摘要：如何撰写能打动招生官的文书？这常常是让准留学生们头疼的事情。潮新闻记者就此采访了靠自己斩获多所名校offer、目前就读于北卡教堂山分校在龚雨田同学，她是2025届杭外本部毕业生，“我当时花了很多力气在这篇文书上，它之所以吸引了众多招生官的目光，核心在于它精准契
潮新闻客户端 记者 姜赟
每年这个时候，美本早申进入白热化筹备阶段。对于冲刺八大藤校及全美TOP30高校的申请者而言，文书更是占据申请材料中的核心分量。
如何撰写能打动招生官的文书？这常常是让准留学生们头疼的事情。潮新闻记者就此采访了靠自己斩获多所名校offer、目前就读于北卡教堂山分校在龚雨田同学，她是2025届杭外本部毕业生，“我当时花了很多力气在这篇文书上，它之所以吸引了众多招生官的目光，核心在于它精准契合了申请题目要求——围绕一个成就、事件或认知，展现个人成长期的蜕变，以及对自我与他人的全新理解。”
龚雨田拍摄的纪录片《我们一家——陪外婆抗癌一年记》（←点击观看），全网收获了数百万的点击量。“我的主文书聚焦于拍摄外婆全家抗癌的纪录片经历。从最初仅将影像当作个人记叙的载体，到后来认识到其作为社会发声媒介的价值；从起初对死亡的深切恐惧，到学会坦然接纳生命的自然流程。文书融入了我对生命话题、临终关怀的深刻反思，以及想用自身故事激励更多家庭、推动社会相关领域进步的初心。”龚雨田告诉记者，“在文书创作中，选题是我面临的首要挑战。按照海外导师的要求，我需先独立完成文书框架的头脑风暴，再通过反复推敲论证，最终敲定核心思路。为确保文书质量，我广泛征集反馈，既向熟悉美本申请的老师和朋友请教，也会麻烦专业人士帮忙审阅。”
以下为龚雨田的主文书内容：
Beneath the thick table mat in my study room rests a treasured collection of family photos. Most capture moments of happiness—but one from ten months ago shows my grandma, frail in a hospital bed after immunotherapy.
我书房里的厚重桌垫下，静静压着一组珍贵的家庭照片。绝大多数定格的是温馨而喜悦的瞬间，唯独一张十个月前拍下的画面：外婆在接受免疫治疗后虚弱地躺卧于病床上。
Sitting by her side, I listened to her labored breaths, each one feeling like a countdown. Lung cancer had taken so much from her—her once-strong frame was now fragile, and her vibrant energy diminished. Suddenly, she smiled and said, “Take a picture of me, my little photographer.” She always knew what photography meant to me—preserving beautiful yet fleeting moments. With trembling hands, I captured her smile, knowing she wanted to be remembered this way—purposeful and resilient. Though I couldn’t ease her pain, I offered what I could, accompanying her during hospital visits and documenting her journey, with each photograph honoring her resilience.
我坐在她身旁，听着她艰难的呼吸，每一下都像生命的倒数。肺癌夺走了她的强健与活力，只留下脆弱的身躯。忽然，她微笑着对我说：“给我拍张照吧，我的小摄影师。”她明白摄影对我意味着什么——留住美丽而短暂的瞬间。那一刻，我颤抖着按下快门，记录下她坚毅的笑容。虽然无法替她减轻痛苦，我仍尽力陪伴，用一张张照片为她的生命旅程作见证，铭刻她的坚韧。
While researching her condition, I came across the PBS documentary Facing Death. One scene, where a terminally ill woman demanded honesty from her hesitant family, reminded me of Grandma. She broke the suffocating silence after her diagnosis, saying, “Tell me everything.” Her unwavering gaze carried us through difficult conversations about treatments, trade-offs, and fears. When asked what mattered most, she smiled, “Seeing you all just a little longer.” Those honest conversations, though painful, brought us closer, turning weekend visits into cherished reunions where we navigated tough decisions together.
在研究她的病情时，我偶然看到纪录片《面对死亡》。其中有一幕，是一位身患绝症的妇女要求迟疑的家人给出诚实的回答。这立刻让我想起了外婆。医院确诊后，她首先打破压抑的沉默：“把一切都告诉我吧！”她那坚定的眼神，让我们能够撑过那些关于治疗、取舍和恐惧的艰难谈话。当被问到她此刻最在乎的是什么时，她笑着回答：“再多见你们一会儿。”能这些诚恳却沉痛的交流，使我们更加亲近，也让每个周末的探访化作难得的团聚，共同面对并承担那些艰难的决定。
Yet, in online end-of-life support groups, I learned how rare such openness is in China. Cultural taboos render death unspeakable, leaving families shielding one another from painful truths and hospice care severely underutilized. For Grandma, our candid discussions gave her the strength to shape her final days on her own terms. This gift of truth, respect, and agency is the greatest care we can offer to those standing bravely on the verge of life and death.
