联系出国所需要的文件
☆ TOEFL成绩单
☆ GRE成绩单
☆ GRE SUBJECT 成绩单。并非每个专业都要求你有专项成绩,但你有的话,通常能增加你赢得奖学金的机会。
☆ TSE成绩单。并不是所有学生必须提供的,但有一个良好的TSE成绩,能增加拿助教津贴的机会。
☆ 本科四年成绩单。如果大学尚未毕业,可只提供现有的成绩单。所有成绩单都应当是中、英文对照的,最好两份同时盖上公章并封入信封,在封口上再盖上封签章。每所大学都会要求一、两份这样的成绩单。由于联系学校的数量一般在10~20所所以应该准备好不少于30份的成绩单。
☆ 研究生成绩单。国外学校一般要求提供所有post-secondary education的成绩单,如果你读过研究生,自然也包括你在研究生学习期间的成绩单。 这些成绩单的制作要求与本科成绩单相同。
☆ 本科、研究生的毕业证书和学位证书。在联系过程中,通常只要将这些证件的复印件寄给所联系的学校就行,但在使馆签证和到美国的大学报到时,则需要出示原件和公证件。 寄这些证件复印件时,应随附英文翻译。
☆ PERSONAL STATEMENT 或 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE。这是一份各专业都需要的自我表白材料,一般要求500~1000字。在这篇十分重要的文章中,你既要把对所学专业的精深看法写出来,还要把自己的精神状态和对前途的看法写出来。既要写得具体、实在,又要写得生动感人。如何写作这份文件,是本软件的重要内容。
☆ 三封推荐信。各学校一般要求每个申请者提供三封推荐信。大部分学校都有固定的推荐信表格,只要按照表格填写就行。多数情况下,推荐信也可以由推荐人另行用信纸写成,单独或随表格一起寄给国外学校。每份推荐信都必须由推荐人亲自签名,不能复印。推荐人最好由了解你的大学老师、单位领导及专业知名人士担任。如果有外国教授比较了解、欣赏你,请他们写推荐信,效果往往不错。本软件将对一些推荐信实例进行评改。
☆ 资金证明表。该表由各大学寄给你,要求你填上自己和家庭的经济状况,去美国读书的资金来源以及由谁提供担保等。
☆ RESUME 或简历。个人简历并不是每个学校每个专业都要求的,但写出一份个人简历,把自己的教育背景、工作经验和优点一目了然地呈现在洋教授们面前,一定会对你只有好处没有坏处。
☆ 论文摘要工程项目设计介绍。有些学校明文要求这些,但即便没有要求,你也应尽可能地提供,因为它们能够显著增加你的自述的可信度,从而大大提高你获得录取和资助的机会。
☆ 各大学所需的其他表格。有些学校和有些专业可能会要求某些特殊的申请文件,如有的大学要求你的健康证明等,应按要求准备并寄出。
☆ 正式申请大学的申请费。中国学生现在已不可能逃避这项30~70美元不等的费用。通常你可以到中国银行办理美元汇票,或请国外的亲友们帮你用支票交纳。
☆ 录取通知书。各大学在正式录取你后,都会给你发出正式录取通知书。该通知书通常与奖学金无关。
☆ I-20表。该表是所有到美国留学的学员最后都必须收到的一份重要表格,持该表格就可以办护照和签证,以最终进入美国。
☆ 护照。没有护照,一切免谈。办护照一般需要如下文件:a.录取通知书;b.I-20 表(美国);c.出境申请表,在上面需要有单位的人事章和公安局的审批章;d.国家培养费交费证明;e如果还没有毕业的学员要有退学证明书。
☆ 健康免疫证明书。每个学生都必须在出国前参加体检,注射一些疫苗,由中国卫生检疫中心发给健康免疫证明书,在通过美国海关时使用。
☆ 各种公证文件。在出国过程中也许并不需要,到了美国也难得用上,但一旦涉及结婚,工作等重大事情时却可能必不可少,所以必须做好准备。这些公证主要包括:婚姻公证,无犯罪公证,工作经验公证等。
联系出国时间表
如果把参加考试的时间计算在内,多数人联系自费出国留学需要两年时间,至少也需要一年半的时间。假定你现在已达到大学四级的英语水平,你TOEFL学习需要2~4个月时间,GRE学习需要4~6个月时间。TOEFL成绩有效期为2年,GRE成绩有效期为5年。TOEFL考试和GRE考试二者没有哪一个必须先考的问题。但因为TOEFL比GRE相对要容易,所以可以先考TOEFL,以便按部就班地学习。着急出国的人也可以同时准备,在大约同一时间内参加考试。
一般来说,应当在一年左右的时间内解决所有英语语言考试。假如你希望2003年秋天到美国去读书,那么你的TOEFL考试应该在2002年8月份以前结束。GRE自1999年1月底在中国实行计算机化的考试,这样,在1~12月期间,你可以从容地任意挑选一个时间参加GRE的考试。总而言之,只要可能,你应当在开始准备申请文件以前完成各项英语语言考试。这样,你选择、联系学校时可以比较有针对性,同时也能避免你因为一边联系学校一边准备考试而心烦意乱、顾此失彼。
以下是我们推荐的联系时间表,供参考:
3月~7月
在准备、参加考试的同时确定自己希望到美国去攻读的专业,调查该专业在美国各大学的排名和其他情况。通过Peterson's Guide 等资料查询各大学专业招生情况、要求及地址。有条件的,也可以进入各大学在Internet的网点查询。在8月份以前必须选出30~40所学校作为自己的联系对象。在些期间,还应该尽可能回原毕业的学校开出中英文的正式成绩单。
8月1日~8月30日
写好第一封联系信,通过邮局或E-mail发给你感兴趣的学校,索取申请表及相关。本软件提供了一些经我们评改过的联系信实例。现在越来越多的学校在这的万维网站上提供申请表格和其他申请资料,你可以从那里下载。
9月~10月
