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Some say Yale is a place of reinvention. Others say the undergraduate experience here is about becoming more of who you already are. Many students find the most personal routes on this journey through Yale's cultural houses, faith communities, the Women's Center, political groups, and sexual identity organizations.
Many years ago, former Yale President Kingman Brewster wrote that selecting future Yale students was a combination of looking for those who would make the most of the extraordinary resources assembled here, those with a zest to stretch the limits of their talents, and those with an outstanding public motivation—in other words, applicants with a concern for something larger than themselves. He said, “We have to make the hunchy judgment as to whether or not with Yale's help the candidate is likely to be a leader in whatever he or she ends up doing.” Our goals remain the same today. Decade after decade, Yalies have set out to make our world better. We are looking for students we can help to become the leaders of their generation in whatever they wish to pursue.
As we carefully and respectfully review every application, two questions guide our admissions team: “Who is likely to make the most of Yale's resources?” and “Who will contribute most significantly to the Yale community?”
Our advice is to pursue what you love and tell us about that. Be yourself. Ask the teachers who really know you to recommend you. Apply and relax.
未来的领导者。 在殖民地时代就建立起来的耶鲁大学的前身，以培养神父和政治领导人为目标。因此，耶鲁大学有关心政治、关怀人类的传统。美国总统中有5位毕业于耶鲁大学，而政坛名人和社会领袖人物中也有不少耶鲁校友。所以，领导才能和心有天下的胸怀都是不可或缺的元素。学校希望学生能最大化地利用学校的一切资源打造自己，反过来也能为世界、为学校作出贡献，而具有领导意识的人会更倾向于做一个社会实践家，挥发自己的光和热。
公共服务意识和社会责任心。 耶鲁大学的历史扎根于欧洲自由主义教育理念，也深深继承了欧洲传统人文主义精神。因此，在追求真知的学术理想之外，耶鲁大学的人文主义氛围也十分浓厚。为培养未来的领导者，挑选的人才一定是乐意为社会付出、不把自我放在第一位的奉献者，而学校明确提出其青睐的申请者是那些专注于公众事务多于关心自己的人。如果对社会的酸甜苦辣和大众的嬉笑怒骂没有共鸣，不付诸关心，又如何会有去改变、去建设的责任心？所以申请者要尽可能多地展示或者发掘自己这方面的能力。
突破自我，不断进取。 曾任耶鲁大学校长的金曼·布鲁斯特期待，耶鲁大学的学生应该是能够充分利用学校的一切资源充实自己、取长补短的自我开发者。这需要申请者先认清自己的优劣，同时不断激发自身潜力。
有个性，做自己。 耶鲁大学推崇自由的学术和自由的思想，十分欢迎不同文化背景的申请者，组成一个更加有包容力的校园。在录取条件中，耶鲁大学提出了许多要求和申请者需具备的基本素质，但是最后总会绕回到be yourself。申请者其实不用刻意去展现一些迎合学校需求但其实自己并不熟悉、不了解、参与度不高的项目或活动。学校需要了解的是真实的你和你的能力，以此来衡量你是否能适应入学之后的校园生活。介绍自己最熟悉的经历，在里面不断地发现新的自己或者有潜力的自己，这是一种真诚的互动与自我交流。对于更多未来的潜在申请者来说，这更是一种提示：从现在开始就准备开发最好的自己。
What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply? Please limit your response to the space provided.
Characters available 500.
