康奈爾大學位于美國紐約州的伊薩卡市。始建于1865年，是由艾茲拉·康奈爾創建的。在所有“常春藤盟校”中，康奈爾是歷史最短的一個。它擁有本科生13000多人，遙遙領先于其他“常春藤盟校”，讓人想起“百川歸海，有容乃大”的古話。與完全私立的其它“常春藤盟校”相比，康奈爾大學的體制也是別具特色的，她是“公私合營”式的大學。在七所學院中，農業與生物學院、人類與環境學院、工業與勞工關系學院是公立學院，受紐約州政府管轄。而其他四所學院：藝術科學學院、建筑藝術與規劃學院、工程學院和旅游管理學院則是私立的。康奈爾大學匯集了公立與私立學院的優點，在歷年舉行的美國大學評比中，康奈爾大學的許多學科都排在前10名之內，如農學系、化學系、數學系和賓館管理系。

網址：http://www.career.cornell.edu/fellowships/statement.html

What is a personal statement?

The personal statement is an essay, generally under 1,000 words, which is designed to give the selection committee a sense of who you are and how closely your goals and strengths match the ideals of a specific fellowship. In this essay you have a great deal of flexibility on how to organize and present your thoughts, but you should be sure to cover the following basic points: (字數少于1000，目的是展示你是誰以及你的目標與能力)

your qualifications for the given fellowship （資格）

how the fellowship fits in with your personal and professional goals（獎學金是如何符合你的個人以及專業經歷）

A personal statement is generally most effective when it concentrates on:（應該集中在一下幾點）

an issue or experience that you feel strongly about, or one that has helped

to shape who you are

a significant accomplishment or contribution you have made to your field

or community

What is the selection committee looking for in your statement?（評選委員會希望看到什么？）

A selection committee may read hundreds of application essays back-to-back in a short period of time. Readers are looking for essays that:
make sense-- logically, grammatically, thematically engage their attention

provide substantive and relevant information stand out from the crowd（提供實實在在的信息）

How to get started（如何開始）

Write down two or three experiences you feel have shaped who you are. Write down two or three significant problems you have faced and how you solved them. Then look for patterns.

what values keep popping up?

what interests?

what strengths and skills?

Now take a look at your transcript.

how does your coursework express your interests and talents?

how has it developed them?

The writing process（寫作過程）

Try several different approaches until you find one that feels right. Revise, revise, revise! If you need help on structure, visit the Writing Workshop.

As you write, show your essay to people who know you well and ask if it accurately expresses who you are. Be sure to show your essay to faculty advisors before you send off a final version

Some common pitfalls（一些常見的問題）

Weak essays generally share one or more of the following characteristics:

melodramatic or self-congratulatory statements

vague, abstract ideals

laundry lists of achievements

jargon and specialized vocabulary

misspelled words

poor grammar

convoluted syntax

For more information, contact:

Beth Fiori, Fellowship Coordinator

103 Barnes Hall

btf1@cornell.edu