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We use a holistic review process when evaluating applicants for admission. That means admission to Columbia is not based on a simple formula of grades and test scores. Instead, we consider a variety of factors: the student's academic record, extracurricular interests, intellectual achievements and personal background.
We look at a variety of factors to help us inform our decision on a candidate including:
·The student's curriculum and grades—we hope to see that a student is challenging herself or himself with a rigorous course load.
·The context of a particular candidate, including family circumstances, secondary school, community, interests and access to resources.
·The quality of a student's involvement in activities beyond the classroom. The character and personality of a candidate, and the impact she or he will make on our diverse, residential campus.
·The candidate's fit for the distinctive Columbia experience, which includes the Core Curriculum; a both traditionally collegiate and unmistakably urban campus life; and an Ivy League school where curious thinkers come to grow.
·Recommendations—which provide evidence of intellectual curiosity and promise, classroom and school and community participation, and overall potential for the candidate to make an impact at Columbia, in the classroom and beyond.
Select those that we believe will take greatest advantage of the unique Columbia experience and will offer something meaningful in return to the community.
苛刻的学术要求，不断挑战自我。 像众多美国名校一样，哥伦比亚大学设置了很高的入学标准——活跃在课内课外，并且都要有不俗的表现。学校提出希望看到学生在高中时代的课程是完成难度比较大的、挑战自我的。作为常青藤联盟的一员，哥伦比亚大学至今仍然保留着最传统、最严格的核心课程，这就要求申请者从高中时期就严谨地要求自己，进行高标准的修习和研究。
强大的实践能力。 在竞争激烈的时代，实践能力是最具含金量的一个标杆。地处纽约市中心的哥伦比亚大学周围充斥着机遇和挑战，学校也从这方面考虑，做了很多相应的设置，比如哥伦比亚商学院的选修课，大部分都是请商界中的成功人士讲授，用他们的亲身实践经验使学生耳濡目染；在课堂外，也不乏让学生进入社会实习的机会。
个人特性。 个性饱和度决定着学生能给学校注入多少生机和活力。这是一个相互交流的过程——学校提供给学生发展的养分，而学生丰富学校的枝叶，甚至是资源。因此，在实力相当的情况下，个性是最亮眼的武器。
1) List the required readings you enjoyed most in the past year.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 required readings, enjoyed most, the past year
【题目翻译】 请列出过去一年中你最喜欢的必读读物。
【题目分析】 有一些学校会推荐学生阅读一些课外书籍，既丰富精神生活，也开阔学生视野，但是别忘了，教科书也是重点必读书目，所以这个读物不限定是课外还是课内的书籍。
你之所以最喜欢这本书，可能是因为它与你的兴趣爱好、世界观、价值观、私人精神世界密切相关。例如，必读书目中有英语相关读物，而你最爱看这类书籍，因为你对英语非常感兴趣，想要不断发展和巩固自己的英语阅读能力；那些名人传记类书籍让你爱不释手，因为你能从他们的故事和经历中总结出一些有用的东西——思考方式、对待困境的态度，以及如何把握生活机遇等。
选择书籍的原因和你阅读之后的收获是最重点的两个部分，因此不要花过多文字介绍书的内容，而要有选择性地将书和你自己结合起来。需要重点注意的部分是“必读书目”以及字数要求。
I really enjoy my history textbook. It is made up of many combined historical stories, all of which are informative and interesting. The portions of ancient times in the book are especially engaging, because I can learn about when the life style of all people over the whole world was totally different from now. Still, our ancestors embraced wisdom and learning, no matter whether it was great thinking or physical inventions. I learned many historical facts from these readings, and received inspiration from this study of ancient wisdom. I am also interested in related books, such as historical fiction and learning resources, and find out it is a good way to broaden my horizon without actually going anywhere.
