教育部最新數據顯示，中國2017年出國留學總人數突破60萬大關，相比上一年增長了11.74%。想要出國留學，除了考出好成績，還要寫一封打動招生老師的“個人陳述”。一起來看看英國大學的招生老師為大家揭秘，如何寫個人陳述最加分？

First, you will have to register with Ucas and enter your personal details. You will then be able to apply for up to five courses. Make sure you cross reference the course requirements with your predicted grades and A-level choices so you won’t get rejected before you have even taken your exams.

首先，你需要在英國大學和學院招生服務中心網站注冊，并錄入個人信息。之后你可以申請最多五種課程。要確保將課程要求和你預計的成績以及A-level（英國高中課程）選擇加以對照，以免還沒考試就被學校拒了。

You will then be asked to detail your education and qualifications to date and to give details of any jobs you have had. It’s also a good idea to nail down who will be providing your academic reference as soon as possible – make sure you give your teacher enough time to make it a good one.

之后，你將被要求詳述迄今為止的教育背景和所獲證書，以及你做過什么工作。最好能盡快找到人選為你寫學術推薦信，要確保你為寫推薦信的老師留出了足夠的時間，這樣才能寫好。

Finally, before you submit your application, you will be asked to include your personal statement. This is your chance to convince your university or college that you are the right person to study their course.

最后，在提交申請前，你還要按要求提交個人陳述。這是你說服申請院校錄取你的一個機會。

For some people, writing a personal statement will come easily. But for those who are feeling daunted about the prospect of putting 4,000 characters together, you are not alone. As Stuart Balnaves, head of learner experience at Ucas, puts it: “Those three words – Ucas personal statement – can stike fear into students’ hearts", but there are ways to make the process easier.

對大多數人來說，寫個人陳述并不困難。但也有不少人一想到要寫4000字的文章就頭皮發麻。英國大學和學院招生服務中心學生體驗負責人斯圖亞特-巴爾內夫斯說：“入學個人陳述這三個詞語會讓學生心生恐慌”，但有些辦法能讓這件事兒更簡單。

To start with, jot down reasons why you want to study your chosen course. Is it a new passion or an old interest? Were you inspired by something you read or does it lead towards the career you would eventually like to pursue – in which case, what is it that appeals to you about that career?

首先，大概寫下為什么你選擇了這一課程。是最近才感興趣，還是由來已久？是受到了某篇文章的啟發，還是決心今后干這一行？這個職業又有哪些吸引你的地方？

Secondly, think about what you can say you have done to demonstrate why you are passionate about this particular subject. Have you taken part in a society or club outside of school? Do you enjoy reading about your subject, if yes, what books particularly interest you and why?

其次，想想看如何描述個人經歷，以便說明為什么對這一課程充滿熱情。你在課外參加過社會實踐或者加入過社團嗎？喜歡讀有關的書嗎？如果是，你對哪些書最感興趣？為什么？

Have you worked in any roles that help with skills that universities might find appealing? Have you helped fellow students at school, have you volunteered or undertaken work experience in your field?

你做過哪些工作，有助于提升大學所需技能嗎？你在學校幫助過同學嗎？參加過志愿活動，或者在你自己感興趣的領域有過工作經驗嗎？

“The best statements will show that a student is interested in the subject; that they've studied it, that they've developed an interest it in outside school, and that they're developing their skills and abilities outside academia,” says Liz Hunt, undergraduate admissions manager at the University of Sheffield.

英國謝菲爾德大學本科入學主管利茲-亨特說：“最好的個人陳述能表明申請者對課程感興趣，曾有過這方面的學習經歷，在課外也有相關愛好，除學業外，也一直在提升個人能力。”

However, she advises students to avoid rambling: “Some try to tell you their life story,” she continues, “sometimes this can be quite useful, but it needs to be relevant rambling, it needs to tell admissions tutors why you have decided on a particular subject.”

但她建議學生不要啰嗦：“一些學生試圖講述生活中的故事，有時這很有用，但這得和申請有關，得是在告訴招生老師為什么你決定學習這一課程。”

James Williams, lecturer in education at the University of Sussex, agrees: “Admissions tutors are looking to see that you have an understanding about the course you are applying for,” he says. “Content of courses will be different at different universities, so we don’t look for applicants to be too specific, but candidates should look for common topics and address these.”

