分享一个不错的diversity statement

之前在网上看到的，不知道有没有人已经发过~~


我一直知道美国注重diversity（多样性），在各种申请学校中也经常留有一项自己可以选择提交的diversity statement，讲讲你是怎么跟别人不一样的。我以前只觉得多样性是种族的，比如亚裔非裔啊神马的，不过这次在我胆突儿的决定写这个diversity statement的时候，我好好普及了一下，这个多样性，可以小到跟家里一次谈话，可以大到一次移民，而不简单是种族或者残疾。

在这之间，我好好想了想我自己，我为什么成为了我。带着挖掘自己的眼光看小时候的时光，滤镜一过，其实很多事情都是有自己的意义的。我觉得最后成功申请到学校，大概也与此有关。靠姐都这么坚忍独特了，你还要姐怎样，还不乖乖给姐发邀请书！

最后，信是先英文写，我再用中文翻过来的。

中文版：

       “你从中国什么地方来？” “我从北京来，不过十四岁前我在中国东北的一个小镇。” 对于一个基本的社交问题，我的回答总显得不必要的冗长。但是，正是小镇的童年经历把我塑造为现在的样子，并且永远在提醒我去探索生命的每个可能性。
      在我的小学，因为小镇教育资源的缺乏和不规范，一个班上坐着足足60多名二三年级的小豆包。因为中国国家政策，每年停课一段时间进行一次军训。一群十岁左右的小豆包，包括我在内，穿着不合体的军装在操场上学着踢正步和接受指令。这倒是一个很有意思的情景。虽然教室拥挤嘈杂，操场上尘土飞扬，不过夜晚来临的时候，我就迎来了我最最期待最最享受的看书时间---比如汤姆索亚在美国中部在洞穴里的冒险，或是恐怖的红字带来的诅咒。小说中那个充满这面包和马铃薯的世界对于幼小的我就像浪漫的梦境。而我的妈妈，总是跟我说等我长大了，我应该出国，去见很大的世面，向发达社会学习。
      一直到初中，我才明白这个出国这个遥远的梦想如果实现起来会有多少的障碍。初中开学不久，班上就有女生当理发店小妹了。同桌的男生后来辍学帮着他奶奶干农活去了。虽然小镇的资源有限，大环境摆在那里，我的爸爸妈妈总是激励我，教给我“努力，认真”这些人生的朴素真理，为可能的未来做准备。在那一年，我在1000个人的年级中排名15.
      在我十四岁的时候，父亲在北京郊区找到了一份工作。我现在还记得父亲母亲告诉我我可以转到北京上初中的时刻。我只感到懵懵懂懂惊喜交加。我所有能想到的就是“北京！可是首都啊！”回想当时，我从来没离开过东北，从来没去过那么远的地方。傻乎乎的我当时并不能理解父亲要面对的是什么—四十岁的男人从头开始自己的事业，同时还要同母亲两地分居不知道多久，只为了我能站在更高的平台。
      虽然我在小镇的成绩单不错，在新学校的入学数学测验中我只得了38分（满分100），因为新学校比小镇的数学教学足足快了一个学期。父亲听了结果也没有说什么，跟我乘坐快一个小时的公车，回家给我做饭。在父亲淡然的态度下，小镇姑娘精神大爆发。初中每个晚上，我都尝试着回家前完成数学作业，向班上别的同学问各种几何代数问题，自己慢慢想慢慢赶。一年半的北京市高中入学考试中，我的所在区有超过10000名应届考生，我排名前30. 仿佛自己也没料到的，进入到北京市最好的高中之一。
      回望短短人生，在每一个小的社会环境中都有各种界限或者极限。但我从来不会陷在某种固定模式或被社会的墙推到。就像从小镇其他居民一样，我遇到了很多阻碍。但是，来自母亲的最初的梦想，模糊的小镇的童年记忆，它们给予我坚忍的性格，给我勇气面对挑战，指引我完成梦想。父亲的所有所有努力和牺牲镌刻成一种感恩，对于所有的可能性所有的机会。我是我自己的梦。我不想让那个住在我心中的小镇姑娘对我失望，永远不会。


