statement of purpose graduate school special education

7 Great Statement of Purpose Examples + Analysis 2024

Statement of purpose analysis by CEG Grad School coaches Christine Rose, Kathy Liu, Kristin Joys, & Carlos A.

Christine Rose

Kristin Joys

In this guide, we’ll discuss what a statement of purpose is and the content and structural options that go into crafting a strong statement of purpose (often referred to as an SoP). 

Then, we’ll offer 7 statement of purpose examples with in-depth analysis from our grad school admission coaches, so you can understand how to create your own statement of purpose for your grad school applications. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is a statement of purpose for grad school?

How to structure a statement of purpose

How long should a statement of purpose be, statement of purpose examples for graduate school + analysis, what is a statement of purpose for grad school—overview.

A statement of purpose is a core component of an application for graduate school. Its primary job is to convince the admissions committee that you should be admitted to their specific program. As you’ll see in the examples and analysis below, demonstrating that you’ve done your homework on the program you’re applying to and that you and the grad program fit each other well is essential.

A grad school statement of purpose is first and foremost an academic statement. That is, it is not a personal essay like your undergrad application essay was (although it should include carefully selected details from your personal life insofar as they support your candidacy). Neither is it a creative writing piece (although the more well-crafted the sentences and the more uncommon the vocabulary, the better).

How to write a statement of purpose for grad school

Before you start to write a statement of purpose, you’ll need to spend time thoroughly researching the programs and schools you plan to apply to: 

You should have a clear understanding of their mission statements, and be able to show how your values align with theirs.

Take detailed notes of faculty whose research or academic interests align with yours. Below, you’ll see examples of how you can directly weave them into your SoP to demonstrate fit, and we’ll offer further guidance on what and how to research in our analysis, so you can understand it in the context of concrete examples.

Depending on your circumstances, we’d recommend possibly reaching out to faculty who could serve as potential mentors and with whom you’d like to collaborate.

Because requirements vary from school to school, be sure to closely adhere to any guidelines the school offers. Follow prompts and word counts carefully.

With that preliminary work in mind…

While the first statement of purpose example below has five paragraphs, you’ll notice that the other examples that follow it range from four paragraphs to seven. 

We point this out so you understand that there isn’t a single “correct” structure to follow. Instead, you should feel free to divvy up your statement as you see fit, so long as you follow the schools requirements and cover your required subject matter of the following :

Your accomplishments (The scholarly past that brings you to the current moment (classes, studies, majors, ideas, research, jobs, internships, publications, etc.)

Your goals (scholarly, professional, and humanistic), both for your time in grad school and afterward. 

What your research questions are. What issues, challenges, or problems do you hope to solve (or at least contribute to solving)?

What’s driving you? What are your stakes? Who or what else stands to benefit from your work?

Your motivations: The “why” of it all. (Why this? Why now?)

Why this program and why these professors? (The more precise, the better)

How do you plan on going about finding answers to your questions?

How will you spend your time in graduate school?

How will you take advantage of what this program and university offer (professors, classes, institutes, training, colloquia, conferences, labs, etc.)?

That said, you’ll notice that the statement of purpose examples below generally all follow a standard pattern of:

For example, the first statement of purpose example below uses this structure:

Paragraph one: Introduction

Paragraph two: Background preparation

Paragraph three: Areas of study + naming professors

Paragraph four: Relevant experience

Paragraph five: Conclusion

To address the WHAT, WHY, and HOW. (See detailed analysis below)

The intro section of your SoP should clearly set up why you are applying to this program (whether setting up the origins of your academic focus, or directly stating your intentions). It’s helpful to grab your reader’s attention, but if, for example, you open with a brief anecdote, be sure it clearly thematically ties to your academic interests.

Keep in mind that it can actually be easier to write a placeholder intro until you’ve written the body and conclusion. Once you’ve drafted those, it can be easier to craft an intro section that leads into them, since you’ll actually know where you’re heading.

In the main body , you’ll offer clear, direct evidence of the WHAT, WHY, and HOW above by including details regarding

your academic and/or professional preparation for the program

your fit with the program’s mission/values/academic focus (and show that you’ve thoroughly done your homework)

your strengths and weaknesses

your goals and/or (possibly) your career plans

Specificity is key here: A significant chunk of any SofP must address the candidate’s academic qualifications and preparedness for graduate studies.

A “must” for any SofP regardless of field is to address both what the applicant proposes to study and with whom . The length and depth of the “what” can range widely, from a sentence or two, to a lengthy proposal that delves into the intricacies of topic, time period, sources, methodologies, theories, and approaches. For master’s degrees, it’s fine to remain somewhat general; for doctoral programs, you will want to dig more deeply into current scholarship to demonstrate that you’ve done your research and are capable of contributing original work to the field.

Naming the professor/s whose work aligns with your own is critical. Think of this step as a way to situate yourself within a conversation that is currently taking place in your field, whether in person at academic conferences or in writing through journal articles, book reviews, and other publications. This is the single most important way to show that you take that particular program seriously and that you are not simply copy/pasting your statement and sending it out to as many programs as you can think of, crossing your fingers that one will say yes. This is just like the “ Why Us? ” (note: there’s a research chart at that link that you can use) and “ Why X Major? ” supplemental essays you likely wrote when applying to college. The more research you do, the better. You’ll want to search until you find something to discuss that isn’t on the department’s home page … something that demonstrates Applicant-Program Fit (APF).

Once you learn about the research interests of the professors in the department, keep going! Do a Google Scholar search and read their recent publications. Read their own websites. Find out what scholars they frequently cite, what kinds of questions they are asking, what inspires or troubles them, and what methods they use to answer their questions. Follow the links wherever they lead. You’ll want to learn enough about the debates and discussions in your proposed area to feel confident that your SofP meets the following criteria:

It’s relevant to the professors in the department you’d be joining;

It’s up-to-date regarding the state of knowledge in the field;

It asks the same or similar kinds of “big” questions that the professor/s ask so that even if your specific topic isn’t a match, your questions, goals, perspectives, methods, and/or stakes complement theirs; 

Your qualifications and career goals are comparable to current students or recent graduates.

Each university sets its own length limitations for the SofP, ranging from one page to unlimited pages. Keep in mind that they will have your transcript, resume, and letters of recommendation, so there’s no need to waste space by merely repeating that information. Instead, address how your background shaped the trajectory of your ideas and goals. You might ballpark about 25% of your statement dedicated to background preparation and qualifications and adjust as needed.

The conclusion of your statement of purpose should bring a sense of closure to your writing. You can recap a bit, but in general, you don’t need to summarize all that you’ve just said. Unless your SoP is several pages long, your reader will remember—they just read it.

But it can be very useful to leave your reader with a final insight, and to perhaps frame your path and exploration heading forward (whether career plans after your degree program, or questions you hope to continue to explore and issues you hope to help resolve). Help your readers to see that you are ready for this next step, and that their program is where you belong.

Length of a statement of purpose depends on the specific program’s requirements: Each school will have different limits. As such (and we’re repeating this because it’s essential), be sure to thoroughly read through the program’s website and adhere to any and all guidelines they offer.

Below, we’ll offer 7 successful statement of purpose examples, with in-depth analysis.

Statement of purpose example 1

The following example statement of purpose was written as part of a successful application for Yale Divinity School.

Overview and analysis written by Christine Rose. 

Want to work with Christine through your grad school admissions process? Schedule a call with our team to learn more here .

During the years that I served on the Ph.D. admissions committee for a highly selective graduate program, what I looked forward to the most was studying how each candidate crafted their statement of purpose (SofP). No two were exactly alike. Even if they covered all of their bases, which every strong SofP must, the thinkers and scholarship that were foundational for their respective graduate school goals differed, as did their proposed focus, their personal and theoretical investments, their rhetorical flourishes, their nuanced insights, and the life experiences that lead them to seek this particula r degree from this particular institution.  

The SofP that I analyze below was used to apply to Mat Yale Divinity School (YDS). For readers unfamiliar with MARs, they are generally two-year programs consisting of the academic study of religious histories, texts, art, belief systems, and institutions alongside practical, real-world chances to serve within a community such as a hospital, shelter, assisted living facility, synagogue, mosque, or church. It is a degree open to anyone of any faith—or lack thereof. Yes, agnostics, “spiritual-but-not-religious,” and even some atheists who are drawn to careers in service, activism, justice, and community organizing have opted to go to divinity school.

This SofP gained the author admission to many of America’s most competitive programs: Yale Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Boston College School of Theology & Ministry, Boston University School of Theology, and Union Theological Seminary. 

Read it in full first, or scroll down for a paragraph-by-paragraph analysis.

I Will Remember Junia In the introduction to her literary-feminist exegesis, Texts of Terror , Phyllis Trible writes that stories are the “style and substance” of our existence, that they “fashion and fill” our lives. Trible’s assertion is certainly true of my own life: I consumed stories ravenously as a child, and they have defined my personal and academic life thus far. My life has also been defined by the Christian faith. Ironically, I never engaged with the stories most Christians hold dearest until I enrolled in my first religious studies course, Christian history, as a first-year at Grinnell College. In this course, I was rattled by the realization that the Bible had “fashioned and filled” the world around me, my church, the underpinnings of ideas and systems I came in contact with daily, and, perhaps most alarming, the morals and values I had inherited and chosen, without my slightest awareness. As the course continued on, I learned about the first female apostle and was deeply struck by the ease with which a 14th-century translation erased female leadership from the Bible. On the final exam to this course, I was asked “what will you be taking away?” My answer was immediate: I will remember Junia. I spent much of my undergraduate career after this studying literature and learning to write my own narratives as an English major—a pursuit which, continually, drew me back to the themes I studied in courses for a Religious Studies minor. This range of academic focus allowed me to enter my first Biblical Studies course with an eye not only for theology, but with the skills to study literary elements such as narrative structure, genre tropes, and source study. Further, the tension that arose when I began to grapple with the Bible as a piece of literature alongside its value as my Holy book, was, and continues to be, unexplainably thrilling. Consideration of the text’s discontinuities and human errors in academic discourse has enhanced and complicated my personal reading of scripture; likewise, I believe my identity as a woman of faith has enhanced and complicated what I contribute to an academic discourse. I cannot analyze a story like the rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel rhetorically or historically without also considering modern, female readership. The challenge of considering these texts and stories holistically is precisely what I want to lean into in my graduate studies.   My academic interests are primarily in studying New Testament and Biblical Greek, as well as early Christian history, through the lens of women, gender, and sexuality. My curiosity also extends to the extracanonical and gnostic texts. In pursuing Yale Divinity’s M.A. in Religion with a New Testament concentration, I believe I will most fully be able to delve into the intersections of these ideas. I am particularly intrigued by Professor Michal Beth Dinkler’s research in applying contemporary literary theory to New Testament scholarship, as her work resonates closely with the questions I have asked most often as a student.  In addition to my intellectual curiosities, I prepare this application while simultaneously engaging in vocational discernment through a 2020-21 service year with the New York Service & Justice Collaborative, an affiliate of the Episcopal Service Corps. Here, I am able to serve 35 hours each week with a nonprofit which works to create communities of belonging for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am serving alongside our executive director as the second employee. This work has given me an education in disability advocacy, theology, and the injustices caused by ableism, and has also granted me the experience of witnessing nonprofit work from the ground level. With the Service Corps, I am also spending one day each week in servant leadership and social justice focused “faith formation”. As someone who has continually been drawn to leadership roles in the past, I have valued the chance to think about leadership intentionally and critically. Yale Divinity’s Transformational Leadership program appeals to me as an outstanding support for my vocational discernment process, and as continuing the leadership training I have just started. It would be negligent of what I hope to experience in a program such as Yale Divinity School’s M.A.R. to state with certainty my current inclination that I will use this degree to pursue a career in education or public service. I wholeheartedly expect that my time in this degree program would radically reshape my approach to Biblical studies, as well as my current understanding of how I want to contribute to the world. Although I did not take New Testament courses during my time as an undergraduate, I believe that my academic background and my interest in studying Biblical Greek will allow me to succeed in this track. I am confident that the programming at Yale Divinity School would both challenge and encourage me in vocational discernment, and grant me the opportunity to learn and contribute my ideas to the field of Biblical studies. — — —

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS

Paragraph one: introduction.

In the introduction to her literary-feminist exegesis, Texts of Terror , Phyllis Trible writes that stories are the “style and substance” of our existence, that they “fashion and fill” our lives. Trible’s assertion is certainly true of my own life: I consumed stories ravenously as a child, and they have defined my personal and academic life thus far. My life has also been defined by the Christian faith. Ironically, I never engaged with the stories most Christians hold dearest until I enrolled in my first religious studies course, Christian history, as a first-year at Grinnell College. In this course, I was rattled by the realization that the Bible had “fashioned and filled” the world around me, my church, the underpinnings of ideas and systems I came in contact with daily, and, perhaps most alarming, the morals and values I had inherited and chosen, without my slightest awareness. As the course continued on, I learned about the first female apostle and was deeply struck by the ease with which a 14th-century translation erased female leadership from the Bible. On the final exam to this course, I was asked “what will you be taking away?” My answer was immediate: I will remember Junia. — — —

I’m assuming most of you are wondering who Junia is. One might expect the author to offer her background in the rest of the SofP, but in this case, our expectation would be disappointed, so here’s some background. 

Junia is mentioned only once in the Christian Bible, in the Old Testament (Paul’s epistle to the Romans, chapter 16 verse 7). From biblical scholarship, we know that Junia was a woman who worked alongside Paul, the Greek-speaking Jewish guy from Asia Minor who spread the message of Christianity in the first century. As they went from town to town shaking things up and announcing that Jesus was the son of God, they became a threat to local authorities and both were imprisoned. 

The significance is not that she’s supposed to have done or said anything highly memorable (scandalous, miraculous, radical, deplorable, etc.). Her historical noteworthiness is that in the 14th century, some scribe somewhere added an ‘s’ to her name, which effectively turned her into a man. Similar to how if one changed the final ‘a’ to an ‘o’ in names like Claudia, Maria, or Julia, readers would no longer assume a female referent but would rather assume the person in question was a guy. Thus by centering the first paragraph around Junia, the author is further situating herself within the history of feminist scholarship that she had already laid the groundwork for in the opening sentence by referring to “literary-feminist exegesis” (exegesis = critical interpretation of scripture). 

Now let’s look at the opening sentence:  

“ In the introduction to her literary-feminist exegesis, Texts of Terror, Phyllis Trible writes that stories are the “style and substance” of our existence, that they “fashion and fill” our lives.”  — — —

What I like about this opener is that:

It shares some of the author’s values (feminism, the power of narrative and storytelling to create meaning). 

It engages with a specific scholar, text, and concept and thereby avoids generalities.

It’s exceedingly unlikely that other candidates that year wrote a similar first sentence, which means that it was

Not predictable and not formulaic

The book she refers to, Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives , was written by a renowned feminist biblical scholar and based on a series of lectures she delivered at Yale. The admissions committee reading this SofP would be familiar with the text and that lecture series, and so it additionally demonstrates that this applicant has done her homework and knows the specificities of what kinds of scholarship Yale’s Divinity School has supported in the past. 

If I were to point to any weaknesses, I would note that the idea she summarizes is not original. That said, the many strengths far outweigh the one weakness. One final note about the hook: I like it in part because of its simplicity. Oftentimes, we paralyze ourselves with fear by telling ourselves that our first sentence has to be mind-bogglingly brilliant, when the truth is that it simply must be thoroughly designed to inform the reader of something critical we hope to accomplish in our graduate studies. 

Again, a grad school statement of purpose is first and foremost an academic statement. In this case, by placing herself in conversation with an influential scholar in the field, the author demonstrates from the get-go that she brings knowledge of the field that she feels she is ready to embark upon at Yale.

Moving on, the rest of the paragraph builds upon the power of stories, specifically within the Christian faith, and the author situates herself both personally (as a Christian) and academically (as a student of Christian history). By far the best sentence in this paragraph is where the author admits to being “rattled” by the realization that so much of her life had been “fashioned and filled” by the Bible unbeknownst to her. I like this for two reasons. 

First: rattled. It’s a cool word! Uncommon, yet familiar. It precisely names an emotion we’ve all felt upon occasion, an experience that is akin to the “Aha” or Eureka moment of sudden realization or insight that psychologists have long studied. But there is an added connotation of dread or fear. Psychologically, it takes courage to probe deeply into what we’ve been rattled by, so …

The second reason this stands out is that this sentence shows something about the author’s maturity, ability for self-reflection, and character. 

In the remainder of the paragraph, the author ties the feminist, literary, Biblical, and historical strands together by sharing her discovery of the 14th-century erasure of a female character from Biblical stories. 

PARAGRAPH TWO: BACKGROUND PREPARATION

I spent much of my undergraduate career after this studying literature and learning to write my own narratives as an English major—a pursuit which, continually, drew me back to the themes I studied in courses for a Religious Studies minor. This range of academic focus allowed me to enter my first Biblical Studies course with an eye not only for theology, but with the skills to study literary elements such as narrative structure, genre tropes, and source study. Further, the tension that arose when I began to grapple with the Bible as a piece of literature alongside its value as my Holy book, was, and continues to be, unexplainably thrilling. Consideration of the text’s discontinuities and human errors in academic discourse has enhanced and complicated my personal reading of scripture; likewise, I believe my identity as a woman of faith has enhanced and complicated what I contribute to an academic discourse. I cannot analyze a story like the rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel rhetorically or historically without also considering modern, female readership. The challenge of considering these texts and stories holistically is precisely what I want to lean into in my graduate studies.  — — —

A significant chunk of any SofP must address the candidate’s academic qualifications and preparedness for graduate studies. While the author doesn’t go into depth, she briefly explains how her undergraduate major (English) and minor (Religious Studies) prepared her to wrestle with hermeneutic challenges that could easily present themselves to a feminist scholar of a religious text that contains repeated references to sexual assault and the subordination of women.

Sidebar: It’s often—but not always—appropriate to share relevant personal identificatory information (here, the applicant’s religion because she’s applying to divinity school; in other cases, insofar as the information strengthens the overall application or helps tell the story that prepared the person to apply for X degree, it might be worthwhile to share nationality, age, disability, sexuality, gender identity, geographic origin, race, class, and/or ethnicity). 

Not sure what’s relevant and appropriate to share? Wondering how much is too much to share? Afraid of coming across as a victim?

Contact College Essay Guy’s Graduate Division for a 1:1 coach who can help you think through your options and present your story in a way that enhances, not detracts from, your candidacy.

PARAGRAPH THREE: AREAS OF STUDY AND NAMING THE PROFESSORS

My academic interests are primarily in studying New Testament and Biblical Greek, as well as early Christian history, through the lens of women, gender, and sexuality. My curiosity also extends to the extracanonical and gnostic texts. In pursuing Yale Divinity’s M.A. in Religion with a New Testament concentration, I believe I will most fully be able to delve into the intersections of these ideas. I am particularly intrigued by Professor Michal Beth Dinkler’s research in applying contemporary literary theory to New Testament scholarship, as her work resonates closely with the questions I have asked most often as a student. — — —

As discussed in the intro, a “must” for any SoP is to address what the applicant proposes to study and with whom . The paragraph above does so clearly and directly, in particular citing a professor (Dinkler) whose work aligns with the writer’s interests, demonstrating both that she’s done her homework on the program (one vital element of an SoP) and that she and the program/faculty align well regarding values and focus.

To be sure your SoP demonstrates Applicant-Program Fit, plan on spending a good amount of time researching the professors and their interests in the departments you’re applying to. Explore their publications and websites, the questions they’re asking and how they answer them. Build a doc containing this research, so that once you dive into writing and revising your SoP, you can weave in details that show how you and the department fit together.

Want to talk through the pros and cons of pursuing a purely academic degree versus a professional degree? Not sure of the difference? Let us know your situation!

As always, the depth of research, level of scholarship, and degree of originality differs significantly, depending on whether you are seeking a master’s or doctoral degree. If you are applying for a master’s degree, you don’t need to do as much research on the specific professors, although mentioning a few is always in order. You also don’t need to know what that professor is currently working on or plans to work on next, because master’s degrees offer a general mastery of a field and are less dependent on the student’s original contributions.

PARAGRAPH FOUR: RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

In addition to my intellectual curiosities, I prepare this application while simultaneously engaging in vocational discernment through a 2020-21 service year with the New York Service & Justice Collaborative, an affiliate of the Episcopal Service Corps. Here, I am able to serve 35 hours each week with a nonprofit which works to create communities of belonging for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am serving alongside our executive director as the second employee. This work has given me an education in disability advocacy, theology, and the injustices caused by ableism, and has also granted me the experience of witnessing nonprofit work from the ground level. With the Service Corps, I am also spending one day each week in servant leadership and social justice focused “faith formation”. As someone who has continually been drawn to leadership roles in the past, I have valued the chance to think about leadership intentionally and critically. Yale Divinity’s Transformational Leadership program appeals to me as an outstanding support for my vocational discernment process, and as continuing the leadership training I have just started.

This paragraph addresses the author’s current position insofar as it dovetails with Yale Divinity’s mission. Read this from the YDS website :

“We stand between the more strictly academic approach of a department of religion and the more practical, parochial orientation of the seminaries. We educate and prepare the scholars, ministers, and leaders of the future.”

YDS values service and leadership , so by combining her commitment to inclusive communities, social justice, conscientious leadership, and disability advocacy, she places herself firmly within Yale’s reputation for valuing diversity, serving local communities both secular and religious, and leaning left-of-center. Finally, she “talks the talk”: in the Christian tradition, discernment means more than its common denotation of the ability to judge right from wrong (truth from falsehood, etc.) wisely. It’s a term that refers to the ability to approach all aspects of life biblically. In some denominations, it’s a formal step on the way to becoming a priest. Used in this SofP, it means that the author isn’t 100% certain of her exact career goals, but that she is committed to approaching her process of inquiry through prayer and conversations with those at YDS. 

FINAL PARAGRAPH: CONCLUSION

It would be negligent of what I hope to experience in a program such as Yale Divinity School’s M.A.R. to state with certainty my current inclination that I will use this degree to pursue a career in education or public service. I wholeheartedly expect that my time in this degree program would radically reshape my approach to Biblical studies, as well as my current understanding of how I want to contribute to the world. Although I did not take New Testament courses during my time as an undergraduate, I believe that my academic background and my interest in studying Biblical Greek will allow me to succeed in this track. I am confident that the programming at Yale Divinity School would both challenge and encourage me in vocational discernment, and grant me the opportunity to learn and contribute my ideas to the field of Biblical studies.

The conclusion in this sample Statement of Purpose turns toward the future by addressing potential careers. The author comes across as open to being shaped by her experiences, should she attend YDS. She strikes a nice balance of being focused in her academic interests yet malleable in her professional goals. This is important to keep in mind when writing your own SofP. If you come across as overly rigid and not open to the guidance that professors have to offer, they might question the necessity of you studying in their program. You want to sound eager to take part in dialogue, take advantage of the program’s offerings, and learn through and contribute to conversations with peers and mentors. 

Statement of purpose grad school example 2

Overview and analysis by Carlos A.

Want to work with Carlos through your grad school admissions process? Schedule a call with our team to learn more here .

The statement of purpose example below is geared towards application for the Masters in Sociology and Education at the Teachers College, Columbia University, one of the oldest and top-ranked education programs in the nation. This applied degree program is designed to give educators cross-disciplinary skills needed to apply sociological concepts to their approach as educators, specifically focusing on developing “sociological imagination” to understand inequality discrepancies in education and how to use this understanding to guide their “micro-level day-to-day experiences” as educators. As such, this degree program seeks educators that would like to continue their education with an emphasis on how to integrate sociological understanding of macro-level inequality in their teaching and mentorship pedagogy. Using the Teacher’s College’s strong commitment to social justice as a starting point, this degree program provides students with the tools needed to conduct both qualitative and quantitative social analysis of education to foster a better understanding of the social, political, and economic causes of inequality in the field of education.

In the forthcoming statement of purpose analysis, we assess a solid statement of purpose (the applicant was accepted to the program) that can also be improved towards providing a competitive application for this degree program. After all, a statement of purpose is an academic statement designed to build a thesis as to why the academic interest of the student is a “good fit” for the academic program considered and to signal ultimate success if selected for admission to the department.

Specifically, we focus on:

Whether the applicant emphasizes intellectual interests congruent with the mission of the education department’s degree program

Whether past professional and personal experiences help shape these intellectual interests, and 

How completion of the applied degree program will provide the applicant with the skillsets they need to advance their career objectives in the education field.

Overall, this statement of purpose, while requiring some editing, establishes a strong foundation, anchoring a successful application to a highly ranked applied education degree program. As the specific analysis will show, the applicant draws on their wide-ranging professional experience in public educating systems serving diverse populations to articulate both their intellectual interests in assessing the social causes of inequality in education and identifying faculty mentors to guide the development of these interests while in the program towards their professional development as educators.

One of the most prominent instances that made me realize the deep-seated educational disparities for minority and lower-income students occurred when I tested a 5th grade Philadelphia public school student named Jenna. Her results revealed that Jenna was barely capable of reading on a 1st grade level. Despite the fact that my interaction with Jenna left me upset and frustrated, it catalyzed my desire to work towards narrowing the achievement and opportunity gaps that students and school systems encounter in our country.  Pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology and Education at Teachers College will empower me to better support underserved students by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. education system, engaging with professors who are leaders in the field of urban education, and acquiring research skills that will enable me to critically analyze school systems from a sociological perspective. I am determined to attend Teachers College because my goal is to translate theory into practice while studying in the heart of one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the country. My experience as a Posse Scholar at Bryn Mawr College and working in the education nonprofit sphere in Philadelphia has allowed me to interpret the education system from a number of diverse viewpoints. However, I strive to gain a deeper understanding of education policy, strategies, and theories in order to further inform my career in education, specifically within K-12 reform and college access. After graduating Bryn Mawr College as a Posse Foundation Scholar, I recognized the transformative potential that a quality education has on the lives of students who are products of under-resourced school districts. During my time at Bryn Mawr I took classes such as Race, Gender and Culture and The Black Self: Identity and Consciousness which dissected race and social identity from a perspective that allowed me to better understand systemic racism and how communities of color shape and mold their consciousness. These courses, coupled with complex conversations about race and social justice, stimulated my passion to combat the forces and mindsets that continue to disadvantage minority youths. My involvement as a Posse Scholar fueled my determination to empower students and led me to become a freshman peer mentor to first-generation and international students during my senior year. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to produce an independent qualitative thesis entitled, The Role of Communication in Developing Bryn Mawr College Students’ Religious Identity. I obtained invaluable analytical skills, utilized various methods of collecting qualitative and quantitative data, and became inspired to eventually refine my research skills at the graduate level. My multifaceted experience as a student motivated me to pursue a career in education nonprofits and work at organizations that focus on youth development, race, and social justice. My entry into professional education began at Leading Educators, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying high quality teachers in the D.C. public school system for their Teacher Leadership Fellowship. This organization exposed me to the opportunity gaps that lower-income students face within the D.C. public school system and fueled my passion to advocate for educational equity. While I learned many technical skills, such as grant writing and event planning, the most beneficial aspect of the role came from engaging with principals, teachers, and policy makers from the Department of Education. These interactions compelled me to explore educational issues first-hand, stimulated my desire to work with students directly, and galvanized me to dissect the complex connections between K-12 reform and college access. My current position at For Love of Children (FLOC) involves supporting students like Jenna who are severely below grade level and have limited access to quality educational resources. As a Scholars Program Coordinator, I facilitate free after-school workshops on grade-based curriculum as well as postsecondary preparation for 8th and 11th grade students from the D.C. community. During my time at FLOC, I have refined our 11th grade SAT program, which is now more individualized to each student’s skill level in math and reading. Each week, I collaborate with their tutors by receiving feedback on student progress and adjusting the difficulty of their practice tests to ensure they are strengthening areas of improvement. As I work with students to achieve their postsecondary goals, they begin to see their own potential and build confidence. However, there are still many faults in our K-12 public education system that continue to prevent students of all racial and socio-economic backgrounds from receiving an equitable education. Although I have expanded my knowledge of urban education and college access while working in the nonprofit sector, acquiring a Master’s degree at Teachers College will provide me with the fundamental skills and resources needed to effectively support a diversity of students. Having the opportunity to attend and take courses at Teachers College with innovators such as Amy Stuart Wells truly excites me because of my admiration for her research on race and school desegregation. In April 2016, I had the opportunity to hear Professor Wells speak at a seminar titled, Taking Action on School Diversity. Her speech inspired me to explore the policies and practices being implemented in order to attain racial diversity in schools around the country. I am also eager to explore Professor Jeffrey Henig’s work on reforming urban schools and analyzing the intersections of race, politics, and education in urban environments. The unique perspectives of these and other educators will provide me with the tools necessary to build upon my own experiences in the field of education. Additionally, after speaking with several students currently in the Sociology & Education program and attending an open house, I can think of no institution more perfectly suited to my interests and ambitions. I am confident in my abilities to excel as a graduate student and apply the newfound research methods, theories, and strategies to all my future professional endeavors in education. — — —

One of the most prominent instances that made me realize the deep-seated educational disparities for minority and lower-income students occurred when I tested a 5th grade Philadelphia public school student named Jenna. Her results revealed that Jenna was barely capable of reading on a 1st grade level. Despite the fact that my interaction with Jenna left me upset and frustrated, it catalyzed my desire to work towards narrowing the achievement and opportunity gaps that students and school systems encounter in our country.  Pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology and Education at Teachers College will empower me to better support underserved students by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. education system, engaging with professors who are leaders in the field of urban education, and acquiring research skills that will enable me to critically analyze school systems from a sociological perspective. I am determined to attend Teachers College because my goal is to translate theory into practice while studying in the heart of one of the largest and most diverse school districts in the country. My experience as a Posse Scholar at Bryn Mawr College and working in the education nonprofit sphere in Philadelphia has allowed me to interpret the education system from a number of diverse viewpoints. However, I strive to gain a deeper understanding of education policy, strategies, and theories in order to further inform my career in education, specifically within K-12 reform and college access.

The first two paragraphs of this academic statement help lay the foundation for point (1) above by establishing the applicant’s intellectual interest in sociology and education. First, the applicant draws on personal experience as a public-school educator in Philadelphia to motivate the desire to both assess inequity in achievement and opportunity gaps among public education students. By establishing this personal narrative, the applicant is conveying practitioner experience in one of the core areas of the degree program which focuses on the determinants of inequality in educational outcomes. One editing suggestion moving forward would be to more explicitly state how these experiences help inform the academic mission of the degree program. The applicant hints how the experience as a public-school educator in underserved communities helps inform interest in the Teacher’s college degree program, but this can be tied in a more explicit way by further highlighting other cases in which inequity in learning outcomes was observed firsthand.