然而，直到我加入网上的临终关怀群体，才明白这样的坦诚在中国是并不是很常见。文化上的禁忌让死亡成为禁语，家人彼此遮掩痛苦的真相，临终关怀也因此鲜少被善加利用。对外婆来说，我们之间那坦诚的交谈给了她力量，让她得以按照自己的意愿安排最后的日子。这份“真实、尊重与自主”的礼物，是我们能给予勇敢面对生死之人的最大慰藉。
Photography taught me to frame moments. But to tell a fuller story, I turned to filmmaking. I spent hours editing, sought advice from filmmakers online, and pushed through frustration. What guided me through countless late nights was the hope that my work could empower other families facing similar struggles.
摄影让我学会定格瞬间，而当我想要讲述更完整的故事时，我转向了电影创作。我曾花费无数时间练习剪辑、寻求网上电影创作者的指点，并在一次次挫折中逼自己不断前行。支持我度过无数不眠之夜的，正是心中那份期冀——愿我的作品能够为那些同样面临困境的家庭带来力量。
When the documentary was complete, I shared it on social media and support groups, but I wanted a broader audience.My voice trembled as I explained, “I want people to see that death is not an end but the final chapter of living fully. By embracing it, we can transform how we live and care for others, especially in their final days.” Weeks later, my persistence paid off. The editor agreed to feature my documentary. The film garnered millions of views, and responses poured in. Families shared their struggles and thanked me for sparking a conversation they had long avoided. Each comment brought me to tears. The weight of the fight to make Grandma’s story heard was finally validated.
纪录片完成后，我将它分享在社交媒体和支持群体中，但我希望能有更广泛的观众群。于我用发颤的声音解释：“我希望人们能看到，死亡不是结束，而是完整人生的最后一章。唯有直面它，我们才能重新理解如何生活，以及如何更好地关注临终的亲人。”数周后，我的坚持终于得到回报。编辑同意发布我的纪录片，影片迅速获得百万次观看，回应如潮水般涌来。许多家庭分享了他们的挣扎，也感谢我开启了一个他们长久回避的话题。每一则留言都令我潸然泪下。这场为外婆故事发声的艰辛努力，终于得到了肯定。
Navigating this emotional terrain has transformed my understanding of life and death, imbuing it with a philosophical depth I had not grasped before. I now see mortality as a part of a greater narrative about human existence, filled with moments of love, loss, and growth. Through this lens, I have gained a deeper maturity, enabling me to confront challenges with a sense of purpose rather than despair. Confronting these realities has clarified my life’s purpose: to live authentically, to tell stories that illuminate truths, to inspire change, and to bring meaning even in life’s most difficult moments. This journey has strengthened me with resilience, empowering me to live each day with grace and persistence. With this newfound strength, I am determined to build a life rooted in empathy, creativity, and an unyielding drive to create a positive impact.
探索这段情感历程，彻底改变了我对生与死的理解，也赋予了它前所未有的哲思。我如今将死亡视为人类存在宏大叙事的一部分，其中交织着爱、失落与成长的片刻。透过这样的视角，我获得了更深层的成熟，使我能以目标与使命感，而非绝望，去面对挑战。直面这些现实，让我更加明晰人生的意义：真诚地生活，讲述能启迪人心的故事，激发改变，并在最艰难的时刻也寻得意义。这段旅程让我更加坚韧，使我能以优雅与毅力迎接每一天。凭借这份新生的力量，我立志过一种以同理心、创造力与坚定不移的信念为根基的生活，去创造积极而深远的影响。
龚雨田说：“考虑到这篇文书本身是用英文的思维逻辑书写的，所以在进行中文翻译时，我特别注重保留原文的真情实感。我还有个好消息想和大家分享，我外婆现在身体很好，已经摆脱了肺癌的风险。这份平安，离不开浙大一院胸外科胡坚医生团队的精湛医术及持续地预后关心，我对此满心感激。同时，我更要感谢我的亲人，让我能够心无旁骛地在北卡教堂山这所知名学府，追逐我在计算机科学、数据科学及社会学领域的梦想。”
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来源：钱江晚报
