以理工科和怪異的校園建築著稱於世的MIT，其文書題目倒是顯得稀鬆平常，讓學生描述自己來自於什麼樣的環境，這樣的環境是如何塑造自己的，以及面對過的最大的挑戰是什麼自己又是如何來處理的。
本文選自《美國大學申請Chaos》的博客，作者觀點不代表本網立場。
網易教育訊 文書寫作應該是美國大學申請過程中最令學生頭疼的問題，大部分中國學生經過一段時間培訓後，在SAT和TOEFL這種標準化的考試中憑藉英語基 礎以及各種解題技巧能取得一個不錯的成績，但是碰到沒有標準答案的開放式的文書寫作題目會發現自己無從下筆，再加上有些學校的文書題目極為怪異，有時連題目的主旨可能都難以解析。馬上開始準備申請的學生還有家長，讓我們一起來看看你們在接下來的申請過程中會遇到些什麼奇葩的文書題目吧。
奇葩指數0.5
以理工科和怪異的校園建築著稱於世的MIT，其文書題目倒是顯得稀鬆平常，讓學生描述自己來自於什麼樣的環境，這樣的環境是如何塑造自己的，以及面對過的最大的挑戰是什麼自己又是如何來處理的。這樣的題目你在申請大學時，百分之百會遇到！早早的開始思考吧！
跟著我大聲說：This is where I come from!
MIT:
Describe the world you come from; for example, yourfamily,clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shapedyourdreams and aspirations? (200-250 words)lTell usabout the most significant challenge you've faced orsomething important thatdidn't go according to plan. How did youmanage the situation? (200-250 words)
奇葩指數1.0
史丹福大學的文書題目裡，需要你用50個單詞描述如果有機會親身見證一次著名的歷史事件你希望是那什麼事件。反思自己在智力發展上有什麼思想或者經歷對自己有什麼重要的影響。我想最近在微博上爆火美國男子Jason因成績太差輟學，後被人打傷頭部，醒後變數學天才一定有話要說，Jason頭部被 打後看什麼都是幾何圖案，樹葉都能看出畢達哥拉斯定理，反射的陽光也能看出圓周率。醫生說這種情況叫"後天學者症候群"，患者會在被擊打腦部後在數學，音 樂和藝術方面展現驚人的才華！
此外，斯坦福還要求學生給未來的室友寫一封信，幫助室友進一步了解你；還需要讓申請者用250個單詞回答一個看上去很宏大的主題：什麼對你是最重要的，以及為什麼？
Stanford
What historical moment or event do you wish you couldhavewitnessed? (50 word limit。)Stanford studentspossess an intellectual vitality. Reflect onan idea or experience that has beenimportant to your intellectualdevelopment. (250 word limit。)Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus.Write anote to your future roommate that reveals something aboutyou or that will helpyour roommate -- and us -- know you better。(250 wordlimit。)What matters to you, and why? (250 word limit。)
奇葩指數1.5
加州理工十分強調自己的榮譽制度，即任何人都不應該不公平地利用他人，看上去很簡單的原則，學校需要申請者根據自己的切身經歷過的道德兩難情景 以回應這個問題。此外，加州理工還為自己學生群體古怪的幽默感和有創造性的惡作劇推崇備至，要求申請者講講自己有哪些「不正常的」尋開心的法子。推薦申請 人查查歷史上加州理工和麻省理工的互相攻擊的惡作劇大戰應該會有啟發。
Caltech的學生曾佯裝MIT的學生在MIT舉辦的校園參觀日活動中向新生們發放免費的T恤。這些T恤乍一看印著大大的MIT字樣，可打開
T恤就會發現T恤的背面印有「becausenoteverybody can go toCaltech(因為不是所有人都能進Caltech)」的嘲諷話語。
Caltech
1.Members of the Caltech community live, learn, andworkwithin an Honor System with one simple guideline; "No member shalltakeunfair advantage of any other member of the Caltechcommunity." Whileseemingly simple, questions of ethics, honestyand integrity are sometimeschallenging. Share an ethical dilemmathat has challenged you. How did yourespond? Your response is notlimited to academic situations. (100 words max)
2.Caltech students have long been known for their quirkysenseof humor and creative pranks. Please describe an unusual way inwhich youhave fun. (100 words max)
奇葩指數2.0
埃默裡大學要求申請者想像自己是一位大學教授，想要開設一門新的課程，你可以選擇任何學科任何課程，你希望自己的學生們在這門課上學習什麼內容。
等我當上了教授一定給學生上堂這樣的課，絕對妥妥的！
Emory
Imagine you are a professor, charged with teaching anewcourse. Emory University offers over 1,000 courses in a wide rangeofacademic subjects. You are free to choose whatever subject youwant. What classwould you create? What would you hope studentswould leave your class havinglearned? (Don’t forget to includeyour class title!) (250 word limit)