指定书目对于国内的学生来说，除了参考书以外，最常接触的就是课本，文章里选择的就是历史课本，既可以从里面了解不同时代的人和事，学到知识，又可以看到一些有趣的小故事，在吸收知识的同时收获乐趣。
书本的选择最好是与自己兴趣相关、与自己在大学里要选修的专业相关。或者选择对自己来说十分有意义的书，比如是自己不擅长的科目，由于苦心钻研，因恨生爱。总之一定要有目标地进行选择，但是目标意义的大小由你自己来衡量。
2) List the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 books, for pleasure, enjoyed most, the past year
【题目翻译】 请列出过去一年中你最喜欢的课外书。
【题目分析】 课外书体现了学习之外的个人兴趣。如果这本课外书是跟你的学术兴趣息息相关的，那么，这对于学校判断申请者的专业选择和个人学习能力都很有帮助。例如，你最喜欢的书告诉你如何思考问题，是使你形成自己的思维模式的指导性书籍，那么，这类书将对你的学习有很大的帮助，因为思考是学术研究的重要部分，贯穿在整个研究过程当中。如果你最喜欢的书完全是你的个人兴趣，那么，这体现了你丰富的课余生活。再比如，生活常识类书籍可以为你的生活带来便利，也能在别人遇到困难的时候给予帮助，同时还能体现你的互助精神。
I really enjoyed the book called The Long Tail , written by Chris Anderson, who is also a member of the global media industry. The book tells of the power of niche markets and provides me a fresh perspective into business development in the information age, where computers and the Internet make the world a much smaller one.
I am not actually very interested in studying business because of my weakness in mathematics. Math is in my opinion quite important if one wants to have a job in the business world. But this book presented me with a different part of business: the part that makes me feel this industry is an interesting field.
Besides, the book contains notes from a lot of interviews the author conducted with business elites, who have offered many valuable comments as well as basic knowledge to readers. I can see the logic in writing about business and in interviewing: the author killed two birds with one stone.
文章介绍的是《长尾理论》这本书，但没有一味地介绍书的内容或作者的生平，而是从自己为什么选择这本书入手展开叙述。
这本书介绍了一套以商业讨论为主建立起来的理论模型。作者开头交代自己本身并不喜欢与商业有关的东西，但是这本书的内容和写作方式让自己产生了兴趣。虽然是一本与自己感兴趣的领域无关的书籍，但作者还是从中看到并学习到对自己有用的东西，进而体现了作者的学习和理解能力。
3) List the publications you read regularly, including print and electronic sources (websites, blogs, podcasts, etc.).
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 publications, read regularly, print and electronic sources
【题目翻译】 请列出你定期阅读的期刊读物，包括印刷品和电子资源（网站、博客、播客等）。
【题目分析】 这些刊物或者电子阅读物直接和你的个性与品位挂钩，因此要慎重选择。不同话题的读物能体现你的兴趣，而兴趣又是跟学习和工作紧密联系的，因此，你的关注点会体现出你的一些个人品质。例如，你选择新闻类的读物有可能是出于对新闻类专业的兴趣，想要进行初步的了解；也可能是出于对新闻本身的关注，这不仅能看出你对社会民生或时事政治的关心，还能间接体现出你的人格魅力。具体分析可以参见题目1）和2）。
I insist on consuming news every day to keep myself updated, and so The Economist, The Guardian, The New York Times and the BBC are among my daily selections to help me to know and understand international affairs. They are all serious media from the UK or the USA, and offer different political stances. Through them I am gaining a more comprehensive view of the world.
As for Chinese publications, I prefer magazines such as Lifeweek , a weekly news magazine which is made up of investigative features, cultural articles, book and movie reviews and more. I am also fond of a magazine called City Pictorial which features a different city in each publication, offering cultural research. I am crazy about this kind of lifestyle magazine.
I also keep an eye on scientific media outlets such as guoke.com in China, which informs readers of scientific knowledge through analyzing our everyday lives. For example, when an epidemic breaks out, the website can tell us what the disease is, how it works and what we should do to avoid coming in dangerous contact with it. In this way, many online rumors are refuted.
