What is Statement of Purpose ?

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose required by grad schools is probably the hardest thing you will ever write. (Incidentally, the statement of purpose may also be called an Application Essay, Objectives for Graduate Study, Personal Background, Cover Letter, or some comparable title.)

I would guess virtually all grad-school applicants, when they write their first draft of the statement of purpose, will get it wrong. Much of what you have learned about writing and also about how to present yourself will lead you astray.

Understanding the Statement of Purpose

Purpose: the statement of purpose is your chance to talk directly to the selection committee.

Challenge: make yourself stand out from among a multitude of similarly qualified candidates.

Outcome: convince the committee that they should invest in you.

Writing a strong statement of purpose is challenging because it is different than most of the writing you do for classes, but it is not an impossible task. It requires care, attention, and patience. Additionally, allow yourself enough time to write several drafts, show them to people, and polish the essay.

Determine the Content of the Statement of Purpose

Analyze the questions or prompts for the statement completely. Answer and/or address all parts.

Summer research programs are usually interested in the following (not in any particular order):

1.       Your interest in the particular field of research. Provide background on how you first became interested in this field of research.

2.       Your interest in participating in this program. This requires that you have done your research about the program and can articulate “why” you’ve chosen to apply.

3.       Identify the research mentors and projects that you would like to work with. Again, this requires that you have done your research about the program and can articulate how your interests match the mentor and project.

4.       Describe any prior research, independent studies, or relevant volunteer experience. This is the opportunity to relate your academic background with your extracurricular experience to show how they unite to make you a special candidate.

5.       Describe your education and career goals. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do, but you need to demonstrate that you’ve thought about it.

6.       Describe how this research experience will help you meet your educational and career goals.

Getting Started

Writing the personal statement can be intimidating and mysterious. Thinking about the process of writing—breaking the act down into simpler steps—can help demystify it. Here is a four-step process that can help:

1.  Brainstorming (free-writing)

 a.       Recalling and analyzing experience - write short paragraphs on the following:

                      i. Pick a memorable accomplishment in your life. What did you do? How did you                          accomplish it?

                     ii.      What sort of important activities have you engaged in? With whom? What                           role did you play?

                     iii.       What research experiences have you had? What was your role?                                             Responsibilities? How did you carry it out?

b.      Your education and career goals - write two short paragraphs:

      

          i.      What career have you chosen? What factors formed this decision?

                      ii.      What evidence shows that this is a correct choice? Consider how can you                                show that this choice is realistic (personal experience in the field is a good                                  place to begin).

2.       Organization

a.       Outlining

i.      Introduction

ii.      Building evidence

iii.       Closing

3.       Composing a draft

a.       Style

i.      Active voice

ii.      Clarity

iii.       Concision

b.      Tone

4.       Revising

a.       Identify points in their writing that they feel are strong and why.

b.      Identify points in their writing that they feel are weak or feel stuck and why.

The steps frequently overlap and interact. Revision, for instance, typically sharpens ideas and improves your organization.

Closing

The people who read your statement of purpose want to be convinced that you have thought long and hard about who you are, what are the things you appreciate, what inspires you, what you want out of life, and where you are going from here. It is not necessary to have all the answers. However, it is necessary to show that you have thought about this and that these experiences have taught you something.