非常感谢您的来信。我很乐意与您分享一些研究生入学申请的建议，但由于我们研究的领域不太一样，有可能我在如何区分具体的研究项目以及研究方向不能提供给您太多深入的意见。

我研究的领域是信息技术，其中有近来比较热门的无线网络，社交网络，大数据分析以及智能电网等。

我知道你一直都想继续攻读博士学位，并且倾向于研究图像处理。不同大学的录取方式不尽相同，在此，我可以和你分享一些我比较熟悉的大学的申请流程。大多数学校都有博士课程的招生委员会，他们的工作是根据一定的标准挑选出有可能被录取的申请者。这个过程会筛选出大多数的申请者。但即使申请者符合入学标准也并不意味他/她就一定会被录取。你需要找到一个愿意做你论文导师的教授。（在部分大学，如果你被录取时还没有确定论文导师，那么你必须在课程开始后，通常是第一个学年里确定导师。这不是一件容易的事情，因为很有可能你心仪的导师或者研究领域的学生数量已经满员了。）

此外，还有一些助学金方面的问题（助学金通常是指助研奖学金，助教奖学金或者团体奖学金）。一些大学会保证为所有被录取的学生提供全额助学金，但大多数其他大学不会将录取结果与助学金直接挂钩。比如，虽然学校发出录取通知，但并不保证提供助学金。由于没有得到助学金，多数申请者因此会在申请学生签证时遇到困难。大多数的助学金都是以助研奖学金为主，这部分奖学金是由你将来的导师发放，而至于是否能提供这类助研奖学金则取决于他/她的科研经费。

因此，如果你想攻读博士学位，最重要的是你要找到潜在的博士生导师。当你在修硕士研究生的课程的时候，你会上很多课程，而教授这些课程的部分老师也许是你未来的导师。很显然，你需要在他们的课堂上表现良好。如果能约见一些你潜在的导师也未尝不可，一般情况下，教授们都很乐意与学生交流，我觉得你去了斯坦福大学后再确定导师是没有问题的。

希望以上的建议可以帮到你

Thank you for your email. I would be glad to provide some general advice, but since we are in different research areas, I won't be able to identify specific research projects and research directions for you.

My research is in the general area of Information Technology, with recent focus on wireless networks, social networks, big data analytics, and smart grid.

I understand you would like to pursue a PhD, preferably in the Image Processing area. The admission process at different universities varies, so I can only share with you the admission process of the universities I am familiar with. In most universities, there is an admission committee for the PhD program, and it serves to identify those applicants considered admissible, i.e., up to certain standards. This will screen out the majority of the applicants. But even if one is admissible, it does not mean one is admitted. You need to identify a professor who is willing to serve as your thesis advisor. (In some universities, your thesis advisor is not identified upon admission, and you must then identify an advisor after you join the program, usually in the first year. This may be problematic because your preferred advisor or research area may not have room for you.)

Then there is the issue of financial aid (in the form of research assistantship, teaching assistantship, or fellowship). Some universities will guarantee full financial aid to all admitted applicants, but most other universities will separate admission from financial aid, i.e., admission is offered but no financial aid is guaranteed. For many applicants, this will be a problem due to the difficulty of getting a student visa without financial aid. The majority of the financial aid is in the form of research assistantships, which are offered by your potential advisor, whose ability to give research assistantships depend on his/her research grant.

Therefore, it is important for you to identify potential PhD supervisors if you want to pursue a PhD. Since you will be in the MS program, you will have the opportunity to take classes, and some of them may be taught by your potential supervisors. Obviously, you need to do well in those classes. It will also be a good idea for you to make appointments to see some potential supervisors. Usually, professors are happy to talk to students, so I don't think you will have difficulty there. You can do that after you get to Stanford.

Hope this helps.