Taken together, this first section helps address the first key component of this statement of purpose (1) by emphasizing how personal experience informed an interest in studying the causes of educational inequities and how this interest is congruent with the sociological perspective of the department: demonstrating how you align with the mission, vision, and values of the program and institution is key

Now onto the next pargraph:

After graduating Bryn Mawr College as a Posse Foundation Scholar, I recognized the transformative potential that a quality education has on the lives of students who are products of under-resourced school districts. During my time at Bryn Mawr I took classes such as Race, Gender and Culture and The Black Self: Identity and Consciousness which dissected race and social identity from a perspective that allowed me to better understand systemic racism and how communities of color shape and mold their consciousness. These courses, coupled with complex conversations about race and social justice, stimulated my passion to combat the forces and mindsets that continue to disadvantage minority youths. My involvement as a Posse Scholar fueled my determination to empower students and led me to become a freshman peer mentor to first-generation and international students during my senior year. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I had the opportunity to produce an independent qualitative thesis entitled, The Role of Communication in Developing Bryn Mawr College Students’ Religious Identity. I obtained invaluable analytical skills, utilized various methods of collecting qualitative and quantitative data, and became inspired to eventually refine my research skills at the graduate level. My multifaceted experience as a student motivated me to pursue a career in education nonprofits and work at organizations that focus on youth development, race, and social justice. My entry into professional education began at Leading Educators, a nonprofit dedicated to identifying high quality teachers in the D.C. public school system for their Teacher Leadership Fellowship. This organization exposed me to the opportunity gaps that lower-income students face within the D.C. public school system and fueled my passion to advocate for educational equity. While I learned many technical skills, such as grant writing and event planning, the most beneficial aspect of the role came from engaging with principals, teachers, and policy makers from the Department of Education. These interactions compelled me to explore educational issues first-hand, stimulated my desire to work with students directly, and galvanized me to dissect the complex connections between K-12 reform and college access. My current position at For Love of Children (FLOC) involves supporting students like Jenna who are severely below grade level and have limited access to quality educational resources. As a Scholars Program Coordinator, I facilitate free after-school workshops on grade-based curriculum as well as postsecondary preparation for 8th and 11th grade students from the D.C. community. During my time at FLOC, I have refined our 11th grade SAT program, which is now more individualized to each student’s skill level in math and reading. Each week, I collaborate with their tutors by receiving feedback on student progress and adjusting the difficulty of their practice tests to ensure they are strengthening areas of improvement. As I work with students to achieve their postsecondary goals, they begin to see their own potential and build confidence. However, there are still many faults in our K-12 public education system that continue to prevent students of all racial and socio-economic backgrounds from receiving an equitable education. Although I have expanded my knowledge of urban education and college access while working in the nonprofit sector, acquiring a Master’s degree at Teachers College will provide me with the fundamental skills and resources needed to effectively support a diversity of students.

The preceding paragraphs offer an excellent description of how past professional experience helps shape the applicant’s interest in assessing the macro-level dynamics of inequality in public education. 

First, the applicant begins with a discussion of their rich undergraduate experience, particularly as a Posse scholar studying systemic racism. This section would be strengthened by clearer discussion of what this scholar program entails, particularly in emphasis of racial justice highlighted. 

Second, the highlighting of professional experience in serving underserved and challenged students in Washington, DC, effectively signals practitioner experience in one of the key components of the academic program of interest, that of assessing and addressing the causes of educational outcome inequities. This section is rich in practitioner experience, such as collaborating with tutors refining the SAT preparation program in reading and math. This practitioner experience signals rich qualitative experience that demonstrates to the admissions committee that the applicant can bring a “real-world” perspective to the graduate program. Indeed, this section speaks to (2) how past professional and personal experiences help shape the intellectual interests emphasized by the prospective degree program, indicating a seamless fit between the applicant’s academic interests and the mission of the degree program.

Let’s see how the student closed this personal statement:

Having the opportunity to attend and take courses at Teachers College with innovators such as Amy Stuart Wells truly excites me because of my admiration for her research on race and school desegregation. In April 2016, I had the opportunity to hear Professor Wells speak at a seminar titled, Taking Action on School Diversity. Her speech inspired me to explore the policies and practices being implemented in order to attain racial diversity in schools around the country. I am also eager to explore Professor Jeffrey Henig’s work on reforming urban schools and analyzing the intersections of race, politics, and education in urban environments. The unique perspectives of these and other educators will provide me with the tools necessary to build upon my own experiences in the field of education. Additionally, after speaking with several students currently in the Sociology & Education program and attending an open house, I can think of no institution more perfectly suited to my interests and ambitions. I am confident in my abilities to excel as a graduate student and apply the newfound research methods, theories, and strategies to all my future professional endeavors in education.

The concluding paragraph helps address two key components of this statement of purpose: 

First, this paragraph explicitly states which faculty member the applicant would like to work with during their degree program based on the research agenda of the faculty member. This is critically important in signaling that the applicant could immediately begin pursuing their intellectual interests at the beginning of their degree program. 

Secondly, this paragraph hints at how the sociology & education program could provide “newfound research methods, theories, and strategies” that will serve the applicant well in “future professional endeavors in education.” 

One suggestion to strengthen even further is to build out this thesis by explicitly stating what research methods and theoretical frameworks could be gained in the degree program that will help shape future career objectives. 

This paragraph lays a strong foundation in addressing the third component (3) of how completion of the applied program can inform future endeavors. In conjunction with highlighting the desired faculty mentor, building this thesis can further catalyze the “perfect fit” between the applicant’s academic interests and the intellectual mission of the sociology & education program.

Statement of purpose for graduate school example 3

The following statement of purpose example was written for the INSEAD MBA program .

The explanation and analysis below was written by Kristin Joys.

Want to work with Kristin through your grad school admissions process? Schedule a call with our team to learn more here .

Having worked in academia for more than two decades, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on graduate admissions committees, and I’ve also been asked to write hundreds of letters of recommendations for students applying to graduate school (most often MBA programs, Law School, and advanced degrees in the social sciences—as much of my academic work is focused on social impact & sustainable business related issues). One of the things I love most about this work is reading (and helping students to craft) a strong Statement of Purpose—when done well, they give the admissions committee a clear and concise picture of students’ experience, accomplishments, aspirations, and how they will be an asset to the program they seek to attend. 

Some schools, like the example below from INSEAD, require applicants to complete a series of short-answer essays rather than a singular SoP. In some ways, the series of individual short-answer essays required by INSEAD makes the process easier for the student to demonstrate that they are a strong candidate. When a student is tasked with responding to individual short-answer essays, there is no risk that the student might omit key information from a SoP and thus risk being perceived as a less well-qualified or less appealing candidate. Whether on a singular SoP or in a series of short-answers, it is essential that students’ narratives articulate their interests in specific programs to which they are applying, their prior academic performance and professional experience, self-awareness and clarity around their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their future aspirations—leveraging the experience and skills they will gain as a MBA student to acquire positions and roles as a leader and changemaker. 

INSEAD is one of the world’s leading business schools. The main campus is located in Fontainebleau, France (just 45 minutes from Paris by train), with additional campuses in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and San Francisco. For many years, INSEAD has been considered “the Harvard of Europe” (in fact, it was founded in 1957 by a Harvard Business School graduate) and attracts students and expert faculty from around the world. A MBA degree from INSEAD is a respected credential that opens doors and advances careers. 

Reviewing this applicant’s essays was nostalgic for me as, after earning my Ph.D. in Sociology (in 2003) and a Post Doc in Management & Marketing (in 2012), I had the opportunity to study at INSEAD’s Fontainebleau campus in Fall 2012 when I participated in INSEAD’s International Social Entrepreneurship Programme and earned a Certificate of Executive Education in Social Entrepreneurship. I was among 50 students hailing from 24 countries around the world, and I was the only person attending from the U.S. A number of my classmates and colleagues were enrolled in (or applying to) the INSEAD MBA program and all of our faculty were respected INSEAD MBA instructors as well. I enjoyed reading the applicant’s mention of the various programs and activities he looked forward to participating in as a future INSEAD student (as they rang familiar from my time on campus there).

This applicant gained admission to and excelled in INSEAD’s MBA program. Below, I’ve provided an analysis of each of the applicant’s short-answer essays—there are a total of eight, with word limits ranging from 100 to 500 words. Together, the applicant’s responses make a strong case to the admissions committee that the applicant is not only an excellent fit for their MBA program and will perform well as a student, he will be an asset to his classmates—and also that his future successes will reflect positively on the program and university. 

Short Answer Response Analysis

1. Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary (maximum 500 words).*

I didn’t realize how much my first interview would impact my future. It wasn’t a meeting with a recruiter or Fortune 500 CEO. I was 6 years old, sitting across from the international baccalaureate (IB) school’s admissions counselor. “Would you like to proceed in English or Spanish?” she asked. “English!” I said, surprising my mother. We had arrived in the US from Chile less than a year earlier when my father was transferred to lead his firm’s new telecommunications subsidiary. I was new to English but eager to dive in. Mama initiated my interest in languages as she had been educated at Universidad de Chile, and understood the value of global education. Together, these interests motivated me to enroll in IB’s French immersion program, to be surrounded by classmates from many cultures and nationalities, which enriched my learning dramatically. As an immigrant, I also understood the value of hard work from an early age. In high school that meant balancing my long study hours with working up to 20 hours/week at the Mexican restaurant my family started in Tampa Bay following Papa leaving the corporate world (after building the subsidiary to 600+ employees prior to its sale). Resilience has become another cherished value. For example, when I failed to gain preadmission to UNC’s Kenan-Flagler business school, I committed to putting in the work to make this happen during regular admissions, and succeeded, completing my last two years of college at the b-school. Throughout life, I’ve sought growth from enriching global experiences. Immediately after college, I backpacked across five Latin American countries, ending with a two-month internship in Chile. I was elated to practice my Portuguese in Brazil and connect with new people, whether sharing a meal with a stranger at a train station in Boa Vista or couch-surfing through Uruguayan beach towns. My travels have pushed me out of my comfort zone, boosted my resourcefulness, reminded me of my privilege, and highlighted how much more I have to learn. My experience has also motivated me to make a difference for others. At UNC, I joined EASE (Easing Abroad Students Entry) to mentor incoming study-abroad students. For instance, I helped Andres from Spain navigate campus and Chapel Hill, and brought him into my friend group to enjoy outings at restaurants and events like the UNC-Duke game. Now, having worked in Canada, China, Mexico, and countless U.S. states, I am eager to make a global impact while working closely with ambitious colleagues (see Career Vision essay). To do that I’ll harness my ambition but also continue ameliorating my shortcomings, like how I learned to manage my past tendency to rely on “brute force.” As a Senior Analyst, I failed to leverage the available knowledge at my firm for some challenging client work-streams, forcing me to restart from scratch to succeed. I’ve come a long way from that IB interview at age 6, learning and growing from each new experience. Now I’m excited to share and build on all of my values at INSEAD. — — —

Analysis: 

The student does an outstanding job of offering a candid description of themselves, using vivid examples to emphasize the main factors that influenced their personal development. By framing the essay around their experience immigrating to the U.S. from Chile at age 6, their IB education, their fluency in multiple languages (Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese) and their ability to navigate various cultural settings (having worked & traveled in the U.S., Canada, China, Mexico, and five additional Latin American countries), they both explicitly and implicitly communicate to the admissions committee not only that they are a competent and experienced business professional but also that they are aligned with INSEAD’s “business school for the world” mission. By using language like “Mama” and “Papa” rather than Mother and Father, the student’s essay feels relatable and authentic. 

The essay prompt requests that applicants mention the personal characteristics they feel to be their strengths and weaknesses. The student weaves mentions of their strengths throughout, both implicitly and explicitly. In this single sentence the student does a remarkable job of clearly, concisely, and cleverly leveraging their self-awareness to coherently detail some of the strengths they have gained through their experiences: 

“My travels have pushed me out of my comfort zone, boosted my resourcefulness, reminded me of my privilege, and highlighted how much more I have to learn.”

Only in the last paragraph do they mention two weaknesses—their tendency to rely on “brute force,” as well as their failure to leverage available knowledge at firm—forcing them to have to start from scratch. It goes without saying that when presented with a prompt like this, it’s in students’ best interests to emphasize their strengths (as this student did, by mentioning many strengths and just two weaknesses). I would have liked to have seen a bit more in that last paragraph, as the student seemed to attempt to wrap the entire essay up with one sentence following his mention of weaknesses. When possible, I find it to be a more effective tactic to mention “weaknesses” that can also be perceived to be strengths (for example, being “detail-oriented” is a strength in many context, but it can be a weakness if one’s concern for details causes them to miss deadlines or lose sight of the big picture). 

Overall, this student aptly leverages the prompt in this essay to demonstrate how they are very much aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the program to which they are applying. 

2. Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned (maximum 400 words). *

Growing at Andersen “Salud!” In February 2019, we clinked glasses with our Mexico-based client director to celebrate implementation of the second global shared-services center I’d worked on. That engagement, and the client’s previous service-center in Japan, represented 1.5 years of work for me. My role had spanned nearly every domain: gathering requirements for their proposed HR-self-service portal, holding workshops with global client representatives from 30+ countries to customize design; meeting with local SMEs to draft desktop and system procedures. I became skilled at navigating localized issues—such as an SME’s preferred way of working—and finding the right balance between high customer usability/satisfaction and keeping processes and systems efficient, streamlined, and accessible. I also managed a 5-person offshore team supporting the launch, and became a go-to team member based on the agile-development knowledge I picked up as scrum master. Andersen partners and client executives were thrilled with the results, and I was entrusted to represent our team in Japan and Mexico as a rising leader and thought partner. — — — Family Challenges Last year, when we learned Dad’s cancer had returned, we wept. He had been our role model, our glue, an ambitious man who worked hard to rise from a Chilean farm town to a high-level executive, taking us to exciting new lands and opportunities. “I can beat this,” he assured us as the disease progressed. However as he struggled to survive, so did our family bonds. Dad had always been our mediator and, while I tried to take on that role as the middle sibling of three, it wasn’t easy. The night he lost his final battle, our collective stress boiled over, with a flashpoint between my siblings who held longtime resentment. My mother and I tried to step in, without luck. Over the weeks that followed, our once-harmonious family became fractured, pushed to the limit by Dad’s passing, the pandemic, and a national political divide reflected in our own home. After backing off initially, I worked quietly to address the gap, planning a family barbecue, meeting with attorneys to ensure legal matters didn’t compound the issue. We miss Papa deeply, and there are no easy answers, but we are healing now, slowly. My highs and lows demonstrate that relationships are about earning trust by being there for others—whether a client, teammate, or sibling—and giving people space and time as needed, all as part of mutual support and growth. — — —

In both of the short-answer responses above, the student does a great job of directly responding to the prompts while continuing to offer details that position themselves as being very much aligned with the global emphasis of the program to which they are applying. 

The first paragraph, describing their achievement helping a SME (in Mexico) to implement a global shared-services center (in Japan), does a great job of both colorfully and concisely explaining the key role they played in helping their company to become a success. I would recommend very small edits of spelling out SME the first time the abbreviation is used: while the professionals working on a business school admissions committee will typically know they meant “Small Medium Business,” SME also has other common meanings like “Subject Matter Expert,” and given the global audience, it’s best to err on the side of clarity. I’d also recommend they omit the slash mark in, “high customer usability/satisfaction” replacing it with the word “and” or even “and/or,” rather than a more informal slash mark.

The student’s second paragraph responds to the prompt, “describe a situation where you failed.” The student chose to write about dealing with and working to overcome a challenging situation, helping the reader to understand their personal strengths of commitment, persistence, and compassion when navigating the loss of their father. However, I’d assert that this challenging situation was not a “failure.” They mention that they “tried to step in, without luck”—so one can see that perhaps they feel like they “failed” in that way, but it’s clear that the situation is more complicated than what one person’s action might remedy. If I were advising this student, I’d suggest they choose a different approach to this prompt, one that shows their self-awareness, maturity, and growth by highlighting a failure, the lessons learned, and how their relationships (or skills and abilities) have been impacted and improved by their experience (Failure is a part of life. Your readers know this. They want to see that you also know it, and know how to learn from it, rather than fearing failure or fearing people knowing about your failures ). 

3. Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (maximum 300 words) *

Having multiple life activities enriches me and brings me joy. Music: I started playing drums at age 10 and was instantly hooked. Music became my main outside-of-school/work pursuit, whether playing in a band or enjoying the local music scene with friends wherever I lived. Today I’m still passionate about playing and listening, but have shifted much of my attention to music production. I blend samples and recordings to create house music, and last year completed an online music production program with top label Toolroom Records. I’m increasingly part of the house music production scene, having released two songs already, with growing listenership. Music invigorates and relaxes me, while providing a sense of community and a creative cohort, each of us learning from the others. Sports: Growing up I played on a travel soccer team and learned the power of teamwork and competitive spirit. Today I play in weekly pickup games, and am eager to continue with INSEAD’s football club. Beyond soccer I’m a half-marathoner and love getting muddy in Spartan Races. As a former skateboarder and now-avid snowboarder, I planned several trips for my ski group, including one to Verbier and Val-d'Isère. I’d love to take classmates on a similar trip, or to beautiful dive spots around Singapore (I’m a PADI-certified diver), enhancing our skills and experience.  Service: In college, I loved giving back, such as working with EASE (Essay 1), tutoring immigrants via LINC, and mentoring small-business owners with the Carolina Microfinance Initiative (CMI). For example, I helped a woman implement her idea of bringing affordable eyeglasses to her Nicaraguan town by teaching her to write a business plan and create a supply chain. She paid off her micro-loan in two months! At INSEAD, I plan to join INDEVOR to continue paying it forward. — — —

This is an excellent response to the prompt. It would have been ideal for the opening to be longer than one line, but given the word limit, the student provided a concise introduction. 

The student positions themselves positively by offering examples of extracurriculars they enjoy including the arts (music), sports (football/soccer, running,  skateboarding, skiing, diving), and service providing specific examples of each. 

Their response really shines when mentioning by name similar endeavors offered by INSEAD they look forward to joining. This shows the admissions committee that the student has “done their homework” and is genuinely interested in attending INSEAD and taking advantage of the opportunities they offer (rather than submitting a generic application to a number of schools).  

4. Is there anything else that was not covered in your application that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee? (maximum 300 words)

INSEAD is the best way to pursue my vision of growing as a strategy consultant and rising leader (see Career Vision essay). By leveraging the school’s wide array of courses, clubs, and global alumni network, I’ll be poised to develop into a leader at my future firm and beyond. For example, participating in the Personal Leadership Development Programme will enable me to craft a leadership development plan best-suited to my needs. I’ll gain further leadership and management insights from classes like Leadership Communications Foundations and events within the Global Leadership Club. I’m especially interested in learning to motivate and guide larger teams and to help clients tackle their most challenging executive-level issues. Moreover, by completing the Blue Ocean Strategy certificate classes I’ll be better prepared to make strategic project decisions at client sites and bring value to any business implementation. Lessons learned from classes like “Realising Entrepreneurial Potential” and INSEAD LaunchPad aligns directly with my long-term goal of developing an entrepreneurial venture to connect Latin America to US and European innovation hubs—whether within the consulting sphere or in an emerging industry like smart grid development. As a longtime global explorer, I’m particularly looking forward to splitting time between Singapore and France via the Campus Exchange program. Multiple students and alumni have told me how much they’ve gained from INSEAD. For example, Julien Antovici (’16) said, “I loved doing an MBA outside the US for the change of perspective. My section included people from all nationalities and professional backgrounds.” That’s exactly the kind of learning and growth experience I seek, with diverse people, experiences, and viewpoints. In short, I can think of no better place to pursue my educational and professional goals than INSEAD. — — —

Analysis:  

This is an optimal response to a prompt of this sort. Often, questions like, “Is there anything else you’d like to share?” are used an opportunity for students to explain any shortcomings in their academic record (low grades on their transcript, low scores on standardized tests, etc.) and/or extenuating circumstances. While that can be useful context for your readers, here the student instead uses the prompt to offer greater “why us” detail: 

As in the prior response, the student does a stellar job of showing genuine interest in the school by mentioning a number of programs, clubs, activities, courses, and other offerings and opportunities unique to INSEAD in which they plan to participate. They also use this prompt as an opportunity to share positive things they’ve heard about the school from students and alumni. Yet again their affiliation with INSEAD students and alumni  helps to demonstrate to the admissions committee that not only are they qualified, their networks help to establish that they are the type of student who will succeed in INSEAD’s MBA program. 

INSEAD - Job Description Section

5. Briefly summarise your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/products and results achieved. (200 words maximum) *

At LEK Consulting I am part of consulting teams working across multiple projects, completing analyses, presentation of recommendations, and other supporting tasks toward project goals. My responsibilities vary. Currently, for example, I’m engaging with regional leads across 9 countries to integrate processes and configure systems for a global human-capital-management (HCM) project; earlier I evaluated the ROI of establishing a foreign trade zone (FTZ) at a major electronics distribution client. Overall, I’ve worked with 10+ clients in my career, ranging from smaller local companies (<$1B in revenue) to massive global businesses ($100B+ in revenue). These clients span different industries, with electric utilities being our most common sector of focus and others including: higher education, financial services, entertainment, automotive manufacturing, and supply chain distribution. Every LEK team’s structure reflects client/project needs. On smaller engagements, I am often the sole consultant handling daily project requirements while reporting to the partner and presenting to client Directors and VPs. On larger, more complex projects I lead 1-2 workstreams (e.g., Global Payroll Integrations Lead) on teams of up to 7-8 consultants. Sometimes I manage an analyst if there is overlap on workstream tasks, or if the project is an internal company initiative. — — —

The student does a great job here of clearly and thoroughly articulating (while remaining within the 200 word limit) their current professional role and responsibilities. While this is minor, I’d like to mention that unlike the prior example where abbreviations were used without spelling out the terms, they did so here—which is most appropriate for formal writing of this sort. 

6. What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company instead of going to business school? (200 words maximum)*

At LEK, the next step for me after Senior Associate would be Manager, followed by Director and eventually Partner. I am one of only two senior analysts who has broken into the ranks of Associate without a master’s degree; and now the only Senior Associate without an MBA after my colleague departed the firm to begin her MBA program. Moreover, I understand and respect the unspoken policy that an MBA would be required here for advancement to Manager and beyond. A comprehensive management education would build/sharpen intangible leadership qualities critical to more senior roles. This is especially evident at the Director/Partner level, where the focus shifts from analysis/advisory to business development and sales, and where one needs “instant” credibility to succeed. Thus even if I were to advance to Manager without an MBA, I recognize the deep value of attending a program like INSEAD, for the skills I would gain across strategic problem-solving, business development, and people leadership, not to mention a professional qualification recognized and respected worldwide, and an unparalleled global network. Finally, I’m eager to gain perspective and capabilities beyond consulting, given my long-term interest in entrepreneurship. — — —

In this response, the student is transparent about their interest in INSEAD being about more than just earning the degree—they truly seek the experience of being immersed in learning (rather than being overly focused on the outcome of earning the degree, as is often the case among applicants). The student explains that, while a MBA is typically required for their ability to advance along their current path, there is a possibility that they might be promoted to Manager without a MBA in hand. The student does a fantastic job of stating their desire to gain specific skills while attending INSEAD and hints at their response to the final prompt regarding their future aspirations.  

7. Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (300 words maximum) *

I’ve grown from every post-college career experience. My first post-graduation job was interning with BTG Pactual’s marketing area in Chile, where I learned new skills in a global environment. Upon returning to the US I began as an analyst at LEK, where I was promoted after one year (versus a typical timeframe of 1.5-2 years). I gained broad and deep experience working in projects across three industries and learning from managers, partners, peers, and clients. Because an MBA was typically required for advancement at LEK, I chose to first transition to Andersen as an HR Transformations Consultant, working on HR design assessments and then a long-term global HR redesign implementation at a multinational automotive client. That demanding project accelerated my growth and led to meaningful new engagement opportunities including leading cross-country process design, working with local SMEs, and serving as scrum master for our offshore development team. My performance earned the client’s and Partners’ respect, making me a go-to consultant for key responsibilities. Meanwhile, I’d remained in contact with LEK partners who had mentored me, and they offered me significant advancement of title and compensation to rejoin the firm, with the additional possibility of MBA sponsorship as per their newly established policy. I was happy to accept the offer, knowing the larger project and leadership responsibility I’d gain at a smaller consultancy. As hoped, I’ve continued to build experience and skills at LEK, growing as an agile thinker and evolving leader. But my time here has only reinforced how much more I have to learn, and how INSEAD would be the ideal source for advanced management training. — — —

Yet again, this student offers a solid narrative in response to the prompt, fully describing their positions held since graduating with their undergraduate degree. Their response shows self-awareness around the experience, expertise, and skills they gained from each role. 

The student is communicating between the lines to the admissions committee when mentioning that their employer may sponsor their MBA. Unfortunately, the last sentence lands as being a bit abrupt and unlike the others instances, they did not appear to be limited by the word count (268 of the 300 word limit). As such, I would recommend they use some of the 32 words remaining to close this essay with a more thorough and thoughtful conclusion.

8. Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (100 words maximum) *

Post-INSEAD I aim to excel as a Manager at LEK, with increasing focus on clean tech and sustainability and/or global supply chain projects, along with excellent client service. Longer term, I’ll use my experience/training to move toward consulting partner or global entrepreneurship. I’m especially interested in green energy. For instance, Distributed Generation is a growing market in LatAm, but many countries lack the “smart grid” transmission system to justify further investment. Similarly, utility-level solar costs are decreasing 9% annually there, making it critical to find the right business strategies/models to scale solar. I’m excited to pursue my vision at INSEAD. — — —

In prompts of this sort, admissions committees are typically looking for applicants to share examples of clear plans, including transferable skills they hope to gain and the future roles they seek to pursue. However, INSEAD gave a very short 100 word limit; thus, the student’s response did a nice job of responding to the prompt in a way that  hopefully gives them an additional advantage by framing their future plans as being innovative—by mentioning their interest in working in clean tech and green energy. 

In short, this is an outstanding series of short-answer essays that together position the applicant as a strong and well qualified prospective MBA student, as well as a future leader whose accomplishments and achievements will reflect positively on INSEAD. 

Lastly, this student’s submission also underscores why many MBA programs only accept applicants with at least two years of full-time work experience. I speak with many undergraduates and recent graduates who aspire to earn MBA degrees and express frustration that the programs which they’re interested in attending require at least two years of significant work experience—they’d prefer to be admitted immediately following earning their undergraduate degree. While many schools have created new programs for students to earn  master's degrees in business-related fields over the past two decades, many traditional MBA programs continue to require two years of professional experience. This student’s responses show how important and impactful his work with Andersen and LEK have been in preparing him for both his MBA studies and his future career trajectory. We are happy to help students compare the variety of graduate business degree program options available and position themselves as outstanding candidates for their best fit schools. 

Statement of purpose sample 4

The statement of purpose below is geared towards application for the PhD in Peace Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame. This academic degree program is designed to provide students with robust theoretical and empirical skills to conduct independent multidisciplinary research in the field of Peace Studies aimed at academic and practitioner positions after completion of the program. This doctoral program differs from traditional field-specific programs in the social sciences in that it focuses on cross-disciplinary theories relating to the study of peace studies. Indeed, this degree program is housed at the Kroc Institute, a leading academic center with the intellectual mission to understand the causes of armed conflict, ways to prevent this conflict, and how to foster peaceful and just societies. The Institute is uniquely suited to conduct research in these areas by drawing on core faculty with expertise in various disciplines ranging from history, political science, anthropology, and sociology. This provides students with a rich intellectual environment in which to pursue a PhD, as the cross-disciplinary approach to doctoral studies provides students with diverse theoretical and methodological models by which to conduct independent research in the field of peace studies.

In the forthcoming statement of purpose analysis, we assess a strong statement of purpose that articulates a few key components that graduate admissions committees seek in prospective students. After all, a statement of purpose is an academic statement designed to develop a thesis as to why the academic interest of the student is a “good fit” for the academic program considered and to signal that  the student will succeed if selected for admission to the department. As we will focus on in the analysis, this student successfully defines her: 

Inspiration for their intellectual interest in the historical narrative of peace studies

Strong record of accomplishments designed to signal success in the competitive environment of graduate doctoral studies

Specific cross-disciplinary academic research interest the student would pursue in the doctoral program in peace studies

Strong record of accomplishments designed to signal success in the competitive environment of graduate doctoral studies; and 

Highlights how the academic interests would fit neatly within the expertise of faculty already at the Kroc Institute.

Paul Rusesabagina, the hero of the Hollywood blockbuster Hotel Rwanda , is not considered a “rescuer” in Rwanda nor in academic literature because, according to the Rwandan government, he made Tutsis pay to stay at the Hotel de Milles Collines. Similarly vexing, there are very few “Righteous Among the Nations” from Denmark, despite 99% of Danish Jews surviving the Holocaust; the Danish Underground wanted to be seen as a communal movement, precluding them from the honor, which is only given to individuals. Much of the limited scholarship on rescuing during mass atrocities defines “rescuers” using stringent constraints set by Yad Vashem’s “Righteous Among the Nations” eligibility criteria: individuals must be non-Jewish and have (1) had active involvement in saving Jews; (2) risked their lives, liberty, or position; and (3) been only altruistically motivated. The Rwandan government supplements these criteria with additional constraints in the context of the Rwandan genocide: only those who saved lives but did not kill can be considered rescuers, reaffirming a criterion of moral absolutism, and denying the study of complex actors. I will commit my academic career to expanding how we study rescuing narratives in contexts of mass atrocities and transitional justice, starting with four questions: (1) what do we learn from studying individuals who saved lives but do not meet the “Righteous Among the Nations” eligibility criteria; (2) how might we understand institutions and states as rescuers, going beyond the existing literature on so-called “altruistic” individuals; (3) how would studying rescuing outside of the contexts of the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust — the primary case studies of academic literature — influence our understanding of rescuing; and (4) how and to what effect has the “rescuer” label been politicized? To begin to explore these questions, I will focus my doctoral studies on a historical analysis of how regional and international state actors in the modern Middle East established themselves as altruistic rescuers, but then used the morally absolute definition of rescuing to deny or rationalize their involvement in subsequent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The University of Amsterdam and the University of Chicago provided me with a strong intellectual foundation for pursuing this research. In my Master’s thesis, which was awarded the University of Amsterdam Faculty of Humanities Thesis Prize, I developed a historical analysis of rescuing during the Rwandan genocide. I used oral testimonies, memoirs, newspaper articles, and government-sponsored content to compare the reasons given for rescuing by Hutu rescuers, UN Commander Roméo Dallaire, humanitarian aid worker Carl Wilkens, and the Rwandan Patriotic Front. I then wrote a peer-reviewed book chapter, forthcoming, which explored the constraints of the “rescuer” label ( The Holocaust: Remembrance, Respect, Resilience, edited by Michael Posner and Suki John).  At UChicago, I delved into the history of human rights through the Human Rights minor with Susan Gzesh and Mark Bradley and engaged in the interdisciplinary discourse on mass violence through courses including “Perpetrators, Victims, and Bystanders” (Eric Stover) and “Insurgency, Terrorism, and Civil War” (Paul Staniland). Through Harvard’s history study abroad program in Ghana (Emmanuel Akyeampong), I researched how the Middle Passage developed trauma-based communal identities. Building on my coursework, my Bachelor’s thesis developed a historical analysis to evaluate early warning signs of genocidal events in Darfur. Arabic classes in high school and college and Arabic lessons with tutors, as well as an immersion course in Summer 2022, will enable me to study primary sources on rescuing in the Middle East.  My decision to pursue doctoral studies is also informed by my professional experiences at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), J-PAL North America (MIT), and SYE Initiative and DAWNetwork. At the SSRC, I coordinated a fellowship that supports African PhD candidates studying peace and security. I planned and attended five workshops in sub-Saharan Africa, where fellows developed dissertation proposals, discussed research methodology, and fine-tuned their dissertations. At J-PAL North America, I coordinate fundraising, accruing $15 million to support randomized evaluations on poverty alleviation. As Program Manager at SYE Initiative, a nonprofit that helps Syrian and Iraqi students apply to college, and as founder of DAWNetwork, a mentorship program for Syrian girls, I fostered my interest in the Middle East and developed deep networks in both Syria and Iraq. Working with students in contexts where academic inquiry is so deeply politicized has reinforced my resolve to take more critical approaches to historical narratives. Genocide Studies inherently prompts interdisciplinary questions: history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science are all essential to gaining a more comprehensive understanding of mass atrocities and transitional justice. My undergraduate studies taught me the value of interdisciplinary approaches to studying conflict, while my history-centered Master’s program enriched my understanding of the foundational need for historical analyses. The constrained definitions of “rescuing” conjoined with the politicization of the rescuer label have established accepted histories out of incomplete narratives; combining historical sources, including archival sources and oral testimonies, with the interdisciplinary dynamics of peace studies will be essential to bringing more complex narratives to light. The University of Notre Dame’s Peace Studies and History PhD is an ideal fit to pursue research on the creation and manipulation of rescuing narratives throughout the 20th century. I look forward to studying with and being advised by scholars who have grappled with the historical legacies of mass conflict. In the History department, I hope to work with Professors Aron Coleman and James Dell. Coleman’s work on the legacies of national identity, and the interplay between memory, history, and violence, as well as his regional expertise on the Levant, provides an ideal ecosystem for exploring rescuing narratives at the macro-level. James Dell’s work on nationalism and state making would provide thematic and methodological groundings for my own research. I furthermore hope to enrich my research through the interdisciplinary approach of Peace Studies by studying the dynamics of rescuing through the lenses of transitional justice and comparative genocide studies with Professor Veraga. I look forward to the intellectual dialogue and mentorship I would find at the University of Notre Dame, where I could grapple with fundamental questions on resistance, peace and war, and the manipulation of history to realize political goals. — — —

PhD statement of purpose example, with analysis:

Paul Rusesabagina, the hero of the Hollywood blockbuster Hotel Rwanda , is not considered a “rescuer” in Rwanda nor in academic literature because, according to the Rwandan government, he made Tutsis pay to stay at the Hotel de Milles Collines. Similarly vexing, there are very few “Righteous Among the Nations” from Denmark, despite 99% of Danish Jews surviving the Holocaust; the Danish Underground wanted to be seen as a communal movement, precluding them from the honor, which is only given to individuals. Much of the limited scholarship on rescuing during mass atrocities defines “rescuers” using stringent constraints set by Yad Vashem’s “Righteous Among the Nations” eligibility criteria: individuals must be non-Jewish and have (1) had active involvement in saving Jews; (2) risked their lives, liberty, or position; and (3) been only altruistically motivated. The Rwandan government supplements these criteria with additional constraints in the context of the Rwandan genocide: only those who saved lives but did not kill can be considered rescuers, reaffirming a criterion of moral absolutism, and denying the study of complex actors. — — —

This first paragraph speaks to limited scholarship on defining rescuers within the broader context of Peace Studies. This first paragraph is focused on drawing an introductory narrative by highlighting a description of a Hollywood film and how popular media helps shed light on how academic research is needed to redefine “rescuers”. This first paragraph helps set the stage for subsequent paragraphs to define specific research questions and how this intellectual interest was fostered in previous educational pursuits at the undergraduate and master’s level. 