收到校方的回信和申请资料,着手准备各种各样的文件。首先要对申请表格进行筛选,排除一些不合适或对你不表示欢迎的学校,最后选定10~15所学校作为认真联系的对象。然后按这些学校各自的要求准备文件,通常这些文件包括经校方签章并签封的中英文成绩单,TOEFL、GRE等语言考试成绩单的复印件,你自己写的personal statement, resume, essays, 和你的推荐人写的recommendation letters, 等等。
11月1日~11月30日
认真填写所选出的10~15所大学的表格,为这些大学拟定全部文件和材料。在这过程中,最好为每个大学建立一个档案,保留和该校相关的文件和文件备份,以便随时掌握联系的进度。准备一个大信封,把全部要寄出的资料按顺序放入。这些资料包括:
a. Cover Letter, 向校方说明全部资料已准备齐全,现在一起寄出,希望校方认真考虑并给予回音。
b.申请费,可到中国银行或中信实业银行办理汇票,然后把该汇票附在你的申请表上。
c.申请表,按照各大学的要求填写,有条件的可用电动打字机打上去,如果用笔填写,一定要一笔一划写得很清楚。
d. Personal Statement & Resume,这两个文件事关你的奖学金,一定要把你的优势和成就写得充分可信。
e.论文或作品集。
f.TOEFL、GRE成绩单,复印后签上字,放入包封(package)中。
g.如果有一篇专业论文附在档案中,一定会增加录取或拿奖学金的机会。学建筑等专业的学则应提交作品集。
h.财力证明,不管有没有钱,都要把该表填好放入申请package中。
i.各学校所要求的其他资料和文件。这些文件都是要由你自己准备并寄出的。
下列文件不能出现在前段提到的大信封里,必须单独寄发:
1. Three Recommendation Letters, 把三封推荐信分三个信封装好,并在信封口上请教授签上字。
2. 中、英文对照的成绩单,用学校的信封封好,封口上应有学校的签章
3. TOEFL、GRE的正式成绩单,必须安排国外的考试中心直接寄给学校。
12月~1月
向各大学寄出所有联系资料,并要求ETS向各大学寄TOEFL、GRE成绩单原件。在以上工作全部结束以后,可再选出10所左右一般的大学,在不交申请费,不寄TOEFL、GRE成绩单原件的前提下进行联系,有时会有意想不到的结果。
2月~4月
用通信或E-mail的方式和学校保持联系。可能的话,向大学所学专业的教授写信做自我推荐,让那些能决定你命运的教授了解了,以进一步提高你被录取和授予奖学金的机会。有时校方会来函,告知缺什么文件,接到信后应赶紧把所需文件寄过去。在接到一所学校来的奖学金后,不要急于答复,因为可能会有更多更好的学校给予奖学金。到4月上、中旬再决定去哪一所学校,然再把别的学校回绝掉。
5月~6月
如果到5月份还没有接到奖学金,不用着急,但要与学校继续保持联系。大约有三分之一的奖学金是在5月和6月发下来的。拿到I-20表的学员,可以开始到公安机关办理护照。护照拿到后,随时可去美国大使馆申请签证。中国学生一般有三次连续签证的机会,每次签证费405元人民币,从2002年6月1日开始,签证费涨到559元人民币。获全奖的学员多能一次通过。半奖或没奖的学员只要准备充分,也有相当的机会。
7月~8月
处理好国内的各种事务,预定好飞机票,作身体健康免疫检查,办理好各种所需要的公证文件,购置各种所需物品,和美国大学联系住宿问题,做好出国准备。
以上粗略的出国时间表仅供大家参考使用。大家可能会碰上不同的情况,到时一定要灵活处理。如果碰上实在棘手的问题可以找专家咨询。
最初的联系信1
Jiao Dianshi
Dept. of Entertainment
Tsinghua University
Beijing 111001
People's Republic of China
Sept. 31, 1998
Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Fancy Discipline
Nice & Beautiful University
101 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 10090
United States of America
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am a lecturer teaching video production at the Tsinghua University of China, one of the country's leading institutions of higher learning. I now wish to scale higher intellectual heights by pursuing advanced studies in a quality graduate program at an American university. Towards that end, I am writing to ask for a package of your application documents. Your timely assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I did my undergraduate studies at the Tsinghua University, where I now