世界各地的学校都在积极拓展年轻一代的视角与能力，从而让学生能够在快速全球化的社会中更具竞争力。因此，越来越多的中小学开始重新设置课程体系，以培养出在跨文化环境中求知、博学并富有关怀感的学生。在过去的数年中，许多国际学校选择了由国际文凭组织（IBO）设计的课程。国际文凭组织是一个总部设在日内瓦的国际教育基金会，对国际文凭项目（IB）进行监管。自1968年创立以来，IB项目现已涵盖了从幼儿园一直到大学预科的完整教育体系。

根据不同年龄段学生的特定学习和个人需求，IB项目共分为三个阶段。IB小学课程以“求知探索”为培养目标，引导3-12岁的学生在语言、社会学科、艺术、科学及数学等领域成为积极的探究者。为拓展国际化的视野，学生将学习理解和尊重文化的多元性。老师也会鼓励学生对自己的终身学习和个人发展负责。

IB中学课程为11-16岁学生提供更广泛的知识与技能，并着眼于培养学生的创造性、批判性和反思能力。通过独立的研究项目，学生将学会如何分析看待世界的复杂性。除了人文、科学、技术、艺术和体育等学科教育，参加IB中学课程的学生必须学习至少两种语言。

IB大学预科课程专为16-19岁、渴望进入高等学府深造的学生设置。学生需要在6组学科中同时具备知识的深度和广度，并掌握两种语言。IB大学预科课程拥有3项核心要求。首先，“拓展性短文”要求学生运用从两组学科课程中学到的技能，对具有全球化意义的课题进行深入研究，从而展示他们的独立研究能力。其次，“知识理论”让学生在不同的科目领域中尽情探索知识的本质。最后，“创造力、行动力、服务”（CAS）为学生提供了参与各类活动的丰富机会，促进学生创新能力、健康生活方式和社区服务的发展。在此过程中，学生的个人发展与人际交往能力将进一步得到提高。IB大学预科课程的成绩受到来自世界各地顶级大学招生官的认可。

从传统课程到IB课程的转变需要一定的时间和努力。一个学校的IB项目必须经过国际文凭组织的审核认证。该认证过程非常严格和紧凑，包括对课程体系的评估和对教师、学校行政管理的评定。一旦通过审核，学校（现已可称为IB国际学校）仍需不断提高专业水平，接受国际文凭组织的定期评估，以保证优秀的办学质量。考虑到获得国际文凭组织授权的困难性，一些国际学校在未获得官方认证时开设与IB项目类似的课程，这也较为常见。

One of the challenges for schools around the world is to expand the perspectives and skills of the young generation so that they can thrive in a rapidly globalizing world. To this end, increasing number of primary and secondary schools are reinventing their curricula aimed at preparing students to be inquiring, knowledgeable and caring in a multi-cultural environment. Over the past decade, many international schools have shifted to curricula developed by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), a Geneva-based foundation which oversees the so-called IB programs of international education. First started in 1968, the IB programs now cover a full continuum of education for students from kindergartens all the way up to pre-universities.

Three distinct IB programs are in place to address unique academic and personal needs of students in different age ranges. The IB Primary Year Program is an inquiry-driven learning program that targets students aged 3 to 12 and prepares them to be inquirers in such areas as language, social studies, art, science and mathematics. To foster international-mindedness, students are taught to respect other cultures as well as their own. Teachers also encourage students to take responsibility towards their own lifelong learning and personal development.

The IB Middle Years Program, designed for students aged 11 to 16, extends knowledge and skills developed in the Primary Year Program and focuses on encouraging students to be creative, critical and reflective. Students are guided to dissect complexities of the world through conducting independent research projects. In addition to humanity, science, technology, art and physical education, students in the Middle Year Program are required to study at least two languages.

The IB Diploma Program prepares students aged 16 to 19 for success in higher education and beyond. Students are expected to acquire both breadth and depth of knowledge from 6 subject groups and to study two languages. Three specific tasks are required under the Diploma Program. “The extended essay” requires students to demonstrate their independent research capability by conducting an in-depth study of global significance using skills they learn from two subject groups. “Theory of knowledge” allows students to inquire into the nature of knowledge across different disciplines. “Creativity, action, service” (CAS) exposes students to a range of activities that encourage development of creativity, healthy lifestyle and community service. With CAS, students are expected to better understand their personal and interpersonal development. Results of the Diploma Program are recognized by admission officers from leading universities across the world.

Switching from traditional curricula to IB Programs takes time and effort. Administration of one or more of the IB Programs by a school has to be authorized by the IBO. The authorization process is a rigorous and intensive one which involves evaluation of curricula and assessment of teachers and school administration. Once authorization granted, the school (now called an IB World School) needs to engage in ongoing professional development and periodic evaluation by IBO to meet high qualities. Given the challenges to gain authorization by IBO, it is not uncommon to run into an international school that runs IB-like programs but itself is not yet accredited.