英國蘇塞克斯大學教育學講師詹姆斯-威廉姆斯也同意這一點，他說：“招生老師會注意看你是否理解你申請的課程。不同大學的課程內容不同，因此我們不指望申請者說的特別具體，但要找出普遍的話題并談一談。”

The key is balance. Contrary to what Oxbridge demand, most universities will look for candidates to split their statements between their academic achievements and their extra-curricular pursuits – if these are relevant to your chosen degree, all the better.

關鍵在于平衡。和牛津劍橋的要求不同，大多數大學要求申請者將學業成就和課余愛好分開陳述，如果課余愛好與所選課程有關的話當然更好。

However, as Williams says, don’t go overboard. “The mistake people make is to mention too many clubs,” he says, “it makes us question how dedicated you’ll be to your study or work. Pick some key extra-curricular activities and think about the skills they give you and feed that into what you are doing.

不過，威廉姆斯說，也不要太過火。他說：“申請者常常會犯的錯誤就是提到太多社團。我們會懷疑你還能不能專心學習或工作。挑選一些重要的課余活動，想想你鍛煉了哪些技能，并和你所做的結合起來。”

“Avoid the vacuous statement,” he adds, “the statement that seems to say a lot, but actually says nothing at all, for example ‘I am a people person; committed to doing my best at every opportunity’.”

他補充說：“要避免空洞的個人陳述。有些個人陳述看似說了很多，其實啥也沒說，比如‘我善于與人打交道，每次做事都會全力以赴。’”

Stock phrases should be avoided at all costs, and applicants should also be careful not to exaggerate their achievements. Be warned; if you are invited to interview, you should expect to be quizzed on what you have said in your statement. White lies won’t impress anyone and can become pretty obvious pretty quickly under pressure.

要盡可能避免寫套話，也得小心不要夸大其詞。需要注意的是，如果你受邀參加面試，你將會被問到你在個人陳述中寫的內容。善意的謊言無法打動他人，而且在壓力之下很快就會被戳穿。

Applicants should also avoid copying anyone else’s statement or taking inspiration from the internet, says Balnaves. Ucas uses a program called Copycatch to identify similarities in statements and notifies the universities if it picks up anything suspicious.

巴爾內夫斯說，申請者也不要抄別人的個人陳述，或者從網上找靈感。英國大學和學院招生服務中心使用名為“抓取復制”的程序來檢查個人陳述的相似之處，發現可疑之處會提醒學校。

Balnaves also urges students to review their statements for spelling and grammar and to apply in good time. “We probably get about 10 percent of our applications in the last week,” he says, “but it’s best to give yourself some breathing space. The best advice you can get is from a family member or a teacher, read it aloud to them so you haven't missed any crucial bits.

巴爾內夫斯還敦促申請者檢查個人陳述的拼寫和語法錯誤并及時提交。他說：“有大約10%的申請是在最后一周提交的，但最好留些富余時間。你能從家人或老師那里得到最好的建議，寫好后大聲讀給他們聽，這樣就不會漏掉一些關鍵點。”

“Write about what makes you unique," he continues, "only you know your unique selling points. Ask yourself ‘what makes me different, what will I bring to the university and what will I get out of it?’”

他接著說：“寫一寫你在哪些方面與眾不同。只有你自己知道自己的‘獨特賣點’。問問你自己‘是什么品質讓我不一樣？我能為學校帶來什么？又將從學校得到什么？’”

個人陳述寫作的“要”與“不要”

DO check for spelling and grammar - get your parents to double check and then check again

要檢查拼寫和語法錯誤---讓父母再給你檢查兩三遍

DO link your extra-curricular pursuits with your course choice

要把你的課余愛好和課程選擇聯系起來

DO show your teachers a draft first – so you will know what to change in plenty of time

要先給老師看看初稿，這樣你就有足夠的時間修改

DON’T use suggested synonyms unless you’re sure what they mean

不要使用有暗示性的同義詞，除非你確切知道是什么意思

DON’T be tempted to exaggerate what you’ve done

不要夸張描述個人經歷

DON’T talk about specific universities, only talk about the subject

不要談論特定的幾所大學，只談論課程本身

英文來源：每日電訊報

翻譯&編輯：yaning