根据笔者多年的文书写作经验，恰当的选材可以帮助申请人在科研经历的广度和深度中找到平衡。我们看到很多申请人在这一部分喜欢把自己做过的所有项目、实验都罗列出来，以便“广撒网、多捞鱼”。其实这种方法并不可取，因为就算你恰巧碰到了对口的教授，但你却没有谈他感兴趣的细节，那么也会很快被遗忘。因此，笔者提倡用一两句话简要概括自己的经历。但拿出一件最让你自豪的经历，重点地刻画与阐述。
也许你有许多自豪的经历，那么你应该如何选择呢？很简单，写自传的目的是为了让Admissions Committee了解你在某领域里的能力和潜力，你选择的科研经历必须做到：（1）能够显示你的扎实基础知识；（2）这些知识与所申请专业的密切联系。值得一提的是，如果你的经历能同时证明（1）和（2），那就最好不过了。但如果你过去的经历和你选择的专业并不是十分对口，这也没什么可怕的。西方教育体系更注重学生的学习能力和基础素质。学无止境，未知的永远多于已知的。只要你具备了申请学科要求的素质，成功地申请一个不同学科的可能性也是极大的。
许多申请人说自己最大的苦恼就是没做过什么惊天动地的科研，这一部分不知从何写起。这正是申请人写自传的一大误区，其实合适的经历不在于你做的事情有多大，而在于如何把它写大。说“写大”当然不是吹牛，而是指你需要把所参与的事写成一件非常Significant 的事件。当你把自己的经历看得并写得十分具体、生动、令人信服时，你的自信也就会感染招生委员会。
值得重点描述的经历可以是一次实验课中的实验；你写的一篇报告；读的某本书、某篇论文；你做过的毕业设计；参加过的实习、学术讲座、学术会议；和导师的一席谈话；自己在课外参加的学术活动；参加过的有偿、无偿的工作经历。无论你选择写什么，所写的内容都应该包括以下几个部分：(1) 是关于什么；(2) 意义和影响何在；(3) 你在这件事情中的角色；(4) 你是如何完成你负责的部分的；(5) 结果；(6) 你在其中起了什么样的作用；(7) 这件事情对你产生的影响，以及你在这件事情中学到了什么。
当然，你在叙述自己经历的过程中不必要完全按照我们在上面建议的顺序，但应该保证你的自传中包含这些元素。只有这样，你写出来的经历才会是详细、具体、有血有肉、令人信服的。
以下两个例子，申请人都只选择了一件经历来描写。范例1
My undergraduate education has not only equipped me with a comprehensive structure of fundamental knowledge, developed my strong analytical skills, but also improved my ability to apply theory to practical researches. Taking my graduation thesis, titled Analysis on the Use of Essential Drugs in Certain Regions in China as an example, based on the standard methodology provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International (HAI), this study improved on the standard methodology to bring it into accordance with China’s national conditions, so as to use more reasonable methodology to research on the prices, availability and affordability of medicines in China. In this study, I adopted investigation through data collected from 50 institutions among 11 provinces and several administered municipalities, including 14 public hospitals, 4 community medical centers and 32 private pharmacies. Through this investigation and empirical research into the prices and availability of 30 kinds of medicines, I presented my suggestions that government should continue to energetically promote the essential drug system, improve the current policy on drug pricing, raise the standard of drug approval, promote public hospital reform and enhance the medical insurance system. Finally I got an extremely high mark of 96 for this graduation thesis.
范例1的女主人公是王同学，2011年被哈佛大学MSc in Global Health and Population专业录取。王同学也是笔者见过最优秀的申请人之一（学生背景：T 100，G 1510，GPA：3.1 ，本科就读于北京大学）。通过例子，我们可以看出，这段研究经历以毕业论文Analysis on the Use of Essential Drugs in Certain Regions in China为题，展开论述学生所掌握的专业知识，以及研究能力、数据分析能力等等。
范例2
Although my research interests lie in skimming wear and fretting wear instead of Nanotribology, the two-year laboratory work has become an important channel to exploit my potential and to improve my practical problem-solving abilities, enabling me to have a thorough understanding of the research areas in Tribology and to familiarize with the operation of laboratory apparatuses and analytical instruments. In retrospect, the researches I have conducted during my undergraduate and graduate programs are all centered on Tribology, MEMS and Theoretical Physics. As exactly the interdisciplinary science of these three fields, Nanotribology ranges over numerous issues in engineering, covering mechanics, materials science, computer science, and electrical engineering, etc. The interdisciplinary studies that I carried out during my seven-year academic career exerted an important impact on my outlook, making me realize that a well-trained engineer must possess knowledge in diverse fields. Only by means of integrated application of knowledge in machinery, computer technology, automation and electronics can an engineer produce useful products and valuable research findings.
As I have described in the aforementioned text, a solid academic background, ample research experience, strong team spirit and rigorous attitude toward scientific research are what make me unique and competitive in my application. It is precisely based on those factors that I relinquish the opportunity to work at a Fortune 500 enterprise but determine to apply for a Ph.D program in Nanotribology in your university. I am convinced that I can complete my proposed program and will have an even more fruitful career in the future.
范例2 节选自X同学的PS。X同学申请的是PhD in Mechanical Engineering专业，研究兴趣为纳米摩擦学、表面摩擦。该同学拿到了美国多所大学的全奖，UIUC、Delaware、WPI等。最终，X同学选择了UIUC，而且是PhD全奖。
