On October 12, the Residential College held the 27th lecture of iCareer career planning series. Wang Xinlei, the academic tutor of the Academy and professor of UIUC, analyzed the postgraduate education in American universities from the perspective of application for study abroad, and taught Chinese and foreign students the skills of master's and doctoral programs, letter of recommendation writing and personal statement writing in American universities.

Wang Xinlei first listed the ten advantages of further education. "The more knowledge students have in the research field, the stronger their interpersonal skills, social skills and research skills will be." Wang Xinlei mentioned that whether investing in the future or gaining attention in today's increasingly hot job market, what we gain from further education is not only a diploma, but also more in-depth pursuit of admission tickets in our own fields of interest, which is also an important step to make contributions to the world's knowledge treasure house. As for the master's and doctoral programs in American universities, he described the differences between a teaching master's degree, a research master's degree and a doctor's degree.

Wang Xinlei explained the six requirements for admission of graduate students in American universities, and focused on how to obtain letters of recommendation. How to write an email to get a recommendation? He reminded the students of the precautions for obtaining letters of recommendation in terms of clear information, appropriate wording, time nodes, etc., and mentioned the "lightning points" that should be avoided.

What elements should a good personal statement contain? Wang Xinlei suggested that the content of the personal statement should be focused and highlighted, supplemented by strong opening and closing paragraphs. He reminded students of the difference between resumes and personal statements. Resumes need to be concise and clear to show the scientific research internship experience and personal skills that are consistent with the project, while personal statements focus more on shaping personal characteristics, clarifying the motivation to participate in the project, and understanding of the project applied for. In the Q&A session, Wang Xinlei answered in detail the confusion of Chinese and foreign students about further education in American universities.

After listening to this lecture, I learned that the application needs to focus on two topics, namely, whether it is qualified and whether it is appropriate. I learned that resumes and personal statements are more evidence to show whether students are compatible with this project. Mr. Wang told us from the perspective of the admissions officers who have read a lot of recommendations that the admissions officers can tell the quality of the recommendations at a glance, so I will pay more attention to this aspect. Thanks for Mr. Wang's explanation and the Academy's organization!

——2019 ZJE undergraduate Chen Wenxin

In this lecture, Mr. Wang talked about the differences of each further education project, including graduation requirements, depth of knowledge, admission requirements, etc., around the "perspective of graduate enrollment in American universities"; They explained in detail the content of their resumes, recommended candidates and personal statements. Thank the Academy for giving us this very valuable opportunity. From the perspective of the admissions officer, we have a new understanding of how to show ourselves in three-dimensional and multi angle application materials.

——2019 ZJUI undergraduate Li Zitong

The platform "Navigation" aims to develop global competitiveness and leadership, broaden students' international vision and cultivate students' social development ability. Relying on the tutor system, it provides students with multi-dimensional guidance and consultation. The brand events includes High Table Dinner, Mentor Workshop and "iCareer" career planning workshops.