在蒙蒙的春雨里，我踩着泥土前进。那是一个清明节，中国祭奠逝去先辈的传统节日。墓地上，被雨水浸湿的花静静地躺在爷爷的墓碑前。在我6岁生日前一个月的那个早上，我紧紧拽着妈妈的衣袖，终于明白了为什么爷爷离开了我们。

我的爷爷是一名癌症患者。由于确诊的时间太晚，治疗已几乎是徒劳。当妈妈带着悲痛悄悄告诉我这一切时，我生气地跺着脚下的泥土。我责怪医生为什么不能及时地发现肿瘤、挽救爷爷的生命。就在那个下雨的早晨，我萌生了长大后要治愈癌症的梦想。这是一个普通常见的愿望，但它点燃了改变我生命的追求。因为知道对抗癌症最好的办法就是尽早检测到病症的存在，我查看了广泛使用的检测方法。在看过胸部肿瘤X光片之后，我非常震惊有那么多病例都不能被检查到。正当我疑惑如何能让检测结果更加准确时，我听说了在XX癌症治疗中心有一个研究实习项目，我毫不犹豫地加入了这个项目。

在实习中，导师鼓励我对癌症的遗传基因因素进行研究。我注意到一种可能引发乳腺癌的基因。我们一起探询了“基因沉默”的过程，即改变DNA结构却保持自身序列完好的甲基化作用。经过一系列的试验，我们成功地找到了基因序列中甲基化的部分，也就是区别癌变乳腺细胞和正常细胞的特征。这就是癌症的记号！

这一发现在临床上的广泛应用令我兴奋不已，找到这样的记号使癌症治疗向个体化发展前进了一大步。基于遗传基因的诊断能比传统的检查方式更早发现癌症。 同时，甲基化作用不改变DNA序列，因此是可逆的。临床治疗可以通过定位甲基化的部分，将对健康的损害降到最低。

个体化的癌症诊断方式已初现曙光，但这尚未成为现实。要想彻底了解癌症的根源，还有更多的基因仍待研究。惊叹于癌症的复杂性，我明白了我的梦想比我想象中的更复杂得多。然而，我对医学的热情不但没有减少，反而变得更加强烈并发展成熟为一项策略。随着模糊的大目标细化成具体的疑问，我的好奇心愈发觉得不满足。揭示未知事物的乐趣让我进一步确信自己对科学的热爱。我们这一代将会不断拓展知识的边界；除了与癌症不懈战斗，再没有别的事情能带给我更多的成就感。

当我凝视着爷爷的墓碑，我又回想起了那个下雨的清明节早晨。我希望我能告诉爷爷关于这场受他鼓舞的华丽冒险。这场战争将是非常艰辛的，但任何一点小的发现都会是胜利的前兆。

评述
该短文作者如果仅仅只描述在哪里进行实习和研究工作的内容，短文将会平淡无奇、毫无生趣。但她成功地将自己的研究与个人经历联系在一起。通过详细说明这项研究为什么会是充满挑战性的，作者向读者展示出了自己的性格特征。从作者的童年回忆中，我们明白了她希望找到癌症治疗方法的动机。爷爷的去世解释了为什么作者会选择到癌症治疗中心实习和为什么想要在这一领域从事职业。因为这一定会与他/她的兴趣有关。许多学生都会犯的错误是仅仅分享崇高而空洞的梦想比如治愈癌症，却不能用实际行动来证明自己在向着梦想努力并产生影响，因此短文缺乏支持的论据。这篇短文的作者不仅提出了一个全球化的问题，也阐述了她在解决此问题的过程中扮演着和将持续扮演怎样的角色。

在讲述实习经历时，作者清楚地说明了她为研究癌症所做出的贡献。最重要的是，她的概述通俗易懂。作为读者，我们很容易感受到这项课题对于作者的挑战。作者提供了足够的信息让我们了解研究的复杂性，但并不过多以至于让我们产生困惑。只叙述“做过什么”远远不够，更能引人入胜的是解释“为什么”。

在第五段，作者将自己过去的经历和未来计划联系在一起，并阐释了想要从事科学领域的相关职业并继续进行癌症研究。招生官希望了解学生的职业目标方向，以此推想他们在学校里和毕业后能为社会做出怎样的贡献。招生官想要知道学生选择一个特定领域的理由，以及学生希望实现什么样的成就。

