中國有高考作文，同樣申請美國大學也要寫作文。與高考的在規定的時間內寫出一篇不少於八百字的作文不同，美國大學的文書在申請遞交前可以反覆修改。高考作文只佔語文成績裡的一項，但是美國申請文書則不同，文書對於申請至關重要，可能因為一篇文書，低分收到Offer“逆風翻盤”、也可能高分被脆拒等等。下面就和小編一起看看哥大錄取的TA都是如何寫自己的文書的吧!
關於意麵的essay
作者說，他苦苦掙扎了很久才寫出了這篇文章，還開玩笑的問他朋友自己寫了一篇關於意麵的essay怎麼辦。作者對於意大利麵的熱愛到達了一個執著的程度，他也很欣賞自己有這個想法。所以他決定承擔風險，進行這個冒險的嘗試。
Essay全文：
I love pasta.
我喜歡吃意麵。
I’m not Italian, nor do I know anyone who is. I’m a half-Polish, half-German kid from Boulder, Colorado. I should instead crave perogies, wienerschnitzel, or maybe vegan avocado toast sprinkled with microgreens.
我不是意大利人，並且也不認識任何意大利人。我是一個來自科羅拉多州博爾德市，半波蘭半德國血統的孩子。比起意麵來，我更應該喜歡吃波蘭餃子、維也納炸肉排、或是撒著嫩青的酪梨烤麵包。
So why exactly do I love pasta? Memories.
所以，我喜歡意麵的由來又是什麼呢?因為回憶。
When I was seven, my favorite restaurant, Noodles, had mac-n-cheese that was legendary. However, it played second fiddle to Pasta Fresca, my little secret that hid down on the bottom right of the menu. I would order it every time, exactly the same: extra tomatoes, half spinach, double feta. Perfection.
在我七歲的時候，我喜歡一間名為Noodles的餐廳，他們有著無與倫比的芝士焗通心粉。但是對於Pasta Fresca的餐廳來說，他們只能屈居第二。我把這個秘密藏在了菜單的最深處。每次我都想點同一道菜，提出同樣的要求：雙倍羊乳酪，加倍西紅柿，多半份菠菜，完美。
But with my insatiable desire for perfection, came complications; it was impossible for a seven-year-old to routinely find his way to Noodles, come up with $8.50, and convince the cashier that No, I am not lost, and Yes, I know the feta will cost extra. Therefore, I had to get creative. Armed with a to-go menu and one brief shopping trip later, I attempted to make Pasta Fresca. I unfortunately learned, however, that an ingredient list alone contains no indication of measurement; a teaspoon quickly turns into a tablespoon. The result was a soupy, vinegary mess. That magic touch, that fresca, was missing. In fact, calling it Pasta Fresca would’ve been a crime. But it was my own–I made that pasta and there was something powerful in that.
然而我對完美的近乎執著的追求，卻不是那麼容易所能實現的。對於一個七歲的小男孩來說，拿著8.5美金，獨自找到去Noodles的路，還要說服收銀員：“不，我並不是走丟了”和“是，我知道再加一份羊乳酪會額外收費”，這簡直是天方夜譚。因此，我只能開足腦筋來嘗試做一份Pasta Fresca。在帶著便攜菜單購物之後，我遺憾的發現，材料表上並沒有標註出合適的分量。我只能在茶匙抑或湯匙的計量中苦苦掙扎。最後的成果只是一團糟，一團像湯一樣酸乎乎的東西。應有的鮮美，應現的魔法，都不見了。實際上，這一團酸乎乎的東西，壓根就配不上Pasta Fresca這個名字。但，這是隻屬於我自己的Pasta Fresca——這是我親手做的意麵，我為我自己能做出它而感到驕傲。
Five years later, that warm glow of pride of my foray into Pasta Fresca was long gone. I had hit rock bottom. It was winter and I was living with my best friend. Sledding, snowball fights, and hot cocoa filled our days. So, how does a twelve-year-old living his dream hit rock bottom?
五年後，第一次做意麵的自豪感早已消逝，我落入了人生的谷底。那是一個冬天，我和我最好的朋友一起生活。我們的日子被滑雪橇，打雪仗和熱巧克力所填滿。是什麼能讓一個十二歲的活在夢裡的孩子突然墜入人生的谷底呢?
Cancer.