【类别】 选择原因型
【关键词】 what about Yale, influence, decision to apply
【题目翻译】 耶鲁的哪些具体因素让你决定申请耶鲁大学？请将回复限制在所提供的空间内。（500字左右）
【题目分析】 这道题目是非常典型的选择原因类题型。学校设置这类题目一方面是要看申请者对所申请学校（或项目）的了解，另一方面是看申请者是否了解自己、对未来的规划目标是否明确，以及是否能够理智地选择最适合自己的未来。也就是说，美国大学不需要那些目标不明确，甚至不知道为什么选择某所大学或不知道为什么选择来美国读书的学生，因为这些学生会造成学习资源的浪费，而学校需要和学生之间建立互相促进、共同发展的关系。
因此，解决这道题目的两个关键就一目了然了。第一、要对学校有足够的了解。不仅包括学术方面（美国顶尖名校的学术水平、师资力量和科研能力都不逊色），更重要的是学校的“个性”（前面给出的分析）。把握住耶鲁大学的“个性”和它要找怎样的学生（“官方说法”）是切中题目要害的秘籍。第二、要对自己有足够的、理性的了解。也就是说，你要知道自己要什么，以及耶鲁大学如何能给你需要的东西。比如，耶鲁大学的某个强项专业是你的学术兴趣所在，你在这个领域内已经有了深厚的基础，而耶鲁大学的学术资源和相关的项目资源能让你大展拳脚。这里也要从学校的个性入手，比如具体阐述为什么同样是名校，耶鲁大学比普林斯顿大学更适合你。
I choose Yale because I want to produce a better me, a more powerful me to change unreasonable rules and to abolish unfairness. I believe that Yale and I share the same mission and that Yale is the only one that can help me to reach my goal.
When I was little, I dreamed of being Superman, protecting the world and driving away all the bad guys. Later when I entered junior high school, I regarded journalism as the coolest job in the world because they had opportunities to go through fire and water to report on important events, and let reasonable voices be heard. However, a casual walk inspired me to dream more.
It was a weekend evening, and I decided to take a walk around our community after dinner. As I was looking around, trying to find something interesting to distract me, I saw a small group of people gathering on the other side of the street. Out of strong curiosity, I went across the street, wanting to figure out what was happening. As I approached the crowd, I saw urban management officers yelling at a man who looked like about 50 years old. He was picking up some sweet potatoes that had fallen out of a big bucket. When I asked around, a man told me that “the bucket was accidentally knocked over by that man, as he was worried about getting away from the officers”. The vendor just slowly put away all his things and nobody gave him a hand. I stepped out of the crowd to help the vendor, and he gave me a thankful look, saying “Thank you for your help.”
After the officers left, I had a talk with him and learned that he was from a rural area, and wanted to find a job here but did not know what he could do excepting sell things like sweet potatoes. He was a bit old to be a favored laborer. “Sometimes I feel desperate, and since I cannot run faster than officers' car, I tell myself to get used to this kind of life,” he said.
I used to think that being a journalist was the best way to help this kind of people, but after that day, I realized that there are too many people like him, too many cases like this, and many more in even worse situations. Writing an article was too weak a voice to proclaim the plights of their hardship. I knew that the power of a single person was not enough, and I knew I wanted to help, and wanted to make some important changes.
I need Yale to guide my way.