teach, and obtained a Master's Degree in 1996 at the Beijing Institute of Broadcasting, the best higher-learning institution of its kind in China. In the past two years, I have been serving as a popular teacher of television shooting and the making of documentary films. In this capacity, I have published a number of research papers concerning China's booming media industry.
As I try to ground myself more solidly in my teaching and research career, I need to broaden my vision and perspectives. Checking into the Peterson's Guide and other sources, I have found that your university offers the kind of graduate program that caters to my type of research interests. It is therefore hoped that this letter will start me off in a process that will lead to my enrolment in your program next year.
Yours sincerely
Jiao Dianshi
最初的联系信2
Chen Xuemin
P.O. Box 4444
Northern Industrial University
Beijing 100085
E-Mail: chenxue@mail.niu.edu.cn
Apr. 31, 1998
Graduate School
University of Wonders
London N55 44G
United Kingdom
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am a Chinese student due to graduate this year with a B.S. from the Computer Department of the Northern Industrial University, a distinguished higher-learning institution based in Beijing, China's capital. I would like to apply for acceptance into your graduate program so that I can further my training in my chosen field of studies. All your assistance will be highly appreciated.
I was born in 1976 in Liaoning, the country's most industrialized province, with a population of about 40 million. My education began in 1983 in my hometown Liaoyang's Nanlinzi Primary School. I did so well at Nanlinzi that I won admission in 1986 into the Liaoning Experiemental Primary School, which groups together the province's best and brightest children. It was at the Liaoning Experimental Primary School that I set out to learn computer programming with the BASIC language at only 11 years of age, which is quite unusual among Chinese children even today. In 1988, I moved on into the Liaoning Experimental Middle School, the cream of the province's high schools. In this middle school, I persevered in enhancing my computer expertise, which enabled me to win the championship at a contest of computer knowledge that involved all the high schools in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning.