作者列举了一些偏新闻类的杂志或网站，并说明自己有关注新闻的习惯，既指明了自己的兴趣爱好，又通过指出从这些读物中能得到什么间接地体现了自己的专业选择意向。兴趣通常是一个人最好的老师。
4) List the films, performances, exhibits, concerts, shows, lectures, etc. you enjoyed most in the past year.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 films, performances, exhibits, concerts, shows, lectures, enjoyed the most, past year
【题目翻译】 请列出在过去一年中你最喜欢的电影、表演、展览、音乐会、演出、演讲等。
【题目分析】 类似于上面几题——“最喜欢的必读读物”“最喜欢的课外书籍”“经常阅读的刊物”，这一题与它们的解题模式和写作思路是相同的。电影、表演等这些活动吸引你的原因以及你从它们中得到的收获是重点，从中体现出来的是与你个人兴趣、人生规划以及个人品质十分相关的内容。
I always watch television documentaries and American TV dramas. This year the one that surprised me the most was a TV drama called The Newsroom . Written by Aaron Sorkin, a talented screenwriter who is among one of my favorites, the program was based on the story of a news production team in a fictional TV station. They work together to produce a more objective news program for audiences and provide them real news. In the process of achieving that goal, we witness their persistence, professionalism and teamwork. They fight the notion that “money talks” and fight for people's right to information. The drama makes me laugh, cry and respect journalists.
Although it is an idealistic image for news media, I believe the day will come when average news media become independent indeed and are valuable and trustworthy for public consumption.
作者最喜欢的电视节目是一部讲述新闻工作者背后故事的电视剧。在剧中，作者学到了剧中人物所坚守的职业道德、团队合作精神、奉献精神，以及想要把事实客观地传达给观众的职业理想。最后，作者表达了自己对这一职业的向往和期待，侧面反映出自己的未来规划。
以下三道题目都是基于个人经验。通过这些提问，学校可以得知申请者的个人兴趣、关注所在和基本的个人发展方向。因此，文章内容一定要与自己联系起来，说明原因，用自己的个人经历来支撑事实。
1) Please tell us what you found meaningful about one of the above mentioned books, publications or cultural events.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 meaningful, mentioned books, publications, cultural events
【题目翻译】 请告诉我们以上提到过的你觉得最有意义的书籍、出版刊物或者文化活动。
【题目分析】 这道题目是第一部分的三个问题的总和——既有书籍、刊物，又有文化活动（电影、展览等），因此具体分析可以参考对前面三个问题的解读。
I think Life Weekly is one of the most significant publications because I cultivated further personal interest in the field of journalism through the magazine. In the past, I wanted to be a journalist because of TV news reporters: their on-screen appearance was so attractive to me. I also gained an understanding of journalism through reading newspapers, where most of the news is written in a similar form. It gave me the impression that journalists all do similar work: go out, interview, and put what they get into a fixed structure. It seemed really easy and kind of boring. However, this magazine showed me another way of informing readers. It was not simple and straight short-form news, but was instead deep investigative reporting that was presented through eloquence.
After starting to read Life Weekly , I got totally into their style, from the language they used to the basic structure of it all. The magazine not only included investigative features covering economics and social topics, but also presented cultural sections to include movie and book reviews, news collections from international media, and even archeological presentations.
When I read articles in the magazine, I could sense the smooth narration, rousing comments and the logical mode of presentation and interview. I learned a lot from this magazine.
出版物和文化活动侧面体现的是一个人的人文气息，或者是个人兴趣。如果在文化类产品的选择上有强烈的个人品位，那么就去尽情展示自己的积累吧！如果比较杂乱无章，那么就从自己的专业兴趣、职业规划出发寻找思路，重点是表现自己的内心世界。
2) Please tell us what academic class has been your favorite and why.
【类别】 自我介绍型
【关键词】 academic class, favorite, why
【题目翻译】 请告诉我们你最喜欢的课程，以及为什么喜欢。
【题目分析】 最喜欢的课程和你的学术兴趣最相关，它会间接说明为什么你会选择大学里的某个专业，也会说明你将在这个领域内有什么样的发展。比如你选择的是化学，因为你觉得它和生活很贴近，到处都能发现化学的踪影，你沉迷于这门课程里的各种元素、各种物质之间的神奇反应，你喜欢做实验的时候自己展现出的创造能力和主导力，这说明你对于化学的喜爱是发自内心的，并且能将它和生活联系起来，将理论和实践结合。这一点十分有助于你对知识的巩固和运用，在大学里的研究也会迸发出更大的火花。
如果你选择的是一些基础课程，那么其所体现的就是你的学习能力和学习基础。比如数学，它培养的是你的逻辑思维能力和解决问题的能力。它不仅是理工科的基础学科，也是影响你思维的学科。你喜欢它，因为你喜欢其中的数字排列组合的奥秘、不同公式背后的含义和它们的来源——这一切让你觉得不可思议。当思考那些数学问题的时候，你觉得自己充满了活力，而当问题解决之后，你又充满了无限的喜悦和成就感。随着这些问题的攻克，你的独立思维能力逐步得到提升。
写作重点还是要放在原因和收获上。这些内容和你的个人能力以及未来规划最相关。
Believe it or not, math is my favorite class even though I am really bad at it.