奇葩指數2.5
維吉尼亞大學被譽為大眾情人校，因為其EA階段的申請人數量龐大，在中國地區的招生也較為寬鬆，但UVa的文書看上去也不是那麼容易搞定哦。第 一個題目就有點讓人云裡霧裡，2006年一位名為RobertStilling的研究生在UVA的一所圖書館發現了著名詩人羅伯特福斯特的一篇未發表的詩歌，那你的Stilling時刻是在什麼時候呢？
第二題則要求申請者描述自己的一個怪癖以及這個怪癖為什麼是你的一部分。
第三題則更加無釐頭，將莎士比亞的名句To be or not to be改為To tweet or not totweet?可中國申請者根本就Tweet不了啊！
這會是你的Stilling時刻嗎？
UVA
In 2006, graduate student Robert Stilling discoveredanunpublished poem by Robert Frost while doing research in U.Va.’sSmallCollections Library. Where will your Stilling moment be incollege?We are acommunity with quirks, both in language (we』llwelcome you to Grounds, notcampus) and in traditions. Describe oneof your quirks and why it is part of whoyou are.To tweet or not to tweet?
奇葩指數3.0
維克森林大學雖然排名23，但在中國知名度並不高，也許這五篇，篇篇不尋常的文書題目嚇住了不少申請者。第一題就不走尋常路，問什麼會使你憤怒，而你又將如何處理你的憤怒情緒。憤怒這種稍顯負面的情緒可能是唯獨這所大學的題目裡主動提及。第二題也是無根無據的要學生列出你自己的Top10名 單，沒有任何範圍或者情景的提示。第三題又使博主深深得陷入了沉思，Twitter到底下了多少血本在大學申請過程裡面植入了這麼多軟廣告！該題要求申請者利用140個字符的空間挑戰公眾認為社交媒體膚淺不足以表達深層次思想的謬論。
下面是推特的廣告時間：
Wake Forest University
1. What outrages you? What are you doingabout it?Tell us about a time when you stepped up against anoutrage in your community。(150 words maximum)
2. Give us your top ten list. (300 wordsmaximum)
3. Some say social media is superficial, withno roomfor expressing deep or complex ideas. We challenge you todefy these skeptics bydescribing yourself as fully and accuratelyas possible in the 140-characterlimit of a tweet。
4. Research shows that members of GenerationY (16-24year olds) are more tolerant of difference than wereprevious generations atthis age - but also less likely to formclose bonds with those of differentdemographic or socioeconomicbackgrounds. How have you personally disproved thisgeneralization?(300 words maximum)
5. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "If I knowyoursect, I anticipate your argument." Describe a time when yourargumentchallenged a basic belief or viewpoint of your "sect. (150words maximum)
奇葩指數3.5
塔夫斯大學不僅在文書內容上推陳出新，還在形式上給學生更多空間。申請者可以通過散文、視頻、電子文件等來回答該問題「如果你不講述真實的自己你也不能認識其他的人」。第四題用口號式的方式要求申請者：大大方方得向我們展示你書呆子的一面吧！中國學生會不會見到這一題之後喜大普奔呢？塔夫斯不僅有書呆子的一面哦，被華盛頓郵報評為2013年最討厭的縮寫詞：YOLO(Youonly live once你只會活一次)也成了文書題目，你是如何看待這句帶有及時行樂意味的流行語呢？
Tufts
A) 「If you do not tell the truth about yourself youcannottell it about other people,」 Virginia Woolf. Respond to Woolf’squote in the medium of yourchoice: prose, video (one minute)， blog, digital portfolio, slampoetry... For media other thanwriting, pleaseshare a link (video can be submitted via YouTube but werecommendusing a privacy setting) that is easily accessible。
B) What makes you happy?
C) Sports, science and society are filled with rules,theoriesand laws like the Ninth Commandment, PV=nRT, Occam’s Razor, and TheLawof Diminishing Returns. Three strikes and you’re out. 「I」before 「E」 exceptafter 「C。」 Warm air rises. Pick one and explainitssignificance to you.