Overall, this is a fantastic start to the statement of purpose that could be perhaps strengthened with a more explicit thesis statement of why this doctoral program is uniquely suited towards providing the student the academic training needed to tackle a normatively important question.

Now onto the next paragraph:

I will commit my academic career to expanding how we study rescuing narratives in contexts of mass atrocities and transitional justice, starting with four questions: (1) what do we learn from studying individuals who saved lives but do not meet the “Righteous Among the Nations” eligibility criteria; (2) how might we understand institutions and states as rescuers, going beyond the existing literature on so-called “altruistic” individuals; (3) how would studying rescuing outside of the contexts of the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust — the primary case studies of academic literature — influence our understanding of rescuing; and (4) how and to what effect has the “rescuer” label been politicized? To begin to explore these questions, I will focus my doctoral studies on a historical analysis of how regional and international state actors in the modern Middle East established themselves as altruistic rescuers, but then used the morally absolute definition of rescuing to deny or rationalize their involvement in subsequent war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. — — —

This is a fantastic paragraph that is, appropriately, featured prominently at the beginning of the statement of purpose. The student does an exemplary job clearly articulating the academic questions they wish to explore in potential admission to the multidisciplinary peace studies graduate program. In the above paragraph, the applicant clearly articulates academic interests to “expand” the scholarly field of inquiry of developing narratives in contexts of mass atrocities, such as the previously mentioned Rwandan genocide and Holocaust. Again, the only suggestion towards strengthening an already outstanding statement introduction is, early on, identifying how individual faculty expertise could help the student tackle the “big questions” laid out in this paragraph. Put simply, how does this specific scholarly interest in “rescuers” fit with the department’s program offering and why are you applying for this specific graduate program? 

Overall, the preceding two paragraphs help complete the first critical task of this statement of purpose: (1) inspiration for their intellectual interest in the historical narrative of peace studies.

The next pargaph:

The University of Amsterdam and the University of Chicago provided me with a strong intellectual foundation for pursuing this research. In my Master’s thesis, which was awarded the University of Amsterdam Faculty of Humanities Thesis Prize, I developed a historical analysis of rescuing during the Rwandan genocide. I used oral testimonies, memoirs, newspaper articles, and government-sponsored content to compare the reasons given for rescuing by Hutu rescuers, UN Commander Roméo Dallaire, humanitarian aid worker Carl Wilkens, and the Rwandan Patriotic Front. I then wrote a peer-reviewed book chapter, forthcoming, which explored the constraints of the “rescuer” label ( The Holocaust: Remembrance, Respect, Resilience, edited by Michael Posner and Suki John).  At UChicago, I delved into the history of human rights through the Human Rights minor with Susan Gzesh and Mark Bradley and engaged in the interdisciplinary discourse on mass violence through courses including “Perpetrators, Victims, and Bystanders” (Eric Stover) and “Insurgency, Terrorism, and Civil War” (Paul Staniland). Through Harvard’s history study abroad program in Ghana (Emmanuel Akyeampong), I researched how the Middle Passage developed trauma-based communal identities. Building on my coursework, my Bachelor’s thesis developed a historical analysis to evaluate early warning signs of genocidal events in Darfur. Arabic classes in high school and college and Arabic lessons with tutors, as well as an immersion course in Summer 2022, will enable me to study primary sources on rescuing in the Middle East.  — — —

These two preceding paragraphs highlight the applicant’s strong record of accomplishments (point (4) above) and how this record helps inform their decision to apply to the program. This section, in a very effective manner, demonstrates her strong likelihood of success in a graduate program in peace studies. In the first paragraph, the applicant highlights previous work at the master’s level and touches on previous research conducted at this level of graduate education. Moreover, the applicant shares that they have engaged in peer reviewed research on the topic prior to a doctoral program. Given the challenges of publishing, this is a major accomplishment and should be a central component of the application. Indeed, one suggestion to tweak this statement of purpose would be to signal this scholarship to the admissions committee within the first few paragraphs and how this experience leads to an academic interest in peace studies at the doctoral level.

Another potential suggestion to strengthen this already outstanding statement of purpose is to go chronologically with respect to highlighting these academic achievements. One potential avenue could be to first discuss how the undergraduate experience informs the decision to pursue a master’s degree within the area of peace studies. The structure of such a narrative of academic accomplishments is apparent in the two preceding paragraphs. I would focus on using the material in these two paragraphs to firmly build a scholarly journey: how did your experience at the undergraduate level inform your decision to pursue a master’s degree and, ultimately, how did this cumulative journey from the undergraduate to the master’s level inform the decision to pursue the stellar research highlighted previously in a peace studies PhD?

My decision to pursue doctoral studies is also informed by my professional experiences at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), J-PAL North America (MIT), and SYE Initiative and DAWNetwork. At the SSRC, I coordinated a fellowship that supports African PhD candidates studying peace and security. I planned and attended five workshops in sub-Saharan Africa, where fellows developed dissertation proposals, discussed research methodology, and fine-tuned their dissertations. At J-PAL North America, I coordinate fundraising, accruing $15 million to support randomized evaluations on poverty alleviation. As Program Manager at SYE Initiative, a nonprofit that helps Syrian and Iraqi students apply to college, and as founder of DAWNetwork, a mentorship program for Syrian girls, I fostered my interest in the Middle East and developed deep networks in both Syria and Iraq. Working with students in contexts where academic inquiry is so deeply politicized has reinforced my resolve to take more critical approaches to historical narratives. — — —

This professional experience paragraph further strengthens the statement of purpose by articulating how these professional experiences inform the scholarly interest in developing narratives of rescuers during catastrophic events involving human suffering. This professional experience is rich and applied, showcasing that the applicant has direct experience in organizing workshops in sub-Saharan Africa and exposure with refugees fleeing war-torn areas. The author uses this professional experience to build on the personal narrative and explicitly states how this professional experience is relevant to developing a scholarly interest in the topic of defining rescuers. Specifically, this passage effectively intertwines how Syrian and Iraqi student networks informed her interest in conducting research on developing historical narratives during times of conflict. This is a very strong section that defines how professional experience informs her desire to pursue a graduate degree assessing these important research questions.

Overall, the preceding two paragraphs help tackle another key component of this academic statement by addressing: (2) strong record of accomplishments designed to signal success in the competitive environment of graduate doctoral studies.

Genocide Studies inherently prompts interdisciplinary questions: history, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science are all essential to gaining a more comprehensive understanding of mass atrocities and transitional justice. My undergraduate studies taught me the value of interdisciplinary approaches to studying conflict, while my history-centered Master’s program enriched my understanding of the foundational need for historical analyses. The constrained definitions of “rescuing” conjoined with the politicization of the rescuer label have established accepted histories out of incomplete narratives; combining historical sources, including archival sources and oral testimonies, with the interdisciplinary dynamics of peace studies will be essential to bringing more complex narratives to light. — — —

This is a terrific paragraph that highlights both academic interests and fit with the program. 

One potential recommendation to strengthen this paragraph is to expand it by connecting the historical and political analysis plan advocated to the interdisciplinary nature of the peace studies program. For example, why is an interdisciplinary approach appealing? Is it due to differing theoretical approaches to genocide studies or is it due to difference in methodological approaches? 

This section could expand as to why their multidisciplinary approach towards studying conflict would be an ideal fit in this peace studies program with perhaps tying this section back to the professional experience of assessing both the politicization and historical origins of conflict. This expansion of the paragraph would really drive home another key consideration: (3) specific cross-disciplinary academic research interest the student would pursue in the doctoral program in peace studies.

The University of Notre Dame’s Peace Studies and History PhD is an ideal fit to pursue research on the creation and manipulation of rescuing narratives throughout the 20th century. I look forward to studying with and being advised by scholars who have grappled with the historical legacies of mass conflict. In the History department, I hope to work with Professors Aron Coleman and James Dell. Coleman’s work on the legacies of national identity, and the interplay between memory, history, and violence, as well as his regional expertise on the Levant, provides an ideal ecosystem for exploring rescuing narratives at the macro-level. James Dell’s work on nationalism and state making would provide thematic and methodological groundings for my own research. I furthermore hope to enrich my research through the interdisciplinary approach of Peace Studies by studying the dynamics of rescuing through the lenses of transitional justice and comparative genocide studies with Professor Veraga. I look forward to the intellectual dialogue and mentorship I would find at the University of Notre Dame, where I could grapple with fundamental questions on resistance, peace and war, and the manipulation of history to realize political goals.  — — —

Next, let’s discuss the student’s final paragraph:

This is another terrific paragraph that articulates why the specific department of peace studies is an attractive option for the applicant to pursue a doctoral degree assessing the narratives used to define “rescuers” in mass atrocities. This paragraph is terrific for a few key reasons: 

There is clear identification of scholars and their work in the area of defining narratives to mass atrocities. Indeed, there is clear overlap between the research areas of the identified faculty and the academic interests pursued by the applicant. This strongly signals to the admissions committee that the applicant has taken the time to not only familiarize themselves with the work provided by the faculty member, but also how these research areas can inform potential mentorship in graduate school. It would strengthen this SoP even further to feature this paragraph more prominently rather than being relegated to the concluding paragraph—departments would like to see how a prospective student fits in with the scholarly orientation of individual faculty members and this paragraph does just that. 

Overall, the preceding section helps tackle the fifth key component: (5) highlighting how the academic interests would fit neatly within the expertise of faculty already at the Kroc Institute.

In sum, this is an outstanding statement of purpose that hits all the key components that signal to a doctoral admissions committee as to why an applicant would thrive as a scholar within their department.

Graduate school personal statement example 5

This statement of purpose is geared towards application for the Masters in Family and Community Education at the Teachers College, Columbia University. This applied degree program is designed to give educators the intellectual skills needed to consider how education is linked with family and family support institutions, such as schools, day care centers, and social service agencies. As such, this degree program seeks educators that would like to continue their education with an emphasis on how to integrate family support structures into their teaching and mentorship pedagogy, emphasizing a critical understanding of the role family and support institutions play in shaping educational policy, practice, and instruction.

In the statement of purpose analysis below, we assess a strong statement of purpose that can be also improved in providing a competitive application for this degree program. As discussed above, a statement of purpose is an academic statement designed to build a thesis as to why the academic interests of the student are a “good fit” for the academic program considered and to signal ultimate success if selected for admission.

Overall, this statement of purpose, while requiring some editing, establishes a strong foundation anchoring a successful application for admission to the degree program. As the specific analysis will show, the applicant draws on their diverse experience as a nonbinary and Latinx educator to emphasize their intellectual interests in how to use racial justice to develop the quantitative and ethnographic skills needed to support diverse student populations, particularly Black and Latinx queer youth. Moreover, and while a bit limited as the forthcoming analysis shows, the applicant also articulates how admission to the Masters in Family and Community Education program will sharpen pedological practices that will inform their approach to community-based learning to diverse student populations.

As public school educators, my parents understood that learning went beyond the four  walls of the classroom. With an open door policy for students and their families, my parents modeled for me how to welcome and nurture relationships with newly arrived immigrant and working class communities. The house I grew up in was home to parent-teacher conferences over cafecito, informal English-language lessons, and communal gatherings during American holidays. In our home, I remember providing gentle guidance to a heartbroken mother whose gay child was being bullied and harassed. As a gay and Latinx child, school taught me that the key to avoiding harassment was a series of rather unsuccessful attempts to codeswitch and hide my truths. Thankfully, my home, my parents, and my experiences as Latinx and nonbinary propelled me to further explore how queer students could be supported outside school—particularly through museums and community centers. I am confident that my aspiration to create spaces of truth-telling and healing for queer, Black, and Latinx youth can be fortified through the Family and Community Education concentration within the International Educational Development program at Teachers College.  Both my commitment to racial justice and my interest in exploring how museums mediate critical conversations brought me to Washington, D.C., to work with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In my role at ASALH, I support the sacred work of honoring those who experienced racial injustice in the United States by creating curricular materials for schools and organizations visiting D.C.’s museums. In addition to curriculum development and marketing, I am also responsible for facilitating visits that are mindful and considerate of how Black visitors may be moving through the space with intimate and personal familiarity.  In an early instance, I was guiding a Black North Carolinian family who had driven to visit memorials. During their visit, I was struck by the gravity of a request they made—for me to help find the names of potential kin lynched in Johnston County, North Carolina. While we did not find a recognizable name, the family’s grief and mourning translated into a weighted silence that I have grown accustomed to reverently witnessing. Every time I observe families in shock and awe when reading the atrocities that occurred in their own counties—counties that, to this day, omit our history of racial terror. The existence of Equal Justice Initiative’s memorial in the “Cradle of the Confederacy” provided me a fresh lens to how a community space can reckon with complex histories and provide a pathway toward necessary healing. If a memorial like this could stand in the Deep South then there is surely room for spaces that reflect the histories of LGBTQ+ Black and Latinx people. During my undergraduate studies, I read the work of Hope Jensen Leichter from Teachers College on Families and Communities as Educators. I was interested in how “the family selects, criticizes, appraises, complements and transforms the museum experience.” Leichter’s wisdom inspired me to build a permanent LGBTQ+ resource room at Williams College that also acted as an archive of queer experiences. I carry the lessons of Leichter’s assertions into my work within the greater D.C. community. Earlier this year, I worked with volunteers to open an LGBTQ+ resource center that houses a food pantry, mentorship programs, and health resources. As a mentor to queer youth, I am confronted with providing social-emotional care to students who are underserved by local schools. Additionally, our center guides confused and weary parents through a process of understanding, acceptance, and care for their LGBTQ+ children.  Most recently, I worked with Alia, a student who came out as bisexual to a parent who was initially unaccepting. In two months, Alia’s mother went from denial to collecting pamphlets on allyship. Alia’s story reminded me of my own coming out experience and how I sought out guidance from other queer peers and elders when home became hostile. The gradual process of acceptance between Alia and her mother motivates me to study effective programming that not only support queer youth but educates families on complex topics such as gender and sexuality. Studying at Teachers College will provide me the opportunity to engage with organizations such as the LGBT Center of New York, which houses family support groups and museum exhibits that families can experience together. Teachers College would provide an opportunity for me to further develop my quantitative and ethnographic skills in assessing how community institutions support Black and Latinx queer youth. I am also interested in the global lens of this work with professors like Regina Cortina. Professor Cortina’s research in the education of indigenous children across Latin America piques my interest in how communities unite to preserve their unique heritage, culture, and identity. At Teachers College, I will further investigate the pedagogical practices that shaped my belief in the power of education to strengthen families and foster the type of community-based learning I first experienced at home. I ultimately seek to follow my parents model of community engagement by supporting LGBTQ+ youth who face close-minded individuals, closed borders, and closed doors.  — — —

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS:

Let’s start with paragraph one:

As public school educators, my parents understood that learning went beyond the four  walls of the classroom. With an open door policy for students and their families, my parents modeled for me how to welcome and nurture relationships with newly arrived immigrant and working class communities. The house I grew up in was home to parent-teacher conferences over cafecito, informal English-language lessons, and communal gatherings during American holidays. In our home, I remember providing gentle guidance to a heartbroken mother whose gay child was being bullied and harassed. As a gay and Latinx child, school taught me that the key to avoiding harassment was a series of rather unsuccessful attempts to codeswitch and hide my truths. Thankfully, my home, my parents, and my experiences as Latinx and nonbinary propelled me to further explore how queer students could be supported outside school—particularly through museums and community centers. I am confident that my aspiration to create spaces of truth-telling and healing for queer, Black, and Latinx youth can be fortified through the Family and Community Education concentration within the International Educational Development program at Teachers College. 

This initial paragraph is excellent in laying a strong foundation to address the first two areas that a statement of purpose should focus on: 

Whether past professional and personal experiences help shape these intellectual interests. 

First, the author draws on personal experience as a gay Latinx child in a “newly arrived” immigrant and working-class community to highlight an interest in assessing how underserved populations, particularly queer students, could be supported outside of school. This is excellent given the focus of the Family and Community Education centers on how extracurricular institutions, such as family and community support structures, can improve extracurricular outcomes. 

By bringing in a personal experience of growing up in a diverse community actively involved in the educational experience of their children. This personal narrative is directly congruent with the educational goals of the applied program and signals a “good fit” with the goals of the academic program of interest.

Onto the next paragraph:

Both my commitment to racial justice and my interest in exploring how museums mediate critical conversations brought me to Washington, D.C., to work with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). In my role at ASALH, I support the sacred work of honoring those who experienced racial injustice in the United States by creating curricular materials for schools and organizations visiting D.C.’s museums. In addition to curriculum development and marketing, I am also responsible for facilitating visits that are mindful and considerate of how Black visitors may be moving through the space with intimate and personal familiarity.  In an early instance, I was guiding a Black North Carolinian family who had driven to visit memorials. During their visit, I was struck by the gravity of a request they made—for me to help find the names of potential kin lynched in Johnston County, North Carolina. While we did not find a recognizable name, the family’s grief and mourning translated into a weighted silence that I have grown accustomed to reverently witnessing. Every time I observe families in shock and awe when reading the atrocities that occurred in their own counties—counties that, to this day, omit our history of racial terror. The existence of Equal Justice Initiative’s memorial in the “Cradle of the Confederacy” provided me a fresh lens to how a community space can reckon with complex histories and provide a pathway toward necessary healing. If a memorial like this could stand in the Deep South then there is surely room for spaces that reflect the histories of LGBTQ+ Black and Latinx people. During my undergraduate studies, I read the work of Hope Jensen Leichter from Teachers College on Families and Communities as Educators. I was interested in how “the family selects, criticizes, appraises, complements and transforms the museum experience.” Leichter’s wisdom inspired me to build a permanent LGBTQ+ resource room at Williams College that also acted as an archive of queer experiences. I carry the lessons of Leichter’s assertions into my work within the greater D.C. community. Earlier this year, I worked with volunteers to open an LGBTQ+ resource center that houses a food pantry, mentorship programs, and health resources. As a mentor to queer youth, I am confronted with providing social-emotional care to students who are underserved by local schools. Additionally, our center guides confused and weary parents through a process of understanding, acceptance, and care for their LGBTQ+ children. 

The previous four paragraphs help further articulate the second point of focus: (2) whether past professional and personal experiences help shape these intellectual interests. It is clear reading these preceding paragraphs that the applicant has important experience in racial justice, demonstrated through the development of curriculum for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. This experience helps inform how a community space with complex histories can be used “as a pathway toward necessary healing” and how these structures can integrate community support structures towards more equitable education outcomes. 

Moreover, this theme is continued when speaking to their experience opening an LGBTQ+ resource center that provides a food pantry, student mentorship programs, and health resources within the greater DC community. This is an important narrative that can be further tied, explicitly, to the teaching objectives of the applied graduate program in family and community education offered at the Teacher’s College; this is a directly relevant narrative that is consistent with the academic objectives and values of the program.

Most recently, I worked with Alia, a student who came out as bisexual to a parent who was initially unaccepting. In two months, Alia’s mother went from denial to collecting pamphlets on allyship. Alia’s story reminded me of my own coming out experience and how I sought out guidance from other queer peers and elders when home became hostile. The gradual process of acceptance between Alia and her mother motivates me to study effective programming that not only support queer youth but educates families on complex topics such as gender and sexuality. Studying at Teachers College will provide me the opportunity to engage with organizations such as the LGBT Center of New York, which houses family support groups and museum exhibits that families can experience together. Teachers College would provide an opportunity for me to further develop my quantitative and ethnographic skills in assessing how community institutions support Black and Latinx queer youth. I am also interested in the global lens of this work with professors like Regina Cortina. Professor Cortina’s research in the education of indigenous children across Latin America piques my interest in how communities unite to preserve their unique heritage, culture, and identity. At Teachers College, I will further investigate the pedagogical practices that shaped my belief in the power of education to strengthen families and foster the type of community-based learning I first experienced at home. I ultimately seek to follow my parents model of community engagement by supporting LGBTQ+ youth who face close-minded individuals, closed borders, and closed doors. 

Lastly, the final two paragraphs address the third point: (3) how completion of the applied degree program will provide the applicant with the skillsets they need to advance their career objectives in the education field. 

First, the applicant draws on their specific experience in mentoring a bisexual student to motivate their desire to work with LGBT Center of New York during their prospective time at the Teacher’s College. As the program emphasizes community-based structures in helping achieve more equitable education outcomes, this experience signals to the admissions committee that the applicant has engaged in thoughtful analysis of how to further sharpen skill sets needed to reach underserved students in their future academic endeavors. 

Coupled with the identification of specific faculty’s interest in the last paragraph and the desire to further investigate pedagogical practices to further foster community-based learning, the applicant effectively paints a picture of how admission to the applied masters of family and community education at Teacher’s College can help facilitate growth in their future career goals in the education field. 

While clearly effective, this section can be further strengthened by expanding how the Masters in Family and Community Education program will sharpen pedological practices that will inform their approach to community-based learning to diverse student populations, particularly in the highlighted nonbinary and Latinx communities.

Example statement of purpose 6

The following statement of purpose example was written for UPenn’s Integrated Product Design program (but the student decided to attend Harvard).

The paragraph-by-paragraph analysis of the statement of purpose example below was written by Kathy Liu.

Want to work with Kathy through your grad school admissions process? Schedule a call with our team to learn more here .

UPenn IPD Prompt:

Personal statement of research and professional interests (2-page limit).  IPD applicants may choose to write a personal statement that addresses all of the questions below or submit a statement of their own design.

Why are you applying to IPD? Why is it the right choice for you right now?

What do you believe you can achieve with us personally or professionally that you can’t anywhere else in the world?

Tell us about a time when you identified a new, unusual or different approach for addressing a problem or task?

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from a peer and how have you used that lesson in your day-to-day life?

UPenn IPD Statement of Purpose I am a student of social policy, a civic engagement practitioner, a designer and an elite athlete (in fact, last time I visited Penn’s campus I was competing against your fencing team). In all, I’m a multidisciplinary thinker. I know that innovative solutions are created through an intersection of disciplines and a diversity of practices. I am pursuing graduate study in order to further my ability to innovate and to address problems using manifold strategies. The Master of Integrated Product Design program at University of Pennsylvania is an opportunity not only to deepen my design practice but to strengthen it through innovative engineering and clever business practices. I am seeking opportunities to extend my tools for making a difference and I believe that the M:IPD program at Penn would do just that.  When I started my first quarter at Northwestern University all I knew was that I wanted to study something that would allow me to leverage my education for the betterment of communities. Eventually, I landed on Social Policy, a degree that would provide the opportunity to challenge systems and learn the methodologies necessary to improve those systems. Despite my interest in making change at the policy level, I was hungry for opportunities to engage with issues in a more hands-on way. So, I pursued and completed two additional certificates: the Civic Engagement Certificate and the Design Certificate, both as a means of doing hands-on work to improve the lives of community members. Now, I am seeking graduate study for similar reasons. I want to deepen my creative practice through study of new methodologies in order to increase my breadth and efficacy as a designer. As a designer, I am focused on two main domains. Much of my design work centers around accessibility. I seek to utilize design to increase access to experiences, products and opportunities. One community that I’m particularly moved by and interested in designing for, is that of aging or older adults. A project in my portfolio, “CareBot” is an example of my work in this domain as it seeks to provide older adults with access to community, family, and empathetic medical care. In my time in the M:IPD program, I would be interested in continuing and expanding upon this focus. The engineering aspect of the program is especially interesting to me as I believe it would provide tangible means of innovation in order to bolster my aesthetic design work. I know that courses such as “Rehab Engineering & Design” would be integral to leveraging engineering methodologies for creating real-world impact.  My other domain of interest is within the field of technology ethics. Issues such as cell phone addiction, data privacy, and artificial intelligence development all intrigue me. I strongly believe that technology can be developed in a way that prioritizes human connection, empathy, and access. Using systems-level design solutions, I am interested in transforming not only technology products but also the process used to develop those products in order to craft humanistic technology solutions. Penn’s multidisciplinary framework is uniquely situated to help me create thoughtful and effective design solutions to technology’s most pressing issues. No consequential innovation can be created using just one discipline but rather requires tactful marrying of many key practices. I recognize that in order to improve quality of life through my design work I require a deeper understanding of business strategy and engineering practices. As such, I am excited about the ability to focus on a number of electives in order to take advantage of the M:IPD’s three-pronged focus and develop skills across human-centered design disciplines, especially in engineering.  Though Northwestern University does not have a full design degree program, I created my own path through my studies. Through the Segal Design Certificate program, I developed skills in human-centered design methodologies. I have a strong understanding of the product development process and the steps required to deliver on complex problems. To augment the program, I also participated in Advanced Design’s “Offsite” program which seeks to give developing designers the skills necessary to excel in design programs and studios. Consequently, I have proficiency in CAD, Keyshot, sketching, and physical prototyping methods. I am confident that I have the necessary skills to execute design projects, communicate my ideas, and craft effective solutions to problems that require innovation. Studying in the Weitzman School of Design and Penn Engineering would deepen this skillset and further expand it, so as to provide the skills necessary to deliver on my ideas.  I have also held a number of work and internship experiences that would inform my work as both a student and a community member at Penn. In my role at Unity Technologies, I worked to identify issues with the grant evaluation process utilized by Unity’s Social Impact team. As a result of research, observation, and ideation I overhauled the grant writing and evaluation process to increase efficacy and ease of use. Currently, I work as a Design Lead at Iris Education, a startup that seeks to provide reliable and accessible information about US universities to international students. There, I run a team of four designers and developers to design the UI/UX and implement thoughtful design decisions into code. No matter my role in previous organizations, I am seen as a critical thinker and team player. Whether it be implementing one line of code or unifying a team to deliver an entire product, I am always striving to be a thoughtful and impactful problem-solver. If given the opportunity, I would work to continue growing as a leader in the Penn community and honing my collaborative skills on projects with my peers.  I want to be a truly innovative designer, working to increase equity and community. I see study at Penn as an invaluable opportunity to become a triple-threat problem solver, a chameleon that can be impactful in nearly any problem solving situation. To me, the M:IPD program would provide the best path towards becoming a more effective and adroit designer. Penn’s multidisciplinary approach and community resonate with me. I have many interests, from studying social policy to playing multiple instruments to being an elite fencer, and I thrive in communities where a wide variety of interests are not only celebrated but enhanced. I am looking for a learning community that sits at the intersection of my multidisciplinary interests. The last time I was on Penn’s campus was when I was competing against Penn’s women’s fencing team. Next year I hope to be on the other side, a member of the Penn educational community, cheering on my new home team.  — — —

First, let’s take a look at the opening paragraph:

I am a student of social policy, a civic engagement practitioner, a designer and an elite athlete (in fact, last time I visited Penn’s campus I was competing against your fencing team). In all, I’m a multidisciplinary thinker. I know that innovative solutions are created through an intersection of disciplines and a diversity of practices. I am pursuing graduate study in order to further my ability to innovate and to address problems using manifold strategies. The Master of Integrated Product Design program at University of Pennsylvania is an opportunity not only to deepen my design practice but to strengthen it through innovative engineering and clever business practices. I am seeking opportunities to extend my tools for making a difference and I believe that the M:IPD program at Penn would do just that. 

The intro is clear and effective: Upfront in the first sentence, this paragraph gives an image of what the student is passionate about in a very specific, comprehensive, and compelling list. It immediately shows familiarity with UPenn (helping immediately draw the reader’s attention to the fact that this student is genuinely interested in UPenn specifically) using a direct anecdote of competing against the UPenn fencing team. The paragraph then clearly gives the reader the student’s “why” for grad school immediately and why UPenn’s Integrated Product Design program aligns with those goals. 

The student could strengthen the intro even further by shifting some elements in  the latter half of the paragraph that are a little vague: for example, “manifold strategies” could be more specific in saying things like “combination of civic engagement and social design strategies.” This isn’t particularly a concern because it’s only the introduction. But in your own SoP consider adding more details and precise phrasing.

Now, let’s get into the next paragraph:

When I started my first quarter at Northwestern University all I knew was that I wanted to study something that would allow me to leverage my education for the betterment of communities. Eventually, I landed on Social Policy, a degree that would provide the opportunity to challenge systems and learn the methodologies necessary to improve those systems. Despite my interest in making change at the policy level, I was hungry for opportunities to engage with issues in a more hands-on way. So, I pursued and completed two additional certificates: the Civic Engagement Certificate and the Design Certificate, both as a means of doing hands-on work to improve the lives of community members. Now, I am seeking graduate study for similar reasons. I want to deepen my creative practice through study of new methodologies in order to increase my breadth and efficacy as a designer.

