Prompt #1:

Myintended majors are Economics and Accounting. I engage in this field for practical reasons: This area suits my future employment ambitions, as well as my interests. Economic and financial studies are two independent subjects with their own disciplines and branches. However, there are substantial overlaps. Before coming to the United States, I was already enchanted with economic and financial phenomena. After taking economics courses at Santa Barbara City College, I am eager touplift myself with more academicknowledge. Meanwhile, I observe our daily life standing at a perspective of economics. I often subconsciouslyconnect some events with economic theories such as the Marginal Benefit and the Opportunity Cost. For example, by using the Marginal Benefit, airline companies greatly cut down the unsalable ticket price to reduce wastes of resources because the marginal benefit is higher than the marginal cost. Similarly, by learning Financial Accounting, I know whycustomers need to sign for merchant copies when they pay by cards. According to the Revenue Principle of Accrual Accounting, revenues are earned when goods or services are provided. Merchants collected these copies as cash receipts or promises from customers, which can prove revenues earned and be used for future cash collections if customers pay with credit cards.The third instance comes from my own experience. The Opportunity Cost theory allows individuals to deal with scarcity.For instance,when choosing universities,some provide attractive internship opportunities while others offer promising majors led by famous professors. These factors were all taken into consideration, which means I chose one of them and had to give up others. The advantages of those universities that I gave up become opportunity costs. As a result, what I chose should be more beneficial than those I gave up. Now I realize that these examples from life cannot really satisfy my curiosities and desires. So far as Iknow, the upper divisions discuss more in-depth in terms of systematic studies and cogent evidence.Therefore, I hope that the upper division major curriculums at UC will be my new challenges in the near future.

In addition, during this two-year study at Santa Barbara City College, I am honored to be a member of the Cashflow Club. This club brings me a stage that I feel free to express and exchange opinions without reservation. I am pretty glad to meet a group of like-minded people. We play game and reading the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," which are both developed by the self-made millionaire Robert T. Kiyosaki. I am inspired and enlightened by many creative ideas from these extra-curriculum activities. Also, I receive many friendships from the Club. I am proud of passions and fervors I process for my life planning.

Prompt #2：Personalities & Characteristics:

To make a clear picture of myself, I would like to pick up with the adjective industrious. I put this wordin the first place because it appropriatelyindicates my views of life. There is a saying in China: “Clumsy birds have to start flying early and diligence redeems one’s dullness.” In my growing up, I distinctly realized that I did not have a good aptitude. Instead, I usually spend more time than others in solving the same task. For example, when I was at elementary school, I cannot memorize vocabularies even I was totally concentrating on them. But my classmates thought those vocabularies were just a piece of cake. The fact is, without an outstanding intelligence, Ihave to make more efforts ahead of time. My high school career is the best example to prove my diligence. During that period,I got up at six o'clock in the morning and went to bed at one o’clock. Time for rest was less than one day a week. Studies took over the most part of my life for three years. I remember once I got a fever, but I still carried my schoolbagon the way to the hospital. In the infusion room, I asked the nurse to infuse medicine on my left hand, which left my right free to write notes. Later, I was sick again. I felt something rising in my chest and throat. My stomach wrung by unexpected spasms. Back from the restroom, I continue reviewing for the following day’s exam. An inspiring result was that I got paid by my grades. Times flied across those three years. I graduated. However, my transfer grades made me a general, as well as an embarrassing situation.Only a small portion of peer students had wonderfully gone up to the key universities. Even though, I am well aware of Aesop's Fables of the tortoise and the hare. What race the tortoise won was the journey of life, not a decade. After the baptism of high schooleducation,I firmly believe that I am industrious.

Studying abroad in the U.S. comes from my parents’ selfless giving.Their expectations give me pressures, as well as motivations.I strived to go through academic, linguistic, andcultural obstacles. Nevertheless, Ifeel depressed when in difficulties. But I never waiver from my belief: “God rewards the diligent.”I am proud of my industrious character, which makes me more confident and gritty. Now, I almost finish college curriculums and I step forward to universities. There are, for sure, numerous obstacles ahead on the way. What I need is to keep constantly diligence as I did in high school.

Cognitions and life experiences above are details about me. Overall, I am industrious.

Additional Comments:

Life in the U.S., l had realized the importance of social duties by participating in some volunteer activities such as Day of Caring. As residents, individuals should not only be responsible for their intentions’ own, but also shoulder their obligations to the society. I plan to do more of volunteer activities and I wish the word “responsible” will be the next of my best description.

第二篇：网申系统

网申系统

许多美国大学的申请都要经过Common Application的系统，这个系统中现在有456所学校。在这个系统中只要提交一份完整的资料就可以同时申请多所大学，可谓是省时省力。有的大学除了要求提供Common Application中的信息之外，还需要你填写一份supplement，当中有学校需要了解的特殊问题。虽然各个大学的问题和要求都不一样，但是总体上都是大同小异的。

除了Common Application之外，德克萨斯州用的申请系统是ApplyTexas系统；少数学校用Universal College Application和USConnect；还有一些大学用自己的网申系统，加州大学各个分校用的全部是同一个加州大学系统，其他使用自己系统的还有MIT，乔治城大学，北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校等等。还有一些大学同时开放Common Application以及学校自己的网申系统。通常申请大学需要交55~85美元不等的申请费，但是有的大学可以免申请费。

