2016年

Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
翻译：每人都有创造性的一面，这可以通过许多形式表现：解决问题、原创创新的想法或者艺术创作等等。描述你是怎样表现出创造性的一面的？
解析：AADPS分类I-b
字数限制：八选四，350词

Though I often unleash my feelings and imagination in poems and proses, only math, a precious, pure jewel based on proof, is powered by my creativity at its best.

A decade earlier, Grandpa took me to classic Chinese gardens and recited poems there. I enjoyed the sight of the spotted bamboos by the lake. Colorfully butterflies fluttered by the shades of bamboo reminded me of the Transfiguration of Chuang Tzu. Awed by the abstract physics and biology rules that lifted these fragile creatures in the thin air, I saw that simple laws govern our wondrous world, as logic, a product of logos, determines the objects around us and even our own mindsets.

In middle school, I taught myself advanced math topics not found in the curriculum. Excited by novel ideas in my readings, I carried out meaningful discussions with people around me. When we learned solid geometry, I began to investigate 4D regular polytopes, but was not able to find a volume formula for simplex or hypercube. Inspired by a video clip, I depicted the pentatope and tesseract with a 4D extension of oblique isometric drawing to better understand them. After that, I revisited low dimensional entities like point, line, equilateral triangle, and regular tetrahedron to identify the hidden relationships, eventually obtaining the correct formula with my variant of leveled math induction.

I have also extensively applied math knowledge in everyday life, from event planning to board games. An excellent example would be a betting game on WeChat---two players would send a sum between 0.01 and 10.00 to each other, then who paid the less sum will have to pay additional 5 yuan. Having found the naïve solution via Nash equilibrium, I predicted that human players would often be under the influence of the primacy effect and pay around 0, 5, or 10. Based on estimated expectancy via computer simulation, I formulated a 5.02 winning strategy and earned myself a small fanfare.

Deductive reasoning, spatial imagination, rational strategy-making. These are the pillars of my math and the fountain of my creativity.

留学文书译文（AI翻译）：

尽管我常在诗文里倾泻情感与想象，但唯有数学——这颗建立在证明之上的珍贵而纯粹的宝石，才能让我的创造力发挥到极致。

十年前，祖父常带我去古典园林吟诗。我尤爱湖畔斑驳的竹影，彩蝶掠过竹荫时，总让我想起庄周梦蝶。惊叹于那些让脆弱生灵在稀薄空气中翩跹的抽象物理与生物法则时，我恍然悟出：简单规律支配着奇妙世界，正如逻辑——"道"的产物——决定着周遭万物，甚至我们的思维方式。

初中时，我自学了许多超纲的高等数学。每当从书中读到新奇理论，我便兴奋地与周围人展开探讨。学习立体几何期间，我开始研究四维正多胞体，却苦于无法推导出单形体与超立方体的体积公式。受一则视频启发，我用斜等测投影的四维延拓绘制了五胞体和超立方体，以此理解其结构。而后，我重新审视点、线、等边三角形、正四面体等低维实体，挖掘隐藏规律，最终用自创的分层数学归纳法得出了正确公式。

我也将数学广泛应用于生活场景，从活动策划到桌游策略。最典型的例子是微信上的一个博弈游戏：双方互发0.01至10.00元红包，金额较小者需额外支付5元。通过纳什均衡找到基础解后，我预判玩家会受首因效应影响，倾向于发送0元、5元或10元。基于计算机模拟的期望值估算，我制定了5.02元的必胜策略，并因此收获一群赞叹者。

演绎推理、空间构想、理性决策——这些是我数学思维的支柱，亦是我创造力的源泉。

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
翻译：描述你曾面临的最大挑战，以及你克服它的步骤。这一挑战如何影响了你的学术成就？
解析：AADPS分类IV-b
字数限制：八选四，350词

"Be myself" was the greatest challenge I have faced.

Moonlit school halls were all quiet until something broke the silence. "Didn't realize that you'd care about others' opinions so much!" The teacher bellowed during the play rehearsal, which lasted much longer than intended. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and face my audience.

I knew my teacher had a good intention when he drove me out of my comfort zone. When my various talents became apparent at the time, brought up by a single parent without college degree or Beijing Hukou really limited my options. To pursue a quality education, I had to take the overseas path and be a self-starter, competing with kids whose affluent families would not hesitate to spend a fortune on English tutoring. However, as soon as I decided to make a difference with diligence, I was called a nerd. The bias and stereotype eroded my identity. What should I do to take another step forward?

I sought the answer in traditional Chinese literature. Citing Li Sao, I relived the life of Qu Yuan in his exile. Though petals might be squashed into the dirt, the bright color shall never fade. Even in a materialistic world, I could stand out from the crowd.

Putting my youthful vanity aside, I returned to my original mission---to learn and to serve. The new attitude made me feel the finesse of my life and surroundings, empowering me to write powerful poems and share them with the world. The pursuit of enlightenment led me to the FENS Forum on the banks of the River Spree, where I exchanged perspectives with gifted young scholars from all over the world.

So when I identified my fondness for cute attire and animals, and that my X had deviated from the social norm, I proudly lifted my head. I started a column to oppose sex-based "privileges" on campus (e.g. equal bathroom access) and raise awareness of diversity in Y.

"Would it be hard for you?"

"Indeed. But a small price to pay for breaking free from the chains."

留学文书译文（AI翻译）：

“做自己”是我曾面临的最大挑战。

月光笼罩的校园走廊一片寂静，直到一声怒喝划破夜空。"没想到你这么在意别人的看法！"话剧排练拖堂许久，老师的吼声在空旷的剧场回荡。我深吸一口气，试图保持镇定面对观众。

我明白老师是想逼我走出舒适区。当我的多面才华逐渐显现时，单亲家庭、父母无大学学历且无北京户籍的现实，却让我的选择变得极其有限。为了追求优质教育，我不得不踏上留学之路，像个自驱的战士，与那些富裕家庭——他们毫不吝啬地为孩子一掷千金请外教——的孩子们同场竞技。然而，当我决心以勤勉闯出一片天地时，却被嘲讽为"书呆子"。偏见与刻板印象不断侵蚀着我的自我认同：我究竟该如何破局？

我在中国古典文学中寻找答案。吟诵《离骚》，我仿佛亲历屈原放逐的人生。花瓣纵使零落成泥，艳色终不萎绝。即便身处物质至上的时代，我亦能卓然独立。

抛却年少虚荣，我重拾初心——求知与服务。这种新态度让我敏锐感知生活与周遭的精微之处，笔下诗篇愈发铿锵有力，得以与世界共鸣。对启蒙的追求最终将我带到施普雷河畔的FENS论坛，与全球英才交换思想。

所以，当我发现自己钟爱萌系服饰与小动物，当我的取向偏离社会常规时，我骄傲地昂起了头。我开设专栏反对校园性别"特权"（如平等使用卫生间），呼吁关注Y群体的多元存在。

"这样会很辛苦吧？"

"当然。但为了挣脱枷锁，这点代价微不足道。"

标化条件：GPA 3.9 TOEFL 95 SAT 1430

AADPS老师文书点评：低分逆袭的关键是凸显出自己在专业学术领域的特长，当然适当解释体现一下自身所处的逆境和迎难而上的态度也极有必要。

家长感言：孩子所在的国际部有非常多的高分牛娃。他因为是中途决定走出国路线，英语方面一直赶不上，我也十分焦虑。所幸我们经朋友介绍来到了AADPS，在顾问老师扬长避短方案的引领下拿到了伯克利的录取。