When I was a kid in primary school, I found that I was bad at doing math problems. My father was worried because math is one of the most important parts of every entrance exam, so he sent me to extra classes on the weekends until I went to high school.
Although I used to hate math because it took my holidays away, it is actually a discipline that is full of magic and logic. Even now, every time I am given a math problem I feel bittersweet.
The bitter always comes first, as I find that I could not find the solution or even understand the question. It always takes time for me to comprehend the logic and find the key elements of each problem, and to apply rules to produce functions. When I come across problems and get stuck, I first just stare at all the previous work and the question, and let my mind wander, trying to imagine any possible solution, even ridiculous ones. But sometimes, I find that I really could start thinking of A and in the end find Z; for this reason, math always makes me nervous but simultaneously helps me concentrate.
The sweet part always comes after the bitter. After thinking and letting my mind wander, and finally reaching the result or proving the theory, a feeling of relief and accomplishment settles down on me and I think: “Dear math, you made my day!”
作者选择了数学作为自己最喜欢的科目。在文章开头作者就提到数学是自己最不擅长的，却是最喜欢的科目——以此激发读者的好奇心。接下来，作者介绍正是因为自己不擅长，所以在思考的时候会很认真。在没有思路的时候，就会发散灵感，尽力搜索，借助自己学过的知识来解决问题。而当难题得到解答时，那种满足感是无法言喻的。
这里所体现的是作者乐于自我挑战、不惧困难，并享受困难的那一面，是一种非常独特的乐观精神。
3) Please tell us what you find most appealing about Columbia and why.
【类别】 选择原因型
【关键词】 most appealing about Columbia, why
【题目翻译】 请告诉我们你觉得哥伦比亚大学最吸引你的地方，并解释为什么。
【题目分析】 这是一个了解哥伦比亚大学的过程，也是探寻自我的过程。在你的心里，选择哥伦比亚大学最重要的决定因素是学校的环境、学术实力还是悠久的校园文化？还是某一位老师、某一位学长、某一次参观影响了你的选择？或者是你从小的向往或与朋友之间的约定让你早早就做出了选择？每一个影响因素背后都会有一个故事。说出这个故事，就说明了为什么哥伦比亚大学吸引了你，以及如何吸引你。在构思的时候，应该从哥伦比亚大学的角度出发。如果你与它的校园文化、人文氛围相契合，那么，这就是其吸引你的原因。在表现你对学校喜爱的同时，也要说明你会如何适应这个学校——这是最重要的。同时要避免喊口号和内容空泛的描述。
I have never had the chance to visit Columbia University or the city it is in, but I have seen both a lot about them in movies and American television shows, and I have obviously heard a lot from others who have been to or dreamed to go there. It can be easy for people to fall in love with a new place where they have never been, especially a place with fresh air, new views and exotic cultures. But the sheer diversity of Columbia attracts me the most.
In China, most universities are situated in the suburbs, where the land is less expensive and the environment less raucous and distracting. But Columbia is in New York, a dynamic city which offers energetic city culture and scenery, and keeps students both engaged and totally distracted. However, it is also famous for a very strong core curriculum, and I imagine my life at Columbia would be full of excitement and challenges.
Aside from the diverse environment, I also want to experience the abundant curriculum of Columbia's academic programs. In high school, what I learned was only theories from textbooks, all of which seemed dry and boring. I am very interested in the courses at Columbia that are led by actual practitioners, such as successful entrepreneurs and businessmen. Their practical experiences would help me make good preparation for any field or industry.