为什么要选择这个学校是反向考查申请者个人特质的经典题型。首先，毫无疑问，作为世界名校，大部分申请者都是慕名而来的，对耶鲁的条件了如指掌。但是学校并不认识任何一个申请者，因此题目应该偏重在介绍自己的这一面，讲讲自己为什么适合耶鲁，耶鲁如何能够帮助你。
这篇文章的着手点在于耶鲁具有人文关怀的传统和培养领导者的目标，作者结合自己的见闻，发出了希望耶鲁帮助自己接近梦想的声音。虽然相比一些实践经历来说，这样的见闻显得过于平面，过于普通，但只要能为凸显自己的个人特质服务，就是很好的素材。
在描述中，作者充分体现了自己关心社会、想要为社会改变做出贡献的心意；同时这是他从小到大的梦想，而这次见闻更是让他意识到，打抱不平的记者或许力量还是太微弱，他要向更高的方向努力。
行文中，切忌过多细节描述而缺少思考和观察的内容。如果是个人经历，也需要围绕自己与学校相符的个人特质来叙述。
You have already told us about yourself in the Common Application, with its List of Activities, Short Answer, and Personal Essay. In this required second essay, tell us something that you would like us to know about you that we might not get from the rest of your application—or something that you would like a chance to say more about. Please limit your essay to fewer than 500 words.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 something about you, not get from the rest of your application
【题目翻译】 通过Common Application中的List of Activities、Short Answer和Personal Essay部分，你已经向我们介绍了你自己。在这第二篇所要求的文章中，请告诉我们一些从你申请表中不能获得的关于你的信息，或你想告诉我们的关于你的一些其他信息。请将文章控制在500字以内。
【题目分析】 这道题目是对Common Application的一个补充，也是申请者展现个人特质和自己与众不同之处的机会。问题中没有限制任何方面，申请者可以选择关于自己的任何信息。但是，重要的还是这两点：把握学校个性和用事实说话。所要突出的个人特质也好，相关特长能力也罢，一定要与学校个性及“官方说法”相匹配。避免空泛的描述，要用具体的事例支持你的观点。这些故事之所以没能从申请表中体现出来，有可能是因为表格限制的原因，也有可能是因为事情太小了，不足以列举出来，但是不代表它没有讲述的价值，而这个价值就在于它虽小，却能从细节上体现你的个人能力和特质，以及你和学校互相需要的原因。
I used to be a very shy and introverted girl, with no confidence at all. It might be because I grew up in the shadow of my mother leaving us, and my father was always busy working; I basically had no one to talk to, and more, I felt I did not need to. I locked myself away into a world where books and toys were my best friends.
Things got worse when I went to primary school, where communication was the first and foremost important aspect of the social setting. I became an invisible person in my classes, and even among the teachers, which made me very upset. I admired my classmates who were talkative and outgoing. I often sat at my desk looking at them, surrounded by others, confident and charming, while I could not even open my mouth or engage in normal chitchat. I knew that I had to fix this situation, and had to make changes.
With all my courage and determination, I went to a girl who was among the most popular ones in school and told her what I was thinking about: being her friend. To my surprise, she agreed to help me and that was how I found the best friend I've ever had in my life. At first, we just did homework together, discussing problems we encountered. Then she started to invite others to join us, and I got to know other people more. We studied together, played together and had a lot of fun. I kept trying out what she told me, to raise my head and smile more, and I found everyone was nice to me and started to involve me in their activities. I was becoming a real member of my class.
The next semester, I entered the class leader election and guess what? I was elected to be one of the leaders to be in charge of publicity work, like designing blackboard posters and contributing to the school's radio. I also proposed to create a cozy book corner in our classroom, and subsequently encouraged everyone to put their favorite books there so that we could share them together and read more. The proposal was widely supported by students and faculty, and finally spread throughout the whole school.
I know that it is impossible to be a perfect person without any shortcomings, but I am doing my best. And step by step, putting forth the best effort I can, and with my friends' help, I can keep growing and progressing.
作者选择的申请表中没有体现的信息，是一段非常私人的成长经历——一个小女孩从内向、不善交流，一步一步变得开朗、积极向上。
在贴合耶鲁大学的录取个性上，作者逐步展示了自己的个性变化：从勇敢地踏出第一步，改善自己的个性劣势，到参加班干部竞选，为班级建设作贡献，再到提出建立图书角，在个人表现上更积极、更活跃。首先是取长补短、突破自我，然后是为班级和同学们服务，贡献自己的特长，最后是发挥个性，让改变更进一步。而在改变自己的同时，也给周围的世界带来更好的东西。这是一个完整的蜕变过程。
另外，作者从自己爱读书，到提出分享好书，体现了作者懂得分享乐趣的优点。既展现了自己的思想成长，也体现出个人的创造潜力——这也与耶鲁大学的录取个性十分合拍。
其实，任何特长或者客观的实践经历都是别人能够得到的一目了然的信息，但是细节的成长过程是不容易为人所知的。同样，在展现个人特质的同时不要忽略成长经历对自己人生以及对周围世界的影响，要有意义才值得分享。