My schooling at the province's best high school paid off in 1994. That year, I gained acceptance into the Northern Industrial University on the strength of my impressive grades in the highly competitive National University Entrance Examinations, which are held annually nationwide to screen high school graduates for university education. In the four years since, I have been receiving systematic and comprehensive training in computer science, taking courses ranging from discrete mathematics, fundamentals of combinatorics, introduction to mathematical logic, assembly language, C language, data structure, compiler design theory, operating system, computer architecture and organization, to fundamentals of computer networks.
Meanwhile, I have also endeavored to improve my English proficiency. Recently, I took the TOFEL and GRE tests. Although the scores are still pending, I believe that they will be good.
I now would very much like to expand the horizon and insights that my education so far has endowed in me. Towards that end, I have checked around for a good Western university to go to. Judging by all that I know, I think your university suits my purpose the best. It would be a great privilege for me if I could join your graduate program to advance my training. Please send me an application package and all other material I might need to apply for acceptance.
Yours sincerely,
Chen Xuemin
最初的联系信修改稿
本信较长,是个颇极端的例子。由于原作者坚持要写满一页,所以改后稿也甚长。其实这么多文字很可能浪费了。这样一封用于索取资料的信,目的仅是要对方对自己产生兴趣,然后把申请和介绍材料寄给自己。一般来说,这种信不必要太长,也不必太详细地介绍自己,更不必要设计与自己学术能力无关的内容。当然,也不要使用Dear Leadership这种话,听起来让人起鸡皮疙瘩。
Dear President and Leadership,
My name is Tai Changle, I will graduate from Computer Department of Chinese Northern Industrial University this year. I would like to apply for further study as graduate student at your University. I took forward to your permission and reply. Here is my resume as following:
I was born in Liaoyang city of Liaoning Province, China, in June 10, 1976. I studied at the Nanlinzi Primary School in my home town from September 1983 to June 1986, at the Provincial Testing Primary School of Liaoning Province in Shenyang City from June 1986 to July 1988, at the provincial Testing Middle School of Liaoning Province In Shenyang City from September 1988 to February 1992, at the Middle School attached at the People's University of China in Beijing from February 1992 to July 1994. Since September 1994, I became an undergraduate at the Northern Industrial University of China in Beijing.
When I was 11 years old, I began to study BASIC language programming. In middle school, I kept on studying computer knowledge in my spare time, and won a championship at the competition of computer knowledge in which the students from all excellent High Schools in Shenyang City took part.
In the last four years, I have learned the courses on computer systematically, including Discrete Mathematics, Fundamentals of Combinatorics Introduction to Mathematical Logic, Assembly Language, C Language, Data Structure, Compiler Design Theory, Operating System, Computer Architecture and Organization, Fundamentals of Computer Networks and So on.
In the mean time, I took the TOFEL and GRE test. Last year, I got a license for drivers.
My four years undergraduate life is very wonderful and meaningful, it has expanded my horizon. I long for the chance to learn more knowledge. ## is the best university in my mind. I wish I could study at your University in the future.
Sincerely,
PERSONAL STATEMENT
By Jin Sheng
From this book, I learned a lot of modern technology that can improve the performance of computer, like pipelining and parallel processing. It made my mind. In the third year, I entered the laboratory, worked with Dr. Komatsu (chief researcher in IBM Tokyo Research Laboratory) and Dr. Koseki (researcher in IBM Tokyo Research Laboratory) on GIFT project. It introduces the following architecture supports that can allow compilers to derive more parallelism from programs. 1. A conditional execution mechanism. 3 A dynamic memory disambiguation mechanism to execute memory access instructions simultaneously.
As an undergraduate student, I only could do a limited research work, but at the seminar twice a week, I learned lots about parallel processing and software engineering. In laboratory, we read and discuss the paper and book, like " ADVANCED COMPILER DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION", with master students. Dr. Komatsu also taught us some new knowledge. My graduation thesis is :" An Improvement of Softwarepipelining using Loop Transformations". In that, I introduced a translation algorithm using Loop interchange and Loop skewing. This algorithm can minimize the initiation interval of loop nest to improve the performance of Softwarepipelining."
