Essay在美国留学文书申请中的比例，想必大家十分清楚。一份好的Essay能为你增光加彩;一部分不合格的Essay也能直接拉低标化分数高的优势。那被美国名校认可的优秀Essay是怎么样的呢?美国著名的杂志《纽约时报》给出5篇范本。

事情是这样的：《The New York Times》每年都向高中生征集大学申请文书，今年将近300人回复，这里挑选出5篇优秀essay，有的关于家庭，有的启发梦想，有的思索阶级…

从下面这些优秀的Essay中，我们都能感受到他们身上所体现的情感领悟、洞察能力、怪才脑洞，这就是被美国大学真正认可的优秀Essay，也难怪会脱颖而出被顶尖大学录取。

优秀范文Essay一：

德克萨斯州 Eric Muthonu

今年秋季入读哈佛

These are the two worls I have inherite,an my existence in one is not possible without the other.

My granmother hovers over the stove flame,fanning it as she meloically hums Kikuyu spirituals. She kneas the ough an places it on the stove,her veins throbbing with every movement: a living masterpiece painte by a life of poverty an motherhoo. The air becomes thick with smoke an I am soon force out of the walls of the mu-brick house while she laughs.

As for me,I waner own to the small stream at the rige on the farm’s ege,remembering my father’s stories of rising up early to fee the cows an my mother’s memories of the sweat on her brow from hours of picking coffee at a local plantation.

Life here juxtaposes itself profounly against the life I live in America; the scourge of poverty an flickering prosperity that never seem to coalesce. But these are the two worls I have inherite,an my existence in one is not possible without the other. At the stream,I recollect my other life beyon this place. In America,I watch my father come home every night,beaten yet resilient from another ay of har work on the roa. He sits me an my sister own,an though weary-eye,he manages the soft smile I know him for an asks about our ay.

My sister is quick to oblige,speaking willy of learning an mischief. In that moment,I realize that she is too young to remember our original home: the ol ust of barren apartment walls an the constant roar outsie of life in the nighttime.

Soon after,I fin myself lying in be,my thoughts an the soft throb of my hea the only auible things in the room. I poner whether my parents — regs floating across a iasporic sea before my time — woul have imagine their sacrifices for us woul come with sharp pains in their backs an newfoun worries,tear-soake nights an early mornings. But,it is too much to process. Instea,I ream of them an the future I will buil with the tools they have given me.

Realizing I have muse far too long by the water’s ege,I begin to make my way back to the house. The climb up the rige is taxing,so I carefully grip the soil beneath me,feeling its warmth surge between my fingers. Finally,I see my younger cousins running aroun barefoot enlessly an I ecie to join their game of soccer,but they all laugh at the awkwarness of the ball between my feet. They play,scream an chant,fully unaware of the worl beyon this village or even Nairobi,but I cannot blame them. My iPhone fascinates them an they ask to see my braces,intently questioning how many “shillings” they cost. I open my mouth to satisfy their curiosity,but my granmother calls out,an we all rush to see what she has mae.

When I return,the chapatis are neatly stacke on one another,golen-brown isks of sweet brea that are the completion of every Kenyan meal. Before my granmother can riicule me in a torrent of Kikuyu,I grab a chapati an escape to fin a patch of silky grass,where I take my first bite. Each mouthful is a reminer that my time here will not last forever,an that my success or failure will become a efining example for my sister an relatives.

The rift between high school an college is wie,but it is one I must cross for those who have carrie me to this point. The same hope that carrie my parents over an ocean of uncertainty is now my fuel for the journey towar my future,an I go forwar with the raical iea that I,too,can make it. Savoring each bite,I listen to the soun of neighbors calling out an chilren chasing a og rien with fleas,letting the cool heat cling to my skin.

优秀范文Essay二：

Alison Hess

入读芝加哥大学

While I then associate my conquests with ‘being a better boy,’ I now realize what I was really working towar was becoming a better farmer.

I always assume my father wishe I ha been born a boy.

Now,please on’t assume that my father is some rampant rural sexist. The fact is,when you live in an area an have a career where success is largely etermine by your ability to provie an maintain nearly insurmountable feats of physical labor,you typically prefer a person with a bigger frame.

