准备申请

Official academic transcripts and any test scores are required by most programs for admission. 正式成绩单需要向 注册处.

Request test scores from the testing company or indicate on the test the schools to which you want scores sent. Some graduate/professional schools will also give the opportunity to defend weak material (e.g.在一个简短的声明中.

There are many different names for very similar documents that may vary by school at this stage in the application process. 尽管这些文件在性质上都非常相似, 有一些微妙的关键差异，你会想要突出每一个.

大多数信件或陈述的长度为1-2页, 但是一定要查看你申请的学校的要求. If they do not give a lot of information and you want to know how to make the best application for them, 不要犹豫，联系具体问题的程序.

个人陈述/申请论文

• Usually there are additional instructions included to indicate what the school/program prefers. Because a personal statement can be very broad in definition, always follow instructions!
• 如果没有其他指示给你, 你需要做一份个人陈述, 以下是一些可以遵循的准则:
  1. 描述一下你在这个领域的兴趣，以及你是如何产生这些兴趣的.
  2. 告诉他们你在这个领域的目标(短期和长期的). 
  3. 向他们解释这个项目是如何帮助你实现这些目标的.
  4. Show them your passion, dedication and ambition through past examples and forward-thinking.

Other potential topics include personal characteristics that are applicable to being successful in graduate/professional school, skills and 能力 you have gained through experiences that make you stand out as a candidate for admission, 对您的历史或材料中任何不一致之处的解释.g., 较低的平均绩点, 以积极的方式讨论, 以及你将如何为你申请的项目做出贡献.

意向书/目的声明/意向书

• These are very similar to the personal statement in content, with just a slightly different focus.
• 虽然大部分内容是相同的(见上文), you will be focusing on what you want to study in graduate/professional school in greater detail. 这可以通过讨论某个领域中感兴趣的特定领域来实现, research questions and ideas you have for those topics and indicating faculty members who have similar research interests.
• Your statement will answer the question, “what is my intent (or purpose) for attending this program?”

资格证书

• 这将在内容上与个人陈述非常相似, but shift the focus more towards your qualifications as a candidate for admission to the program.
• 你将专注于你的杰出技能, 能力, 以及证明你是这个项目的最佳人选的经历, 同时还包括上面的相关内容.

自传的声明

• Here you focus more on the experiences that led you to apply for this particular program and field of study.
• 它将包含与上述文件相似的内容, but shift the focus to your history relevant to further study in your field and how it makes you a qualified candidate for the program.

教学的声明

The purpose of a teaching statement is to tell the school to which you are applying about your past teaching experience, 你的教学理念和教学理念将带给系里. Teaching statements are more commonly found in graduate school applications where you will also be applying for teaching assistantships. 教学陈述中常见的主题有:

• 过去的教学经历，以及它们是如何塑造你成为一名教师的
• 你如何在课堂上促进学习，包括过去和未来的想法
• 你如何与学生互动，如何应对课堂上的挑战.
• What you hope your students will achieve from your class and how you will go about making that happen.

It is important to discuss these topics in the context of your previous experience and the role you hope to be in the future.

想了解更多写教学陈述的技巧，请 请参阅本文 《高等教育纪事报.

研究声明

你的研究陈述将突出你的研究兴趣, 这些利益是如何产生的, what research you have done in the past and what research you would like to do in the future. 要回答的常见问题和创建一个好的研究报告的技巧是:

• 哪些过去的经历让你对这项研究产生了兴趣?
• 你过去调查过哪些研究问题?
• 为什么这些研究问题在你的领域很重要?
• 在回答这些问题时，你面临的挑战和障碍是什么?
• 你的研究如何在你的领域得到应用?
• 你现在想把研究进展到什么程度?
• 你未来的研究计划和/或你想回答的问题是什么?

提示

• Be sure to tailor your research statement to each different school to which you are applying. 每所学校都有不同的设施和各种各样的教师兴趣. This informs you about which research topics will match well for that particular program.
• 对你所做的研究表现出热情和真诚的兴趣是很重要的, 以及你将来想要完成的研究. The research statement should include this excitement and still be a professional research statement.
• Ask a current (or past) professor if you may review one of their research statements and ask them to look over your research statement. 征求同行的意见总是好的.

你的推荐信是你申请材料中非常重要的一部分. 这些信是教授写的, 顾问s and supervisors who have had close contact with you and can attest to your knowledge, 你所在领域的技能和能力.

• 整个本科阶段, 毕业甚至职业生涯, it is highly important to maintain positive connections with the people with whom you work and interact. 这些人是你会要求写推荐信的人, so it is important that they know you and know what you could contribute to a graduate or professional program.
• The individuals you will ask to write your recommendation letters are going to be busy people. It is crucial to give them plenty of advance notice (minimum 1-2 months) when asking them to write a letter for you. 
• 给你的写信人提供一份你的 重新开始 或简历及, 在理想的情况下, 与他们见面讨论研究生/专业学校, 你对申请的兴趣和你将要申请的学校.
• Be sure to provide your letter writers with any additional materials or requirements that each school may have for their letters of recommendation.

大多数研究生院和专业学校都会要求你提供写作样本. This is usually a piece of work you have done in your past and is, hopefully, related to your field.

• 从你过去的经历中选择一篇最好的文章. Hopefully this sample is recent, but it does not have to be, as long as it is relevant to your field.
• 即使它之前已经被审查过, 有一个教授, 顾问, peer and/or other reviewer perform a thorough review and critique of the sample you choose. 找个人来也是个好主意, 谁以前没有读过样本, 重新审视它，以获得新的视角.
• If you do not have any written work that you are proud of and want to use as your writing sample, 你可以写一篇与你的领域相关的新文章(时间允许的话), 检查一下, 把它作为你的写作样本提交.
• A great resource to take advantage of on campus to assist in reviewing your writing sample is the U of I 写作中心.
• 有些学校会要求提供有教授评分的写作样本, 所以要清楚地知道每所学校的具体要求.