所有这些东西。例如，如果你是你们网球队的队长，并且打算将这一经历写入较短的Essay，那么你的五百字主Essay中就不应当包括这一点。

如果你有大量的社会活动和工作经验，那么你可以很轻松地把握这种写作技巧。但如果不是，那么你需要特别注意如何写作材料来避免过多重复。

English version:

Some international students are surprised to find that a personal statement (the 500-word main essay on the Common Application) is required. Most international students are surprised to find that there are even more essays that have to be included with your application to a U.S. school. All of this essay writing requires stamina, a good attitude, and a sense of focus, but it also requires some organizational effort. Keep in mind the big picture of what lies ahead and you’ll see that you’ll have to write at least the following:

  • The 500-word common application main essay.
  • A shorter common app essay about your most significant extracurricular, personal, or work activity/experience.

You can also expect to write an essay of about 2,000 characters on your academic interests, required by most schools. Many schools are also asking students to write significant essays on how they will contribute to the college’s diversity, on an ethical dilemma they may have confronted, on what they want a roommate to know about them, and so forth.

So, again, you have to plan all this out. If you are the captain of your tennis team, then your main 500-word essay shouldn’t be about your tennis team if you’re also planning to write your shorter common app essay (extracurricular activity) on tennis.

If you have many experiences and activities to choose from, then you won’t find it too hard to do this kind of strategizing. If not, then you’ll really have to pay attention to how you are going to write about yourself in order to avoid redundancies.