哥倫比亞大學創(chuàng)建于一七五六年，當時美國仍然屬于英國殖民地，英皇喬治二世捐款給紐約市民籌設了以人文、科學和語言為主的 “國王學院”，美國獨立后，為了紀念發(fā)現(xiàn)美洲新大陸的哥倫布，改名為哥倫比亞學院。哥亞倫比亞大學出了近代中國不少名人，如早期的胡適之、陳公博、宋子文、顧維鈞，近期的倪文亞、李煥、張京育、吳舜文等。，“普利策獎”由哥大新聞學院評審、頒發(fā)。哥倫比亞大學位于大都市紐約，這里多采多姿的生活將豐富你的視野，對你的留學生涯將有莫大的助益。

ps就是搜集你學術(shù)成績、LSAT分數(shù)和課外活動之外的信息。將你想象為在進行書面面試，只不過你可以自己選擇問題和作出回答。Ps是你突出你自己的機會。類型分為兩大類，其中包括問題式。Ps涉及的領(lǐng)域有motivation，前期生活對你的影響（influence），如何客戶弱點或困難的（obstacle or disadvantage）。其中特別提到要用concrete examples.應該讓朋友或者顧問潤色文章（both friends and advisors are trying to help you tailor your message.）。其中特別提到要用concrete examples. 文章最后是哈佛大學法學院負責申請和獎學金的助理主任Joyce P. Curll對如何寫personal statement的觀點。

原文連接如下：
studentaffairs.columbia.edu/preprofessional/law/forms/WritingPersonalStatement.pdf

Personal Statements

I. What is the purpose of the personal statement?（定義）

The purpose of the personal statement is to gather information about you outside of your academic
performance, LSAT score and extracurriculars. Think of it as a written interview, one where you have control of the questions and answers.

The most important consideration in your personal statement, no matter what the topic, is the
impression of yourself that you are creating. Personal statement is your opportunity to distinguish yourself.

Types:（類型）
1. General/Comprehensive/Vague
2. Specific Pointed Question

Possible Topic Areas（可能涉及的領(lǐng)域）

1. Your motivation for a career as a law professional
2. The influence of your family/early experiences on your life
3. The influence of extracurricular, work or volunteer experiences on your life
4. Personal philosophies as related to your goals
5. How you’ve overcome an obstacle or disadvantage

II. Before You Begin:（開始之前應該）
· Brainstorm
· Self-Reflection Exercises
· Free-write
· Decide your approach in terms of content
· Think about your readers and tailor your message
· Write an Outline
II. Writing Process（寫作過程）
· Getting Started – Writing 1st Draft
· Revise Revise Revise
· Proofread
Q. How long should this take?（一般需要多長時間）
A. Probably longer than you’d like. Give yourself plenty of time to go through this writing process. The longer that you have the more revision that you can do and as a result the better your statement.
Q. Who should I ask to read my work?（應該讓誰讀一下？）
A. A multitude of perspectives is good. You should ask someone who knows you well and others who don’t know you that well. The staff in the Pre-professional office are certainly willing to help in this regard. Listen to the feedback and don’t take it personally
– both friends and advisors are trying to help you tailor your message.
Q. How do I know when I’m done writing and revising?
A. Only you can know the answer to this question. When you read it out loud and feelhappy with the result.
Q. How should I handle optional essay questions?
A. Answer them. Don’t squander opportunities to communicate with admissions committee.If you don’t take this opportunity – you may appear lazy.
Q. Should I talk about my a bad semester or a bad grade on my transcript within
the personal statement?
A. No. If you feel there is something on your record that needs further explanation, you
should address this in a separate letter or addendum to your application. Your personal
statement should stick to the positives.
III. General Advice（一般建議）
· Answer the questions that are asked. Don’t be tempted to use the same statement for all
applications.
· Tell a Story. Show or demonstrate your points using concrete examples from your
experience.（用實實在在的例子）
· Be specific. Broad sweeping statements will not make you stand out as an individual.
Illustrate your points with personal examples or experiences
· Find an angle. An angle helps you to focus and make your statement interesting.
· Have a strong opening paragraph. Your first paragraph should state your thesis and
grab the reader’s attention
· Avoid cliches and quotes. This statement is about you and should not borrow from
other’s words
· Write well. Be meticulous about your writing style. Type and proofread your essay very
carefully.
· Don’t write a descriptive resume. This is a common mistake. Don’t restate your resume in prose. This information can be found in other parts of your application.
· Avoid writing about high school experiences. Professional schools will expect that you have had significant experiences while in college.（不要寫高中經(jīng)歷）
· Be positive. Don’t badmouth the profession.（要積極樂觀）
· Be honest.
· Everyone Fails. Writing about a failure can demonstrate that you have been able to learn and grow from your mistakes.（犯錯并沒有關(guān)系）
· Find a balance between creative and cautious. This can be tricky. There is a fine line
between creative and interesting and odd and gimmicky. Don’t write your personal statement as a legal brief or as a poem.
· Be concise. This is greatly appreciated by those who are reading thousands of applications.
· It’s hard to be a stand-up comedian. Humor is difficult and can be misinterpreted. It’s best to avoid it.(不要用故意用幽默)