英文：
Diversity Statement
             “Where in China are you from?” “I’m from Beijing, but before fourteen years old I lived in a small town in Northeast China.” My answer always seems unduly long and unnecessary for a common question. However, it is the experiences of childhood in a small town that shaped me into who I am and constantly remind me to explore every corner of life.
            In my primary school, there were more than sixty 8-year-old kids in my classroom due to the lack of educational resources of my small town. Because of China’s national policy, mandatory children army training stopped school once a year. It was an amusing scene watching 10-year-old kids, including myself, learn how to march and receive disciplines in a uniform untailored to our height and size on the playground of the school. Despite the cramped classroom and dust from playground, I did my own fun reading at night—how Tom Sawyer explored the cave and the horrible scarlet letter. The world of bread and potatoes in the novels took my fancy and my mom always told me that I should go abroad when I grow up to learn from advanced societies.
            I never understood the obstacles of my dream of going aboard until I was in middle school. Not long after the school started, some girls in my class went to become apprentices in a barbershop. The boy sitting next to me dropped out of school to help his grandmother with her farm. Notwithstanding the limited prospects of the small town, my parents always kept inspiring me to work hard and be prepared for future opportunities. I ranked 15 out of 1000 students in my grade that year.
            When I was fourteen, my father found a job in a suburb of Beijing. I still remember the moment that they told me that I would transfer to a middle school close to Beijing. The surprise and happiness filled in my heart. All I was thinking was “BEJING! CAPITAL! I have never been that far.” I did not realize that my father had to start his career brand new in his forties and had to live apart from my mother for almost two years just for better educational opportunities and a higher platform for me.
            Although I had a very good transcript from the middle school in the small town, I got 38 out of 100 in the mathematics evaluation on the first day at my new school because this school’s math education was a semester ahead. My father listened to the feedback from the teacher with me and took me home and cook me the dinner to celebrate start of the school. My father’s attitude and the small town girl spirit encouraged me to figure out mathematics problem before going home every evening. On the high school entrance examination one and half years later, I ranked 27 out of more than 10,000 people from my suburb and got into the best high school in Beijing.
            Throughout my life, there have been certain boundaries in every social environment. I was never held back by any stereotype or limits imposed by society. Like everyone in my small town or suburb of Beijing, I have encountered many obstacles. However, my mother’s original words about dreams and experiences in the remote small town always gave me resolve to face challenges. My father’s efforts and sacrifices instilled in me an appreciation of the opportunities I have been given. I always try to live up to my ideals. I believe I won’t let the little girl from small town in my heart disappoint.

很多人都爱把自己描述成教育稀缺地区成长的孩子，老这么说就没意思了，diversity 一点都不diverse

mamacjj 发表于 2013-1-10 20:05
我真的是教育稀缺区成长的，小学教育基本是爸妈完成的，然后我就这么写了一份，看来也不diversity了

对的啊！但是你要真是的，你还是得这么写不是么？这确实是你的diversity，也是你的motivation。

但是鄙视那些不是这样，却如此说的人。正如大学里有人家庭富足，还要和真的有困难的同学抢助学金一样。

申请研究生的话 录取委员会更多的是看SOP PS, Diversity statement这些作补充说明 就这篇文章来说 算不上特别吸引人 估计太多申请人都可以写出类似文书 SOP才是真正重点 感谢分享

mantoull 发表于 2013-1-10 17:39
很多人都爱把自己描述成教育稀缺地区成长的孩子，老这么说就没意思了，diversity 一点都不diverse

我真的是教育稀缺区成长的，小学教育基本是爸妈完成的，然后我就这么写了一份，看来也不diversity了

很好的文章，做真实的自己就行了

感谢分享，我现在申请个fellowship一定需要一个diversity statement， 都找模板找懵了