When I was younger,I like green tractors better than re tractors because that was what my father rove,an I preferre black an white cows over brown ones because those were the kin he raise. I wore coveralls in the winter an wore holes in my mu boots in weeks. With my still fragile masculinity,I crosse my arms over my chest when I talke to new people,an I fille my toy box exclusively with miniature farm implements. In thir grae,I cut my hair very short,an my father smile an rubbe my hea.

I never strove to roll smoother pie crusts or iron exquisitely stiff collars. Instea,I iolize my father’s patient hans. On a cow’s neck,trying to fin the right vein to stick a neele in. In the strength of the grip it took to hol own an injure heifer. In the finesse with which they habitually spun the steering wheel as he backe up to the livestock trailer.

An I grew to o those things myself. When on my 10th birthay I receive my first show cow,a rite of passage in the Hess family,I name her Missy. As I spoke to her in an unnaturally low voice,I faile to realize one thing: Missy i not care that I was a girl. She i not think I was acting especially boyish or notice when I aamantly refuse to wear pink clothing (she was colorblin anyway). An she i not blink an eyelash at her new caretaker’s slightly smaller frame. All she care about was her balance aily fee of cottonsee an groun corn an that she got an extra pat on the hea. As I sat next to her polishing her white leather show halter,she appreciate my meticulous iligence an not my sex.

When Missy an I won Best of Show a few months later,my father’s heart nearly exploe. I learne to stick my chest out whenever I felt prou. While I then associate my conquests with “being a better boy,” I now realize what I was really working towar was becoming a better farmer. I learne I coul o everything my father coul o,an in some tasks,such as the taxing chore of feeing newborn calves or the herculean task of halter-breaking a heifer,I surpasse him. It has taken me four years to realize this: I prove a better farmer than he in those moments,not espite my sex,but espite my invali an ignorant assumption that the best farmer was the one with the most testosterone.

My freshman year,I left the farm for boaring school,where I was surroune by the better-off an the better-eucate — the vast majority of whom ha hear the wor ‘feminism’ before. I began to pick up just what the wor meant from my antagonizing English teacher an my incisive friens’ furrowe brows when I escribe my hometown. Four years of eucation an weekly argumentative essays taught me the acaemic jargon. I learne the Latin roots of the wor “feminism,” its cognates an its historical consequences.

But the more I rea about it in books,an the more I use it in my essays,the more I realize I alreay knew what it meant. I ha alreay emboie the reality of feminism on the farm. I ha live it. My cow ha taught it to me.

优秀范文Essay三：

纽约州Jeffrey Yu

将入读耶鲁大学

My family is a matriarchy in a patriarchal community.

Not all sons of octors raise baby ucks an chickens in their kitchen. But I o. My a taught me.

While my chilhoo was spent in a eteriorating inustrial town,my a was raise uring the onset of Mao Zeong’s Cultural Revolution. After forgoing university so his sister coul atten,my a worke on a commune as a farmer. So while I grew up immerse in airy Beethoven meloies each morning,my a grew up ami the earthy aromas of hay an livestock. Every time that I look between our gran piano an our baby chickens,I’m amaze by the stark ifferences between our chilhoos,an how in raising livestock,my a shares a piece of his own rural upbringing with me.

Embracing these ifferences,my a has introuce me to iverse experiences,from moling statues out of toilet paper plaster to builing greenhouses from the groun up. So you might be wonering: What oes he o for a traitional 9-to-5 job? He’s alreay captaine a research vessel that’s navigate across the Pacific,esigne three patentable win turbines an hel every position imaginable,from sous chef to Motorola technician.

The answer? Nothing. He’s actually a stay-at-home a right now.

My family is a matriarchy in a patriarchal community. Accoringly,I’m greete with astonishment whenever I try to explain my a’s financial status. “How lazy an unmotivate he must be!” Many try to hie their surprise,but their furtive glances say it all. In a society that places economic value at the forefront of worth,these assumptions might apply to other iniviuals,but not to my a.