在最后一段，作者再一次提及她的个人经历。通过把爷爷的去世和癌症研究这一实例联系在一起，从而引出未来的职业规划，作者很好地总结了短文。在短短的篇幅中，作者简明扼要地讲述了许多内容，整体行文流畅并始终吸引着我们的阅读兴趣。

I trod the mud in the misty spring rain. It was Qing Ming, the holiday in China when we honored our deceased ancestors. On the ground of the cemetery, drenched flowers lay in my grandfather’s remembrance. That morning—a month before my sixth birthday—I clung tightly to my mother’s sleeves and finally learned why he passed away.

My grandfather had been a victim of cancer. Because the diagnosis came too late, all treatment was futile. As my mother whispered this to me with grief in her eyes, I stomped angrily in the mud. I blamed the doctors who couldn’t find the tumor in time to save him. That rainy morning launched my dream to help cure cancer—a common wish, but one that fueled a life-changing pursuit. Knowing that the best protection against cancer was to detect it as early as possible, I examined the widely used methods of detection. I read out mammography and was astounded to learn that it failed to detect a large percentage of cases. As I wondered how to make detection more accurate, I heard about a research internship program at -- Cancer Centre. I jumped at the opportunity.

There, my mentors encouraged me to investigate cancer’s genetic causes. I became intrigued by a gene suspected to play a role in the onset of breast cancer. We examined a process of gene-silencing—known as methylation—that changed DNA structure while keeping the sequence itself intact. Through a series of assays, we pinpointed the methylated sites in the gene sequence that distinguished cancerous breast cells from healthy cells. These were markers of disease!

The thrill came from knowing the vast clinical applications of the discovery. Finding such markers is a step toward the individualization of cancer treatment. Genomics-based diagnostics would detect cancer earlier that traditional procedures. Also, since methylation does not change the DNA sequence, it is reversible. Therapeutics could target these sites and minimize harm to healthy tissue.

Personalized cancer diagnostics promise a new dawn, but they are not yet reality. Many more genes need to be studied before we can fully comprehend the roots of the disease. Awed by the complexity of cancer, I realized that my dream was much more intricate than I imagined. However, my youthful passion in medicine did not dwindle. Instead, is strengthened and matured into a strategy. As my vague goals shaped into specific inquiries, my curiosity became insatiable. The joy of uncovering the unknown affirmed my love for science. My generation will keep pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and nothing would give me more fulfillment than continuing to fight in the war on cancer.

I recall that rainy Qing Ming morning when I gazed at my grandfather’s gravesite. I wish I could tell him about the adventure he inspired. This war will be arduous, but every little “eureka!” along the way is a portent of victory.

Analysis
The author of this essay might have taken the boring approach of just describing where she worked and what she did while researching, but she found a way to tie her research to a personal experience. By explaining in detail why the research was intellectually challenging to her, the author gave readers clues to her character. From her childhood experience, we understand her motivation for wanting to help find a cure for cancer. Learning about her grandfather’s death sheds light on why she sought out an internship at the cancer center and why she now has an interest in pursuing a career in the field. It always adds his or her interest. Many students make the mistake of sharing lofty dreams such as finding the cure to cancer but don’t back them up with actual actions that show that they are working toward making a difference. This student not only presents the global problem but demonstrates how she has and will continue to play a role in addressing it.

As the author describes her internship, she clearly explains what she did to research cancer. Most importantly, she outlines it in a way that is understandable to a layperson. As readers, we can easily conceive the subject’s intellectual hold on her. This student’s writing provides enough detail that we understand the complexity of her research but not so much that we are bogged down with too much information. It’s not enough to just state what you did; it’s more compelling to explain why.

In the fifth paragraph, the student ties her past experience to her future plans. She explains that she intends to pursue a career in the sciences and to continue cancer research. Admissions officers like to understand the direction that students are taking so that they can visualize how they will contribute to society while undergraduates and after graduation as well. They want to know why you are pursuing a career field and what you hope to achieve as a part of it.

In the last paragraph, the student refers back to her personal experience. She wraps up the essay in a highly relatable way by connecting her grandfather’s death to the intellectual excitement of cancer research as it applies to her career plans. She packs a lot into a short amount of space but does so in a way that flows smoothly and keeps our interest.