Yet parallel processing is mostly aren't in recent system, it is far from maturity. There are still some sequential algorithms can't be easily translated into fast parallel algorithms and most compiler can only distribute works on one platform. Another unsettled problem is rogramming parallel computers now is still a manual work, even the modern language ( like Java, C++) can do some automatic translation work. If there is a compiler that can translate and distribute work into different platforms, then personal computers can work like a supercomputer with low cost. Especially, today, more and more computers are connected by network, even in family. Contacting all computers in world to make the fastest one is not a dream.
Without advanced knowledge, I can do nothing but wait. In order to convert my undergraduate study into full play, graduate is necessity. Form the Web and my advisor's recommendation, I am pleased to learn that your department has an academic atmosphere where originality is appreciated and individual potential is explored. It will be the best place for my specialized study. If possible, my main interest in the future will be in the following areas.
Parallelizing and Distributing Compiler
Operating System
Computer Network
Upon the completion of my study, I would work to realize the dream before. I believe it will fruit in the nearest future.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
By Jin Sheng
本科生往往没有太多的东西可写,重要的是要找到unique的角度。本文学习目的写得相当明确。
A fourth-year student grounded solidly in the basics of computer science, I am writing in pursuit of graduate studies that I hope can help me acquire cutting-edge expertise in software programming in general and parallel processing in particular.
Intrigued by the power of the computer since high school, I have been trying to stay on top of the computer science by concentrating my undergraduate studies on those subjects that underpin the discipline, particularly mathematics and electronics. To build up my solid knowledge in these subjects, I have taken virtually all the related courses that the university has had to offer. These courses include Algorithm & Data Structure, Mathematical Modeling, Network Theory, Digital Circuit, Discrete Mathematics, and Electric Circuit. With a sophisticated understanding in these areas, I have been well positioned to appreciate the basic theories of computer science and their applications to software development.
Aided by the firm command of the basics, I have found it not only easy but also exciting to study the various subjects covered by my major. As most of my classmates, I took a variety of courses ranging from AI to Computer Network, from AI Programming to Knowledge Engineering, from Pattern Recognition to Software Engineering, and from Database Design to Programming Language Design. But I distinguished myself by my academic record, which places me as one of the very top students in my class. My grades in these course never went below A or B. I have also stood out as one of the few who have taught themselves Real Time System and Computer Graphics.
Armed with sound training in the basic theories and applied technologies, I have been able to move on into deeper and wider areas of computer science. Early in my university life, I began to understand that the modern computer's base, the Turing machine, was reaching its limits in AI. Gradually, I have narrowed down my research interest to parallel & distributive computing, which I understand can significantly boost the performance of personal computers by giving them some of the functions of mainframe computers.
Of all the areas of computer science, parallel processing fascinates me the most. The term first came to me when I read the book Computer Organization & Design: the Hardware/software Interface as part of my Computer Architecture course. By teaching me how the performance of computers can be improved through pipelining and parallel processing, the book reshaped my thinking in computer science.
My lab experience deepened my understanding of parallel processing. In my third year, I worked on a GIFT project with Dr. Komatsu, chief researcher of IBM Tokyo Research Laboratory and Dr. Koseki, one of Dr. Komatsu's colleagues. The project was to introduce the architecture supports that can allow compilers to derive more parallelism from programs. These architecture supports include three designs, a conditional execution mechanism to execute instructions without normal conditional jump instructions, speculative execution mechanism, and a dynamic memory disambiguation mechanism to execute memory access instructions simultaneously.
As undergraduate students seldom get to be involved in actual research, I took full advantage of the opportunity of working in the lab. I particularly enjoyed the seminars held twice a week as part of the lab work. At these seminars, I engaged in in-depth discussions with Master's students under Dr. Komatsu's seasoned guidance. The lab experience is adding weight and insights to my graduation paper An Improvement of Software pipelining using Loop Transformations. In this paper, I will introduce a translation algorithm using loop interchange and loop skewing. This algorithm can minimize the initiation interval of loop nest to improve the performance of software pipelining.