癌症。
My brother Klaus was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood sarcoma that forced my family to New York City for treatment, while I was stuck in cold Colorado. Days bled into weeks, weeks into months of simply grinding away at school, craving the comfort of sleep, where I could forget my anxiety for a while. My sole comfort, the one thing that turned the worst of weeks into something bearable, was Gruffalo Pasta. Contrary to the name, it contained no mythical beast; it was simply penne with meat sauce, and yet there was something magical about it. Every Friday night, my friend’s family and I would sit down and eat Gruffalo Pasta with their famous garlic cheesy bread (worthy of its own essay). Laughs rang out as we played games, watched movies, and went sledding–we would be a family. Although my real family was thousands of miles away, every Friday night, home felt tangible.
我的弟弟Klaus被診斷出患有一種罕見的兒童惡性肉瘤，迫使我們全家，除了我，搬去紐約為他治病。而我則被留在了寒冷的科羅拉多。時光飛逝，日月如梭。每當白天我便獨自一人在學校消磨著時間，渴望著睡眠時的溫暖。只有在入睡後，我才能暫時的遠離我的焦慮。還好，起碼我有Gruffalo(直譯為咕嚕牛) Pasta在，給我最後的安慰，陪我度過最難熬的時光。恰恰和它的名字相反，這種意麵和什麼神秘怪獸沒有絲毫聯繫，就是由簡簡單單的肉醬和通心粉所製成，可其中卻又有些許的神奇之處。每當週五傍晚，我會和我朋友的家人坐在一起，配上可口的芝士蒜蓉麵包(這芝士蒜蓉麵包其中的故事，待日後我為你娓娓道來)分享Gruffalo Pasta。隨著我們一起玩遊戲，看電影，滑雪橇——就好像我們是一家人一樣。即使，我真正的家人們與我相隔了幾千英里，“家”這個詞對我來說，也從虛無縹緲的詞彙變成了觸手可及的東西。
When my family returned, spring gave way to summer, and with it came neverending afternoons of skinned knees, balls lost over fences, new neighborhood friends, and Mac n’ Cheese. We ripped through box after box, new faces cycling through the kitchen as mac n’ cheese lunches became a neighborhood tradition. There was a sense of independence that came with it, as us kids cooked it ourselves–exactly how we liked it. We added extra butter and milk, peas, chicken, bacon; whatever our little hearts desired. The days seemed infinite, brimming with possibility and spontaneity, with the comfort that there was always a mac n’ cheese lunch at someone’s house to look forward to.
當我的家人回到科羅拉多之時，春去夏來。隨之而來的，還有彷彿無盡的午後。我們肆無忌憚的玩著，鬧著，擦破了膝蓋，踢飛了皮球。當然，還有新搬來的鄰居，和芝士焗通心粉。我們孩子在紙箱之間打鬧，在各家廚房穿梭，芝士焗通心粉成了鄰里關係中不可或缺的一部分。我們小孩子自己做的時候，就會喜歡什麼加什麼。多加黃油，多放牛奶，豌豆，雞肉，培根，我們想放什麼，就放什麼。隨之而來的，就是一種自由自在，當家作主的快感。這種日子似乎就可以一直這麼持續下去，給我們無窮的可能和無盡的動力。我們總知道，總會有下一家的芝士焗通心粉，可以讓我們發揮一場。
Pasta continues to weave its thread through my life, from the Christmas dinners of Pasta Puttanesca, my pesto business started in 8th grade, gifts of exotic pasta and sauces for my birthday, to the cross-country team’s pasta parties. Pasta is a narrative tightly intertwined with that of my own. It’s been said that one should look for good in the world, whether it be memories, hope for the future, or simple joys, find that good that drives your every day. I say you need look no further than what is in front of you. I found that goodness in a bowl of pasta.
意麵繼續編織著我的生活。從聖誕晚宴的Pasta Putanesca，到八年級的香蒜醬買賣，亦或是我生日禮物得到的各種風味的意麵和醬料，直至跨國風情的意麵派對。意麵串聯起了我的人生中的每一環。有人說，人們應該在世界上尋找美好，無論是過往的回憶，或是對未來的希望，還是簡簡單單的快樂，找到那個可以給你動力讓你為之奮鬥的事情。可我卻認為，在四處尋覓之前，先看清眼前的一切吧。而我所看到的，就是一碗意麵給我的美好。
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