This paragraph excels with a very clear pairing of intention (what they wanted to study and who they wanted to impact), follow-up action (which programs), and results (the student’s impact). The student does a great job of describing their academic journey, which shows that the student has long-range vision and the ability to execute towards making that vision happen. An explanation of a student’s degree program should definitely be included in the SoP and this paragraph is a great example. 

The student then fantastically connects their past work and education with their current goals to pursue in grad school, showing that they’ll take what they learn to another level afterwards. This positions them as a future leader a school will want to invest in. 

Let’s take a look at the next paragraph:

As a designer, I am focused on two main domains. Much of my design work centers around accessibility. I seek to utilize design to increase access to experiences, products and opportunities. One community that I’m particularly moved by and interested in designing for, is that of aging or older adults. A project in my portfolio, “CareBot” is an example of my work in this domain as it seeks to provide older adults with access to community, family, and empathetic medical care. In my time in the M:IPD program, I would be interested in continuing and expanding upon this focus. The engineering aspect of the program is especially interesting to me as I believe it would provide tangible means of innovation in order to bolster my aesthetic design work. I know that courses such as “Rehab Engineering & Design” would be integral to leveraging engineering methodologies for creating real-world impact. 

Graduate programs will want to see that you are able to go past just what your major/academic program requires you to do—that you will create projects and chase your passions outside of classes. The student does a great job with that here, especially by explicitly naming their past projects like “CareBot” to show that they’ve completed bodies of work. They then wrap their projects around a theme (in this case, accessibility), which gives the reviewers further means of imagining the student’s area of impact. 

After the student describes their past projects, it is especially compelling that they include the engineering focus that the M:IPD program will give to the student, since the reader has the context now to imagine where these added engineering skills will fit in the student’s skillset.

Naming specific classes that the student is interested in then shows that the student has done their research about the program and is genuinely excited about the day-to-day possibilities that the M:IPD program provides. While this student did this here as a follow-up to their projects which works for this student, you can also write these types of details in a “Why this Program” paragraph.

My other domain of interest is within the field of technology ethics. Issues such as cell phone addiction, data privacy, and artificial intelligence development all intrigue me. I strongly believe that technology can be developed in a way that prioritizes human connection, empathy, and access. Using systems-level design solutions, I am interested in transforming not only technology products but also the process used to develop those products in order to craft humanistic technology solutions. Penn’s multidisciplinary framework is uniquely situated to help me create thoughtful and effective design solutions to technology’s most pressing issues. No consequential innovation can be created using just one discipline but rather requires tactful marrying of many key practices. I recognize that in order to improve quality of life through my design work I require a deeper understanding of business strategy and engineering practices. As such, I am excited about the ability to focus on a number of electives in order to take advantage of the M:IPD’s three-pronged focus and develop skills across human-centered design disciplines, especially in engineering. 

This paragraph starts with relatable and very socially relevant issues: cell phone addiction, data privacy, and artificial intelligence. These situate the student’s work within a global and modern context; the student is compassionate and socially aware with their design. 

Backing up the paragraph’s emphasis on interdisciplinary design by specifically mentioning “M:IPD’s three-pronged focus” is key to showing that this statement is specific to the M:IPD program. 

While effective, it would have been more compelling for this paragraph to include another example of the student’s past work—one where “tactful marrying of many key practices” created a tangible result that readers can envision and be impressed by.

Though Northwestern University does not have a full design degree program, I created my own path through my studies. Through the Segal Design Certificate program, I developed skills in human-centered design methodologies. I have a strong understanding of the product development process and the steps required to deliver on complex problems. To augment the program, I also participated in Advanced Design’s “Offsite” program which seeks to give developing designers the skills necessary to excel in design programs and studios. Consequently, I have proficiency in CAD, Keyshot, sketching, and physical prototyping methods. I am confident that I have the necessary skills to execute design projects, communicate my ideas, and craft effective solutions to problems that require innovation. Studying in the Weitzman School of Design and Penn Engineering would deepen this skillset and further expand it, so as to provide the skills necessary to deliver on my ideas. 

The start of this paragraph is very strong—it shows how uniquely and actively the student chases after their own passions. They created a program to study what they wanted to, even when their university didn’t offer it!

Listing specific engineering skills is useful here to demonstrate that the student is ready to engage in a program that has an engineering component. This is not only advantageous by showing that the student is qualified with technical skills, but also shows initiative in being able to execute past projects.

I have also held a number of work and internship experiences that would inform my work as both a student and a community member at Penn. In my role at Unity Technologies, I worked to identify issues with the grant evaluation process utilized by Unity’s Social Impact team. As a result of research, observation, and ideation I overhauled the grant writing and evaluation process to increase efficacy and ease of use. Currently, I work as a Design Lead at Iris Education, a startup that seeks to provide reliable and accessible information about US universities to international students. There, I run a team of four designers and developers to design the UI/UX and implement thoughtful design decisions into code. No matter my role in previous organizations, I am seen as a critical thinker and team player. Whether it be implementing one line of code or unifying a team to deliver an entire product, I am always striving to be a thoughtful and impactful problem-solver. If given the opportunity, I would work to continue growing as a leader in the Penn community and honing my collaborative skills on projects with my peers. 

This paragraph establishes 2 new key dimensions for the student: 

Industry experience, and 

Leadership. 

Importantly, in both roles, the student described what they did and the impact they had. In doing this, the reader can identify how their work ties in with the human and equity-centered design themes of the work they care about.  

Finally, let’s look at how this student closes their personal statement

I want to be a truly innovative designer, working to increase equity and community. I see study at Penn as an invaluable opportunity to become a triple-threat problem solver, a chameleon that can be impactful in nearly any problem solving situation. To me, the M:IPD program would provide the best path towards becoming a more effective and adroit designer. Penn’s multidisciplinary approach and community resonate with me. I have many interests, from studying social policy to playing multiple instruments to being an elite fencer, and I thrive in communities where a wide variety of interests are not only celebrated but enhanced. I am looking for a learning community that sits at the intersection of my multidisciplinary interests. The last time I was on Penn’s campus was when I was competing against Penn’s women’s fencing team. Next year I hope to be on the other side, a member of the Penn educational community, cheering on my new home team. 

This strongly-worded conclusion provides a comprehensive summary of the student, effectively wrapping up their SoP with a very organized and passionate bow. While the ending sentence reads as fun and personality-driven at first, it actually also functions to reiterate the student’s commitment to teamwork and support of people first. It’s easy to imagine where the student might fit as a peer in the M:IPD program’s cohort. 

On a structural note, it may be interesting for a different version of this essay to include more details about the student’s fencing experience and how that might shape their aspirations and/or approaches to their work; it’s clear they’re skilled at fencing as an elite athlete and that fencing was one of their previous ties to UPenn. But perhaps this is a great place for future students to explore when writing their own essays!

Statement of purpose for graduate school example 7

Statement of purpose written by Zack, for the University of Rhode Island Graduate Program in Oceanography .

The below statement of purpose was written for an application for the Masters in Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston. This applied graduate degree program provides students with an interdisciplinary foundation to study oceanography at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant institution. This NOAA Sea Grant designation provides for specific programs involved in scientific research on various dimensions of marine conservation and use. This degree program offers various specialties ranging from biological-based inquiry of marine research to atmospheric and geological areas of focus. This degree program seeks to provide students with interdisciplinary research experience to pursue applied degrees within the field of oceanography, potentially for further career advancement in marine conservation or research, or for further continuation of the study of oceanography at the doctoral level. Independent of specific outcomes, this Masters in Oceanography program provides students with an interdisciplinary approach towards strengthening their understanding of various aspects of marine oceanic health and changes.

In the following statement of purpose analysis, we assess a solid, successful statement of purpose which could also  be further improved as a key component of a competitive application for this degree program.

Specifically, we focus on:  

whether the applicant emphasizes intellectual interests congruent with the research focus of the academic department

whether past professional and personal experiences help shape these intellectual interests, and 

how completion of the applied degree program will provide the applicant with the skillsets they need to advance their career objectives in the field of Oceanography.

Overall, this statement of purpose establishes a strong foundation anchoring a successful application to a very academically focused master’s degree program (though we’ll point out elements that could be further strengthened). 

The applicant draws on personal preferences relating to interest in oceanography and his academic journey to inform the decision to pursue a graduate degree program in oceanography. Specifically, the student draws on his fascination with the ocean and his previous academic interest in the medical field to define his desire to study oceanography at URI. This is a compelling narrative and, coupled with a greater focus on the specific academic interest in oceanography and how these fit his post-degree career plans, will strengthen this application for a very research-focused academic program.

I was five years old, bundled in an oversized orange life jacket over the incredibly embarrassing sun-suit my mom insisted I wear. The translucent green water revealed a foreign, mystical world of vibrantly colored corals teaming with sea anemones and clownfish. I lay terrified on the oversized surfboard as my dad pushed me into a wave that was probably only a few inches tall but felt huge. I remember struggling to my feet, the colors of the reef zipping by as I sped through the water at what felt like a million miles per hour. That moment changed the trajectory of my life. The ocean would forever become my muse. My parents are water people: my dad, an avid surfer; my mom, an avid swimmer. I soon followed suit. My love for surfing, swimming, and beach days quickly grew to dominate my life.  Academically inclined and a straight-A student, I graduated college with honors. After two ill-fated medical school application cycles, however, I felt lost. Interviewing at different schools and meeting other applicants created a moment of clarity. While they wanted to discuss the pros and cons of different medical specialties, I wanted to look at weather models and swell charts. For the first time in my life, I turned away from academia and focused on other passions: travel, surfing, and exploring my place in the world. And, for the first time, doing so not through the lens of chasing academic success. I also continued to build my math and science tutoring business. I began tutoring in college as a way to make some money, but in the past few years of full-time tutoring, I’ve found that helping kids learn is rewarding in unexpected ways. I like helping kids become more excited about school and learning, seeing their “aha moments,” building bonds and helping mentor students, and feeling a sense of satisfaction upon seeing their (often unexpected) success. However, tutoring is very similar, year in and year out. For the most part, it’s the same curriculum – high school calculus and chemistry don’t really change that much.  One passion that has stayed constant, and even intensified over the years, is my love for the ocean. I’ve taken every opportunity to travel, explore the coastline, and chase swells into remote corners of the world. But, it has also become apparent in my travels how dramatically the ocean is changing. My favorite island in Indonesia is being developed at light-speed. Each time I return, more and more of the coral is dead, replaced by villas for the world’s wealthy. The little beachside town in Mexico I went to with my family, formerly a turtle sanctuary, now houses luxury resorts and golf courses. And even at home in San Francisco, the parking lot where I spent countless hours hanging out with friends before and after surfing has been lost to erosion. Everywhere I look, the natural world is collapsing around us, and nowhere is this more evident than in my own safe haven: the ocean. My life is in a period of transition, just like the planet we call home. As I’ve thought about what I want to accomplish with my career, I’ve realized that it’s my moral and ethical duty to protect the oceans, a place that has given me so much joy and shaped who I am. I want formal training to gain the knowledge, skills, and credibility to join this fight. I’ve spent hours and days teaching myself how to read nautical charts and weather forecasts. I’ve stared at the ocean, trying to hypothesize how the bathymetry of the ocean floor might mean that the waves break bigger on a west versus a southwest swell direction. I’ve poured over satellite images and radar projections of storm movement and considered how that impacts wind direction. I’ve become a decent, self taught hack, but I’ve never studied the ocean in a formal academic setting. Now, I want to. The URI curriculum is the perfect fit to allow me to transition into a field about which I’m actually excited. Because I’ve never worked in the field, I appreciate that the curriculum is broad enough to allow exploration to determine my exact area of interest within oceanography. I’m excited about the opportunity for independent, experimental study to hone in on those areas. The online and self-paced nature of the program will allow me to continue working full time, pursue my recreational passion for the ocean, and start the process of pursuing a career for which I am passionate.  — — —

I was five years old, bundled in an oversized orange life jacket over the incredibly embarrassing sun-suit my mom insisted I wear. The translucent green water revealed a foreign, mystical world of vibrantly colored corals teaming with sea anemones and clownfish. I lay terrified on the oversized surfboard as my dad pushed me into a wave that was probably only a few inches tall but felt huge. I remember struggling to my feet, the colors of the reef zipping by as I sped through the water at what felt like a million miles per hour. That moment changed the trajectory of my life. The ocean would forever become my muse. My parents are water people: my dad, an avid surfer; my mom, an avid swimmer. I soon followed suit. My love for surfing, swimming, and beach days quickly grew to dominate my life.  Academically inclined and a straight-A student, I graduated college with honors. After two ill-fated medical school application cycles, however, I felt lost. Interviewing at different schools and meeting other applicants created a moment of clarity. While they wanted to discuss the pros and cons of different medical specialties, I wanted to look at weather models and swell charts. For the first time in my life, I turned away from academia and focused on other passions: travel, surfing, and exploring my place in the world. And, for the first time, doing so not through the lens of chasing academic success. I also continued to build my math and science tutoring business. I began tutoring in college as a way to make some money, but in the past few years of full-time tutoring, I’ve found that helping kids learn is rewarding in unexpected ways. I like helping kids become more excited about school and learning, seeing their “aha moments,” building bonds and helping mentor students, and feeling a sense of satisfaction upon seeing their (often unexpected) success. However, tutoring is very similar, year in and year out. For the most part, it’s the same curriculum – high school calculus and chemistry don’t really change that much.  — — —

The preceding two paragraphs help draw a narrative of how past experiences motivate current intellectual interests:  

In the first paragraph, the applicant describes a longstanding fascination with the ocean and water activities. This passage helps signal a enduring interest in the environment and activities relating to surfing and swimming. 

In the second paragraph, the applicant notes being drawn back to the passion of the ocean, describing “two ill-fated medical school application cycles” as a key motivator for hitting the reset of sorts on their intellectual journal. 

To an admissions committee, these two paragraphs signal tenacity in the pursuit of intellectual interests. Refocusing on the initial stated passion of the ocean, the applicant builds a narrative of returning to academia to pursue this deep-rooted interest. Coupled with sharing an enjoyable experience of tutoring students, the applicant is further arguing for a return to academia by combining two of his passions: the ocean and tutoring.

How can this section be improved?  

First, what is lacking in this section is a clear, direct, coherent thesis statement as to why admissions into a graduate program would help reach professional objectives (for a statement of purpose, clarity and directness are more important than voice/style). 

Second, and related, the first two paragraphs would ideally highlight professional objectives. The applicant provides a foundation towards answering these two questions by stating a passion for the ocean and for the academic pursuit of tutoring and mentoring. This can be more effectively tied together within the context of seeking admission in a research-based masters in Oceanography. For example, is admission into this program helpful with respect to developing the technical expertise to tutor and mentor students in an academic environment? Is that the goal? The first two paragraphs can be strengthened to signal how (1) the intellectual Oceanic interests fits well with the graduate program offered by the department and (2) how past experiences help shape the goals pursued within this academic program.

Now let’s take a look at the next paragraph:

One passion that has stayed constant, and even intensified over the years, is my love for the ocean. I’ve taken every opportunity to travel, explore the coastline, and chase swells into remote corners of the world. But, it has also become apparent in my travels how dramatically the ocean is changing. My favorite island in Indonesia is being developed at light-speed. Each time I return, more and more of the coral is dead, replaced by villas for the world’s wealthy. The little beachside town in Mexico I went to with my family, formerly a turtle sanctuary, now houses luxury resorts and golf courses. And even at home in San Francisco, the parking lot where I spent countless hours hanging out with friends before and after surfing has been lost to erosion. Everywhere I look, the natural world is collapsing around us, and nowhere is this more evident than in my own safe haven: the ocean. My life is in a period of transition, just like the planet we call home. As I’ve thought about what I want to accomplish with my career, I’ve realized that it’s my moral and ethical duty to protect the oceans, a place that has given me so much joy and shaped who I am. I want formal training to gain the knowledge, skills, and credibility to join this fight. — — —

The preceding paragraph builds on the previous two paragraphs by further highlighting one key component of Oceanic interests, that of conservation. This could be highlighted much earlier given that this is directly congruent with the research interests of faculty within the URI department and one of the key learning outcomes of the master’s program offered. This signals strongly that the applicant has not only coordinated his academic interests with the academic specialty offered by the department, but also offers evidence as to the first to the specific focus (1) of how these interests intersect with the research focus of faculty, especially with respect to Oceanic conservation.

Finally, let’s see how this student closes their personal statement

I’ve spent hours and days teaching myself how to read nautical charts and weather forecasts. I’ve stared at the ocean, trying to hypothesize how the bathymetry of the ocean floor might mean that the waves break bigger on a west versus a southwest swell direction. I’ve poured over satellite images and radar projections of storm movement and considered how that impacts wind direction. I’ve become a decent, self taught hack, but I’ve never studied the ocean in a formal academic setting. Now, I want to. The URI curriculum is the perfect fit to allow me to transition into a field about which I’m actually excited. Because I’ve never worked in the field, I appreciate that the curriculum is broad enough to allow exploration to determine my exact area of interest within oceanography. I’m excited about the opportunity for independent, experimental study to hone in on those areas. The online and self-paced nature of the program will allow me to continue working full time, pursue my recreational passion for the ocean, and start the process of pursuing a career for which I am passionate.  — — —

This last paragraph provides a critical component of the academic statement (which could be highlighted earlier in the SoP). In this section, there is a clear attempt to signal as to why the URI Oceanography program is a terrific fit for the applicant and why this program can help pursue a career in oceanography. Highlighting the online nature of the program and the flexibility this provides towards pursuing a career in Oceanography strongly signals that preliminary research was conducted prior to applying. 

In this section, I would highlight (3) which specific scales the applicant would hope to pick up in this master’s program and how this would help advance their career objectives. What are these career objectives and what skills are needed to advance them? This would strengthen an already strong statement of purpose and add more of an academic narrative to a statement designed to explain why an applicant would like to pursue a graduate degree within a given department.

Final thoughts on Statements of Purpose

We hope that, with the above guide + statement of purpose examples, you feel well-equipped to draft and revise your own SoP. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to write and revise—this is a key component of your grad school application. If you’d like to talk through ways we can support you, please feel free to contact us . And we wish you the best of luck on your application process.

Special thanks to CEG Grad School coaches Christine Rose, Kathy Liu, Kristin Joys, & Carlos A. for writing this post.

Christine (she/her) holds a Master's of Literature from the University of Toronto and a PhD in the History of Consciousness from UCSC. Her research specializes in the history of medicine, British colonialism, LGBTQI+ studies, poststructuralism, historiography, and critical race theory. A former professor at Mills College, Macalester College, and UC Davis, she offered popular interdisciplinary courses, including The Bizarre History of Medicine, Sex Panics, and Deviance & Discipline: A History of American Citizenship. She has lectured internationally at institutions such as Oxford University, Humboldt University, and MIT. Her extracurricular activities include rescuing cats and turning simple dinner plans into ridiculously complicated gourmet feasts that require buying entirely unnecessary kitchen gadgets. She spends her winters in Miami and summers in Berlin .

Kathy (she/her) is a Ph.D. student at Harvard University in Materials Science & Mechanical Engineering. After completing her B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford, she moved to the Netherlands on a Fulbright research fellowship. Her research focuses on making dynamic, stimuli-responsive materials such as skin-inspired electronics, biomedical materials, and soft robotics. No matter where she is, she's passionate about storytelling, community, and empowering others.

Carlos (he/him) is a practicing academic originally from the Pacific Northwest. He holds a BA and PhD in political science from UCD along with a master’s in public policy from OSU. His research focuses on the nature of American elections and the factors that influence how legislators make decisions. His research has appeared in The Economist, New York Times, Washington Post, and Vox. In his spare time, he enjoys following his favorite professional baseball and college football teams while exploring the outdoors throughout the west coast, particularly in Southern California.

Kristin (she/her) has spent more than two decades enthusiastically educating and empowering changemakers. Since 2005 she has taught courses on Social Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Business at the University of Florida, where she co-founded and directs the Social Impact & Sustainability Initiative .

After earning a Ph.D. in Social Psychology in Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Women & Gender Studies, Kristin earned a Post Doc in Management in Marketing from UF, graduate degrees in Social Entrepreneurship from INSEAD & Stanford Business School, and a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School.

• Graduate School

15 Winning Graduate School Statement of Purpose Examples

Featured Expert: Dr. Shiti Malhotra, PhD

Here’re the top 15 graduate school statement of purpose examples that got their writers accepted! In this article, you will learn how to increase your chances of getting into graduate school by submitting a statement of purpose that stands out among thousands! Let’s get started! 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 12 min read

Graduate school statement of purpose example #1, this graduate school statement of purpose got 5 acceptances.

“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space.” I was 16 when I first read this quote by Mies van der Rohe, and, back then, I thought I really understood what it meant. Thinking of this quote one summer evening, as I walked around my beloved New York City, I was inspired to commit to a future in architecture. At that early stage, I cherished romantic ideals of designing grandiose buildings that would change a city; of adding my name to the list of architectural geniuses who had immortalized their vision of the world in concrete, steel, glass, and stone. It was in college that I became passionately interested in the theoretical design and engineering concepts that form the basis of architecture, while also exploring in greater detail the sociological and economic impact of architecture.

The true breakthrough for me took place in my sophomore year of college, when I was volunteering at The Bowery Mission, a women’s shelter situated in Queens, New York. The shelter was in a poorly ventilated building, with an essentially non-functioning air conditioning system. The little bit of relief for the people who stayed there was a small park nearby, a patch of green between suffocating buildings. One day when I was working the afternoon shift there in the peak of summer, I looked out to see bulldozers in the park. It was being torn up to make room for yet another building. I saw that completed building a year later – a grey block of steel that did not utilize any of the original park space. Witnessing this injustice, while learning every day about how climatology, materials technology, and engineering mechanics intersect with urban planning and architectural design, ignited a passion for sustainable design in me. [BeMo2] How can we, as architects, minimize our harm to communities and eco-systems? How can we design buildings with a view to sustain long-term energy and resource efficiency without sacrificing immediate economic viability? What are the eco-conscious solutions that architects can put forward to address the environmental changes of the 21st century? These were the questions that plagued me then and I have pursued the answers to these questions throughout my academic career so far.

I found the answers to some of these questions in the robust curriculum I pursued at ABC College of Architecture, New York. I took up advanced coursework in Engineering Mechanics, Surveying, Soil Mechanics, Steel Structures, Model Making etc. which helped me hone my technical skills. As my interest in sustainable architecture developed, I became curious about the social and anthropological impact of architecture. I studied Art History, African American Literature, Anthropology, and Cultures of Ancient Greece, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of the socio-ecological impact of architecture and ethical responsibilities of architects. With this strong background of academic exploration, my architectural philosophy continued to evolve. I became interested in cutting-edge design techniques and their application to sustainable design. In my junior year at college, I participated in the New Dimensions of Architecture conference held in New York City, presenting my own paper on “Analyzing the Implications of the Weiszman Design Theory for the Sustainable Architecture of the Future”. In fact, it was at this conference that I met Professor Richard Wright, the esteemed architect and professor emeritus at the Architecture department of XYZ University. Talking with him was one of the most enlightening moments of my life. We discussed our shared passion for ecologically efficient and socially cohesive architectural solutions, and he introduced me to the works of Leonard Nieman, Mary Andrews, and other cutting-edge green architecture firms that are making a real contribution to ecologically sustainable urban planning.

In fact, the possibility of learning from and working directly with Professor Wright is one of my main reasons to seek admission into your M.Arch program. His innovative design theories have a tremendous potential for sustainable architecture solutions. I would love to learn from him and collaborate with him to continue to explore my interest in these topics. I am also deeply interested in the scope of studies afforded by your wide-ranging curriculum that focuses on the latest architectural innovations as well as socio-economic evolutions in architecture. Moreover, for a budding green architect, nothing is more attractive than your quarterly line-up of seminars and conferences that frequently feature the names of the architects at the forefront of design innovation. With my strong academic background in both the technical and socio-economic aspects of architecture, and my focused passion on sustainable architectural solutions for the future, I think I am a perfect candidate for your master’s program. This education is exactly what I need to launch me into the next phase of my career, where I hope to gain experience at one of New York’s top green architecture firms, working on problems of low-budget housing, eco-friendly factory designs, and organic city planning. Eventually, I hope to specialize in sustainable, low-budget urban planning for socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

It’s funny to think how far I’ve come from my early romanticized ideals of what it meant to be an architect. Those sunset walks around New York city from my teenage years, surrounded by the works of Mies van der Rohe and Rem Koolhas, inspired in me an awe for the cultural power an architect can wield. It was an early lesson that a building can both represent and transform spaces. Today when I walk around my beloved city, what I see are the innumerable missed architectural opportunities to organically inhabit and improve any given space with sustainable design. And now, when I consider Mies van der Rohe’s famous quote, I no longer think of my own petty will or the limited scope of individual genius; I think of the will of an entire generation committed to saving our planet with teamwork, collaboration, and true passion, and how grateful I am to be a part of this generation of architects. (998 words).

Click here to read this grad school statement of purpose example.

Graduate School Statement of Purpose Example #3 - Public Health

Graduate school statement of purpose example #4 - history, graduate school statement of purpose example #5 - anthropology, graduate school statement of purpose example #6 - mechanical engineering, graduate school statement of purpose example #7 - religious studies, graduate school statement of purpose example #8 - international relations, graduate school statement of purpose example #9 - social work, graduate school statement of purpose example #10 - petroleum engineering, graduate school statement of purpose example #11 - public health, graduate school statement of purpose example #12 - education, graduate school statement of purpose example #13 - bioethics, graduate school statement of purpose example #14 - musicology, graduate school statement of purpose example #15 - nuclear engineering.

A graduate school statement of purpose provides the admissions committee with a way of understanding more about you as an applicant and is a very common graduate school requirement . This essay gives them the opportunity to assess your suitability for their particular program and institution.

A statement of purpose is not a cover letter or a resume , although it contains elements of both. Finding the right fit between an applicant and a graduate program is crucial for both parties, and your statement of purpose is your opportunity to explain to the admissions committee why you believe this graduate program is right for you. 

“I found the graduate school statement of purpose to be the hardest application component, as I was not sure which experience to include and which to exclude. Additionally, it was difficult to know how to present me as a unique candidate; someone who will be a good fit for the graduate program. My biggest advice for writing the statement of purpose is to keep a balance between academic and non-academic aspects of your background.” – Dr. Shiti Malhotra, Ph.D.

With this in mind, it is important to use the statement of purpose as a way of showcasing what led you to graduate school and your chosen program, and what you hope to achieve if accepted. Here’s a quick list of what should be included in your grad school statement of purpose:

• Why you are pursuing a PhD, Master's, or other graduate school program
• Why you are interested in a field more generally and the program specifically
• How you have prepared yourself academically and professionally for a career in this field
• What you will contribute to the program
• Your future career goals and how the program will help you achieve them

How to Write a Graduate School Statement of Purpose

You need to lay some groundwork before you even start drafting your statement of purpose. Here are the steps you need to take to prepare yourself.

#1 Set Aside the Time

Just as many other aspects of the graduate school timeline , preparing and writing a statement of purpose is not a quick undertaking. Since the statement of purpose itself will also require several drafts before reaching its final form, always keep in mind that this is not something to leave to the last minute!

Ideally, you should give yourself 6-8 weeks to write your statement. You will not be working on it every day, but you should leave lots of time to send out drafts to others and to give yourself a break from the writing process to come back with fresh ideas.

If you are currently in school or have a full-time job it may make sense to start this process even earlier to ensure you don’t rush.

#2 Research Your School and Program

Visit the school’s website and pay close attention to any mission statements or values that are stated. Visit the pages dedicated to your department and program of choice to glean clues regarding their academic culture. Key things to research are: faculty that align with your research interests, specialized equipment or institutes that are of interest to you, and areas of expertise or targeted areas of growth that you could contribute to. Not only will this come in handy while writing your SOP, but this research will be useful down the road for answering questions in your grad school interview . 

#3 Brainstorm How and Why You Would Fit into the School and Program

It’s not enough to want to attend a particular school just because of their good reputation or nice location. While learning about your program of choice and its faculty, you should be constantly reflecting upon how and why you would fit in as a member of that community.

Think about what you can contribute to the school and how the program will help you achieve your career goals. Remember that graduate school is a both an academic and a professional program. Schools want excellent academics who will excel in their programs, but they also want students who are willing to learn and have something to gain from graduate school.

You can review common grad school interview questions such as “why do you want to do a PhD?” or “Tell me about yourself” when trying to brainstorm ideas. 

If during your research you have discovered a faculty member whose work sounds intriguing to you, reach out to them to introduce yourself. Forming a direct connection with a faculty member could significantly boost your candidacy, especially if the faculty member is willing to supervise you or write you a graduate school recommendation letter . Plus, you can mention your interest in their research in your statement:

"My advice for writing [a statement of purpose] is to always include some specific faculty members and their research that was interesting to you. Look into their research! Find some recent publications that you can offer some ideas for!” – Dr. Hanlin Liu, PhD, University of Toronto

#5 make a list of any requirements.

Every program is unique. Make sure you understand the specifics of what they are looking for, e.g. length, emphasis, any required formatting guidelines. Many graduate schools will provide prompts to make your writing process easier.

Make sure to read the prompt carefully, as they provide clues as to what the admissions committee expects to see in your statement. Grad schools can receive many applications and you don’t want yours to be weeded out early because you make a simple mistake.

#6 Choose Experiences to Include

“the hardest part was narrowing down my experiences into a concise impactful narrative. the biggest advice for a sop is to highlight specific experiences that align with the specific program/research you are applying for.” – dr. reem sabry, phd.

To make this process simpler, make a short list of which experiences and achievements you would especially like to highlight in your statement. Ideally, include 1 to 3 experiences in your SOP. Note down specific examples of achievements you want to highlight. Make sure your experiences reflect WHY you are pursuing a graduate degree.

Make sure the experiences you choose align with the program’s mission and culture. Think of your accomplishments and strengths in relation to what you know about the school. Do they value research? Share your top undergraduate research experience . Does the program tout the importance of community? Discuss any community service you have participated in. 

How to Structure Your Graduate School Statement of Purpose

When you are ready to write, take a moment to review the length requirements. A statement of purpose is typically between 500 to 1,000 words long.

The statement of purpose should have a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion. Going through each section we can give you tips on how to make sure your statement of purpose gets you accepted!

Introduction:

You need to grab your reader’s attention. Start with a compelling first sentence: choose an anecdote, a quotation, or jolt the reader with a gripping personal fact. Your opening statement would make a reader stay with you to the end.

The second half of your introduction should provide a brief snapshot of what you will cover in greater detail in the main body of your statement.

If you find yourself struggling to write your introduction, set it aside until you have written the body and conclusion of your statement, since you will then know how the introduction could tie it all together.

The main body of your statement should highlight 1-3 formative experiences that led you to grad school. Avoid making your statement of purpose just another grad school CV – you need to create a narrative!

The amount of detail you go into will depend on the program and whether or not you are applying to a masters or a PhD . Make sure you tailor your statement of purpose to the program you are applying to. The more research-intensive your program is, the more research should be included. Whereas if you are applying to an MBA program you might want to emphasize your professional experience.

Remember, it’s more important to show why you are a great candidate, rather than simply talk about it.

Conclusion:

Your conclusion needs to tie everything together and should leave the reader wanting to know more about you. Try to leave your reader with one last compelling thought or insight as you reflect upon what enrolling in the program would mean to you.

You could speak about the current challenges faced by experts in your discipline, and your own eagerness to become more involved in contributing to the field.

Otherwise, your conclusion might also be a good place to address your future career plans. You could end by specifying how the program will help you achieve your professional goals such as working in the industry after academia , especially if you can link it a specific aspect of the program itself.

