脑洞大开的芝加哥大学文书题:如何写出创意十足的文书?

 

新的一年申请季又要开始了,要申请的同学们一定要好好把握今年暑假的机会,准备申请文书,冲刺考试,更好地提升自己。

 

近日芝加哥大学率先公布了自己2021-2022文书题目。芝加哥大学素来以“烧脑文书”著称,每年都会要求申请者解答一些脑洞大开的题目,比如:

 

What’s so odd about odd numbers?

How should apples and oranges be compared?

And where is Waldo?

奇数有什么奇怪的?

苹果和橙子应该如何比较?

沃尔多在哪里?

 

 

芝加哥大学一共有两篇文书,第一篇文书是必选,且为固定题目,第二篇文书则是6选一。其中需要和大家强调的是字数问题——虽然在网申中对于第一篇文书的字数要求是One Page(一页),第二篇文书的字数要求是Two Pages(两页),但是在学校网站中其实是有一个suggested word limit(推荐字数要求)的。虽然不会说超过字数学校就不看你的文书了,但是这其实能侧面向学校展示你对学校的了解。

 

2021-2022年第一篇文书是:

How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

 

就你现在所知,芝加哥大学如何能够满足你对学习氛围、社区生活和未来发展的期待?请具体说明你自己的愿望,阐述它们与芝加哥大学的关系。

 

第二篇文书是:拓展性论文(必填,六选一)

Essay Option 1

What if the moon were made of cheese? Or Neptune made of soap? Pick a celestial object, reimagine its material composition, and explore the implications. Feel free to explore the realms of physics, philosophy, fantasy…the sky is the limit!

若月球是奶酪做的,会怎么样?或者若海王星是肥皂做的,会怎么样?请选择一个天体,然后重新想象其物质构成,并探索可能结果。话题领域没有限制,如物理、哲学、虚幻等等皆可。

 

Essay Option 2

What’s so easy about pie?

派/馅饼简单在哪里?

 

Essay Option 3

In Homer’s Iliad, Helen had a “face that launched a thousand ships.” A millihelen, then, measures the beauty needed to launch one ship. The Sagan unit is used to denote any large quantity (in place of “billions and billions”). A New York Minute measures the period of time between a traffic light turning green and the cab behind you honking. Invent a new unit of measurement. How is it derived? How is it used? What are its equivalents?

在《荷马史诗·伊利亚特》中,Helen有着能使千帆起航的美貌,因此一millihelen就代表能使一艘船起航的美貌程度。Sagan可以用来表示任何大的量(代替数十亿计)。一New York Minute(纽约分钟)测量的是交通灯变绿至你后面出租车鸣喇叭的时间间隔。请发明一个新的计量单位,说明它是从何而来?怎样运用?与什么等量?

 

Essay Option 4

"There is no such thing as a new idea" - Mark Twain. Are any pieces of art, literature, philosophy, or technology truly original, or just a different combination of old ideas? Pick something, anything (besides yourself), and explain why it is, or is not, original.

马克·吐温认为:“根本没有所谓的新想法”。你觉得有什么艺术、文学、哲学或技术是真正原创的吗,还是只是旧思想的结合?请任意选择某件事情(除自己之外),说明为何其是/不是原创。

 

Essay Option 5

It's said that history repeats itself. But what about other disciplines? Choose another field (chemistry, philosophy, etc.) and explain how it repeats itself. Explain how it repeats itself.

据说,历史是不断重演/自我重复的。那么其他学科呢?请选择一个其他领域(化学、哲学等等),说明其是如何重复的?

 

Essay Option 6

In the spirit of adventurous inquiry (and with the encouragement of one of our current students!) choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). Be original, creative, thought provoking. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun!

出于冒险精神(并带着在校生的鼓励),请从我们过去的命题中自行选择一个,也可以自己创建一个问题。文书一定要原创、创意十足(有创造性)、发人深省。作为一名作家、思想家、梦想家、社会批判家、贤人、世界公民、或芝加哥大学未来的成员,请尽情发挥自己最好的特质。冒点险,希望大家开心!

 

希望大家在写芝加哥大学文书的时候一定要打开思维,放飞思想,不要受形式所限制。祝所有想申请芝加哥大学的学生好运!

 

 

 

对于规划和申请细节有任何疑问,欢迎与我们沟通交流。