舊文一篇，應網友M要求重post。
如何寫好神級personal essay？
【明報專訊】蕭叔叔每次幫人edit升大學的personal essay或獎學金申請書，都一定要同佢坐低傾足粒幾鐘，先可以開始edit。點解？因為蕭叔叔要100%了解佢興趣同passion、有什麼真正理由非申請呢個學位不可，先有可能寫出獨一無二的申請信。為什麼要獨一無二？Admission officer 一天讀幾十封信，假如不stand out，怎會有interview的機會？那該怎樣寫？請記住以下原則。
1. Throw away the templates.
網上找得到的樣板申請信，唔該，唔好用喇。Your essay should be unique, and uniquely you. 文字是否出於真心，讀者都看得出。
2. Show, don't just tell.
係人都懂得吹的廉價形容詞，就省下來吧。什麼creative thinker、great attention to detail、logically-minded這些好像對住admission requirements照抄的詞，誰不懂寫？寫了，哪會有用？不是說這些qualities都不關事，只是你要找方法說服你的reader，你的確擁有這些qualities。要stories and concrete examples, colourful examples that can help your reader depict what kind of person you are。人人都懂得吹的廢話，請節省少少。
3. Don't be afraid to market yourself.
好多人都唔識sell自己。舉個例，有個學生想申請獎學金到外國修讀mass communication的碩士課程。他在某大電台任職，負責節目製作，多年製作過不少很受歡迎而獨一無二的節目。寫申請信時一定要多花筆墨介紹電台（香港的電台，外國人未必知道）及談談他最巴閉的節目，例如獲得的獎項、節目受歡迎程度，以及其他特別之處。這跟所報科目有關，也能表現能力，應該多講多sell。
4. Show your unique insight into the field.
寫你對學科或行業的獨特見解，或特別能力。見解很重要，因為能表現你對學科的認識、興趣、insight和passion。舉個例，如果蕭叔叔要報讀Master's in Linguistics或Teaching English as a Second Language，不能只寫 I'm very passionate about English teaching。我會講我有什麼在英文教學界「人無我有」的經驗，或對科目有什麼insight。例如我會先講自己工作獨特之處：
I consider myself a specialist in the English teaching industry — I help business executives and professionals improve their spoken English. I work with them on all aspects of their oral English, from pronunciation to speech delivery. Instead of limiting myself to the teaching of articulation, I focus a lot on improving the prosodic features of my clients' English speech, namely, speech rhythm and intonation — areas that many English teachers find difficult, if not impossible, to teach.
然後再elaborate：為什麼rhythm and intonation對香港人來說特別難學，自己有什麼特別的教法等等，顯出對自己科目的見解。當然，最後還要扣題，講清楚why studying linguistics at the postgraduate level will help me achieve my goals (doing further research into pronunciation teaching and devising new ways of teaching).
如果你發現無咁多野寫，點算？咁可能係你未準備好讀呢科，或者未必真係對呢科咁有熱誠或興趣，咁蕭叔叔都幫你唔到。
文︰蕭叔叔