Be prepared to write and re-write your statement as many times as necessary! Carefully review your statement after every draft to look for areas you could improve or elements you might need to add or replace. ","label":"Important Note:","title":"Important Note:"}]" code="tab6" template="BlogArticle">

Checklist for Submitting Your Statement of Purpose

Click here for the checklist..

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A strong statement of purpose offers a compelling narrative about your interests, abilities, and experiences, to show the committee that you are a strong applicant and the right fit for their institution and graduate program.

A graduate school statement of purpose usually ranges between 500 and 1,000 words in length. Be sure to check the specific requirements stated by the program as you prepare to apply.

A graduate school statement of purpose should contain an introduction, a main body based on 2 or 3 experiences, and a conclusion. Your statement should be clearly written and well-organized to help the reader follow the flow of your narrative.

A statement of purpose should include four main elements: your research interests in your chosen field, your academic and professional preparation, and your career plans. 

No! While they may have similar components, a research interest statement is a more specific document that only mentions research, while your SOP may include a more holistic view of yourself.

You must never plagiarize your statement of purpose. Avoid using clichés and tired phrasing to keep your writing original and fresh. It is also important to favor clarity over artfulness, so be sure to avoid using overly-fancy language so that the focus is always on the substance of what you’re saying. Also avoid technical or overly specialized language unless absolutely necessary, and be sure to define any technical or specialized terms that you must use.

Yes, your statement of purpose should be tailored to each program you apply to. However, you can use the main structure and likely some of the experiences and examples between schools.

Yes! Graduate school, more so than other professional schools, is all about individual fit to a program. It is important to showcase your unique abilities and fit for the program in your statement of purpose.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions, 19 comments.

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Ablie! Thank you for your comment! We are glad you found this helpful!

Ayman Alfadil

Thanks a lot for your information. If my intended field of Ph.D. research is quite different from my previous research experiences, what am I suppose to do to link my previous interest with the new one? and Is it possible to have feedback on my writing?

Hello Ayman! Thank you for this wonderful question! It is not a problem that your previous research experience is not related to your new PhD interest. Even if they are not related in theme, it is important to showcase how your previous research experience honed your skills as a researcher. Demonstrate that the expertise that you acquired throughout your research history can be easily translated into this new field. Do not forget to give the admissions committee some sense of how you got interested in this new field, but it is not a problem that you decided to switch disciplines/interests. And of course we can help you with feedback on your writing. Please contact us for a free initial consultation (https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/Contact-Us.php) and we can discuss how we can help you make your statement the best it can be.

Ayman Alfadil, you are the winner of our weekly draw. Please email us by the end of the day tomorrow (June 19) at content[at]bemoacademicconsulting.com from the same email address you used to leave your comment to claim your prize!

Joana Smith

This is indeed the best Statement of purpose ever ,I love everything written here! It has really help me thank you!!!

Hello Joana! Thanks for your comment! We are glad you enjoyed this article!

Asra Tabassum

Hi...I want the sample for statement of purpose (for masters) where the student changes his filed/background/majors from science to IT... Atleast one sample which helps me to write my own. Thank you.

Hi Asra! Thanks for your comment and suggestion! We will try adding this kind of example as soon as possible!

Segun Abiri

I am so much in love with the way you make a big and difficult task simple. As a practitioner in adult education in Nigeria with over 6 years of experience, I intend to further my experience by having a Masters program in Canada. Problem is, my first degree is not in education, but Arts - Philosophy. I hope to scale through. Thank you for this great write ups.

Hi Segun! Thanks so much for your comment! We are glad you enjoyed the article. When you apply to a Master's program in Education, you do not need to have an undergrad degree in education. Your first degree in liberal arts will be a perfect fit for an Education graduate degree. Good luck and let us know if we can help you any further!

Chika happiness nwachukwu

Hi,indeed is the best statement of purpose ever,please I want the sample for statement of intents for masters,where the student changes his field,background/ majors from accounting education to educational foundations that will help me write my own. Thank you.

Hello Chika! Thanks for your comment! We will keep your request in mind when we update this blog! Thanks!

Hi, I wonder if you can only help me with SOP edits? Thanks.

Hello Bob! We can absolutely help you! Please contact us here https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/Contact-Us.php to schedule your free initial consultation.

Nwabueze Kewulezi

Hi, this is the best article on SOP I have read. Please, I need your advice. I am very passionate about teaching. I studied English, but my M.A. thesis is related to pragmatic. How do I relate both to my deep flare for education?

Hello Nwabueze! Thanks for your comment. Try to reflect on what connects your educational and professional background to teaching? Just because your MA thesis is not related to education, it does not mean that it cannot inform your love for teaching. Try making connections between your experience in the MA and what you want to do next. Hope this helps!

Samuel Frimpong

Can i get samples of these write-ups in Music?

Hello Smuela! Thanks for your comment. When we update the blog, we will make sure to keep your request in mind.

Chisa Amadi

Good morning, please I want to start up personal statement but don't seem to know how to go about it am applying for Agricultural science soil and water option. Please I will need a guide. Thank you

Hi Chisa! Thanks for your comment. Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss how we can help you with your personal statement! Look forward to hearing from you!

hey, thanks for the clear explanation, can you please help me write purpose statement for a journalism degree course

Hello Lucy! Please feel free to reach out to us to discuss how we can help you with your statement of purpose. Hope to hear from you!

This piece is extremely helpful

Hi Frimpong! Thanks! Glad you found this helpful!

Thank you for sharing this useful tips on SOPs.

Hello Anne! Thank you so much for your comment. Glad you found this helpful!

Elif Ülkü Türkoğlu

Thank you so much, this will be super helpful for my MA applications.

Hi Elif! Thanks for your comment! We are glad this is helpful!

Raphael Barrack Wangusu

Currently struggling with SOP preparations..i pursued Law for my bachelor degree and i wish to apply for masters scholarships in CANADA, UK, SWEEDN and USA. Thank you.

Hello Raphael! Thank you for your question. Please reach out to us for a free strategy call to discuss how we can help. 

Amazing content! I've never seen it explained the way you guys did it here!! Thank you!!!

Hello Joy! We are very glad you found this helpful!

It made me understand clearly what i have to do. thank you

Thanks Tumie! Glad you found this helpful!

i cant find any sop become related to food science. I really need a sample to help me. Could you help me please

Hello Shabnam, thanks for your message. We will keep your request in mind for when we update this blog.

I have enjoyed reading every bit of this document. I am so enlightened by it. Thank you.

Hello Michael! Glad you found this helpful! Thanks for your comment. 

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• Knowledge Base
• Applying to graduate school

How to Write a Statement of Purpose | Example

Published on February 13, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 1, 2023.

When you apply for graduate programs or scholarships, the admissions committee is looking for more than just a list of grades. The statement of purpose (also known as a statement of intent or motivation letter) is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your motivation, skills and potential. It should:

• Outline your academic or professional interests and goals
• Discuss relevant skills, experience and achievements
• Demonstrate why you’d be a good fit for the program

Table of contents

Successful statement of purpose example, requirements and prompts, personal introduction, experience and achievements, goals and motivations, fit with the program, tips for an effective statement of purpose, other interesting articles.

The torment of the Founding Fathers is responsible for my interest in Classics. My desire to learn Latin stemmed from reading American Revolutionary-era history during junior high and high school, and particularly from the countless Latin quotations I found in John Adams’ writings. Always eager for a challenge, I was intrigued by the American founders’ accounts of the torture of learning such a difficult language. In my first semester at university, I started learning Latin and thoroughly loved it. As I learned more and more about classical civilization through the language, I realized that I was passionately interested in many aspects of the field of Classics. I have since taken courses on mythology, art and archaeology, and religion, on ancient history, and on the classical tradition. I have also learned Greek, of course, starting with an intensive two-semester course at the university’s summer school. My experience studying abroad in Florence and traveling through Italy and Greece intensified my zeal for the field and, in particular, fueled my ambition to specialize in classical archaeology.

My personal philosophy of life is that everything is connected, and this conviction drives my desire to study Classics. The most rewarding moments for me are discovering and investigating connections – both broad ones, between fields and disciplines, and more specific ones, like the relationship between a piece of literature and an object of material culture. My liberal arts education has equipped me with a broad base of knowledge in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, and in the honors program I pursued independent projects exploring academic and personal connections, including a paper on ancient Mayan astronomy, a self-observation study on the effects of nutrition and hydration on exercise performance, and a paper on the influence of political context on the changing artistic representations of John Adams. By seeking out connections between seemingly unrelated areas of academia, I have acquired a well-rounded outlook which helps me approach new ideas with both a range of prior experiences and a mind always open to different interpretations.

In accordance with my personal philosophy, I have also continued to explore connections within Classics and between Classics and other fields. In 2007, I published an article in my university’s undergraduate humanities journal; inspired by my studies in Florence, I compared representations of the birth of Venus in ancient and Renaissance literature and art. My major academic achievement to date, however, has been my senior honor thesis on John Adams’ connection to the Classics. Funded by a Hilldale Research Fellowship, I conducted research in the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society and in John Adams’ personal library at the Boston Public Library on the influence of the classical tradition on Adams’ worldview and how he consciously modeled himself on classical ideals. It was particularly fulfilling to connect historical and classical research in writing about the figure most responsible for instigating my study of the Classics.

As well as my research skills, I have demonstrated proficiency in the classical languages, winning prizes for both Latin and Greek translation from the Classics Department, as well as receiving an enthusiastic nomination from the department for the Pearson Fellowship from the American Philological Association. I am also the president of the undergraduate Classics Society, which allows me to share my enthusiasm for Classics with other students and the larger community.

One of the most appealing aspects of studying Classics is the vast range of topics encompassed by the field. Because my interests are broad and I value an interdisciplinary approach, I would like to pursue graduate study ultimately leading to a PhD in Classical Archaeology. Archaeology in itself is, of course, a multi-faceted field, requiring knowledge of history, language, anthropology, and various scientific and technological methods. I have already started building my skills in this area: I participated in a microartifact analysis from the excavation of a Maya site in Belize as part of an honors project, and this summer I will take part in two archaeological projects in Turkey after working as a research assistant on related material in the spring semester. This PhD program includes many other opportunities I am eager to explore, such as palaeography and papyrology courses, and especially the variety of fieldwork and museum experiences available. I believe that my strong background in the classical languages and wide range of courses on classical civilization and archaeological methods have prepared me well for this program, and I am convinced that, guided by my philosophy of interconnectedness, I will flourish in this program.

The first step is to read the application instructions. These should include the length of the document (usually 1-2 pages), any formatting requirements, and often a question or prompt that indicates what you should focus on.

In some cases, you might also be asked to submit a personal statement . Similar advice applies to both of these documents—both should give a sense of who you are, what you’ve done and what you want to do. But a statement of purpose is often more formal, tightly focused on your academic background and your suitability for the program.

If you are working on multiple applications, don’t try to write a one-size-fits-all text—tailor your statement of purpose to each program. Make sure to respond to the prompt and include all the information you’re asked for. A typical statement of purpose prompt looks like this:

Your focus will be slightly different depending on whether you’re applying for research-based academic programs (such as a PhD ) or professional qualifications (such as an MBA). But all statements of purpose should contain the following elements.

This is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and let them hear your voice. The statement of purpose shouldn’t tell your life story, but it should give a glimpse into who you are.

Academic and personal background

Give an overview of your academic background, and show what drives your interest in this field or profession. You might want to include some personal background too—your family history, social circumstances, personal relationships and life experiences have all shaped your trajectory and perspective. What unique insights will you bring with you?

Characteristics and personality

Think about aspects of your character that make you well-suited for graduate school. Don’t just list generic adjectives—give examples that demonstrate your strengths and show why they’re relevant.

• Are you organized enough to handle a high-pressure workload?
• Do you have the creativity needed to develop original ideas, or a systematic mindset perfect for problem-solving?
• Do you have strong leadership skills, or are you great at working collaboratively?

Avoid including irrelevant autobiographical detail in the statement of purpose. Everything you include should be aimed at showing why you’d be a strong candidate for the program.

Your experience shows that you have the necessary skills to succeed in graduate school. Don’t just summarize everything you’ve done—pick out some highlights to build a clear picture of your strengths and priorities, illustrating how you’ve learned and developed along the way.

Academic experience

If you’re applying for a research-focused program, such as a PhD, show your knowledge of the field and outline your research experience. This might include:

• A brief summary of your thesis or final project
• Courses that you found particularly valuable
• Projects you contributed to
• Publications
• Presentations
• Extracurriculars that gave you relevant skills or experience

Professional experience

If you’re applying for a professional program, such as an MBA, outline your experience so far and show how it relates to your career plans. This might include:

• Past or current job roles
• Projects you led or participated in
• Internships
• Voluntary work
• Training courses

In all cases, give specific examples with details of what you worked on, what you achieved, and what you got out of the experience.

As well as showing that you’re prepared for the program, explain what you expect to get out of it. What are your motivations for applying? How do you plan to make the most of its opportunities, and how will it help you achieve your goals?

Academic motivations

For academic programs, indicate your research interests, showing how they follow from and build upon what you have studied so far. This might include:

• A subfield that you want to strengthen your expertise in
• A specific problem or question that you’d like to address
• An initial idea for a research project
• A theoretical or methodological approach that you want to develop

This isn’t the place for an in-depth research plan, but it’s a chance to show your enthusiasm and knowledge of your field.

Professional motivations

For professional programs, outline your career aspirations and show how your experience informs your goals. This might include:

• The next step you want to take in your career. What position are you aiming for and how will the program help you achieve it?
• Your motivations for a career change. Can you make a link between your previous experience and your new direction?
• Your long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five or ten years, and how do you see yourself getting there?

The admissions committee wants to know that you’re genuinely motivated to complete the program, and the clearer your plans, the more convincing your commitment.

It’s important to show not only why you want to study this subject, but also why you want to do it in this particular institution and department.

• Do your research, and mention particular classes, specialisms or faculty that attracted you.
• Show why you’re a good fit. Do your priorities align with the values and culture of the institution? What will you contribute to the department?
• Discuss the specific skills, knowledge and experience you expect to get from the program.

The statement of purpose isn’t only about selling yourself—it’s about illustrating an ideal match between you and the program.

Once you’ve made sure to cover all the key elements, you can work on strengthening and polishing the text. Follow these tips to make your application the best it can be.

Stay focused

It can be tempting to try to cram in everything you’ve done, but a good statement of purpose requires careful selection to craft a focused narrative. One way to do this is by building your text around a central theme—for example, a character trait, an intellectual interest, or a career goal.

This strategy helps structure your text and puts your priorities centre stage. Link each paragraph back to the central idea, making it clear how everything fits together.

Think about your structure

The structure of a statement of purpose is somewhat flexible, as long as you include all the relevant information in an order that makes sense.

For example, you might start with a chronological story of where your interests began, or you might open with your goals and then select a series of examples that show your capacity to achieve them. If you’re desperate to study in this specific program, you could lead with a summary of why it’s your ideal choice, and then elaborate on each aspect to show why you’re a perfect fit.

The important thing is that the text showcases your strengths and motivations in a compelling, coherent way. As in any other piece of academic writing, make sure each paragraph communicates one main idea, and that each sentence flows smoothly and logically from the last. Use transition words and topic sentences to move between paragraphs.

Add meaning to your resume

The bare facts of your achievements—grades, prizes, work experience—are already included in your graduate school resume and transcripts. Use the statement of purpose not to repeat yourself, but to add personal meaning and texture to these facts.

If you got top marks for your thesis, describe the research process and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the topic. If you completed an internship or participated in a project, explain what new skills you learned and which aspects you found most valuable. If you already have lots of experience in the field, show how each step developed your skills and shaped your current plans.

Revise, edit, proofread

Your statement of purpose isn’t only about the content—it’s also a chance to show that you can express yourself fluently, confidently and coherently in writing. Spend plenty of time revising, editing and proofreading your text before you submit.

Make sure you stay within the recommended length, and check if there are any specific formatting requirements. If not, use a standard 12pt font, 1-inch margins and 1.5 line spacing.

When you have a final draft, our professional statement of purpose proofreading service can offer an extra pair of eyes to make sure every sentence is perfect.

Proofread my statement of purpose

Checklist: Statement of purpose

My statement of purpose clearly responds to the prompt.

I have introduced my academic, professional and/or personal background.

I have described any relevant experience and shown my development over time.

I have highlighted key achievements that demonstrate my talents.

There is a clear connection between my previous experience and my future plans.

I have explained how the program will help me achieve my goals.

I have mentioned specific aspects of the program, department and institution that appeal to me.

Every paragraph focuses on one central idea.

The paragraphs are organized in a logical order and tell a clear, coherent story.

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How To Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Congratulations! You’ve chosen a graduate program , read up on tips for applying to grad school , and even written a focused grad school resumé . But if you’re like many students, you’ve left the most daunting part of the application process for last—writing a statement of purpose. The good news is that the task doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming, as long as you break the process down into simple, actionable steps. Below, learn how to write a strong, unique statement of purpose that will impress admissions committees and increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

What is a statement of purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate school application that tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the graduate program you’re applying to.

Jared Pierce, former associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.  

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

How long should a statement of purpose be? “A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” Pierce says, noting that it should typically not exceed a single page. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11 or 12 points) and leave enough white space in the margins to make the statement easy to read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds. 

How to write a statement of purpose: a step-by-step guide

Now that you understand how to format a statement of purpose, you can begin drafting your own. Getting started can feel daunting, but Pierce suggests making the process more manageable by breaking down the writing process into four easy steps.

1. Brainstorm your ideas.

First, he says, try to reframe the task at hand and get excited for the opportunity to write your statement of purpose. 

“Throughout the application process, you’re afforded few opportunities to address the committee directly,” he explains. “Here is your chance to truly speak directly to them. Each student arrives at this process with a unique story, including prior jobs, volunteer experience, or undergraduate studies. Think about what makes you you and start outlining.”

When writing your statement of purpose, Pierce suggests asking yourself these key questions:

• Why do I want this degree?
• What are my expectations for this degree?
• What courses or program features excite me the most?
• Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally?
• How will my unique professional and personal experiences add value to the program?

Jot these responses down to get your initial thoughts on paper. This will act as your starting point for creating an outline and writing your first draft.

2. Develop an outline.

Next, you’ll want to take the ideas that you’ve identified during the brainstorming process and plug them into an outline that will guide your writing. 

An effective outline for your statement of purpose might look something like this:

• An attention-grabbing hook
• A brief introduction of yourself and your background as it relates to your motivation behind applying to graduate school 
• Your professional goals as they relate to the program
• Why you’re interested in the specific school and what you can bring to the table
• A brief summary of the information presented in the body that emphasizes your qualifications and compatibility with the school

An outline like the one above will give you a roadmap to follow so that your statement of purpose is well organized and concise. 

3. Write the first draft.

Your statement of purpose should communicate who you are and why you are interested in a particular program, but it also needs to be positioned in a way that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Admissions professionals already have your transcripts, resumé, and test scores; the statement of purpose is your chance to tell your story in your own words.

When you begin drafting content, make sure to:

• Provide insight into what drives you , whether that’s professional advancement, personal growth, or both.
• Demonstrate your interest in the school by addressing the unique features of the program that interest you most. For Northeastern, he says, maybe it’s experiential learning; you’re excited to tackle real-world projects in your desired industry. Or perhaps it’s learning from faculty who are experts in your field of study.
• Be yourself. It helps to keep your audience in mind while writing, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. It’s important to be authentic when writing your statement to show the admissions committee who you are and why your unique perspective will add value to the program.

4. Edit and refine your work.

Before you submit your statement of purpose:

• Make sure you’ve followed all directions thoroughly , including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
• Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If you’ve written far more than this, read through your statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Less is often more; articulate your main points strongly and get rid of any “clutter.”
• Walk away and come back later with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re not sitting and staring at your computer.
• Ask someone you trust to read your statement before you submit it.

Making a lasting impression

Your statement of purpose can leave a lasting impression if done well, Pierce says. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your unique background and skills so that admissions professionals understand why you’re the ideal candidate for the program that you’re applying to. If nothing else, stay focused on what you uniquely bring to the classroom, the program, and the campus community. If you do that, you’ll excel.

To learn more tricks and tips for submitting an impressive graduate school application, explore our related grad school success articles .

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. It has since been updated for thoroughness and accuracy.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

When writing your statement of purpose for graduate school, focus on your specific plans and how the graduate program and its faculty will help you meet these goals. Graduate study is not for slackers. It takes focus and determination to pursue an advanced degree. That's why admissions committees examine your statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or research statement) very closely—they want to see whether you have the right stuff to succeed in grad school. Follow these tips to write an effective graduate school statement of purpose.

1. Know what grad schools are really asking.

Different grad school programs have different prompts. Nonetheless, they're all asking for the same four pieces of information:

• What you want to study at graduate school?
• Why you want to study it?
• What experience you have in your field?
• What you plan to do with your degree once you have it?

Admissions committees look for candidates with clear, well-defined research interests that arise from experience. With that in mind, your statement of purpose should reveal that you care deeply about your chosen discipline and that you have the background to support your ideas and sentiments. It should also demonstrate that you're a diligent student who will remain committed for the long haul. Always answer the question asked of you. Being substantive and direct is much better than being creative or flashy.

2. Be selective about the details you include.

Grad schools don’t care that you make a great chicken casserole or play intramural bocce ball. They do care about those activities that speak to your suitability for graduate work. As a graduate student, you'll be called upon to do difficult coursework and research. You may have to teach undergraduate classes within your field and conceivably even design a course. And you'll have to get along with a diverse group of colleagues who will sometimes work very closely with you. Any experience in school, work, or your extracurricular life that speaks to those abilities is worth talking about.

Read More: 5 Tips for Choosing a Grad School

3. Make your statement of purpose unique.

While it's important to be focused, there's no need to be boring. To distinguish your essay, add unique (yet relevant) information. One of the best ways to do this is to discuss—briefly—an idea in your field that turns you on intellectually. It's an effective essay-opener, and it lets you write about something besides yourself for a bit.

Remember, the idea you choose to talk about can tell an admissions committee a lot about you. And it demonstrates your interest in your field, rather than just describing it.

4. Ask for feedback.

Be sure to show your statement of purpose to someone you respect, preferably the professors who are writing your recommendations, and get some feedback on the content before you send it in. Have someone else proofread your essay for spelling and grammar. A fresh set of eyes often picks up something you missed.

Finally, don't just reuse the same statement of purpose for each school to which you apply. You can recycle the same information, but make sure you change the presentation to fit each individual program.

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Graduate School Statement of Purpose: The Ultimate Guide

Timeless strategies to conquer your essay, stand out, and get into your dream doctorate or master's program.

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: what is a statement of purpose, part 3: preparing to write, part 4: writing your statement of purpose, special section: how to transform your statement of purpose into a personal statement, special section: letters of recommendation, special section: the graduate school interview, frequently asked questions.

You know you’re cut out for grad school. You’ve likely spent countless hours in lab trying to get your experiments to work or given up weekends and fun with friends to dig through archives for your thesis project. You may have even presented your work at conferences and left feeling more excited than ever about your work.

Your graduate education will serve as the next step toward your dream career, regardless of whether your goal is to become a professor, get a fancy position in industry, or work for the government.

Unfortunately, applying to graduate school can be a daunting task. Whether you’re still in school, working, or both, it’s hard to muster the time and focus to sit down and get started on your applications. And even when you do get around to it, you might not know where to start. How do you actually translate years of education and hard work in a field into a standout application? What accomplishments do you choose to highlight in your graduate school statement of purpose? How do you write the kind of statement of purpose that will get you into your dream school?

A statement of purpose is an essay that summarizes your past work and preparation for graduate studies. It lays out your most important experiences (e.g., jobs, internships, apprenticeships, teaching) and accomplishments (e.g., publications, presentations, grants, exhibitions, speaking engagements) with the goal of getting you into your first-choice graduate program.

Whereas strong grades and test scores are the foundation of your application and are necessary to be considered at top programs, your experiences are what set you apart. Therefore, the goal with your statement of purpose is to organize and present your academic journey in a way that convinces the top institutions’ admissions committees that you are perfect for their program.

Regardless of the specific statement of purpose prompts you encounter, the central question is the same: Why you for our graduate program in this field?

To expand, your statement of purpose should argue the following:

Why you want to go to graduate school

How you’ve prepared for graduate studies

What field and specific area you intend to study and why (e.g., Ph.D. in History with a focus on the American Revolution)

Why you’ve chosen University of X for your studies (e.g., specific offerings, resources, faculty)

How is a personal statement different from a statement of purpose?

Although most graduate programs require a statement of purpose, a few will ask for a personal statement instead, yet some schools will request both.

A statement of purpose places a narrative to your achievements to demonstrate that you have prepared for success in your graduate studies. On the other hand, a personal statement draws from your personal and professional experiences to explain how you have come to the decision to pursue a graduate education in your field of interest. In addition, your personal statement can be used to give admissions committees a sense of who you are as a person, including any obstacles you’ve had to overcome, explanations of your less-than-ideal academic record, and contributions you’ve made to your community.

If you are asked for a statement of purpose and personal statement, you should reserve information about your personal journey and hardships for your personal statement and discuss career-related experiences and academic accomplishments in your statement of purpose.

(Note: If you’ve written a statement of purpose, you can easily modify it into a personal statement for programs and fellowships that ask for one and not the other. This modification process is covered in a special section, below.)

What is the admissions committee looking for in a potential graduate student?

Before we get into our step-by-step approach to writing a standout graduate school statement of purpose, let’s discuss what admissions committees are looking for so that you’ll have an easier time writing a compelling essay.

Graduate schools want to admit students who have exhibited a history of determination, self-motivation and passion for their intended field of study. Sound like you? Thought so.

The key word here is exhibited . In other words, you’ll want to draw from your experiences and accomplishments to highlight the aforementioned attributes through your essay.

Here’s a quick cheat-sheet on how to demonstrate the qualities graduate programs are looking for:

History of determination: Experiences in your field that have lasted 1+ year(s)

Self-motivation: Internships, funding, and presentations that you independently and successfully pursued

Passion: A discussion of how you decided on your field of interest (in your intro) and the specific area you’d like to study during your graduate career (in the conclusion)

In addition, below is a summary of what you’ll be critiqued for:

How clearly you present your experiences and accomplishments to display your fitness for their program

Whether your statement of purpose makes a coherent and concise argument that you are the kind of graduate student they are looking for

Your writing skills (i.e., formal and respectful in tone, proper grammar and punctuation, and easy-to-follow argument presented through your experiences on how you arrived at the decision to pursue graduate studies in your field of interest)

The role of your statement of purpose in your overall application

Your statement of purpose offers a unique opportunity to develop a narrative to your experiences and make a compelling case for your admission to various programs. Therefore, make sure to highlight only your most important achievements, insights, and mentors to present yourself as a cohesive package to admissions committees.

What do we mean by a cohesive package? If you’ve had a standout experience (e.g., you’ve worked in a great scientist’s laboratory, you’ve worked for the Gates Foundation, or you’ve taught in an inner-city school), then aside from mentioning it in your statement of purpose, you should have a letter of recommendation for that experience and it should be mentioned in your CV. By making connections across the various components of your application, you’ll reinforce the meaningfulness and importance of your experiences. Moreover, overtly repeating your qualities and achievements throughout your application will influence how your admissions reviewer will think about and remember you.

Therefore, the unique role of your statement of purpose is to draw from the experiences you mention in other parts of your application (e.g., your CV) and use these experiences to provide key insights about you. For example, say you were a botany major who spent 3 years conducting research in the same laboratory, 4 years volunteering at the local botanical garden, and consulting for the Sierra Club on and off since obtaining your undergraduate degree 2 years ago . On paper, you seem like a dedicated applicant with all those years of hard work at the same three places. How do you humbly reinforce your dedication in your statement of purpose using all three of these experiences?

First, be sure to mention the number of years you devoted to each experience and mention any accomplishments within the experience (e.g., presentations you gave, funding goals you reached, events you organized). Next, obtain a letter of recommendation from your supervisor or mentor for each experience, and be sure they explicitly highlight your dedication and the accomplishments you mention in your statement of purpose. Lastly, be sure to quantify your accomplishments whenever possible within your statement of purpose and on your CV (e.g., Botanical garden volunteer: Fundraised over $3,000 for garden outreach program; Organized K-12 field-trip event).

Your goal in developing a cohesive application is simple: Make it easy for the admissions committee reviewer to notice important achievements across your statement of purpose, CV and recommendation letters. By reinforcing your dedication through your experiences and accomplishments, you’ll give the admissions committee reviewer confidence that you will thrive in their graduate program.

(Note: We strongly encourage you to update your CV before you begin writing to ensure that the dates and details you discuss in your statement of purpose are sorted out.)

A little bit of preparation before you write will make the drafting process a lot easier. Recall that the statement of purpose should put a narrative to the accomplishments on your CV that supports your decision to pursue graduate studies.

To best prepare, first jot down dates and details of each activity (e.g., research apprenticeship, job) along with associated accomplishments (e.g., publication, presentation), and figure out which qualities of the ideal graduate student are exhibited through your various experiences.

Here are some qualities to consider demonstrating:

Perseverant

Collaborative

Good mentor

Independent

Self-motivated

Strong interpersonal skills

Clearly communicates complex material

Often, not all experiences or details will make it into your statement of purpose (more on which experiences to include in a moment), but having it all in one place can really help you get your brain juices flowing.

Alternatively, you can simply take a red pen to your CV and write down some comments next to each accomplishment by answering the following questions:

What did you learn from this experience?

Did you get to apply yourself in this opportunity to go above and beyond? If so, how?

Did you get to make a presentation, publish, or obtain funding through this experience?

Did this experience contribute to your decision to go to graduate school? If so, how?

What does this experience say about who you are? Is this something you want to share with the admissions committee?

What should you use from your CV in your statement of purpose?

Simply put, you want to choose experiences and accomplishments that display you are a determined, self-motivated individual with a passion for their field of interest.

Experiences to consider including:

Research assistantships

Volunteering

Internships

(Note: The earliest experiences should be from when you were an undergraduate and onward to the present day. You can include pivotal experiences from before college on your CV, but unless they have been incredibly influential (e.g., high school internship at a university laboratory), save the space for more recent experiences.)

Accomplishments to consider including:

Publications

Presentations

Funding (fellowship, grants, travel grants, scholarships)

Exhibitions

Fundraising

Invited speaker or panelist

Ideally, your listed experiences should be multi-year and within your field of interest. Still, you can boost the importance of shorter experiences like a summer internship by discussing achievements you made during that short period of time, such as particularly strong results, a resulting presentation, or pitching a novel idea that was used by the institution/company.

For each experience you include in your statement of purpose, you’ll have to discuss the following:

A short description of what you did

How long you did it

Why you did it (not always necessary but can be used as a transition in between experiences)

What you learned from it

Any accomplishments that came out of it, such as results, publications, exhibitions, grants, presentations, fundraising, etc.

The accomplishments you present within each experience will not only validate your experience and make it seem more impressive, but can also be used to display your fit for graduate studies. For instance, let’s say you’re applying to a graduate program in Environmental Ecology and you’ve spent the majority of your undergraduate years working on a thesis project investigating the effects of DTT contamination on bird populations in California’s Sierra Mountains. During this time you presented your work at two local conferences and one national conference. You also co-authored a study, mentored a student over the summer, and received the Dean’s award for your thesis project. You definitely want to mention all of that! (We’ll be reviewing examples of strong experience descriptions in Part 4: Writing Your Statement of Purpose, below.)

What shouldn’t you include in your statement of purpose?

