文书写作指南大全（三）文章结构

as it took to take my tests, and then spit them out. They did not change me but for a brief grin at a pleasant idea or a wrinkling of the nose at a bitter one. I told myself that it would be a waste of time to try and fully absorb any of the material I was studying, much less form an opinion on it. I made a mistake, then, that I had promised myself years before never to make. I became so worried about preparing a living, that I forgot to make a life for myself. For while my grades were thriving, my mind was stagnating. I did not grow; I did not change.
I changed my major, then, from Social Science to Philosophy, so that I might "study myself more than any other subject," to make, as Montaigne said, "that. . . my metaphysics; that . . my physics." I wanted to learn not just for the grade, nor even for knowledge, itself-not just to impress strangers at a cocktail party or friends over coffee by being able to toss
out names of ancient philosophers, or current celebrities, and their theories. I wanted, instead, to savor what was in the world-to take from books and people their views, to sample them, digest them, to make some my own, to reject others, and to store some away for further consideration. I wanted to become something more-someone better-for what I had studied, or for whom I had met.
Looking back on these past years as a philosophy major, I am only a little embarrassed at not being able to recall the name of an certain author, or the term for a specific idea. By the time I graduate, I may actually have forgotten the majority of those "facts" learned throughout my college career. This, however, does not concern me too much. To succeed externally, to mechanically be able to repeat information, is one thing, but to be able to say that you have created something internally, that you have made something more of yourself, means so much more. As Matthew Arnold wrote, "Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and becoming." To be able to color my thoughts with others' ideas, and yet, blend them into a pattern that is mine alone: that, to me, is the ultimate end of education.

四、时间顺序法

为自己的文章构建提纲的另一个方法是按事件发生的时间顺序组织要点。例如，你可以以你的生活为主线，根据你成长的各个不同阶段，从自己的童年开始，到中学，然后再到大学，等等。此法的优点是它纯粹是个人的，它有助于录取委员会了解有关你的情况以及你是如何成熟的。缺点是用此法可能难于突出中心，而且文章不容易写得长。你想要说明的要点可能在你叙述过程中陋掉。

例4的申请人在其文章中先用规范结构写引言部分，然后再用时间顺序法。

第一段（引言）
起始句："My background as an engineer and a Hispanic affords me a unique point of reference from which a constructive engagement in the intellectual, political, and social spheres at [ ] will be enhanced."

第二段
从出生开始："I was born in Brazil and lived in Mexico City starting at the age of two."

第三段
跳到大学："I pursued an education in engineering taking my Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 1990…"

第四段
转到研究生院："At Michigan, my outside interests gravitated toward politics."

第五段
接着写第一份工作："After graduating from Michigan I worked as an engineer for General Electric Aircraft Engines for two and a half years."

第六段
接着是目前的工作："I left GE because I was dissatisfied with the opportunity for career growth…"

第七段
把我们带到今天：“I was immediately given the duties normally associated with a first or second year associate at a large firm."

第八段（结论）
结尾句："I firmly believe my experiences in law, engineering, civic activity, and political activism will allow me to be a creative and contributing member
of the intellectual life at..."

例4： Career Switcher, Engineer

注意：为了教学目的，该文发表时未加修改。
My background as an engineer and a Hispanic affords me a unique point of reference from which a constructive engagement in the intellectual, political, and social spheres at [school] will be enhanced.
I was born in Brazil and lived in Mexico City starting at the age of two. When I was ten, my family moved to a small rural town in southwestern Michigan.
I am half Mexican and half German, born to parents whose families maintain close ties to Germany and Mexico. The rich mixture of cultures coupled with my own experiences living outside the US have allowed me to perceive the actions of the United States from a different perspective than that of many US citizens.
I pursued an education in engineering taking my Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from [school] in 1990 and my Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from [school], where I was a Merit Scholar Fellow, in 1991. I am proud that success at [school] was both academic and athletic. I maintained an above average GPA and participated in intercollegiate varsity water polo and swimming. Honored as captain of both teams, I also achieved a personal dream by earning All-America honors in my senior year.
At [school], my outside interests gravitated toward politics. My brother and sister were both heavily involved in the campus debates regarding political correctness, womens' issues, and race and class issues. My interest i

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