肯尼迪发人深省的哈佛申请文书，只有五句话

2019年08月06日

17岁时，这位未来的总统似乎就明白，精英教育的价值在于它所提供的地位。

约翰·肯尼迪（John F. Kennedy）于1937年与他的父亲约瑟夫·肯尼迪（Joseph P. Kennedy）站在哈佛大学校园里（AP 图片）

Without a doubt, John F. Kennedy is one of Harvard University's most accomplished and impressive graduates.

毫无疑问，约翰·肯尼迪是哈佛大学最有成就、最令人印象深刻的毕业生之一。

However, the former POTUS was not the best applicant when he decided he wanted to take up residence in Cambridge, Mass. He had poor grades from high school, and while he had spent two months at Princeton University before leaving due to an illness, even his own father called him "careless."

然而，当他决定要在马萨诸塞州剑桥生活时，这位前总统并不是最好的申请者。他高中成绩很差，而且虽然他在普林斯顿大学待过两个月（后来因病离开），可甚至他自己的父亲都说他“漫不经心”。

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, The Washington Post has highlighted many of his school records, including a handwritten Harvard application. You can check out the digitized originals at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

为了迎接肯尼迪遇刺事件50周年纪念，《华盛顿邮报》着重展示了他的许多学校记录，包括一封手写的哈佛申请。你可以在肯尼迪总统图书馆和博物馆查看电子版原件。

As part of the Harvard application — which at the time was a mere three pages — students were asked to give a "careful answer" to the question "Why do you wish to come to Harvard?" Here's what a young JFK had to say:

作为哈佛大学申请（当时只有三页）的一部分，学生们被要求对“为什么你想来哈佛？”这一问题给予“认真回答”。

这是年轻的肯尼迪所说的话：

Why do you wish to come to Harvard?
为什么你想来哈佛？

The reasons that I have for wishing to go to Harvard are several. I feel that Harvard can give me a better background and a better liberal education than any other university. I have always wanted to go there, as I have felt that it is not just another college, but is a university with something definite to offer. Then too, I would like to go to the same college as my father. To be a "Harvard man" is an enviable distinction, and one that I sincerely hope I shall attain.

我想上哈佛大学的原因有几个。我觉得哈佛可以给我一个比其他任何大学更好的背景和更好的通识教育。我一直都想去那里，因为我觉得它不仅仅是另一所学校而已，它是一所能够提供一些明确的东西的大学。然后，我也想和我的父亲就读同一所学校。成为一名“哈佛人”是一个令人羡慕的荣誉，一个我真心希望我能获得的荣誉。

April 23, 1935
John F. Kennedy

1935年4月23日

约翰·F·肯尼迪

What did JFK do in his essay?

肯尼迪在他的文书中做了什么？

· He establishes his interest in getting a liberal education, and established Harvard as the school strongest position to deliver this service.

· 他确立了自己对于接受通识教育的兴趣，并将哈佛大学确立为提供这项服务的最强的学校。

· He flatters Harvard and differentiates it by saying that it's not "just another college".

· 他恭维哈佛，并通过说它“不仅仅是另一所学校而已”来将它区分。

· He states his long held desire to go to Harvard.

· 他表达了他长期渴望上哈佛的愿望。

· He mentions his legacy status.

· 他提到了他与哈佛校友的亲属关系。

How do we evaluate his essay？

我们如何评估他的文书？

· The writing is crafted, but the story is bad.

· 写作精雕细琢，但故事很糟糕。

· He does establish the uniqueness of Harvard, which is key to arguing that he should be admitted here, but he never explains why that point of differentiation is important to his future journey.

· 他确实确立了哈佛的独特性，这是论证他应该被录取的关键，但他没有解释为什么这一独特性对他未来道路来说很重要。

· His family connection and desire to attend (which are the heart of his essay) are esoteric; third parties like the Adcom don't really care about personal desires. Afterall, if the Adcom ran a hardware store with a limited inventory, why would would they deny someone aching to drive a nail by giving their last hammer to another who just really likes hammers? (but my dad had the same hammer brand!)

· 他的家庭关系和入学的愿望（这是他的文章的核心）让人摸不着头脑。像招生委员会这样的第三方对个人愿望并不是很关心。毕竟，如果说招生委员会经营一家库存有限的五金店，他们为什么会拒绝一个十分想（用锤子来）钉钉子的人而把他们最后的锤子给一个只是很喜欢锤子的人呢？（但我爸有一样牌子的锤子！）

· JFK never talks about what he wants to do with his Harvard education or what journey he is on. When you offer a "quest" in your application, the Adcom's offer of admission is a vote for that cause, not just for you as a person. If you want to argue why they should just choose you as a person, you better be one compelling person!

· 肯尼迪未谈及他想怎样利用哈佛大学的教育或者他要走的道路是什么样的。当你在申请中谈及某种“追求”时，招生组的的录取通知就是对那个事业的支持，而不仅仅是对你个人的支持。如果你想论证为什么他们应该选择你这个人，那么你最好做一个让人信服的人！

· He never explains how he will give back to the school (unless it is implied by his wealthy father).

· 他未说明他将如何回报学校（除非他有钱的父亲意味着这一点）。

What lessons can we draw from this essay?

我们能从这篇文书中吸取什么教训？

· When you have a rich famous father, make sure you mention him in your essay.

· Harvard's admissions have gotten a LOT more rigorous over the past century.

· 如果你有个有钱有名的父亲，记得在你的文书中提到他。

· 哈佛的招生在过去的一个世纪里变得严格了许多。

Still, Kennedy's essay shows a profound, if implicit, understanding of the primary value of attending an elite school: status and personal connections, rather than mastery of academic skills and knowledge. Notice that he only makes one mention of the education he'd receive at Harvard—a passing reference to the school's superior "liberal education." The rest of the paragraph focuses on the non-academic benefits: having a "better background," sharing the same alma mater with his dad, and enjoying the "enviable distinction" of being a Harvard Man.

尽管如此，肯尼迪的文章体现了对念精英学校的主要价值的或许隐晦但深刻的理解：（其主要价值在于）地位和个人关系，而不是对学术技能和知识的掌握。请注意，他只提了一次他将在哈佛接受的教育——粗略提了一下学校顶尖的“通识教育”。该段其余部分侧重于那些非学术方面的益处：拥有“更好的背景”、与父亲共享同一个母校，以及享受成为一名哈佛人的“令人羡慕的荣誉”。

And it is, indeed, an enviable distinction. Harvard has produced eight United States presidents, more than any other school. The school's website has a whole section devoted to all the alumni who've won Nobel prizes. Two of its dropouts are among the richest people in America. Whether these glories are due to the school's excellent education or its impressive alumni network and name recognition, who knows? But Kennedy clearly thought he knew the answer.

那确实是一个令人羡慕的荣誉。哈佛大学已经出了八位美国总统，比其他任何学校都多。学校的网站上有一整个板块专门介绍所有获诺贝尔奖的校友。它的两名辍学者位居美国最富有的人之列。这些荣耀是要归功于学校优秀的教育还是宏大的校友网络和知名度，谁又知道呢？但肯尼迪显然认为他知道答案。