D) Celebrate your nerdy side。
E) The ancient Romans started it when they coined thephrase"Carpe diem." Jonathan Larson proclaimed "No day buttoday!" andmost recently, Drake explained You Only Live Once(YOLO). Have you ever seized the day? Lived like therewas no tomorrow? Or perhaps you plan to shoutYOLO while jumping into something in thefuture. What does #YOLOmean to you?
奇葩指數4.0
北卡羅萊那大學傾向於用一些小問題來折磨你，比如你希望在彩虹之後發現什麼？如果你能穿越到任何時空，你會去哪兒為什麼？你的主題曲是什麼？切片麵包之後的最佳事物是什麼？你最珍貴的財產是啥？你最希望擁有的超能力是什麼？你想發明什麼小玩意？
UNC
Most of us have one or more personality quirks. Explainone ofyours and what it says about you. What do you hope to find over therainbow?Why do you do what you do?If you could travel anywhere in time orspace, either real orimagined, where would you go and why?Tell us about a timewhen your curiosity led you someplace youweren’t expecting to go.My themesong:Best thing since sliced bread:My most treasured possession:Super power I』dmost like to have:Gadget that needs inventing:Biggest little worry:
相比起UNC的俏皮靈動，波士頓學院的文書題目則顯得深沉嚴肅而又有思考的趣味。第一題引用了BC的畢業典禮演講，「事實往往缺少靈魂而顯得不 夠完整，在理解歷史時有人擁有了所有的數據卻不得要領，就如鋼琴初學者奏出了所有音符卻聽不到音樂」，請告訴我們你自己是否有這樣的經歷。
Boston College
From David McCullough's recent commencement address atBC:「Facts alone are never enough. Facts rarely if ever have any soul.In writingor trying to understand history one may have all mannerof 'data,' and miss thepoint. One can have all the facts and missthe truth. It can be like the oldpiano teacher's lament to herstudent, 'I hear all the notes, but I hear nomusic。」 Tell us abouta time you had all of the factsbut missed the meaning.In his novel, Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCannwrites:「We seldom know what we're hearing when we hear something for thefirsttime, but one thing is certain: we hear it as we will neverhear it again. Wereturn to the moment to experience it, I suppose,but we can never really findit, only its memory, the faintestimprint of what it really was, what it meant。」 Tell us aboutsomething you heard or experienced for the first timeand how theyears since have affected your perception of t
奇葩指數5
要談奇葩的文書主題，奪魁的不是芝加哥大學很多人一定會跟我急！應了中國網絡上最火的流行語，讀完芝加哥大學文書主題，我的小夥伴們驚呼：不明覺厲！各位讀者好好感受下吧：
U Chicago
1.Winston Churchill believed "a joke isa very serious thing." From Off-Off Campus’s improvisations to the ShadyDealer humor magazine to the renowned Latke-Hamantash debate, we take humorvery seriously here at The University of Chicago (and we have since 1959, whenour alums helped found the renowned comedy theater The Second City). Tell usyour favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining it. -ChelseaFine, Class of 2016
2.In a famous quote by José Ortega y Gasset,the Spanish philosopher proclaims, "Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia"(1914). José Quintans, master of the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division atthe University of Chicago, sees it another way: "Yo soy yo y mimicrobioma" (2012). You are you and your..? -Maria Viteri, Class of 2016
3.This is what history consists of. It's thesum total of all the things they aren't telling us.-- Don DeLillo, Libra. Whatis history, who are 「they,」 and what aren’t they telling us? -Amy Estersohn,Class of 2010
4.The mantis shrimp can perceive bothpolarized light and multispectral images; they have the most complex eyes inthe animal kingdom. Human eyes have color receptors for three colors (red,green, and blue)； the mantis shrimp has receptors for sixteen types of color,enabling them to see a spectrum far beyond the capacity of the human brain.Seriously, how cool is the mantis shrimp: mantisshrimp.uchicago.edu What mightthey be able to see that we cannot? What are we missing? -Tess Moran, Classof
5.How are apples and oranges supposed to becompared? Possible answers involve, but are not limited to, statistics,chemistry, physics, linguistics, and philosophy. -Florence Chan, Class of 2015
6.In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, posea question of your own. If your prompt is original and thoughtful, then youshould have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualitiesas a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, orfuture citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk, and have fun。