1. Unnecessary personal details

What do we mean by personal? Don’t share that you’ve been interested in history since your parents took you to see some Greek ruins as a child and now you want to study European History. Moreover, you should probably exclude sharing an overwhelming hardship that led you to want to pursue graduate studies in, for example, Chemical Biology. These details would be more appropriate for a personal statement, and are neither professional enough nor necessary for a statement of purpose.

There is, however, one exception: If you have changed careers to pursue your field of interest, you should discuss this. For example, let’s say your first undergraduate degree is in Education, and you discovered your interest in science while working as a teacher. Hence, you went back to school for a second undergraduate degree in Physics. This is a personal detail you’ll want to include because the admissions committee will wonder why you have two undergraduate degrees. You can do so subtly by explaining what you learned from your previous degree and how you’ve applied it to your current work.

(Note: some schools will offer an additional section to explain personal circumstances. If you’re given the opportunity to discuss personal details elsewhere, use it, making sure to focus your statement of purpose on why you want to go to graduate school.)

2. Hobbies and inapplicable extracurricular activities

Your hobbies (e.g., art, cooking, skiing, biking) should most certainly not be included in your statement of purpose. A few schools ask additional questions regarding your hobbies on the application. Feel free to include them there.

On the other hand, extracurricular activities such as volunteering or mentoring can be included if they are associated with your field of interest. For example, if you’re applying to a Ph.D. program in Education and you’ve volunteered in a classroom or served as a mentor for a high school student, then definitely include that, especially if you’ve been doing it for a while and it has contributed to your decision to pursue graduate studies. If a school is asking for both a personal statement and a statement of purpose, then such an experience can be included in either.

The ultimate outline for your statement of purpose

Once you’ve gone over your CV and picked out the experiences and accomplishments to highlight, the most tedious part is done. The one final step to complete before you begin writing is putting together an outline.

The skeleton of a strong statement of purpose is straightforward, as follows:

Introduction: State intention to pursue graduate education

The undergraduate experience that initially sparked your interest in the field and how you got into conducting research, creating, etc.

Experience 1: Include description, mention accomplishments A, B, and C, and any insights or lessons learned

Experience 2: Include description, mention accomplishments D and E, and any insights or lessons learned

Experience 3: Include description, mention accomplishments F, G, H, and I, and any insights or lessons learned

Mention area within field of interest you will focus on during graduate school. Why University of X? What programs and which faculty’s mentorship interests you?

What will you do with your graduate degree?

Once you build more detail into this skeleton, your outline should resemble something like this example:

Introduction: I want to study basic biology with an emphasis on pharmacology because understanding the mechanisms of interaction between small molecules/chemicals and proteins fascinates me.

Mention the class that introduced me to pharmacology and microbiology, what about it interested me, and how I approached the graduate student teaching the lab section for a research opportunity.

Undergraduate research opportunity 1 (3 years)

Describe the research question, technique, and any findings

Mention presentation at annual meeting

Mention publication

Any insights or lessons learned (e.g., Enjoyed independence in designing my own experiments)

Transition: curiosity in experiencing a different research environment

Summer Internship at (Amgen)

Description of the project I contributed to

Got me interested in application of basic biology to drug development

Transition: wanted to further explore research environment and interest in pharmacology, but this time apply it to a new organism

Research Position at Harvard after college (2 years)

Mention that I worked on multiple projects along with my own independent project

Mention I presented my work at multiple meetings (local and national)

Mention publications

Transition: Work proved my passion for pharmacology and microbiology

What will my Ph.D. be in?

Begin with: “After working on therapeutic applications of microbial biology, I have decided to pursue the field from a basic science standpoint.”

Ph.D. program in basic biology and pharmacology

Customized bit on professors I’m interested in working with at specific school

Conclude with the future!

I’d like to attend graduate school so I can become a great scientist and continue conducting excellent scientific research in academia

Once you have an outline containing all the details you want to include in your statement of purpose, it’s time to write everything out.

The introduction

Your statement of purpose should initially introduce a theme or reason that will tie your separate accomplishments together and present a logical argument for why you have decided to attend graduate school. A theme could be an academic interest that ties your experiences together (e.g., Russian history, particle physics, microbiology), or a general concept you’re interested in (e.g., size scales, human interaction, efficiency). It is best to keep this short and to the point. Simply state what you’re interested in and what made you want to go to graduate school. To reiterate, you want to keep this discussion formal and not get overly personal.

Example (Continued from outline):

I am fascinated with understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease and with exploring interactions between chemicals and proteins in the cell. My past experiences exploring basic biology in microorganisms have helped me gain an appreciation for applying basic science to disease research. My ambition to continue learning new skills, exploring the scientific method, and learning more about the molecular world has resulted in my decision to pursue a doctorate in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program with an emphasis in Pharmacology at Harvard University.

Backing up your introduction with your experiences and accomplishments

Now for the meat of your statement of purpose: the experiences that led you to graduate studies. This section needs to make a logical argument as to why you are a good fit for the graduate program, as well as apply a clear and seamless narrative to your accomplishments.

How do you make a logical argument for graduate studies? Let’s say that you mention wanting to study X in your introduction. When presenting each experience, you note how it has prepared you to study X by helping you experience one of the attributes of an exemplary graduate student: determination, competence, self-motivation, passion, independence, etc.

But rather than simply stating your independence, for example, you should note any accomplishments that display your independence. For instance, if you funded your own research through a grant or fellowship, make sure to weave that detail into your experience discussion.

In order to support the expenses associated with my research, I applied for and was awarded a small grant from the California History Museum.

This one short sentence shows the reader that you are independent enough to seek your own funding and that you have experience writing grants and securing funding (very useful in graduate school and beyond). Who wouldn’t want to admit a student like that?

To demonstrate passion for your field, be sure to note how your interest developed and how you will use each university’s unique opportunities to pursue it. For example:

After working on therapeutic applications of microbial biology, I have decided to pursue the field from a basic science standpoint. As a Ph.D. student, I aim to study the molecular mechanisms that are involved in disease states of microorganisms. I am particularly excited by Dr. Dale Heart’s work on the mechanism of the switch made by Histoplasma capsulatum from the filamentous soil form to the pathogenic yeast form.

Although there are multiple ways to demonstrate passion throughout your statement of purpose, it helps to always take an enthusiastic tone when writing about your experiences. Don’t mention anything negative in your statement of purpose, such as a poor mentor, a graduate student who mistreated you, or a nasty grant application reviewer. In addition, don’t badmouth any collaborators, as it reflects poorly on you and the collaborator may even have a relationship with the individuals reviewing your application. You also shouldn’t complain about applying a faulty method to your experiments or creations. And of course, you don’t want to complain about difficulties with your work that might show you are not committed and easily give up. Just stay positive and share your excitement for the journey that led you to graduate school.

How do you apply a narrative to your statement of purpose?

This is a slightly more difficult task for a statement of purpose vs. a personal statement.

Narrative in a statement of purpose is achieved by incorporating reflections on your accomplishments and using clear transitions to logically string together the various experiences listed on your CV. 

For example, if you apply a narrative structure to paragraph 4 from the outline above—“Summer internship at Amgen”—you could end up with the following paragraph:

In order to experience applied research, I held a summer internship at Amgen, where I worked on a protein involved in cancer metastasis. Through this experience, I learned the process by which basic science is used to understand the molecular biology of cancer and, along with chemistry and pharmacology, how this knowledge can be applied to create a drug. At the end of my internship, I presented my findings to the Amgen scientists. I enjoyed studying the basic biology involved in early-phase drug discovery and the application of chemistry and pharmacology to translating basic science into a pharmaceutical application. Thus, I decided to further explore this strategy after college and learn more about infectious diseases in an academic setting, which led to my current position in Dr. Anna Smith’s Lab at Harvard University as a Research Associate.

In this example, the student was able to support their passion for their field of interest and display independence by noting a presentation at the end of the internship. Moreover, by explaining her reasoning for moving from one experience to the next, the applicant developed a narrative that connected her summer internship at Amgen with her research associate position at Harvard, which she’ll transition to discussing in the following paragraph.

(A quick note on industry experience: Most of the time, you are bound by contract to not disclose detailed information about your project. If this is the case, still provide a description of the project without mentioning important details. Most industry mentors will help you come up with a general description of your work that doesn’t give away any secrets. Note how blanket terms were used in the previous example to ensure that no actual drug names or molecular targets were mentioned. Yet, the reader can understand the work’s general goal.)

The ending: What are your academic interests?  What will you do in the future with a Ph.D.?

By the time you get to the end of your statement of purpose, you will have reasoned that you are a capable and driven person who is ready to pursue graduate studies. Now it’s time to convince the admissions committee to accept you into their specific program.

The conclusion of your statement of purpose should contain two paragraphs:

A discussion of your academic interests and specific professors and programs that draw you to a particular institution

A discussion of what you intend to do beyond graduate school

The second-to-last paragraph should specifically state what you are interested in working on during your graduate studies. You’ll need to do some research about departmental or program-associated professors at a given university with whom you’d like to work, as well as mention some areas the program excels in and how those fit with your educational goals.

To make things easier when applying to multiple schools, you can keep the general field of interest (e.g., Colonial History, Microbiology, American Literature, etc.) the same across all of your statements and customize the professors and the specific topics (e.g., Colonial History of Haiti during a certain period, Microbiology of Histoplasma , American Literature during the Gilded Age) for each school.

The second-to-last paragraph should answer the following questions:

What are your academic interests?

This should be more specific than what you stated in your introduction. For example, instead of merely stating that you have an interest in history, explicitly mention which era of history in which specific country or region.

How will you explore your interests at the school you are applying to?

For example, the school may offer the best education in an important technique in your field (e.g., leading experts in CRISPR, on-site cyclotron, etc.).

Are there any specific professors whose work you are interested in? What about their work interests you/applies to your academic interest?

Name names and keep it short. For example: I am intrigued by the work of Dr. Mark Zane on excited state dynamics of biological molecules.

In the very last paragraph, you can get a bit cheesy. You’ll want to state what you intend do beyond graduate school, make a broad statement about your reasons for attending, and reiterate your passion for your field of interest. If you chose a theme in your intro, end with that. It doesn’t have to be long, but it should leave the reader with a personal connection to you regarding your shared field of interest.

(A note on mentioning future endeavors: Unfortunately, there exists a general bias within academia when it comes to the future endeavors of graduate students. Most of the time, the people reviewing your application are academics and want to train future academics. If you want to apply your Ph.D. to a career in academia, then state so. If you want to apply your degree to industry and you’re applying to a school that reveres academia (you can usually tell by just asking around), then keep your career aspirations more general. For example, if you’re applying to a science-based graduate program, say you’ll apply your degree toward becoming a better scientist, and be sure to go along with this during your interview.)

In either of these two paragraphs, you should mention the name of the school you are applying to. And remember to change the institution’s name for each application! Moreover, you want to “show” the school that you’ve put some thought into why you are applying to spend 4-7+ years at their institution. Here’s an example of personalization in the second-to-last paragraph:

As a graduate student in Berkeley’s History Department, I would be interested in working with Dr. Dana Sil to explore peace and conflict in the Middle East.

And here’s an example of personalization in the very last paragraph:

A well-rounded program such as the Molecular Cell Biology Program at Harvard University would be the ideal place for me to train and continue my exploration into the molecular world.

A full-length sample statement of purpose

Below is an example of a full-length statement of purpose based on the outline presented earlier.

While at the University of California, San Diego, I completed a double major in Molecular Cellular Biology (MCB) and Pharmacology. With Pharmacology, I sought a molecular explanation for the chemical and disease interface, while with MCB I delved deeper into understanding the basic biology that supports life. I first considered academic research after taking a class with Dr. Ray Goodman on Microbiology because I enjoyed the laboratory portion of the class and working with various organisms. After the class ended, I asked Dr. Goodman’s graduate student, Lana Garcia, for an opportunity to work with her on the molecular mechanism of biofilm formation in Streptococcus pneumoniae .

S. pneumonia is a Gram positive, facultative anaerobic bacterium that grows in biofilms and can lead to deadly infections in children and the elderly. For three years, I worked with Lana to uncover the key molecular players that regulate S. pneumonia biofilm formation using genetic knockouts and a novel biofilm formation assay that I helped design. Our work resulted in the identification of Hdp1, a protein found in the cell wall, as a key component of biofilm formation. The work was published in the September 2014 issue of Cell . I had the opportunity to present findings at the American Society for Microbiology’s (ASM) Annual Meeting in 2014 and at a few local conferences. In order to support the expenses associated with my research, I applied for and was awarded ASM’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship along with several travel grants. I enjoyed the independence I was given to conduct research and design experiments, but I was curious about the application of basic science findings to drug design in a corporate setting.

For the past two years, I have been working on an independent research project in Dr. Smith’s lab where I am applying high-throughput drug screens to identify new drugs for Coccidioides immitis , the fungus that causes Valley fever. My efforts have resulted in the identification of a new drug, and with the application of genetic and biochemical methods, I have identified the biofilm-inducing gene Xdt3 as the drug target. I am currently preparing a manuscript for publication. I have also contributed to multiple other projects in the lab involving the basic biology behind C. immitis growth and spore formation. These works have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and mBio . Throughout my time at the Smith lab, I have had opportunities to present my work at several local and national meetings, including ASM’s Annual Meeting in 2017. This experience solidified my passion for pharmacology and microbiology and helped me gain insight into academic life.

After working on therapeutic applications of microbiology for years, I have decided to pursue the field from a basic science standpoint. As a Ph.D. student, I aim to study the molecular mechanisms that are involved in disease states of microorganisms. I am excited by Dr. Dale Heart’s work on the mechanism of the switch made by Histoplasma capsulatum from the filamentous soil form to the pathogenic yeast form. I am also interested in Dr. Pablo Ruiz’s work on the gut microbiome as well as Dr. Tina Johnson’s work on host-pathogen interactions. Working in these three professors’ laboratories and others in your program would be an ideal next step for me to apply my background in microbiology and drug discovery to basic science projects.

Beyond graduate school, I hope to pursue a career in academia studying the molecular mechanism behind disease-causing microorganisms. I highly regard basic science and its application to improve human health.  A well-rounded program such as the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard University would be an excellent place for me to train and continue my exploration into the molecular world.

Final thoughts

Our final tip is that once you’ve written your statement of purpose, be sure that things you mention in it come up in your CV, your Letters of Recommendation, and any other part of your application. Remember, you want to submit a cohesive application where each component reinforces the other and important experiences or accomplishments are repeated across multiple components of your application. Doing so will not only help your reviewers walk away remembering key pieces about you, but it will also validate your accomplishments.

(Note: If a program requests both documents, you should not follow the advice in this question. Instead, you must write two separate essays for that program.).

Let’s start with the introduction. Whereas you wrote your statement of purpose concisely and to the point, your personal statement should have an introduction that will hook the reader while introducing an important aspect of your background or personality.

The most effective and creative way to engage your reader right away is by starting your introduction in media res , which is Latin for “in the middle of things.” You can tell a story about an obstacle you’ve overcome or a moment that highlights why you want to study X. Either of these personal stories can be turned into a theme that ties together experiences you shared in your statement of purpose, as well as extracurricular experiences you’ll be sharing in your personal statement.

Once you have a theme, simply go through your statement of purpose and insert commentary that ties back to the theme or uses it as a transition from one experience or paragraph to the next.

Perhaps you have not had to overcome any major obstacles in your life that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree in your chosen field. In that case, you may highlight other personal experiences, such as something interesting about your family background or efforts to support individuals who are less fortunate than you to develop a theme.

For example, let’s say that during college you were a volunteer psychology tutor for local high school students.  Now, you’re applying to a Ph.D. program in Psychology. Draw from your volunteer experience to connect with the reader and introduce your intentions for graduate studies in Psychology. It can be something as simple as the moment when you explained a difficult concept to a student. Here, your theme will be teaching and/or mentorship. Throughout your personal statement, you can talk about opportunities you’ve had to teach and mentor, as well as the great mentors who have guided you throughout your academic journey.

Alternatively, you can get “personal” by discussing experiences that highlight your reasons for pursuing your field of interest in more depth. However, it’s more difficult to achieve uniqueness with this approach because most graduate students in your field will share similar experiences, rendering your story cliché. Set your story apart from others by being more descriptive, starting in media res , and connecting with the reader through creative writing in your introduction. However, if you’ve had an extraordinary experience like discovering your love for architecture through a relative who took you on tours of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings or a curiosity in environmental biology from a visit to a disaster site caused by Hurricane Katrina, that could serve as the foundation for an engaging personal statement introduction. From there, identify a lesson or theme from your experience that has resonated throughout all of your other experiences, such as triumph, curiosity, determination, etc. 

Whether it’s an obstacle you’ve overcome, a volunteer experience, or a unique circumstance that sparked your passion, the end goal of your personal statement is to tug at the heartstrings of your reader and convince them that you are a great candidate for their graduate program.

A full-length sample personal statement

We’ve taken the statement of purpose example from above and modified it into a personal statement. The theme is a scientific interest in microbiology and biofilms (a phenomenon in microbiology where single-celled organisms work together to create an impenetrable multicellular complex) sparked by a family tragedy (modified text in bold).

Crouched over in the only chair in my father’s room at the Intensive Care Unit of St. Mary’s Hospital, all I could think about was how a common fungus could cause so much harm. My father had recently undergone a simple procedure that required the use of a central venous catheter to deliver medication. Without our knowledge, this catheter was the perfect site for the common yeast Candida albicans to transform and build a biofilm, which in turn caused my father to have a systemic fungal infection. How could a single cellular organism switch and create a multicellular complex? How is it that modern medicine does not have apt tools and techniques for detecting and treating such infections? After watching my father survive this ordeal, I went back to college with my view of single-celled organisms, microbiology, and medicine forever changed.

I am fascinated with understanding the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation, its role in disease, and the translation of such science to drug development. While at the University of California, San Diego, I completed a double major in Molecular Cellular Biology (MCB) and Pharmacology. With Pharmacology, I sought a molecular explanation for the chemical and disease interface, while with MCB I delved deeper into understanding the basic biology that supports life. I first considered academic research after taking a class with Dr. Ray Goodman on Microbiology because I enjoyed the laboratory portion of the class and working with various organisms. After the class ended, I asked Dr. Goodman’s graduate student, Lana Garcia, for an opportunity to work with her on the molecular mechanism of biofilm formation in Streptococcus pneumoniae .

S. pneumonia is a Gram positive, facultative anaerobic bacterium that grows in biofilms and can lead to deadly infections in children and the elderly. For three years, I worked with Lana to uncover the key molecular players that regulate S. pneumonia biofilm formation using genetic knockouts and a novel biofilm formation assay that I helped design. Our work resulted in the identification of Hdp1, a protein found in the cell wall, as a key component of biofilm formation. The work was published in the September 2014 issue of Cell . I had the opportunity to present findings at the American Society for Microbiology’s (ASM) Annual Meeting in 2014 and at a few local conferences. In order to support the expenses associated with my research, I applied for and was awarded ASM’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship along with several travel grants. I enjoyed the independence I was given to conduct research and design experiments.

Aside from my work in the laboratory, I spent two years of my undergraduate career starting the Bench to Bedside Education Initiative (BBEI). BBEI brings together nurses and doctors from our local hospital as well as scientists of all levels to an annual symposium to exchange information on procedures and scientific findings with the goal of helping each party walk away having learned something they can take back to their daily work. I started BBEI because I felt there was knowledge about biofilm formation that I was learning in the laboratory that could be translated to procedural changes at local hospitals in an effort to prevent systemic fungal infections. I have fundraised over $20,000 for BBEI and launched a website with resources and example lessons that BBEI symposium attendees have learned from each other. My work with BBEI sparked my interest in human biology and the pharmaceutical industry, which prompted me to explore cancer biology and drug development in a corporate setting.  

In order to experience applied research, I held a summer internship at Amgen, where I worked on a protein involved in cancer metastasis. Through this experience, I learned the process by which basic science is used to understand the molecular biology of cancer and, along with chemistry and pharmacology, how this knowledge can be applied to create a drug. At the end of my internship, I presented my findings to the Amgen scientists. I enjoyed studying the basic biology involved in early-phase drug discovery and the application of chemistry and pharmacology to translating basic science into a pharmaceutical application.   However, I wanted to continue pursuing my passion for biofilm-based diseases . Thus, I decided to further explore this strategy after college and learn more about infectious diseases in an academic setting, which led to my current position in Dr. Anna Smith’s Lab at Harvard University as a Research Associate.

For the past two years, I have been working on an independent research project in Dr. Smith’s lab where I am applying high-throughput drug screens to identify new drugs for Coccidioides immitis , a biofilm-forming fungus that causes Valley fever. My efforts have resulted in the identification of a new drug, and with the application of genetic and biochemical methods, I have identified the biofilm-inducing gene Xdt3 as the drug target. I am currently preparing a manuscript for publication. I have also contributed to multiple other projects in the lab involving the basic biology behind C. immitis growth and spore formation. These works have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and mBio . Throughout my time at the Smith lab, I have had opportunities to present my work at several local and national meetings, including ASM’s Annual Meeting in 2017. This experience solidified my passion for pharmacology and microbiology and helped me gain insight into academic life.

The ordeal my family overcame with my father’s two-month battle to survive a systemic fungal infection started by a biofilm sparked my passion for science, and ultimately, it has fueled my academic interest in the basic biology of this mysterious phenomenon in microbiology. Beyond graduate school, I hope to pursue a career in academia studying the molecular mechanism behind disease-causing microorganisms. I highly regard basic science and its application to improve human health. A well-rounded program such as the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program at Harvard University would be an excellent place for me to train and continue my exploration into the molecular world.

Whom to ask for a letter of recommendation

Here’s a simple rule: If you’ve mentioned a certain individual in your statement of purpose, then it’s best to have a letter from them. However, if you can’t get a letter from them directly, then mention the person you are getting a letter from somewhere in your statement of purpose. For instance, if the professor you worked with is too busy and the graduate student you worked with is writing your rec letter, then be sure to mention the graduate student’s name in your statement of purpose. Doing so will serve the following two purposes:

Help the admissions committee connect the letter to your story

Validate the experience you mention in the statement of purpose by having someone back it up with a letter. This repetition of the experience outside of your CV and statement of purpose will help the experience stick with the admissions committee and leave them with a third form of validation to highlight its importance. As mentioned previously, this kind of repetition makes for a cohesive application.

Some professors might ask you to write your own letter of recommendation. If at all possible, avoid this situation. Applicant-written letters can be spotted a mile away and look bad for the applicant. If possible, ask a postdoctoral fellow or a graduate student working with the professor to write the letter for you and ask that the professor co-sign the letter.

How to ask for a letter of recommendation

Be sure to provide letter writers with a copy of your statement of purpose. If that’s not possible, give your recommenders a quick description of what you’ll be mentioning about them—and your work with them—so they know what to address in their letter. If you want your letter writer to mention something specific, like a publication that is still in the works or an outstanding personal quality, then make sure you explicitly ask them to do so. Most importantly, provide your recommenders with an updated CV. This can serve as a gentle reminder of your accomplishments and gives your recommendation letter writer something to work with.

Request letters of recommendation at least two months in advance in order to give writers plenty of time to produce a great letter. Your initial request should be somewhat formal and include a question to improve your odds of receiving a response.

Here’s an example of an email you could send to request a letter of recommendation:

Dear Dr. Goodman,

I hope all is well with you. On my end, I’ve been keeping busy with senior year courses and my work in the Smith Lab.

After years of research and the experience I gained in your laboratory, I’m confident in my decision to pursue a Ph.D. In fact, I’ll be applying to graduate programs this upcoming December.

As part of my application, I’d like to include a recommendation letter from you because my experience conducting research in your laboratory under your mentorship has thoroughly prepared me for this next step. Would you write a letter of reference highlighting my work in your lab? Letters are due by December 15th.

If so, I’d appreciate it if you would focus on my work with Lana on discovering Hdp1, the resulting publications (published and unpublished), fellowship grant, and talks at conferences.

Of course, I can provide you with my CV, statement of purpose, and more information regarding the schools, programs, etc. upon your agreement.

Thanks for considering to help.

Dan Nakamura

Note that the student does not give all the information in the initial email. This provides an opportunity for a follow-up email with dates, schools, CV, and a statement of purpose, which buys the student time to get those in order and, more importantly, serves as a reminder for the faculty to write the letter. Also, note the student asks specifically for what he would like mentioned in the letter.

You should send each recommender a reminder one month before the due date as well as two weeks before the due date. If your writers have not submitted their recommendation letter a week before the due date, another reminder should be sent out.

Recommendation letter reminders should be sent via email as a reply to the original email because folks are more likely to read an email if there is a “Re:” in the subject line. For example:

Hi Dr. Goodman

I’m checking in to see whether you’ve had a chance to write my letter of recommendation for graduate school. It’s due in two weeks (December 15) and the application website notes that you have not yet submitted it.

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Thanks again,

You can also send your recommendation letter writers ultra-gentle reminders by sending them an attachment they didn’t have before (e.g., your updated statement of purpose). For example:

I hope you’re doing well. Just wanted to send along the final version of my statement of purpose so you’re aware of exactly what I mention about my experience in your lab.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Whether applying to a program or a specific laboratory, you will most likely have to interview as part of your graduate school admissions process.

You should aim to achieve the following two goals during your interviews:

Getting your interviewers to like you (see our articles on medical school admissions interviews for more information on how to accomplish this: Article 1 & Article 2 )

Continue reinforcing the main points from the rest of your application, especially your statement of purpose, to ensure you leave your interviewers with your intended impression (see The Cohesive Application section, above, for more information).

You will receive a call, email, or both inviting you to an interview. Regardless of the medium, be pleasant, convey enthusiasm, and express appreciation. And regardless of how or by whom you’re contacted, accept the interview offer as soon as possible to demonstrate your excitement. This advice applies for your dream schools and backup schools. You want to keep all of your options open.

Preparing for your interview

Before your interview date, practice talking about your past and current work with friends and mentors, and come up with a well-rehearsed sound bite for each experience. The sound bite will come in handy when you’re meeting other interviewees and current graduate students at mixers, as well as when you draw a blank during an interview. Most importantly, when practicing discussing your past and current work, ask your friends and mentors to follow up with questions. This way, you will get an idea of the areas of your work that require further explanation and, more importantly, you’ll get used to answering questions on the fly.

When it comes time for the real interview, how well you explain your past work will be a key factor in whether admissions committees see you as a strong fit at their graduate programs. To do this effectively, you’ll want to set up your experience discussions with background, the problem, the method, your findings, and associated accomplishments. Sound familiar? All of this information is contained in your statement of purpose, so just practice “talking” about what you wrote with another human being who can ask you to elaborate when needed.

For example, if we were to turn the very last experience from the example statement of purpose above into an interview answer, it would go something like this:

“After graduating from undergrad, I spent two years in Dr. Smith’s lab at Harvard applying my expertise in microbiology to Coccidioides immitis . C. immitis is the fungus that causes Valley fever in folks across the United States; however, there are no specific drugs for this fungus. Instead, patients are given general antifungals. In order to create a C. immitis -specific drug, we took advantage of the fungus’s ability to form multicellular biofilms and used genetic knockout libraries of the fungus assayed in our novel assay to identify Xdt3 as a drug target. We then applied high-throughput drug screens to discovery a new drug that targets the C. immitis gene Xdt3 and nothing else. Although I am currently preparing a manuscript for the bulk of this work, I did contribute to multiple other projects involving C. immitis basc biology that have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and mBio .”

Ahead of each school’s interview, review your application and prepare to discuss your research. Don’t waste time skimming over the latest publications so you have something interesting to talk about. Your work is plenty interesting and, as the expert on it, you should have much to discuss about it. Moreover, some schools will hand you a packet containing your interview schedule the night before the big day. Don’t waste your evening reading through every recent article the professor who is interviewing you has published. Instead, quickly skim their lab website so you’re aware enough of their work to ask intelligent questions when they talk about it. This effort should take no more than 30 minutes for each faculty interviewer. Spend the rest of your evening relaxing and resting for the busy day ahead.

Acing your actual interview

During each interview, be polite, open-minded, and–most importantly—be yourself. You are interviewing the program as much as they are interviewing you. Therefore, you want to make sure the graduate students you meet have the types of personalities you like to see in individuals you’re working with and are on similar career trajectories to the ones you’re interested in. In addition, note which professors you get along with naturally during your interview and why. Moreover, be open to learning about areas of work that you aren’t necessarily interested in.

Although schools do their best to match students with interviewers based on shared interests, they may also include interviewers outside of your field of interest. Don’t be intimidated by such “outside interviewers” and feel free to ask them about their research. By doing so, you’ll demonstrate your curiosity and openness to learning about new fields.

Remember also that you are being interviewed throughout the interview day, from the morning breakfast to the evening party with current graduate students. In addition to being polite, make sure to manage your drinking and behavior. This is not the time to share your wild side.

Lastly, you want to come across as a determined, self-motivated, passionate, and interesting potential graduate student who is also easy to talk to. Therefore, feel free to express enthusiasm about your past work when discussing a particular experience. Moreover, when asking your interviewer questions, look and sound interested while listening to their answers (most likely you will be, and fake it if you’re not). You can demonstrate interest in the following ways:

Nod as they talk about their work

Ask questions about their work. A great starting question to ask, especially if you don’t know what that professor studies, is the following: Would you tell me about an active project or two that you are pursuing?

Ask questions about the methods they use in their work. This is a great way to ask questions about a field you’re unfamiliar with but a method you know

Ask questions about the field to learn something from your interview experience. However, be sure to mention to the interviewer that you are unfamiliar with the specific field so they can explain it at the appropriate level.

For example, if your interest is in physical chemistry and the professor you’re interviewing with focuses on developing battery technology, ask them to explain the challenges with current battery technology and how their work addresses those challenges.

Feel free to ask a question at the end of your interview that aims to solicit advice from interviewers with whom you’ve built good rapport.

For example, a non-academic question that’s often well-received is, “What have you observed to be a common struggle among first-year graduate students, and how would you advise someone in my position to avoid such issues?”

Save more general, program-level questions (e.g., “What do you think are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of this program?”) for current graduate students you speak with during interview day.

It’s easy to notice how well you can demonstrate your enthusiasm, passion, and curiosity with questions. And although you may have never thought about how to ask excellent questions, doing so simply requires practice, like any other skill.

Because you may be rusty for your first interview, do your best to schedule one of your backup schools before heading into your dream school’s interview. That way, you can get some official practice under your belt and boost your odds of getting into your top-choice programs.

How to follow up after your interview

The day after your interview, you should email the professors and graduate students who interviewed you and thank them for their time. If any great academic or program-level questions that you forgot to ask come to mind, ask them at this point. Be sure not to come off like you assume you’re in the program. Exhibit humility and courtesy in your email.

Question: How long should my statement of purpose be?

Answer: Many schools will provide a specific character or word limit. However, when a program does not specify length, aim to write somewhere between 500 to 1000 words.

It’s generally better to write concisely than in a long-winded way. Moreover, there’s no need to worry if you don’t use the entire allotted space. As long as you have clearly explained your past work and why you want to graduate school, you’re all set.

Question: How should I discuss a challenge I have had to overcome during my undergraduate years that affected my grades or work?

Answer: Some applications extend the opportunity to discuss circumstances that have impacted your academic work. These opportunities typically come in the form of a short write-in answer that is separate from your statement of purpose.

However, if there’s no such “Additional Comments” section in some of your applications, be prepared to concisely mention in your statement of purpose what the obstacle was. More specifically, you can include this information in your second paragraph when you mention how you got started in your field as an undergraduate student.