申请时间

每年大学新生录取的网申系统开放时间大概在上一年的八九月份，超过录取时间之后网申系统就会关闭，此时就无法注册新用户和申请学校了。网申关闭的时间根据各个大学情况的不同而不同，有的学校当年四月才会关闭，生源过剩竞争激烈的学校可能一月就会关闭秋季入学的网申了。所以申请美国大学的流程是相当紧张的。

在Common Application上还可以方便地查到在上面注册的大学的申请截止日期。排名前100的大学中大多数学校申请秋季学期的普通录取截止日期都在当年的1月1日，Early Action或者Early Decision的时间则在上一年的11月1日或11月15日，录取结果一个月左右就能出来。申请Early Decision可以比普通批次提前拿到通知书，但是就不可以再申请其他学校的提前录取了，只能向这一所学校申请Early Decision，一旦被提前录取必须撤销其他学校的提前申请。Early Action和Early Decision的区别就是Early Action不是绑定的，可以同时向几所学校提交Early Action的申请，得到通知书以后仍然可以再申请普通录取。

申请所需信息

虽然每个网申系统的细节有所不同，但是需要的信息基本上都大同小异。拿Common Application下的本科新生申请表格举例来说，需要的信息主要有以下几个部分，如果学生已毕业则不需要填写年中报告。

首先是申请人需要填写的部分：

APPLICANT

申请人的基本信息：姓名、出生日期、通信方式

FUTRUE PLAN

学习计划和兴趣以及入学时间及 （这部分可能有也可能没有，取决于学校的要求）

DEMOGRAPHICS

国籍、出生地、第一语言、婚姻状况、宗教、是否服役

FAMILY

家庭成员

父母（或其他监护人）的婚姻状况、姓名、出生地、雇主、职位、毕业院校和学位

兄弟姐妹的姓名、年级和年龄、再读学院、学位

EDUCATION

教育情况

中学部分

目前或最近期的学校、入学以及毕业日期、辅导员名字和联系方式 列出所有入读过的中学、大专或大学的名字、地址、入学日期

ACADEMICS

得分、排名、班级大小

ACT\SAT\TOFEL\IELTS\AP\IB的考试日期和最佳成绩

目前学习的课程表

所取得的荣誉课程

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES & WORK EXPERIENCE

课外活动和实习

（这一部分需要填的信息很详细）

活动的年级、每周活动的时长、每年活动的周数、在校或假期、活动中的职责、雇主、获得的荣誉、是否愿意在学院中参与活动

WRITING

问题、小论文以及附加信息

其中包含一个段问题以及一篇论文，论文可以在给出的五个选题中选一个。

以下是教师需要填写的表格，至少要找两个教师，一个辅导员来填写：

2010-11 Teacher Evaluation*2

（需要提供两份教师的评估表）

TO THE APPLICANT

申请人基本信息：姓名、出生日期、地址、学校等

TO THE TEACHER

教师基本信息：姓名、教授课程、任教中学、学校地址、电话、电子邮箱 认识学生多久、在什么情况下认识的？

形容这个学生想到的第一个词是什么？

你教过这个学生什么课程？课程的难度是什么？（AP, accelerated, honors, IB, elective; 100-level, 200-level等等）

及对学生打分

需要写一封推荐信，说明这个学生的学习情况和个人表现。可以另外附加材料。

SECONDARY school report（中学报告，一下需要中学指导员来填写）： TO THE APPLICANT

申请人基本信息：姓名、性别、出生日期、社保号码（可不填）、居住地址、就读学校、CEEB/ACT号码

目前一年学习的课程，注明等级（AP,IB等）、学分

TO THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR

（中学指导员填写）

指导员姓名、职称、学校、学校地址；指导员电话、传真、电邮、CEEB/ACT Background Information 背景信息

班级排名、班级大小、在班级呆过的时间

排名是否根据权重，有多少学生与之并列排名

累计GPA\ GPA是否权重 及格分数是多少

占多少百分比的学生进入了四年制大学以及两年制学院

贵校分别提供几门课程给AP/IB/Honor

该生是否获得IB文凭

课程是否有固定的时间表

与其他学生相比该生的课程表现如何

认识学生多久、在什么情况下认识的？

形容这个学生想到的第一个词是什么？

Rating

下面一张表是给学生的打分，记得把No basis那一栏全部打钩

Evaluation

评估短文，重点突出该生与其他人的不同

该生的课内课外表现和个人品质

与该生表现相关的事情，例如家庭情况、责任感、课后作业完成情况、对兄弟姐妹的照顾情况或其他，无论是正面还是负面信息都可以写

遇到困难之后的表现

MIDYEAR Report

（年中报告，同样是指导员填写）

TO THE APPLICANT

申请人基本信息（同上）

TO THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR

中学指导老师的基本信息及申请人的GPA和年级排名（同上）

Background Information（和中学报告没有区别请不填）

有无校园暴力和违法记录

Ratings

评分

Evaluation

评价，说明该生与上表中的变化

final Report

（年末报告，同样是指导员填写）

TO THE APPLICANT

申请人基本信息（同上）

TO THE SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELOR

中学指导老师的基本信息及申请人的GPA和年级排名，指出和年中的变化（如果Background Information和年中报告没有区别请不填）

有无校园暴力和违法记录

Ratings

评分

Evaluation

评价，与上表中有无变化

这些信息都填写完整之后，就可以在Common Application上提交大学申请了。除了这些公共信息之外，关于各个学校的特殊要求会在下一篇文章里为您进行解读。