It is the last two paragraphs of the article that I'd like to highlight here. They provide very helpful tips on writing an autobiography.
http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=11&f_SUB_ID=23&f_ART_ID=181812
聯合報╱記者薛荷玉／台北報導】 2009/03/09
如何才能申請上哈佛、耶魯等美國長春藤名校？除了學業成績要好，連續4年當選麥當勞優秀員工、參加街舞社團，也可能成為申請入學的決定性利器。
在美國創辦升學輔導機構、成功協助近千位學生申請上長春藤名校的魏昕，最近計畫把頂級升學諮詢輔導服務引進台灣。他表示，計畫申請美國名校的亞洲學生，通常學業成績都很好，但往往因缺乏吸引大學招生人員的「亮點」，而與名校擦身而過。
許多學生都知道當志工、參與社會服務，能在申請大學或研究所時加分，但有些學生卻因家境不好、忙於打工，連當志工的時間都沒有。魏昕說，他就輔導過一位來自新移民家庭的高中女生，連續4年都當選麥當勞的優秀員工，並提出一項早餐加熱流程的建議，獲總公司採用，改變了全美麥當勞的操作流程。
「麥當勞的資深副總裁還跟哈佛大學招生辦公室的人說，如果不是這小女生還不滿18歲，應該早就當上店長了。」魏昕說，這位女學生果然如願申請上哈佛。
就在最近，魏昕也輔導一位從中國移民美國的男生，申請上了長春藤盟校，只因他參加了以黑人為主的街舞社團，進而改善社區內的種族關係。
魏昕分析台灣學生申請名校的弱點，主要落在個人自傳上，「許多學生都把原來條列式的簡歷，如參加過什麼比賽、得什麼獎，轉化成一篇散文，就算是自傳。」魏昕說，這實在很難吸引招生人員注意。
魏昕建議，自傳要「往深處寫」，選一兩件對你學習、人生影響重大的經歷、事件，談到它產生的影響，才能打動人。
I agree with Mr. Wei. In fact, in an old textbook published by National Institute for Compilation and Translation, a lesson entitled "Autobiography" can serve as a good example of Mr. Wei's point. The autobiography is divided into 6 paragraphs, structured as followed:
1st paragraph: When and where the author was born, his family, and his childhood
2nd paragraph: One turning point of his life
3rd paragraph: His high school life, another turning point
4th paragraphy: Some special experiences in high school
5th paragraph: His college life
6th paragraph: His philosophy of life and ambition
Luckily, I found the autobiography in my computer, which I typed up several years ago.
Here's the file you can download: Autobiography.doc
Or just read on.
Autobiography
I was born in a very poor section of Brooklyn on December 7, 1941. There were five persons in my family, including my father, my mother, my two sisters, and myself. I was the only son, and my childhood was spent playing in the streets with the other boys and getting into scrapes. I was constantly being disciplined by my parents and teachers.
After elementary school, where I had been an average student, I went to a vocational high school in my neighborhood. My friends were all boys who cared nothing about studying and my grades went from bad to worse. One day some of my friends got into a serious fight and the principal called us all into his office. When my turn came, the principal asked me what plans I had for the future. Then he gave me some tests and called for my mother. He told her that I had a high I.Q. and that, with her permission, he would like to send me to a good academic high school in another neighborhood.
From the time I entered this second high school, I began to take an interest in my studies and my grades improved. I started to listen to the other students discuss intelligent issues and soon I began to participate. One day, someone asked me to join the Negro Culture Club, where the students discussed the contributions of the Negro race. Now my eyes were really opened. For the first time, I learned that my race had many famous people who had played an important role in world history. I was filled with a new sense of pride and self-esteem. From then on, I read every book in the school library on Negro history. Before I finished high school, I had become president of the Negro Culture Club and active in many other student organizations.
Also during these high school years, I met many officials from the new African nations who came to my school to speak. They often invited me to visit them at their homes and at the United Nations. Because most of them spoke French, I learned to speak French and then went on to teach myself Spanish. In my senior year, I was elected president of my class. My goals were now definite and I knew I wanted to continue my education.
Going to college was difficult for me because my family was very poor and needed my financial help. My mother, however, encouraged me and insisted that I continue my education. Therefore, when I graduated from high school, I started attending night college and working all day. After two years, I changed to day college and a part-time job. Now I am a full-time student in my junior year, majoring in international relations and economics.
It is difficult for a young man to speak of his philosophy of life, but I believe it is very important for every individual to have a sense of pride and dignity in his own worth. My ambition in life is to help my people become better off economically. Also, I would like to work in an international organization like the United Nations, doing something to help mankind and helping promote brotherhood among all men of all nations. (542 words)
Adapted from R. J. Dixson, Modern American English,
6, Regent Publishing Co., Inc., 1980.
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