The last reason I have chosen Columbia University is because of my love for journalism, a passion that I have developed from childhood. I have always kept an eye on Columbia's school of journalism, and know that it does not provide bachelor's degree. In my observation, a journalist is not someone trained in a journalism school, but someone that has an expertise in some particular field and the ability to report or write engaging and interesting material on certain subjects. The professional qualities can be obtained through practice or in graduate-level education. So I choose Columbia to get well prepared for my journalism dream.
哥伦比亚大学以新闻学院闻名，但是哥伦比亚大学的新闻学院只招收研究生。因此作者表达了自己的新闻梦，介绍了自己的相关经历，指明虽然本科阶段不能选择新闻学院，但仍被哥伦比亚大学的校园文化和实力所吸引。同时，作者说明了自己对于新闻专业的理解——并不是在新闻学院的象牙塔里就能培养出好的从业者，必须要精通于某一方面的知识，再通过实践和研究生阶段的学习来扩展自己的能力，才能实现最终梦想。作者清晰地表达了自己的职业规划和对新闻工作的理解，同时也表达了自己对哥伦比亚大学的喜爱之情。
【类别】 选择原因型
【关键词】 what attracts you, fields of study, interest
【题目翻译】 作为哥伦比亚大学的申请者，请告诉我们具体是什么吸引你选择你在Application Data部分列出的专业？如果所选专业是你现在未决定的，请说说你现在感兴趣但未在申请中选择的专业领域。
【题目分析】 这道题目与你的个人特长、兴趣和未来职业规划有关。如果你确定了专业的选择，那么就要说明原因——是个人兴趣？学习基础？还是关乎你的个人未来规划？举个例子，你想成为一名作家，你对各种文学书籍特别感兴趣，并对文字方面的活动特别敏感和擅长。你参加了一些比赛，获得奖项之后更加肯定了自己的决定。这些经历可以是和想当作家的想法相互促进的。但这其中也可能有另外的故事，这就与你更私人的经历相关了。
如果你的专业没有确定，那么说明你对这个领域的喜爱还仅停留在感兴趣这个阶段。那么，为什么感兴趣却又没有下定决心呢？或许是你对这个领域还了解得不够深入，只是因为某个经历激发了你的兴趣；或许是这个领域并不在你的未来规划中，而这种节外生枝的情况让你产生了犹豫。无论是什么样的情况，都要具体说清楚。
My mom and dad were divorced when I was five and I lived with dad while mom went to another city to continue pursuing a graduate degree. We would only meet once or twice a year. The only thing I remember is that when we were together she would read bedtime stories for me, from fairy tales to folk stories. I was so into those stories! I would then ask my dad to buy storybooks for me, as he was so busy that all he could do aside from work was to buy me the things I wanted.
Without my mom and dad being active parts of my life I became lonely and shy. The characters in the stories were my friends and companions. Sometimes I felt I was one of the characters in the books I read, and that every line was telling my story. Sometimes I became the listener, hearing the author's words from their hearts. Once I began a new book, I would forego sleep and finish it all in one sitting, and so I often went to bed very late. My passion for those stories fostered my love for books, and I eventually fell in love with writing stories myself. I turned my social weakness into an advantage, as I was very patient and good at observation, both essential skills for a creative person.
After entering high school, I got to know more literary works of other countries, but I felt weird when reading translated works. I could not even finish one sentence. For a long time, I only read Chinese works. However, I knew that many literary forms were originally from foreign countries, so avoiding them was like ignoring huge regions of the world. Now I want to study literature at Columbia University so that I can come to understand and appreciate original literary works, and so I can cultivate a systematic understanding of world literature, and improve my knowledge. And I know interest is the best teacher.
文章从作者的背景介绍开始，为选择文学专业作铺垫，说明了作者在这一方面的兴趣爱好和积累，同时也说明作者在这一方面遇到的问题和需要系统地学习以进一步增长知识的需求。
兴趣的确是最好的老师，因此学校也希望学生能以兴趣为导向选择自己的专业。作者在描述中体现出对文学的强烈兴趣，并对自己在这一方面的学习情况进行客观评估，真实地展现了自己的学习兴趣和能力，所以这样作出的选择是十分合理的。