Why a statement of purpose?

personality
A picture of overall personality.
Academic backgrounds and work experience.
Future goals and aims.
C
Commitment
it
t & motivation.
ti ti
Writing skills.
Integrity, Accountability, Transparency.
Ethics, Morals & Principles.
Mission, Vision & Values.

Writing Your Statement of Purpose

The first point of document
Contact between you and the admissions committee
The only document within your application package
Where you are able to speak frankly
The document which speaks directlyAbout who you are and why you want to go to get admission
admission.

A WINNING STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Its all about FIT
Most applicants have good grades
Most applicants have good scores
Good statements will make the difference
Most applicants are unique and capable.
Most applicants are meritorious & competitive.

A statement of purpose is your chance to stand out among the

crowd, and become more than just grades and test scores.

GENERAL OVERVIEW
WHO: Who will read this?
Know your audience!
Your statement will be read by members of an admissions
committee
itt
who
h are typically
t i ll faculty
f
lt members
b
t
teaching
hi
i
in
your respective program.
Write as if faculty members (as opposed to your long lost
pen pal or one of your neighborhood friends) will be
reading your statement.

What to know ?
WHAT:
What goals and objectives do you have within the academic
field?
What do you have to offer this department?
What have you done to prepare for this programme?
What are y
your specific
p
research interests?

YOUR PREPARATION
What have y
you done academically
y to p
prepare
p
for y
your g
goal
(i.e. summer research, advanced coursework, independent
study, others) and how have these experiences specifically
helped?
What experiences have helped to foster and/or confirm your
graduate
d t school
h l choices
h i
(i
(i.e.
pre-graduate
d t scholarship),
h l hi )
campus visitation, summer research others)? Include only
those that are relevant to y
your academic g
goals.
What relevant expertise do you possess (lab techniques,
computer skills, or foreign languages)?

W Elements
WHY: Why this institution? Why this programme? Why
you?
WHOM: Among the faculty at this institution, with whom
do you want to study and conduct research.
FIND THEIR RESEARCH AND
TELL WHY YOU
OU WISH
S TO
O WORK
O ON
O THEIR RESEARCH
S
C PROJECT
OJ C

THE STYLE
BE ORGANIZED - Develop
p major
j ideas in an orderlyy fashion,,
using examples where needed.
BE CONCISE - Use words economically; no long sentences;
k
keep
essay to
t 1-2
1 2 typed
t
d pages.
BE CLEAR - Don't assume that your reader understands
everything - explain relevant experiences,
experiences course titles and
research projects where necessary, especially if these may be
unclear from reading your transcripts or other documents.
BE HONEST - Don't over-inflate your achievements, but also
don't underestimate your potential.

Knowing is understanding = Accepting

Be honest about why you want to go to graduate school.
school
Know your field.
Know your research agenda.
Know the schools you are applying for.
Offer clear, engaging examples about why you are a good fit
for g
graduate study.
y
Have your statement read by as many people as possible.

Your writing
Idea- Focus
Outline
Begin- Interesting start
Revise- Error Free
Rewrite Perfection
Rewrite-

Quick Tips
Do customize your statement for specific schools.
schools
Do write an interesting opening statement.
Do stay positive about your experiences and goals.
D allow
Do
ll
some off your personality
lit to
t show.
h
Do use a professional tone.
Do pay attention to document design (font choice, for
example)
Do ensure you are meeting the requirements for specific
schools.
Do make sure that your letter is impeccably proofread and
free of surface errors.

Don t name drop members of the department unless you truly

Dont
know their work and can envision working with them
Dont go over the page limit
D t be
Dont
b too
t
i f
informal
l or unprofessional,
f
i
l or use language
l
th t
that
is overly flowery
Dont get the name of the programme wrong.

Keep
It
Simple &
Short

WHAT TO AVOID
Grammatical errors
Colloquial expressions, which are not used in
formal writing
g
Contractions (I've, shouldnt, dont , cant etc)
Disorganized in your presentation of ideas
Trying to be overly creative

CONCLUSION
Briefly
e y su
sum up you
your goa
goals,
s, motivations
ot at o s a
and
d st
strengths.
e gt s
Write in concrete, specific ways about YOU, not someone else's philosophy of
education, etc.
A minor "sales pitch" is in order.
Let the admissions committee know what you have to offer and that you believe
in your abilities.
You should
Y
h ld have
h
your statement
t t
t off purpose reviewed
i
d by
b your advisor
d i
or
another faculty member.
PRUNE YOUR WORK.
WORK You should write several drafts and have them critiqued
for content and accuracy.
Spend time on this statement; it is one of the more important statements you
will write.
write