When I look at the meia,whether it be the front cover of a newspaper or a feature story in a website article,I often see highlights of parents who work increible hours an o jobs to ensure their chilren receive a goo upbringing. While those stories are certainly worthy of praise,they often overshaow the less visible,equally important actions of people like my a.

I realize now that my a has sacrifice his promising career an financial prie to ensure that his son woul get all of the proper attention,care an moral upbringing he neee. Through his quiet,selfless actions,my a has given me more than can be bought from a paycheck an reefine my unerstaning of how we,as people,can choose to live our lives.

I'm prou to say that my a is the richest man I know — rich not in capital,but in character. Infuse with the ingenuity to tear own complex physics an calculus problems,electrifie with the vigor of a young entrepreneur (espite beginning his flegling winmill start-up at the age of 50) an imbue with the kinness to shuttle his son to practices an rehearsals. At the en of the ay,it’s those traits in people that matter more to me than who they are on paper.

Stories like my a’s remin me that worth can come in forms other than a six-figure salary. He’s an inspiration,remining me that optimism,passion an creativity can make a ifference in a life as young as mine. It’s those unspoken virtues that efine me. Whether it’s when I fol napkin lotuses for my soup kitchen’s Christmas inner,or bake challah brea French toast sticks for my chemistry class,I’m aware that achievement oesn’t have to be measure empirically. It’s that entrepreneurial,self-riven etermination to bring ieas to life that rives me. My a lives life off the beaten path. I,too,hope to bring that unorthoox attitue to other people an communities.

All too often I’m left with the seemingly unanswerable question: “What oes my a o?” But the answer,all too simply,is that he oes what he oes best: Inspire his son.

优秀范文Essay四：

Caroline Beit

gap year后今年入读耶鲁大学

While I have not change the tax system (though someay I plan to),I have change how my clients interact with it.

“Nothing can be sai to be certain,except eath an taxes.”

Not only o Benjamin Franklin’s wors still resonate toay,but,if you are like most,filing income taxes is simply unpleasant. For me,however,preparing taxes has been a telescopic lens with which to observe the isparate economic realities present in our society. In looking through this lens,I have seen firsthan how low wages an,at times,regressive public policy can aversely impact the financially fragile,an how I can make a ifference.

This coming year will be my thir volunteering every Saturay uring tax season with AARP’s Tax-Aie Program. In the basement of the Morningsie Heights Library in Manhattan,we help the elerly an low-income iniviuals file their taxes. During my first season,I hanle organizational tasks an assiste intake counselors with the initial interview process.

When I tol the AARP manager that I wante to return the following season an o actual tax preparation,she was skeptical,especially since the next youngest tax preparer at my location was 37. That,however,i not eter me: Though I woul be just 16 before the start of the season,I iligently stuie the material an passe the avance I.R.S. qualification test.

As a volunteer,my goal is to help my clients obtain every creit they are entitle to an place vitally neee money in their pockets. To o this,I nee much more than just technical knowlege. It is also essential to connect on a human level. I make it a point to put each person at ease by actively listening to his or her story.

For example,the young woman,who is a recently minte Unite States citizen an barely speaks English,mentions that her isable granmother lives with her. Her story allows me to etermine she can claim a epenent care creit for her granmother an a $1,000 earne income creit. These creits represent approximately 20 percent of her income an will go towar buying her granmother’s meications an other necessities.

I am saene at times by the palpable stress of those living on the ege of economic subsistence. Basic necessities such as sneakers an ental care,which I ha never thought twice about,are out of reach for many. I vivily remember the single mom from Queens who works at Target an spent $400 (a week’s paycheck) at H&R Block last year. By not having to pay for tax preparation this year an the creits she can claim,she confie she will be able to buy her son,who is my age,new shoes for track an hopefully see a entist for a tooth that has been throbbing for months.

As a volunteer,I have learne the importance of empathizing,listening an communicating complex an technical matters simply. Making my clients feel at ease allows them to unerstan my explanation of how their money is being taxe. I have also gaine insight into how tax policy affects the financial an physical health of the working poor an elerly. While I have not change the tax system (though someay I plan to),I have change how my clients interact with it.

