“Women aren’t suited for such hard subjects,” my friend Seung-woo told me with a smug smile. Seung-woo didn’t think that mathematics was a field for women. Although he was my age and wasn’t tied down by most traditional belis, he believed that only men could be true mathematicians. The majority of people in my country, South Korea, believe the gender stereotype that women are inherently inferior to men in mathematics. I strongly disagree with this outdated notion. Women are just as capable of outstanding mathematical achievement as men, and I am determined to help disprove gender stereotypes through my example.

　　Mathematics has always given me a deep sense of satisfaction. Even in elementary school, I was attracted to the precision and logic inherent in mathematical formulas. I devoured as much mathematical information as I could, collecting theorems of mathematicians such as Gauss and Euclid like other students collected stamps. I had the opportunity to test my skills and knowledge in high school, when I competed in several national math competitions, including the Korea Mathematical Olympiad. My strong showing in these venues, along with my top math grades and perfect math score on the Korean SAT, bolstered my confidence in my abilities. I was proud to prove to others that I was capable of performing at the highest levels.

　　Despite my strong interest and achievement in mathematics, it has been difficult for me to realize my potential due to the Korean educational system, which emphasizes cramming for tests instead of critical understanding. More significantly, Korean social biases against women in the fields of math and science have discouraged me from pursuing my love of mathematics. Thus, I want to study in the United States, where I will be able follow my dream without these constraints. For about a year, I have taken English language courses at a university in Washington, D.C., where I have gained a glimpse of American academic life from the inside. I am very impressed by American students’ devotion to their studies and the system’s ability to support each student’s goals. I am therore especially interested in attending Boston College, which, in addition to offering outstanding math and science courses, is renowned for its emphasis on cultivating students’ full development, or "cura personalis." At Boston College, I will be able to focus on my goal of becoming an excellent mathematician.

　　I am determined to succeed, but I know that I must overcome many challenges. Sometimes, when I feel discouraged by the obstacles I face as a Korean woman in mathematics, I imagine what my life will be like ten years from now. Armed with a Boston College degree, I will visit my old friend Seung-woo. We will have corresponded over the years, so he’ll already know about the many mathematics articles published in my name, and he will be well aware of the international acclaim they received. I will savor the day when Seung-woo admits that I was correct in believing that I could succeed as a mathematician. I will be proud to know that partly due to my achievements, the door to increased opportunities for women in math and science has swung open a little bit wider.

　　点评：

　　这是一篇韩国女学生申请BC数学专业的PS。文章的主线是：过去――现在――将来。

　　过去：描述自己从小学起就对数学很感兴趣，并一直坚持到高中。期间摒除了许多周围传统的异见。

　　现在：描述自己好友的反对意见和自己在美国学习一年英语课程的感受。

　　将来：用想象的方式描述自己将来的成功。

　　总的来说，文章写得比较精彩，作者很好地利用了韩国国内的对于女性学数学的传统观念，巧妙地表达了自己要去美国读书的必要性。在描述自己的将来时，作者又采用了想象的方式，很新颖，可以吸引读者的眼球。但是在精彩之余，文章的专业性略显不足。

　　译文：

数学家

　　“女性是不适合读这样一门复杂的课程的”我的朋友承佑得意洋洋地笑着对我说。承佑认为数学是不适合女性去研究的领域。虽然他与我同龄，也没有被过多的传统观念束缚着，但是他相信只有男性才有可能成为真正的数学家。在我的国家韩国，大多数人都刻板地认为在数学领域女性是天生就比不上男性的。我很强烈地反对这种过时的观点。女性是有能力在数学领域取得跟男性一样的成就的。我也下定决心去通过我自己的例子来反驳人们的性别刻板印象。

　　数学一直以来都给了我很大的满足感。即使是在小学，我就很着迷于数学公式的准确性和逻辑性。我尽我所能去学习数学方面的知识，像其他学生收集邮票一样收集诸如高斯和欧几里德等数学家的法则。高中时参加的几次国家级的数学竞赛，包括韩国奥林匹克数学竞赛，让我得到测试自己数学能力和知识的机会。我在这些比赛的良好表现以及在韩国SAT中数学的好成绩增强了我对自己能力的信心。我很自豪地证明给别人看我有能力在最高水平的舞台上展现自我。

　　虽然我对于数学有很强的兴趣并取得了一些成就，但是身处韩国教育体系的我很难发挥自己的潜能。韩国社会上根深蒂固的反对女性在数学和科学领域发展的观念妨碍了我对数学的热爱。于是我决定去美国学习，因为在美国我可以不受束缚地追求自己的理想。我在华盛顿特区的一所大学里学习大约一年的英语课程，并且从中体会到了美国的大学生活。美国学生对于学习的专注以及美国教育体系对于每个学生的目标的支持都给我留下了深刻的印象。因此我特别想加入波士顿学院，这间学校不仅拥有出色的数学和科学课程，还以其注重学生的全面发展或者说是“人性化”而出名。在波士顿学院，我可以集中精力去实现要成为出色的数学家的目标。

　　我下定决心要成功，但是我知道我必须战胜许多挑战。有时候，作为一个研究数学的韩国女性，我会因为一些困难而感到气馁。此时我就会想象十年后的生活。拥有了波士顿学院的学位之后，我会拜访老朋友承佑。因为我们在未来几年里一直保持着联系，所以他也会知道我发表的许多数学论文，而且知道这些论文在国际上享有的声誉。我会很享受承佑承认我坚信自己可以成为一个数学家是正确的那一天。当我得知由于我取得的成就，数学和科学界的大门向女性稍微敞开了一些的时候，我也会感到很自豪。

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