(Note: Simply achieving lower-than-expected grades at some point in college does not justify you discussing your challenges. Most students in this position want to “explain” away poor grades and/or GRE scores due to poor adjustment to college, inadequate study time, or something else. These types of explanations won’t work in your favor, so you should only discuss your challenges if they were largely outside your control.)

Question: What should I bring with me during my graduate school interviews?

Here’s a short list of must-have items for all of your interviews:

Comfortable shoes: You’ll be doing a lot of walking!

Notebook and pen: You never know when you’ll need to jot down a note or explain a complex theory or formula by writing it out for your interviewer.

Three copies of your CV: Only offer these if your interviewer explicitly asks for it or if they mention that they have not seen your application.

Water and snack: Most programs offer coffee and snacks throughout interview day. However, you’ll need to stay hydrated and, if you’re the type of person who gets “hangry,” it helps to have a small snack to get you through your interviews. This final bullet underscores a larger important point: Interview days can be mentally and physically taxing, so make sure to listen to your body and take care of yourself.

Statement of Purpose Examples: Two Graduate Applications

Applying to graduate school excites and challenges applicants. It demands a Statement of Purpose (SOP) that weaves your academic journey, professional goals, and unique contributions into a compelling narrative. Far from a mere formality, the SOP serves as your distinct voice among countless applicants, telling your unique story. This article presents expert feedback on two real student statement of purpose examples, guiding you to craft your standout document.

Successful Statement of Purpose Examples

We’ve curated a special feature to guide you through crafting a statement of purpose that stands out. We present two SOPs from graduate students each embarking on distinct academic adventures. Their stories are annotated with expert feedback from our seasoned admissions consultants.

Statement of Purpose #1: First, this SOP for SUNY Buffalo explores finance, showcasing a passion for financial markets and their global impact. It recounts overcoming challenges and making innovative contributions to financial econometrics, highlighting resilience and curiosity. Our experts spotlight its strengths, including a strong narrative and detailed examples, and suggest areas for refinement to enhance clarity and impact.

Statement of Purpose #2: Secondly, this statement of purpose for Tufts explores international affairs, showing a dedication to ethical global development and security. It traces the applicant’s journey from a pivotal experience in Nicaragua to a dedicated career in development and security. Our experts emphasize the engaging storytelling and focused narrative, recommending adjustments for consistency and depth to boost its persuasive impact.

Elevating Your SOP: Expertise and Support at Your Fingertips

At Magoosh, we understand the critical role a statement of purpose plays in your graduate school application. As such, we have personal experience writing successful SOPs for our own graduate applications. Whether you’re navigating the complexities of financial markets or aspiring to make a global impact in international affairs, our guidance is designed to highlight your unique story and academic ambitions.

In conclusion, writing a statement of purpose can be overwhelming. However, with the right guidance and resources, your SOP can make your potential and aspirations shine. Explore our blog, engage with our experts, and let us help you articulate your purpose with conviction and clarity. Consider a Magoosh Premium Plan to access even more expert help with the GRE and your graduate application. Your dream graduate program is within reach, and your story deserves to be heard.

Jen has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and is a PhD candidate in U.S. History at Emory University. She’s worked in education, test prep, and admissions for over 12 years and has helped thousands of students in that time.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 9 steps to write a great statement of purpose for grad school.

Need to write a graduate school statement of purpose, but not sure where to start? Let us guide you through how to write a statement of purpose for grad school!

We’ll go over what a statement of purpose, or letter of intent, for grad school is and how it’s different from other admissions essays like personal statements. Then we’ll discuss what schools are looking for in a statement of purpose for graduate school. Finally, we’ll give advice on how to write one!

What Is a Grad School Statement of Purpose?

If you’re on this page, you probably know that a statement of purpose (AKA a letter of intent) is an essay requested by lots of graduate programs as part of their application process. But there’s more to it than that.

A statement of purpose is where you tell the admissions committee why you’re interested in a particular graduate program, the kind of work you plan on doing when you’re there, and why you in particular should be doing that work.  At more research-focused programs, like PhDs, the graduate school statement of purpose will be focused on your research skills and interests. At more professionally-focused programs, like MPPs and MBAs, the statement will more closely address your professional skills and goals.

It’s important to note that a statement of purpose is not the same thing as a personal statement. What’s the difference? Well, a grad school statement of purpose is more closely focused on your academic/professional qualities, accomplishments, and goals, while a personal statement is more concerned with you as an overall person. Personal statements allow for you to be more personal. There’s definitely some overlap in that both will expect you to address your goals and interests in the field, but a statement of purpose generally has a slightly tighter focus.

Of course, the demarcation between a statement of a purpose and a personal statement won’t always be hard-and-fast. Some programs will call the essay that they want a personal statement, but most of the questions they offer to guide you are academic/professional. Others will ask for a statement of purpose but provide sample essays laden with personal anecdotes and experiences. Still others will ask for a “personal statement/statement of purpose.” Graduate school admissions processes are, alas, not totally consistent across programs even within the same field.

You can allow the information available on the admissions website to guide the direction of your graduate school statement of purpose. However, if they don’t provide further specifications, the general scheme holds: A statement of purpose = tight focus on academic work/research and a personal statement = broader picture of you as a person (including academic goals).

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Some programs ask for a graduate school letter of intent instead of an essay. A letter of intent for graduate school is very similar to a statement of purpose in content and focus. You’ll just structure it a little more like an actual letter by addressing your writing to the admissions committee and signing your name.

What Are Schools Looking for in a Statement of Purpose?

Now that we’ve provided a brief overview of what a statement of purpose is, let’s consider what programs are looking for in a statement of purpose or grad school letter of intent more specifically. There may be some small variation in what different programs are looking for; you should consult any available guidelines for each program. However, here are the specific elements that most graduate programs will be looking for in a statement of purpose:

Your Research and Professional Interests

One of the main things programs will be looking for in your graduate school statement of purpose is a description of the research and/or professional interests you want to develop in their program. For a research-focused program (like pretty much all PhDs and some master’s programs), you’ll target this more specifically to the research projects you would like to do while you there.

For more professionally-focused graduate programs, there may not be much a built-in research component. In this case, focus more on your specific interests within the degree field and what related skills you’re trying to build through the program.

It’s best to be as specific as possible in discussing what interests you. Don’t be vague or say that everything in the field appeals to you. This will make you seem both unfocused and boring. Instead, use particular examples of situations or phenomena that you find exciting. You want everything about your grad school statement of purpose to be intriguing and memorable!

Don’t worry that your statement of purpose will box you into a particular research area. Admissions committees understand that interests change, especially as you become more immersed in a field. However, having a focused plan helps reassure admissions committees that you are motivated and will actually be able to complete the program.

How Your Background Qualifies You

The next essential component admissions offices will be looking for is evidence of how your background qualifies you to pursue this particular field and area of interest (and research area if applicable). What brought you to these particular interests? You can describe your undergraduate studies, relevant professional experience, any major projects you’ve worked on, papers you’ve written, talks you’ve given, mentors you’ve worked with, and so on. Don’t just tell the admissions committees what makes you particularly suited to what you’re pursuing—show it with specific, vivid examples.

A Track Record of Success

Admissions committees will also be looking for a proven record of academic and personal success. Your accomplishments will almost certainly overlap with your background and qualifications. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to emphasize major accomplishments that highlight your ability to succeed in the rigorous graduate school environment!

What Interests You in the Program

At every program you’re applying to, you should be able to speak to particular things about that program that appeal to you. Are there specific professors you want to work with? Does the department have a specific focus that gels well with yours? Is there something special or particular about the curriculum you’re excited to take advantage of?

You should also demonstrate how you (and your research/work) fit in with the program. Why is it a match? What do you bring? Again, admissions committees will want you to show, not tell.

Your Passion for the Field

Admissions officers will also be looking for you to show genuine passion for your field and research/professional area of interest. Why are you planning on devoting your life to this thing? Remain professional, but communicate your excitement!

It’s become a common refrain, but be specific. You won’t stand out—at least not in a good way—if you write things that are vague, cliche, and/or grandiose. Stay away from things like “I love engineering,” or “Ever since I was a child I knew I wanted to be a lawyer.”

And don’t just say that you’re interested in disease pathology because you want to help people or save the world. It’s fine to mention an altruistic motive, but you should be specific and particular when articulating what you’re passionate about within your field. So instead, say something like “Volunteering with HIV-positive individuals in a community program impressed upon me the critical importance of improving our understanding of HIV. I feel driven to work towards improved treatments with fewer side effects.”

Your Writing Skills

Graduate school invariably involves writing, and usually lots of it. Admissions committees will be looking to your statement of purpose (and any other writing you submit with your application) to make sure you have the writing skills necessarily to succeed in a graduate program. So you want your statement to be well-organized and clearly communicate your ideas. Admissions committees will also be looking for your statement of purpose to be descriptive but concise; a statement of purpose for graduate school shouldn’t be longer than two pages even if there’s no hard word limit. You also want your writing style to stand out. While you shouldn’t use an overly familiar tone, you also don’t want to be too staid and buttoned-up. You definitely don’t want to bore anyone reading your essay!

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Grad School

When you sit down to write your statement of purpose, there are two major components to consider: content (what you’re going to say) and style (how you’re going to say it). Content is what makes up the underlying bones of your statement of purpose/letter of intent. Graduate schools care about both content and style, but during the writing process, it makes sense to focus first on content and then consider style more closely when you know what you want to say.

This nine-step guide will walk you through how to write a statement of purpose for grad school.

Step 1: Brainstorming

The first step is to generate ideas for what to include in your grad school statement of purpose. This should include many of the elements we addressed in the previous section. As you brainstorm, it’s fine to start with more general statements and ideas and then hone in on more specific examples to include in your statement. But thinking of specific examples in advance will make writing the actual statement of purpose much easier!

There are many brainstorming methods you could consider. Some people like making lists while others prefer to just free-write paragraphs. Some would rather draw a mind map or even make voice memos. Just so long as it helps you record the information and get your brain going, any method is fine.

Here are some things to consider in your brainstorming session, with brainstorming questions for each:

Your research/professional interests in the field

• What interests you most in your field? Consider what you’ve researched/done before, and how closely you want your future interests to hew to what you’ve done in the past.
• Are there particular themes, methods, theories, etc. that interest you?
• What problems are you hoping to solve or address through your work/future career?

Your research/professional background and qualifications

• What major projects have you worked on? Did you write a thesis? Do an amazing internship? Work on a research project? Build an app? Create a curriculum? Have clinical experience?
• Have you presented at any conferences? Do you have any papers published?
• If you have work experience, how is it relevant to your program? What competencies and skills did you build there that carry over to your planned research/work?

Your major accomplishments

• Any major accomplishments not covered in your background/qualifications? Try to tie them back to your ability to succeed in graduate school and your specific research/professional endeavors.

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What’s appealing about the specific programs you’re applying to

• Are there specific professors you want to work with?
• Do they have resources especially suited to your research/professional interests? Like particular classes or special programs?
• How will your work fit there?

Why you’re passionate about the field

• What made you initially interested?
• What goals are you passionate about accomplishing?
• What do you find particularly fascinating or intriguing in your field?

Weaknesses to address

Are there any weaknesses in your application you need to address? If you have a semester with very low grades or another “hole” in your application, you can address it directly in your statement of purpose. Graduate schools won’t want excuses, but it’s fine to provide some kind of explanation: were you dealing with a family emergency or chronic illness? Did you need to work full-time and go to school full-time? Whatever you write, try to frame it in positive terms, to emphasize your ultimate success in the face of setbacks.

If you find yourself struggling to generate ideas for any of the above areas, there are a few things you could do. You could look at old papers and projects you’ve turned in. You could also speak to mentors and friends. They’ll remember amazing things you’ve done and should talk about in your application.

It’s also a good idea to discuss your graduate school statement of purpose with a professor in your field of interest. They are likely to have a good idea what graduate programs and looking for and can help you generate and hone ideas.

Step 2: Outline

Next, you’ll want to select your most impactful ideas and examples from your brainstorming session and arrange them into an outline. Highlight the overall points you want to make and the examples that go with each of those points. Try to arrange your points in an order that flows logically.

However, don’t get too hung up on the details for your initial outline. It’s better to keep moving with a rough plan than to be paralyzed early in the process!

Step 3: First Draft

Next, with the help of your outline, you’ll write your first draft. Don’t feel like your first draft has to be application-ready. In fact, your very first draft doesn’t have to be ready for anyone’s eyes but your own. The purpose of this draft is to get your initial thoughts on paper. It’s fine to focus more on content than style. Hammer out your main points, and don’t worry too much about word limit yet (although you will have to cut down to 1-2 pages at most for your final statement of purpose).

Step 4: Initial Edit

Once you have a first draft, you’ll want to make a first editing pass through yourself to tighten things up. Try to make sure that your writing flows logically and start to cut points that seem less relevant. You don’t need to make your statement of purpose perfect right now on your first editing pass, but try to refine it into something you’re comfortable sharing with others.

Make sure that the following critical points are coming through clearly:

• Your research/professional interests
• Your qualifications and accomplishments
• Why you’re interested in the particular program

If you’re feeling lost or stuck, it’s fine to move on to step 5 and solicit some feedback from others.

Step 5: Get Feedback

Now that you have a workable draft, it’s time to get feedback from other people—preferably people familiar with the graduate school admissions process. They can read your statement of purpose and give you advice on the clarity and organization of your ideas. They can help you figure out if you’ve framed your examples correctly and advise where you need to further develop ideas.

It’s a good idea to have several people look at your draft. You don’t necessarily need to accept every piece of writing advice from every person who looks at your essay. However, if multiple people give a similar piece of feedback, you should probably take that advice.

Step 6: Edit Again

Next, you’ll revise your graduate school statement of purpose again based on the feedback you received from others. Now you should try to really tighten things up and think about how the final product will be received by the admissions committee. Make sure all of your examples and points are well-organized, concise, and impactful. Bring your statement under the word limit.

Step 7: Make It Sparkle

As you work on finishing up your statement of purpose for graduate school, you want to really go the extra mile on making your statement stand out. So make the following stylistic tweaks:

Make sure your opening sentences are attention-grabbing (in a good way)! Starting with a cliche, a generalization or another boring statement will disengage your readers right from the start, which is the last thing you want. Here are some cliches to avoid:

• Don’t start with a quote unless it’s somehow very directly linked to your research interests. Admissions committees are interested in your thoughts and insights; borrowing the insights of others can make you seem intellectually lazy.
• Don’t start with “Ever since I was a child, I wanted to…” This is a hugely overused beginning and also says nothing about you as a person now, which is what programs are interested in.
• Avoid starting with an overly broad or vague statement, like “I love science” or “I was born to be a lawyer.” You want to engage readers from the very first sentence, and since everyone applying to the program presumably loves science or wants to be a lawyer (etc), you’ll make yourself seem generic.

Of course, you should avoid platitudes and cliches throughout your writing, not just in the introduction. Try to replace cliche phrases like “Achilles heel,” “wake-up call,” “right up my alley,” and so on with more vivid and memorable language.

Make sure you’re using active voice instead of passive voice in your writing. So instead of “I was told by my professor…” try “My professor told me…”

Avoid overly informal language, contractions, and slang.

The first time you use an acronym, spell out what it is.

Step 8: Get Feedback Again

Now that you have a fairly polished second draft, hand it around for another round of feedback. You can ask more specifically for writing-style based feedback at this point if you would like.

Step 9: Final Tweaks

After you get your last round of comments from your readers, it’s time for the final tweaks. Incorporate any comments you want to address. Fix any punctuation, grammar, or spelling mistakes. Reading your entire essay out loud is a good technique as it will allow you to catch mistakes more easily and point to places where the text may sound awkward.

Once you’ve put on the final finishing touches, you’re ready to submit your graduate school statement of purpose!

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The Keys to a Great Graduate School Statement of Purpose

A graduate school statement of purpose serves to introduce your research/professional skills and interests to the programs you’re applying for. It’s more tightly focused on your academic and professional life than you as an overall person.

Here are the key ingredients committees will be looking for in your graduate school statement of purpose:

• A clear articulation of your research and/or professional interests (whichever is more applicable to the program)
• What qualifies you for the program (and for any proposed research)
• Examples of your professional/academic success
• Your interest in the features of a particular department/program
• A deep level of passion for the field
• Skillful writing!

And here’s a nine-step process to writing one:

• Brainstorm: Brainstorm ideas and examples for all of the essential ingredients mentioned above
• Outline: Arrange the best ideas from your brainstorm into a loose outline
• First draft: Write a rough first draft. Focus on getting ideas onto paper.
• First edit: Make a pass through to clean up your thoughts and ideas.
• Ask for feedback: Ask mentors and people you trust to look over your draft and give feedback.
• Second edit: Incorporate feedback and tighten everything up into a more cohesive piece of writing.
• Make it sparkle: Hone in on writing style concerns. Make sure your language is lively, concise, and effective.
• Get feedback again: Get a final round of feedback. This can focus more on style issues if you’d like.
• Make final tweaks: Address any comments from your readers and make sure your statement is error-free!

What’s Next?

Need more information about graduate school ? If you’re wondering what GPA you need for grad school , if you have to take the GRE , or how long a master’s program is , we can help!

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Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

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Statement of purpose (SOP) done right! [with Samples]

Statement of Purpose (SOP) or Personal Statement forms a crucial element of the graduate school application process. For the uninitiated, a Statement of Purpose is an essay that introduces YOU to the Admissions Review Committee (AdCom). It contains your accomplishments, career plans, and reasoning of why you think a particular graduate program is the ‘right fit’ for you. 

Nearly every respectable graduate program in the world, be it a Master of Science, Engineering Management, MiM or MBA requires applicants to submit a Statement of Purpose while applying.

The AdComs put a lot of value on a candidate’s SOP, evaluating their ‘intent for applying to that program’ and whether it resonates with the University’s mission and objectives.

Jared Pierce, associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

Clearly then, you will have to construct your statement of purpose which tells your “story” rather than list out your “achievements”

So, how do the applicants go about writing the SOP? Which experiences are viewed favorably by the AdCom, and what should be avoided. In this blogpost, I touch upon the effective strategies that if adopted, can transform your SOP into your story.

STEP – I: Decoding the types

Let’s start by clearing out a few things about the Statement of Purpose. They go by different names — Personal statement, letter of intent, letter of motivation, mission statement, elevator pitch, video sop…. The list is too long! Each of them serves a different purpose and should be written within the frameworks of the university guidelines.

Perhaps the first step you should do before you start writing your SOP is to prepare an outline and use it as a roadmap.

To be honest, this is not a very popular step with most of the students. They imagine that this “extra” step will add time and complicate their application process when in fact, creating an outline can not only help streamline one’s essay writing but can also go a long way in boosting the resulting essays’ effectiveness.

By organizing your thoughts in the form of short phrases and key terms, you will observe that your story unfolds more easily. Moreover, it also ensures that there are no gaps of information in what you are trying to convey. This translates to a more persuasive final SOP and, in most cases, fewer rounds of editing and revision.

Sample Outline A

• Passion for chess – coaching and playing
• Volunteer activities with Greenpeace 
• Love of Shah Rukh Khan films
• Managing literature conference at IIT, Mumbai
• Love of biking – Sunday bike rides with “team”
• Semester exchange in France 
• Travel to 21 countries – Iceland, Russia and Peru highlights
• Close relationship with grandma
• Budding love of cooking
• Love of Mumbai

Once a sample outline has been prepared, it is now easier to construct a structure for the statement of purpose.  

STEP – II: Break it down

Building upon the outline, each SOP needs to be structured so that it logically fits in the narrative.

Many clients that we have encountered confuse ‘structure’ with ‘chronology’. When asked to write a draft of the essay, they present their achievements in chronological order, thinking that this will give the essay a proper structure.

However, your experiences and how they have translated and shaped you into what you are today, may or may not be chronological. Thus, you have to start your essay with the most significant one and connect the dots from there.

The Admissions Review Committee is looking out for very specific things in your application. Unless you break it down, it will be an arduous task to explain them your story. And no one wants a confused AdCom guy in their life.

What is the Admission Committee looking for?

The simple answer would be – what makes you, YOU.

But if only things were so simple. What they are really looking for is how you fit into the overall scheme of things at the University.

Broadly, there are 5 factors they are trying to evaluate you on:

– Why have you applied for that particular program?

– What kind of skills do you have to succeed in that program?

– How do you want to leverage your university connections to network and contribute to the school community?

– How are your professional goals aligned with the program outcomes?

– Why are you the ‘best fit’ for the university?

Your statement of purpose or letter of motivation should talk in brief about all these points.

Even for the most practiced of writers, crafting a successful application essay can be an uphill task. So, trust us on this – Most of the SOPs that we read make us go….

Ideating and then organizing thoughts into outlines for essays will facilitate this process, as we illustrated in Part 1 of this guide, and now we will offer a few basic steps that will help you create and refine your drafts.

STEP- III: Tell your story

As we discussed it earlier, your statement of purpose is not merely an instrument to present facts from your life to the AdCom. Infact, it’s a platform to tell your story. Of who you are, and how has your experiences shaped you. You should therefore focus on narrative writing (which primarily describes) rather than expository writing (which primarily explains). In a narrative, the central facts about a situation are not just bluntly introduced, but are presented in a way that lets them speak for themselves and paint a rounded picture of an experience.

Consider the following examples:

My upbringing in a family full of entrepreneurs made me acquainted to data analytics early in life. When I supported my father’s organization, where they manually used to analyze data and predict delivery date & raw material ordering, I helped them develop an automated system with the use of pivot tables and slicers, that can be used together to visualize data and create easy to use dashboards.

Coming from a business background and having an undergrad degree in Information Technology, it was only natural for me to have a formidable combination of – entrepreneurial streak and technical expertise. My formative years were spent engaging in insightful dining table discussions with my father, pertaining to our business-related products and services. As a result, I was presented with several opportunities to understand the legal, commercial and technical aspects of our business. However, the opportunities that I loved most were the technically challenging ones that had the potential to impact our business positively. One such opportunity that I got was to review and remodel our existing data management system, which had severe limitations in terms of performance and scalability.

Which one of the above example do you think creates a more compelling image of the person you are reading about?

While example A is vague in terms of details, example B has a lot of specifics. It creates a holistic picture of the candidate and evokes imagery for the reader, which is more compelling. Thus, leaving out important details is detrimental to the health of the essay.

STEP – IV: Connect the dots

A good story is as good as its parts. Details, which are crucial to the development of the story, if left out does not reveal the entire picture and leaves the readers confused.

As you write your essay drafts, check each sentence to make sure that it includes a key part of the story you are telling. If you can remove a sentence and your essay still makes sense, that line is unnecessary and should remain deleted. However, if your narrative suddenly becomes unclear, that is your proof that the sentence in question is not superfluous and that you are on your way to creating a profoundly connected narrative.

Having a keen interest in operations research motivated me to work on my bachelor’s thesis: Efficient utilization of weight and volume capacity of a fleet of goods containers. The objective here is to build an algorithmic model for transportation of goods, cargoes, and shipments by utilizing the maximum load and volume capacity of the containers. The study is being carried out with a view to enabling the freight companies in reducing cost and enhancing operational efficiency. I have identified the constraints posed such as categorization of goods according to their suitability, shortest route according to the consignments, delivery of goods within the prescribed time, maximizing the profit and providing customer satisfaction, and successfully developed a mathematical model for the intercity transport, using shortest route and minimum cost per volume using traveling salesman and transportation concepts. Moreover, I am also trying to implement algorithm theory and computational complexity theory to solve the combinatorial problem considering the constraints faced.

Notice how the dots are getting connected.

1st sentence – Having a keen …. – Provides a justification to work on the bachelor’s thesis in Operations Research based on the interest of the applicant.

2nd sentence – The objective here is to build an algorithmic model…. – Clears the aim of the the project and gives idea to the AdCom about the scope of the project.

3rd sentence – The study is being carried out …. – End goal of the project is described.

4th sentence – I have identified the constraints… – talks about problem/constraint identification that the student is trying to resolve

… and successfully developed a mathematical model… -highlights the solution to the given constraints.

Leaving out any sentence written in this paragraph would be eliminating a key detail, and thus will confuse the reader about the project. In short, the story will be difficult to follow.

STEP – V: Create a ‘hook’ in the Introduction paragraph

Sometimes the most difficult part of writing a strong essay is determining the best way to start it. Even when you have a strong outline in hand, crafting those first few words or phrases can be challenging. To help you over this hurdle, we offer a few strategies for beginning your essays.

Maintaining a mystery

This is one of the best ways to grab the attention of the AdCom.

There are only a few rare moments in life, interspersed within our chaotic daily routines, during which we find our true calling. And those moments generally come like a blitzkrieg, inspiring us to make choices which define who we eventually become. I encountered one such moment, as a part of my internship with Bless Foundation, an NGO which strives to alleviate the sufferings of the underprivileged.

(Selected at University of South California, MS in Computer Science).

Do people shape cities or do cities shape people? Irrespective of the order of transformation, I am of the belief that city landscapes impact our daily lives in a significant way.

(Selected at TU Delft, MS in Architecture)

While watching the digitally remastered and coloured version of 1960 Bollywood classic ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, then shot in monochrome, I realised that I was less concerned about the cinematic brilliance but more about certain stats I read about the movie.

(Selected at Cornell University, MPS program in Applied Statistics)

The main stage was set while I enthusiastically waited in the crowd for Guns N’ Roses to surface from behind the spotlight. It was an absolute dream for me to witness the band live in concert, after having grown up and getting inspired by Slash and his musical eccentricities. As they emerged on stage and plucked the first strings, I was transported in a trance of hedonistic pleasure. Surprisingly, it was not the music that had the greatest influence that night.

(Selected at Stanford, MS in Computer Science)

In all of the above examples, the first few lines draw the reader into the essay and make him ask the question, what happens next? This approach is a sure shot way to indulge the AdCom into reading your application in full.

Strictly avoid: Clichés

Let’s be honest here. The AdCom knows when clichés are coming. And no one likes them. Consider this for example:

Being an ardent fan of the Marvel Universe, I believe that if we have the thirst for knowledge, ability to rectify the errors and better our skillset like Ironman and if we have grit, perseverance and will to do good for the mankind like Captain America, then we can win any battle and achieve something great. I tried to follow these ideologies while working on all my projects and technical papers.

My profound interest in mathematics, computers, and problem-solving became the basis for furthering a career in Computer science. In order to broaden my horizons of technical acumen, I joined Oracle after completing my undergrad. This allowed me to develop a clearer vision about pursuing a career in my field of Software Engineering.

It’s safe to say that introductions like these should be avoided at all costs as they have been read by the AdCom a million times. You don’t want to be the million plus one candidate.

Lead with your best

When you are pitching your application to the AdCom, it is highly recommended that you start your essays with your most compelling experience. Do not follow a template of chronological detailing of your academic records and professional achievements. Show your best foot forward. You do not always have to outline your history to create context for your narrative.

Example A (Student Version of her internship)

Due to these rewarding experiences and key learnings acquired from projects, I secured a position as a Developer at Barclays India, which has been exhilarating from the onset. In a span of four months, I underwent intensive training in several technologies like Java, JavaScript, Embedded JavaScript, Spring Framework, Servlets etc.

Example B (Gradsmiths version)

At Barcalays, internship not only meant exposition to multimillion-dollar client portfolio, but also getting intensive training in tools like Java, JavaScript, Embedded JavaScript, Spring Framework, and Servlets.

Example A exhibits significant backstory, but the most important parts that she learned new technologies was mentioned after the third line. In example B, this happens right in the second line, and is smartly packaged for the reader.

This introduction—just one sentence long, rather than four—introduces the reader to the individual’s high- level position right away and is therefore much more compelling and effective.

Step – VI: Don’t put extra information in your essays

Although it seems to be a no brainer, most students end up doing this. They provide irrelevant information in their essay, which makes it a boring read.

Consider this:

My final year project was ‘Analysis and Design of a high rise building with R.C Shear wall’. This project was done by 4 undergrads. In the initial phase, a 3-storied building is designed in ETABS software using Dead and Live load. In the next phase a 15-storied building with shear walls considering Earthquake and wind load is designed under G. A. Bhilare Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Pune. Seismic design parameters like story drift, lateral displacement was studied and shear forces, axial forces, bending moment were interpreted. This project increased my understanding of ETABS and improved my skills .

In the example above, there are too many details like the no. of storey of the building and name of the consultants, which are not required. It adds on to the word count and makes it a slow-developing paragraph.

Revised version

To gain more understanding of structures and the mechanics of forces at play, my final year project focused on the analysis and design of a high rise building with R.C Shear wall. In association with three other undergrads, we worked to design a 3-storied building, followed by its higher version in ETABS software using Dead and Live load. Carefully monitoring the shear walls considering Earthquake and wind load, we studied Seismic design parameters like story drift, lateral displacement. All this culminated under a sponsored industry project in collaboration with top architects of the city. This experience helped me to analyse complex structural models with loads, and design them in the most sustainable way, a skill which I am confident will prove beneficial during my graduate studies.

Step VII: Honour the word limit

Although we can assure you that no one will toss your application in the trash if your essays exceed the school’s stated word limits a little, in general, sticking as closely as possible to these limits is the best plan. Doing so indicates to the admissions committee not only that you pay attention to and can follow directions (which reflects positively on you as a potential student who will be required to follow numerous guidelines throughout the course of the MS program) but also that you are willing to put in the work required to convey your story effectively within the stated parameters. Also, you show respect for the school as well as for the admissions readers, who must sort through thousands of essays each week. A good rule of thumb is to not surpass the school’s requested word count by more than 5%, though of course, the fewer extra words you include, the better—and minimizing any risk of a negative impression resulting from exceeding the set word count is best.

Step VIII: Answer the question

This is our most obvious rule yet, but one that must be stated nonetheless: make sure that you answer the question the school is asking. Sometimes candidates possess a great story and really want to “spin” it for a particular essay prompt. Other times, applicants work and rework an essay so much that when they are done, they do not realize that they have changed their initial story entirely and the resulting essay no longer addresses the school’s question. Not answering the question is one of the admissions committees’ biggest peeves. In addition to indicating an ability to follow directions on your part (if not an outright attempt to withhold information), not answering the question asked means that you have not provided the information the admissions committee is specifically seeking and needs. So, regularly revisit the essay prompts as you revise your essays, ensuring that you are on track and providing a topical response.

Step IX: Customize your responses

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to customize your essays for your choice of University. Many a times, we have seen that one SOP is sent to 5 different universities, with just a few line changes.

To us, this is a very easy and a lazy approach to essay drafting. Moreover, the AdCom through their years of experience of reading SOPs figure out whether you have followed a template or not.

Your short and long term goals should be aligned with the research areas and expertise of the University. AdCom loves to see how the university can help you realize your personal and professional milestones.

A common point of contention among students is whether or not to include the names of professors. In our opinion, you should go beyond name-dropping and identify key research areas where you would like to work. This creates a better representation of your academic interest and underlines your motivation to apply for the program.

It is important to understand that the AdCom is looking for unique and interesting candidates, who contribute to the campus and community. Thus, desire to work in student clubs, campus organizations, or community service is viewed positively. It shows that you have a multi-dimensional personality and go beyond your academic interests. Another quirky thing to add is why the location of the college is important to you and your goals. It can be the vibrant startup culture of the place, proximity to tech centers or Silicon Valley, or even the music vibe of the place.

Step X: Read, Re-read, Proofread. Repeat.

If you have followed all the steps above, and drafted your statement of purpose, great work done! Now will be a good time to send it to your friends, relatives, colleagues, and anywould who would care to read it.