Beyon Benjamin Franklin’s two certainties in life of eath an taxes,I woul a a thir: the enuring power of the human spirit. I remember an octogenarian man with a cane who waite two hours in line on a bone-chillingly rainy Saturay in February. He is somehow able to survive in Manhattan on $15,000 of Social Security earnings a year. Even though his income is below the filing requirement,together we claim $77 of school tax an rent creits,which translates into two weeks of groceries.

When we finish,he says to me,“See you next year.” It is at that moment I know I have mae a tangible ifference.

优秀范文Essay五：

德克萨斯州Kataryna Piña

将入读科尔盖特大学

At the age of 11,I starte working for the very first time as a cleaning lay with my granparents.

The way the light shine on her skin as she sewe the quilt emphasize the etails of every wrinkle,burn an cut. While she complete the overcast stitch,the thimble on her inex finger protecte her from the neele pokes. She wore rings on every finger of her right han,but on her left she only wore her weing ring. The rings rew the attention away from her age an scars to her cherishe possessions.

My granmother’s rings ha not only been stolen by her son,my father,but she was constantly in the state of fear that he woul steal from her once again. When my father was incarcerate,she wore her rings every ay of the week; however,when he was home,her hans were bare. As it became increasingly common over time,she learne to hie her treasures in a jewelry box uner her be.

As a small chil,I watche my granmother’s hans move in an inwar an outwar motion,noticing her rhythm. This rhythm was like the cha-cha music I hear every Sunay when I went with her to the pulga,the flea market. Every week,she bargaine on the venor’s proucts an brought home “unnecessary necessities”; luckily,some weeks it just happene to be threa an new sewing outlines. As my granma sewe my outfits for school,I was always trying to complete the outline of La Rosa e Guaalupe just so I coul impress her. I woul sing along to her favorite Prince Royce songs,use the same color of threa as her an try to go at the same cha-cha.

With my father incarcerate,the women in my family went to work. At the age of 11,I starte working for the very first time as a cleaning lay with my granparents. Even though I wante to help my family,I was ashame to be a cleaning lay. I argue with my mother against living a life like that,a life in which I gave up my chilhoo for my family’s stability. After being calle “malagraecia” — ungrateful — several times,my granmother reacquainte me with the iea that “toas las cosas buenas vienen a los que esperan” — all goo things come to those who wait. Sewing was no longer a hobby,but a necessity,when it came to making my own apron,seaming together rags an pushing for a better future for my family. My granmother,too,ha to put own her quilt an go to work,but she never complaine.

In recent years,my granmother has become increasingly ill,so I took her unfinishe quilt to my home,planning to complete it. My granmother i not choose to leave this project unfinishe; her age an constant contribution to her family through work i not allow her to. Often,obstacles have not only reesigne my course,but have change my perspective an allowe for me to see greater an better things present within my life. The progression of each patch epicts the instability present within my family. However,when you put all these patches together as one,you have a quilt with several seams an reinforcements keeping it together to epict the obstacles we have face an have overcome to show resilience.

Now,when she visits our home,as she reaches for her glasses an pushes her walker away from the table,my granmother asks me to bring her the quilt. The jewele hans that were once accustome to constant stitching are now bare,an the scars are hien uner every wrinkle. With a strong grip on the quilt,my granmother signals me to get her sewing basket that sits in the corner collecting ust. She runs her hans over the patches one last time an fins an unfinishe seam. She smiles an says,“Cerrar la costura y hacer una colcha e su propio” — close the seam an make a quilt of your own.

PS：

无论你是申请哪所美国大学，选择怎样的题目，在essay写作过程中都要明确的一点是，你所写的必须是对你真正重要有意义的事情。就用你自己的方式表达真实的自我，不需要担心你的词藻是否不够华丽还是语法过于简单。

选择那些让你真正有感而发的故事，发自内心地表达出来，通过故事传递的你的观点或视角能让招生官感受到一个鲜活的你，而你所表达的真实也永远是最打动人心的。

最后，一定要注意校对，至少请两位以上的朋友帮你校对essay是否有语法错误或书写错误等问题。

【微语】留学之路虽漫长，愿你的旅程充满智慧与成长。祝你在海外求学中收获满满，成就辉煌人生。