暑假忙着托福SAT，小伙伴们是不是已经焦头烂额了呢？不要急不要急，我虽然托福SAT没准备完，可我Common App Essay也没写啊！日报支招，让DIY留学的你看看如何五招把你的common essay改至完美。

消灭闲篇子：Eradicate cliches

很多时候我们会用很多自以为华丽的辞藻，比如：‘spine-tingling’或者‘deafening silence’ 想要让我们的文章看起来充满了书卷气。WRONG!!这样的大街词只会让你的申请文书看起来又无聊又没有想象力。用这样老生常谈的话其实说明了你的词汇量是很匮乏的，所以在写完你的essay之后再检查一下就显得尤为重要。这些词其实有很多别的替换的词可以用，而且也可以达到同样的效果。

Too often we depend on phrases we believe sound catchy, like ‘spine-tingling’ or ‘deafening silence’ to add vibrancy to our writing. However, in reality, cliches leave an essay to appear dull and unimaginative. Cliches can also hint at a lack of vocabulary. It’s important to take a critical scan over your writing, and highlight all the cliches that have crept into your essay - then delete them! There are plenty of synonyms you can draw on to replace commonly used words to really capture your reader’s attention.

文章结构紧密：Tie it all together

每一个招生官每天都会读许许多多的essay，所以你应该用你滴水不漏的逻辑结构，准确恰当的用词来给他留下一个深刻的印象。你可以尝试一下这个：在文章的末尾用一个句子来呼应开头的结论，这可以显示出你能不能写出来一个有着连贯结构的文章。

Admissions officers are reading tens of thousands of common app essays, so you want your piece to shine for its tight structure and well-articulated prose. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to show a clever link back from your intro to your conclusion. Consider using an image that you can thread through your essay from the beginning, to refer to in your conclusion - this shows your ability to structure a coherent essay.

走点心：Take time to reflect on a specific event

如果你想要避免文章缺乏重点和方向，你应该选一个你能够很好的描述的事情来写。一个合格的个人事件的描写，能够很好地反映出你是一个什么样的人，并且给你的写作注入你对自己的。比如说，你可以写一写你在汉堡店工作的经历，写写你是如何包装汉堡的，这些也会给你的个人的简历增光添彩。一个个人定制的个人简历对于你的申请来说可以算是如虎添翼，而且如果可以加入更多的细节，更能够让你的简历有一种很强的带入感，让你的经历看起来更加的饱满和真实。

To avoid generic statements that can lack focus and direction, choose a specific event that you can write about clearly. Describe a significant moment in your life to add weight to your story and inject real character into your writing. For example, talk about working part-time at your local burger shop and describe the task of carefully wrapping burgers. A very personal, distinct image is key- it’s much easier to describe a particular scene vividly than to write about a broad event. The person reading it knows exactly what you’re talking about and so will you!

多用比喻：Use extended metaphors

如果你不想让你的简历看起来像是一个枯燥无味的报告的话，你可以用各种各样的修辞手法来让你的essay看起来充满了文艺气息。最常见的两种手法就是明喻和暗喻，这些方法会让你们的文章的整体感更强一些

Show your literary skill and add color to what can otherwise sound like a report, by being crafty with a range of literary devices . Similes and alliteration are two sophisticated tools to splice through your piece. These effects will unify your essay.

生动的描绘：Vividly describe people

不要害怕写一些个人的细节：比如他们第一次接触你时脸上的表情，或者他们身上穿着的手织羊毛衬衫。一定要把自己当成你的文章的读者，这时候你就会发现，再多的细节也不为过。

Don’t be afraid to get personal and go into specific detail - a person’s expression as they approach you or the particular weave of the wool jumper they’re wearing. Really characterize what you are seeing as a reader. No depth of detail is too much when it comes to your essay.

testdaily赠书福利

《1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know - Harry Harrison》

高清电子书（kindle&PDF） 亚马逊价格：$7

点评：This is a remarkably readable book for young people ready to enter college. The advice is concise, but often presented in a humorous fashion. Because it isn't a wordy tome, the book invites readers to read just a little bit more, and the topics covered are important for consideration.

The fresh advice covers topics today's high school students probably haven't though about, and it may surprise them to learn that there are often a variety of ways to address a problem