You will amazed at how many grammatical errors get discovered. And we don’t even want to get started on the formatting bits.

Your goal, before sending out your statement of purpose should be to make it as error-proof as possible. This can be achieved by proofreading it multiple times to check for nasty little bits of flaws that hides furtively behind the pompous words and achievements.

The Statement of Purpose is perhaps the hardest thing you will encounter during your application stage.

The good news is that the process does not seem so overwhelming when you break it down into simple, actionable steps as described above.

At Gradsmiths, we have come across more than a thousand essays and SOPs, some brilliant while some total disasters. What really saddened us was that the same mistakes were being repeated in every other document, which motivated us to compile these steps that we follow into this post to draft an awesome statement of purpose.

Statement of Purpose (Samples and formats)

Statement of Purpose that got accepted to UPenn MS in Computer Science

Sample Statement of Purpose that got accepted to MS in Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University

Statement of Purpose that got accepted to Cornell University’s Engineering Management program

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Blog at Clarkson University

How to write your graduate school statement of purpose.

Preparing a Personal Statement or Statement of Purpose for a grad school application can seem like a daunting task. It’s your opportunity to speak to the admissions committee and let them know who you are and how their program fits into your career goals. If you allow plenty of time to brainstorm and prepare, you will be able to write a successful Statement of Purpose . Listed below are a few points to assist you in drafting an effective essay.

Before sitting down to write, organize your thoughts.  Answering the following questions may help:

• What is your background?
• What is your current research or professional area?
• What is the goal of pursuing your graduate degree?

After answering the above questions, it’s time to dig a little deeper.  Below are ten points you may want to consider while drafting your statement.  Keep in mind, not every point will apply to everyone.

1. Describe your relevant qualities and accomplishments, and connect them to the program you are applying to.

What are your strongest qualities that will help you to be successful in this program? What are your future aspirations, and how will this program help you accomplish them?  Share your enthusiasm for the journey ahead.

2. Highlight how you will achieve your goals. Demonstrate that you know why this program is a good fit.

There are two questions you must answer: Why you? Why this school? Research your prospective graduate institution.  Read through the school website and learn about the faculty, staff, and alumni.

3. Follow the guidelines provided by the school.  If the admission requirements do not specify a word or page count, it is suggested to keep your essay to approximately 500 – 700 words. Essays should be clear, concise and memorable.

You are responding to a prompt. Follow it and keep your statement succinct. You may be the oldest of 10 children or a proud pet parent — those are interesting details, but they may not be relevant.

4. Avoid large blocks of text. Aim for paragraphs that are no more than five to seven sentences.

• A paragraph is your best friend. Break-up the text. Indent. Vary the length of your sentences. Good technique keeps your reader interested.
• Edit and proofread carefully.  Watch for run-on sentences, spelling errors, poor grammar, and punctuation.

5. Create a compelling opening that grabs the admissions committee attention. Conclude by reiterating why you are a good fit for our program.

Tell a story. Why are you choosing to go into this career field? Was there a specific moment, event or person that sparked your interest in this topic?

6. Cohesion is key. A well-told story will have a greater impact if it is connected to your goals. Do not reiterate everything on your application, transcript(s) and resume.

The admissions committee has already read your application, transcript, test scores, and resume. Your goal here is to tell the committee what these documents do not.  Who are you?  Why this program?  Why this career field?

7. Aim for a balance between confidence, humility, and respect. Avoid making excuses, shifting blame or bragging; however, explain why there may be some deficiencies in your grades or exam scores.  Remember, many schools take a holistic approach to admissions and grades are not always the deciding factor in whether to admit a student or not.

• Example DO : “In reviewing my transcripts, you may notice that my grades slipped for a period of time during my sophomore and junior years.  Unfortunately, our family suffered the loss of both my grandmother and grandfather, thus during this period of time I was distracted from my schoolwork. 
• Example DON’T :  “I didn’t do well in some classes because I have ADHD and the professor couldn’t hold my attention.”

8. Avoid the use of: get, got, give, gave, and “I” statements.  Varying your sentence structure is key to an interesting and readable prose.  Also, do not abbreviate or use contractions.

• Example DO : “Although a career in business might have led to financial stability, I began to recognize the importance of having an enjoyable career path.”
• Example DON’T :  “When I got into XXX University, I discovered that I was drawn to certain classes.”

9. Reference the correct school. Yes, applicants sometimes use the wrong name — a clear indication that they have submitted the same essay to multiple institutions.

If you are applying to multiple schools, your Statement of Purpose should be different for each of them. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE . This leads to mistakes and could lead to a negative outcome.

10. Grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling count. Your essay is a professional document. It should be error-free.

As stated above, but it can not be understated:  Proofread! Proofread! Proofread!   Make sure to utilize the resources available to you. This can include your writing center, family members and friends. It can also be helpful to read your statement out loud to yourself. This is a good way to identify any awkward phrasing and make sure your statement reads well.

Your personal statement is an important component of your application and the one part of your application you have complete control over. By following the tips outlined above you’ll create a well-written, focused, and effective statement of purpose for your graduate application. 

If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to the admissions office of the school you are applying to for clarification.

Best of luck,

-The Clarkson Graduate Admissions Team

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• Education Masters Personal Statement Sample

Written by Hannah Slack

This is an example personal statement for a Masters degree application in Education. See our guide for advice on writing your own postgraduate personal statement .

Recent developments in the social and political landscapes have strongly highlighted the importance of education for children in schools. Studying an undergraduate degree in History allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of societal change over time. Completing modules in Public History also let me explore the importance of education.

Having completed my degree, I decided that my true passions lie in the educational field. After a few years working in a secondary school, I became increasingly interested in how the national curriculum is built. To help propel my career into curriculum design and management, I decided completing a Masters at your university would be the best option.

As I have already mentioned, I completed my undergraduate degree in History. Afterwards, I went on to earn a PGCE and have been teaching humanities at secondary level for two years. During, I took a particular interest in the curriculum assigned for each year. Our current societal climate has been questioning some of the contents of the English curriculum, particularly in the Humanities. In light of these criticisms, I was inspired to also think deeply about how chosen topics contribute to the education system and what kind of topics could be appropriately brought in to expand our horizons. A Masters degree is therefore the perfect opportunity for me to continue exploring these questions and learn more about the practical implications of curricular design.

In addition to my qualifications, I volunteered at a museum during the summer holidays where I helped run educational events for children. This was particularly useful for me as it allowed me to learn how to compact and communicate complex periods to a young audience. It also helped me learn how to make subjects easily accessible and enjoyable.

Completing two years of teaching has built up my leadership skills rapidly. As a teacher I have been able to learn more about the role of educational leadership. I have also enjoyed communicating with my own superiors to learn more about their responsibilities in higher positions.

I was particularly excited when I discovered your course. By having a global focus, this course will allow me to truly explore the issues and debates I’m interested in. I believe having an understanding of global events and education is going to become increasingly important in our increasingly globalised world. I therefore believe that this course will prepare me the best for my future career goals as a curriculum developer.

What are some of my options for studying Education?

Master of arts (education) (full time) - mumbai campus, tata institute of social sciences department of social sciences, education: religious education ma, st mary’s university, twickenham faculty of education, theology and the arts, education: physical education ma, education: part time (ma), university of derby college of arts, humanities and education, master of education in early childhood education, dublin city university institute of education, find a masters in education.

If you're interested in a studying Education, then why don't you check out our regularly updated catalogue of available Education Masters courses or read more about postgraduate teacher training courses .

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Write a Grad School Statement of Purpose in 12 Simple Steps

August 10, 2023

If you need to write a graduate school statement of purpose, we’ve got good news. Writing cover letters, a snappy Twitter bio, or a college essay has prepared you for this moment. However, there are a number of qualities that make the graduate statement of purpose a form of its own. We will discuss them here, as well as how to make your statement of purpose for grad school stand out from hundreds of other grad school statements of purpose penned by your competition.

Crafting an amazing graduate school statement of purpose is not just helpful for getting into grad school. The act of writing out your career goals, and reflecting on your academic and professional journey can be extremely helpful for choosing where and what you want to study. It’s also a great opportunity to appreciate how far you’ve come.

Spoiler alert: the number one guideline that you’ll see in the following steps to writing a smash-hit statement of purpose is specificity. The clearer you are about who you are, why you’re drawn to this field, what you’ve accomplished, and what you want to achieve, the more excited admissions officers will be. Plus, the more specific you are in writing, the more you’ll know which grad school would make a great match.

Click here if you are looking for Examples of a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School.  

What Is A Graduate School Statement of Purpose?

To apply to graduate school in any field, you need to submit a document called a Statement of Purpose (or SOP). The SOP is kind of like the introduction to your transcript and CV and other application materials. Usually a one-page document, the statement of purpose synthesizes all the other information to explain why you and the program you’re applying would be a mutually good fit.

What makes a good fit? First of all, your SOP should display your past preparation in your specific field. Secondly, it should show that you are capable of graduate-level study in general: independent, collaborative, intensive, and academically challenging. Third, it should show how your goals align with what the program offers, and that you have something to offer the program.

Put simply, the graduate school statement of purpose is an essay proving why you are the best person for this specific program in this particular field. Return to these words often as you write, and try to make sure each sentence is connected to this aim.

Statement of Purpose Grad School (Continued)

On the admissions side of things, the statement of purpose has two functions. One is to evaluate if you are a qualified match : i.e. if you will be successful in their program. They are not trying to admit people who will fail out, bully the rest of the cohort, or transfer because their research interest isn’t being met. Second, the SOP is a tool for remembering you. By understanding the candidate’s profile in a condensed way, the jury can talk quickly about “The one who is so into X” or “The one who did Y.” These are both things to keep in mind while crafting your own graduate school statement of purpose.

Think of graduate school as a desert island, where everyone is bringing something with them. (You often will end up spending a ton of time with these people, also like a desert island.) Your knowledge and skills will contribute to the range of tools people are bringing so that everyone can grow together. The SOP is meant to show in a clear, concise way what you’re bringing to the island.

By the end, it should be clear:

• Why you want to go to graduate school
• How you’ve prepared for graduate school
• What specific field of focus you want to study
• Why X University/program

For this reason, a good place to start is to be clear on what graduate school is . If you’re applying for a Master’s degree instead of a PhD. program, be clear on your reasons for that too. And once you’re sure about the type of degree you’re applying for, make sure you know the types of programs in your field, be it an MFA in Creative Writing or a Master’s in Psychology .

What a Graduate School Statement of Purpose Isn’t

Your SOP is not a personal statement. Your love of Wiz Khalifa, Boston terriers, or fly-fishing with your grandfather do not belong in this essay (unless they connect meaningfully to your field of study). This is also not the place to share anecdotes of overcoming hardship–that kind of information is more suited to a personal statement, which is meant to introduce more of your voice, personality, and life history.

Think of a job interview: a NASA employer does not care that your favorite taco filling is chorizo. They care about your preparation in rocket science. Your SOP should follow this principle.

The Central Skill of a Graduate Statement of Purpose

How do you exhibit that you would be a successful student, beyond what’s written on your CV and transcript? You may think these lists of stellar grades and research experiences are enough to show your qualifications. Instead, the SOP is meant to create a unified narrative that connects all these documents into a whole.

What’s the best way to do that? By interpreting experience .

For a statement of purpose for grad school, you will need to interpret your experiences in a way that:

• a) unifies all your experiences into a kind of ‘thesis statement’ about who you are (“The student who is passionate about studying PTSD in adolescents with amazing grades who wants more clinical experience.”)
• b) organizes your experiences into different paragraphs to show different qualities about you (“My four years of top grades in college don’t just reflect my work ethic, but my evolving passion for clinical psychology.”)
• c) interprets individual experiences to show their meaning (instead of “I worked in Professor Kurtz’s lab on adolescent behavioral psychology,” interpret what the experience meant to you: “My time in Professor Kurtz’s lab on adolescent behavioral psychology showed me how fundamental this under-studied life stage is to understanding adult psychology, and ignited my passion for this research focus.”

Interpret experience. If you’re doing this every step of the way, your graduate school statement of purpose is going to have a strong start and require fewer drafts in the future.

Writing A Graduate Statement of Purpose in 12 Simple Steps

Phase 1: research & soul searching.

#1: Study your CV and past academic experiences: Pull out a highlighter. Highlight specific moments on your CV/transcript that helped you discover your passion. Then, highlight moments of major growth. Lastly, highlight trends of long-term commitment. Track how your trajectory changed over time. For example: maybe you studied political science in college, but you discovered your obsession with international relations working for the NSA.

#2: Reflect on why you want to go to graduate school: Brainstorm a list of reasons you genuinely want to go to graduate school. Be as specific as possible about why you decided to pursue graduate study in your chosen field at this time in your life. Think about experiences that led you to this decision.

Above all, think about the goals graduate school will help you achieve. If you don’t have any goals, now is the time to dream of them. The higher you aim, the more effective your graduate experience will be.

#3: Analyze yourself from an admissions perspective: Graduate school is intensive. It requires hard work at a high level. It requires independent work, yet strong interpersonal skills. Which experiences show that you’re ready for graduate school? What would you bring to a graduate studies community? And what type of community is that? Is it a small MFA program, where cooperation and community are important? Would you be on a MSci research team that prizes collaboration? Do you need the self-starting nature to do months of research alone, in a lab, or in the field?

#4: Research your program and institution: Knowing the specifics of each program will help you tailor your core essay to match your profile with their needs. Make sure you know the strengths and research areas of each program, the unique mission of each institution, and the faculty. This is also a way of making sure the program is a good fit for you.

Phase 2: Writing the Draft

#5: Read the instructions carefully and directly respond to the question: The first test of the SOP is your ability to follow directions. Make sure you follow the word limit, and the question at hand.

#6: Outline, outline, outline: It is highly likely that your first try at the SOP is not going to be your final version. To save time, it can help to try a few different outlines. Feel free to make up your own outline, as long as it answers the question in an organized way.

The Goal Oriented SOP

P1: Overview of your goals

P2: Why you want to pursue these goals (Experience 1, 2)

P3: How you arrived at these goals (Experience 3, 4)

P4: How these goals link to the field

P5: Why this is the best program for these goals

P6: Short recap

The Who-What-When-Where-Why SOP

P1: Who: Who you are, and a summary of what you’ve done

P2: What: what you want to do, based on concrete examples of what you’ve done

P3: When: why do you want to go to grad school now ? (Using examples of what you’ve done)

P4: Why: why you want to go to grad school, what you want to do in the future

P5: Where: why this program?

P6: Conclusion

The Chronological SOP

P1: Overview of who you are and where you want to go

P2: Academic experience

P3: Work experience

P4: Why this research focus now?

P5: Goals for the future

The Thematic SOP

P1: Introduction of different reasons you want to go

P2: Reason 1, as shown through Experiences/Goals 1, 2, 3

P3: Reason 2, as shown through Experiences/Goals 1, 2, 3

P4: Reason 3, as shown through Experiences/Goals 1, 2, 3

P4: Conclusion showing why you want to go to grad school/Discussion of Particular Program

#7: Be specific about details: Let your dork flag fly! The SOP is a great place to get nitty-gritty about what topics or ideas excited you in college/work, and what your research interests are. Instead of copy-pasting experiences from your CV––show us examples of what you did and how you did it. Mentioning times when learning felt electric will show in your writing.

Here’s a quiz about specificity. Which answer is more convincing and memorable?

• “I participated in a research lab on primate behavior,”
• “As I cradled the baby chimpanzee in my arms, I realized how crucial understanding primates is for the future of our planet.”

#8: Overwrite, and then cut: It’s always better to cut down than have too little. Once you’ve written monster paragraphs filled with examples, select the strongest ones that display your most meaningful and impressive experiences. To fit within the word count, don’t be afraid of lists: “The sculptural influence on my paintings is grounded in extensive experience in the medium: I completed a multi-room solo show, won several competitive undergraduate awards for my work, and received positive critique from renowned sculptors Louise Bourgeois and Eva Hesse.

Phase 3: Drafts of Glory

#9: Tailor your draft to each program: First of all, do not, and I mean do not, forget to change the name of the school in each draft! Second, make slight changes to your original draft so that it uses your research about each program. Let yourself get passionate and specific. This is a great opportunity to imagine yourself in each program, and think about why you would be a great fit. “I would love to study at X in particular because I would get to do Y.”

#10: Clarity and precision: The SOP is a way for graduate schools to evaluate if you can communicate at a graduate level. In any graduate school situation, you will be practicing communication skills–from writing articles to giving presentations. Make sure the ideas flow clearly and are organized in paragraphs with a specific focus. Make sure you use concise, clear language to express yourself. Avoid fancy words, but do make sure the writing is thoughtful and shows how much you care.

#11: Peer review: Have your recommendation writers comment on your statement. As experts in the field you are entering, they will likely have insightful comments to make your statement even better. Next, have someone who cares about you and knows your CV comment on your statement. Are you selling yourself short? Are you forgetting to highlight something awesome about yourself? Lastly, have a brutal editor comment on your statement. Ask them: What’s unclear? What’s vague?

#12: Spelling and grammar: Grad school is competitive to get into, and very detail-oriented. For these reasons, spelling and grammar errors can be excuses for panels to mark your application down. Don’t let that happen!

The final step is to take a breath of relief! You’ve created a document that will be a touchstone for remembering your goals and motivations. Any self-help guide or tech CEO will tell you that visualizing your goals clearly is the first step to success. And now you’ve taken that step. Good luck with your applications!

Final Thoughts Grad School Statement of Purpose

If you enjoyed our 12-step writing process for the graduate school statement of purpose, you may also find the following relevant resources to be of use:

• The 19 Best Online Master’s in Data Science
• 130 GRE Vocab Words You Need to Know
• How Long Does it Take to Get a Master’s Degree?
• Graduate School Admissions

Julia Conrad

With a Bachelor of Arts in English and Italian from Wesleyan University as well as MFAs in both Nonfiction Writing and Literary Translation from the University of Iowa, Julia is an experienced writer, editor, educator, and a former Fulbright Fellow. Julia’s work has been featured in  The Millions ,  Asymptote , and  The Massachusetts Review , among other publications. To read more of her work, visit  www.juliaconrad.net

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Sample Statement of Purpose in Education (Harvard Ed.M.)

by Talha Omer, M.Eng., Cornell Grad

In statement of purpose.

The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) for a degree in Ed.M. (focus in Education Policy and Management). Read this essay to get inspiration and understand what a top SOP for Harvard should look like.

You might also be interested in reading this Sample Statement of Purpose in Education that got admitted to Stanford.

Sample Statement of Purpose in Education Harvard

I want to increase the access of low-cost quality education to lower strata of our society who otherwise don’t have access to this ‘luxury’. To do this, I want to bolster my professional experience with international exposure to education policy and the latest pedagogies by pursuing a master’s degree in Education focusing on Educational Policy and Management.

I did my undergraduate in Accounting and Finance at one of the premier universities in the U.S. My undergraduate has equipped me with extensive quantitative knowledge and technical experience around different themes in auditing, corporate accounting, management and taxation. In addition to these areas, I expanded my focus and studied interdisciplinary courses like Game Theory, Personal Effectiveness and Contemporary Social Policy Issues in the U.S. Due to these courses, I decided to pursue a leadership role in the social sector, where I merge my business knowledge on pressing social issues like improving the quality of and increasing access to Education. Consequently, I started working as a Vice Principal in a private school which provides low-cost Education to a broad stratum of our society.

Working as a Vice Principal for the past 18 months, I have scrutinized many managerial problems common to the entire low-cost private system of Education in the U.S. First, there is a severe shortage of the latest teacher training facilities and curricula. Lack of training translates into low skills in teaching pedagogies practised by teachers to impart Education, and as a result, the whole education system becomes outdated.

Moreover, given the lack of training facilities, teachers have limited growth opportunities. They perceive working in low-cost private Education as merely a way of getting teaching experience and leaving for better chances at any behest. This results in a high teacher turnover rate as well. Consequently, it also affects teaching quality: The same syllabus keeps being taught the same way over the years, promoting wrought learning, lack of creativity and low applied skills. This inherent monotony widens the gap between high-cost and low-cost private education systems.

Grappling these problems daily, I draw my motivation to do a master’s degree to address these problems, and I have devised the following study plan through which I can solve these problems at a granular level. To pursue a Master’s degree, I see Harvard’s program as an ideal conduit for my study interests.

Firstly, by excelling in Harvard’s four core areas, Policy, Management and Leadership, Research and Evaluation, and Diversity, Culture, and Identity, I will hone into theoretical foundations of becoming a better administrator and equip myself with the latest pedagogies, primarily focusing on curriculum development, models of teaching, ways of integrating technology in Education.

Beyond the classroom, I will gain valuable insights by collaborating with Harvard’s influential faculty. In particular, by collaborating with Kathleen McCartney, I will glean more information on the relations between leadership development and organizational change, which is foundational for my current work. Similarly, I will significantly benefit from the findings of Andrew Ho on the use, and interpretation of test scores in educational policy and practice, through which I can learn ways of quantifying teaching quality and improve teaching training and high teacher turnover rate.

Apart from this, the research facilities at the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) will ideally dovetail with the skillset developed by taking courses from the core area of Research and Evaluation. Ideally, I would like to further my research into K-12 leadership and applied psychology in Education. Through my training, my prime aim will be to develop a curriculum sensitive to the educational needs of the lower strata of our society so that they can relate to the curriculum. Ideally, I would like to work in the centre and develop the latest teacher training techniques so that I can train other teachers in the U.S. in a better way.

One of my key objectives of getting an advanced degree in Education from a prestigious institute like Harvard is to equip myself with the necessary skills through which I can transition my organization towards financial self-sufficiency. Mainly I would focus on graduate training in effective financial management and innovative ways of raising financial capital. I would use this training to come back and address the issue of limited funds, which hurts our smooth operations.

Similarly, I would love to get practical exposure through internships and work for organizations such as Uncommon Schools, which is working with the same goal of providing quality education to those who cannot afford it. Uncommon Schools’ success in the U.S. is exciting for me as I intend to replicate the strategies they employ to work effectively with limited funds at my school when I return to work. I would also be looking forward to forming a consortium of Uncommon Schools and my school so that we can exchange ideas for a common cause.

In the short run, I would return to work and continue my work at my current school. However, I would like to improve curriculum design and management through my graduate training. Utilizing my expertise, I want to revamp my school’s administration system and introduce a more inclusive and flexible hierarchy. I would also like to introduce ways to achieve financial stability through forwarding and horizontal linkages. More importantly, I would introduce state-of-the-art teacher training programs with built-in structures that can help me retain teachers for a longer time than currently.

In the long run, however, I want to be a part of large-scale programs such as the Education Sector Project (ESP) and work with other policymakers to create concrete educational policies.

In this way, I want to create an impact within my capacity, and I see a master’s degree from Harvard as an ideal segue for my career aspirations.

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Sample SOP for Business Analytics

The following SOP was written by an applicant who was admitted to top MSBA (Masters of Science in Business Analytics) programs in the US. Variations of this essay got accepted at Duke, UT Austin, and UCLA. This statement of purpose is intended to provide an example...

Sample Stanford Computer Science Statement of Purpose

The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to Stanford's doctoral programs in computer science. Stanford's CS program requires a 2-page statement of purpose that covers the following points: Should be concise, focused, and well...

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The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to Harvard's master’s programs in public health. Harvard's MPH program requires a 600-word statement of purpose that covers the following points: Academic and/or professional preparation...

Sample Statement of Purpose in Public Health (MPH)

The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to several top master's programs in public health. Variations of this SOP got accepted at Rutgers, and Chicago. Read it to understand what a top SOP in MPH should look like. Example...

Sample Statement of Purpose for Nursing

The following statement of purpose was written by an applicant who was admitted to top MSN (Masters of Science in Nursing) programs in the US. The applicant aspires to specilize in the field of nursing informatics. Variations of this SOP got accepted at Johns Hopkins...

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The following statement of purpose is written by an applicant who got accepted to top Ph.D. programs in cancer research/cancer biology. Variations of this SOP got accepted at JHU. Read this essay to get inspiration and understand what a top Ph.D. SOP should look like....

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Personal Statements & Statements of Purpose

Personal statements and statements of purpose are carefully crafted essays for academic applications, like graduate schools or fellowships, meant to effectively communicate to the admissions committee who you are, your motivations, your goals and how you prepared for graduate school.

Personal Statement vs. Statement of Purpose

While the terms might be used interchangeably, the two are subtly distinct from one another.

A personal statement is commonly written for scholarly fields in academia and professional fields like medicine and law. While it includes information about academic and career goals, it typically includes information about yourself as a person and your motivation for your chosen field. A strong personal statement demonstrates how much genuine motivation you have to pursue this field of study and that you have the necessary skills and background to be successful. It is typically a personal narrative.

A statement of purpose is written largely for science-oriented disciplines and typically describes your preparation to pursue your chosen field, your academic and research experience, and your career goals. A strong statement demonstrates how you have advanced your academic interests and how you plan to successfully pursue your goals. When writing a statement of purpose, you are making a case that you are a preferred candidate. Be logical, concise and clear in your writing for the best results.

Basic Content

Regardless of which version you are requested to write, a basic framework can be a good starting point. Keep in mind that your essay should be a reflection of your goals and illustrate your ability to write well. Take time to refine your personal statement and be sure to include transitional sentences between paragraphs. A good flow to your essay and story is essential to keeping your reader’s attention!

A personal statement or statement of purpose should answer the following 5 questions:

• Why do you want to go to graduate school?
• How have you prepared for graduate school?
• Why will you be a strong and successful graduate student?
• What are you career goals and how will this degree help you achieve them?
• Why do you want to attend this particular graduate program? Make sure you personalize your essay for each program and describe why the particular program or faculty is a good fit for you.

Getting Started

Do you feel like you don’t know what to focus on or don’t have experiences that will help you stand out? Try these activities to help you get started.

Brainstorming Activity

Select one of the following prompts and free write on the topic for 5 minutes.

• Think about a time you overcame an obstacle.
• Write about a person who inspires you. What qualities do they possess?
• Write about a time you acted as a leader.
• Think about key moments when you realised you wanted to pursue graduate school.
• What qualities do individuals in your field of study possess? Write about how you have demonstrated one of these qualities.

Once you have finished your free writing, have a friend read over the statement and highlight the one sentence that most interests them. Then free write for five minutes on that sentence. You will find this may help you narrow down your focus.

Call a Friend

Some people have a harder time writing than they do talking. If this sounds like you, have a conversation with a friend or family member about why you want to go to grad school and how you have prepared. Make sure to make an audio recording of your conversation and then type up when you said. This will give you some content you can start shaping for your statement.

Diving Deep into the Components

Committee members will read through hundreds of applications — How will you help yours stand out? Make sure to put significant thought into every section of your essay and that you’ve answered the 5 basic content questions above.

Introduction

Learn how to write in an engaging fashion that will bring your story to life. Avoid clichés like “ I have always wanted to be a... ” and instead paint a picture that creates connection to the reader.

The opening paragraph for a personal statement typically introduces the reader to your personal and/or professional motivations. Here are two examples:

For twenty-three years, my grandmother (a veterinarian and an epidemiologist) ran the Communicable Disease Department of a mid-sized urban public health department. The stories of Grandma Betty doggedly tracking down the named sexual partners of the infected are part of our family lore. Grandma Betty would persuade people to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases, encourage safer sexual practices, document the spread of infection and strive to contain and prevent it. Indeed, due to the large gay population in the city where she worked, Grandma Betty was at the forefront of the AIDS crisis, and her analysis contributed greatly towards understanding how the disease was contracted and spread. My grandmother has always been a huge inspiration to me, and the reason why a career in public health was always on my radar.

The brain, to me, is such a complex and sovereign organism that has influence over the internal mechanisms and this has always allured to me. My true fascination has manifested from observing the external factors that can affect the function of the brain. From a young age I have been exposed to addiction; a factor which I believe has incited a passion within me to pursue a neurological career. I have witnessed the physical and psychological effects that an alcohol addiction has over an individual, and in my seventeen years the greatest thing that I have observed is the pattern of habits that relapse and evolve with an addiction. Although this can be a truly upsetting environment to have been around, I have learnt that people and their minds are incredibly resilient. This is something I wish to delve deeper into in during a Master’s in Counseling.

On the other hand, opening paragraphs for statements of purpose should grab the reader’s attention in a straight-forward manner, since the reader is not expecting that you stray too far from your academic or professional field. Openings involving research experience, classroom experience or other specifics related to the field of study are common. Here are two examples:

I might not have learned about Professor Norman Roland’s lab if it had not been for the Freshman Research Initiative. This innovative program at The University of Texas at Austin introduces high-achieving freshman to university research. As a result, I worked for two semesters with Professor Roland’s team on the mutation rates and genetic interactions of bacteria. As a young Texan from a very “business-oriented” family in El Paso, I found myself in new territory. Those first two semesters were pivotal in defining my career direction. They gave me the foundation to pursue undergraduate assistantships in two additional research labs at UT Austin, which helped me identify my own specific research interests and the motivation to pursue a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology.

While assisting in field biology research in Prince William Sound, Alaska, I was intrigued to see that when a colony of 16,000 blacklegged kittiwakes was flushed by a predator, they made a particular descending warble vocalisation. In fact, this distinct call seemed to be the only coordinated activity in which I ever saw them participate. Later that afternoon, I practiced making the “flush call” for hours. Finally, I climbed onto the colony and did my best imitation. The thunder of the entire colony lifting off, as other birds picked up the call, cemented my long-held intention: I want to work with sound. My purpose for undertaking doctoral work in acoustics and animal behaviour is twofold. First, my professional goal is to contribute to the existing research on biological systems, which use sound. Second, my personal goal is to convey in-depth understanding and love of these systems to the students I teach.

Experiences

Admissions committees want to know where your interests originated, how they have evolved over time, and what experiences you have had in college to prepare you for success in their program. Don’t try to cram every experience on your resume into your statement. Instead, pick 2-4 of the most impactful experiences you had to describe in greater detail and how each of those experiences prepared you for graduate school.

Research or Academic Experiences

If you have had research experience or school-related activities (e.g., projects, papers, presentations) that have been influential to your goals, focus more on what you learned from these experiences if you are writing a personal statement, and more on describing the project or research study in detail if you are writing a statement of purpose. This paragraph would also be the place to mention any personal qualities that would make you a successful student in their program. Be sure to back up those statements with specific examples documenting your abilities in these areas.

Internships & Work Experience

Internships and work experience is extremely valuable when applying to graduate school. Make sure you include these in your statement especially if they are related to your field of interest.

Co-curricular Activities

Involvement outside the classroom can offer valuable experiences to your personal and professional development. This may be particularly important in business and law, where leadership qualities are given priority. For instance, being an officer in a student organization or editing the college newspaper can show programs the leadership qualities you possess. Again, do not simply describe your experiences. Thoughtfully analyze your activities and look for ways to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Career Goals

Although you do not need to have your life mapped out in detail, be able to identify some general career goals and indicate how you plan to use your graduate training. Admissions committees want to see that you can conceptualize your future. Point out how your goals are congruent with the training you would receive from that program. Keep in mind that no one in the graduate program will remember what you put for your career goals in your admissions essay so it is okay if these goals change in the future.

Goodness of Fit

Before making their admissions decisions, the committee first needs to determine if you are a good match for them and if they are a good match for you. Your academic record and exam scores, reference letters and personal statement all help them assess if you could be a successful student in their program. By pointing out what attributes about their program appeal to you and/or how the research by certain faculty is in line with your interests, you demonstrate to them your motivation to learn from their specific program. This is most appropriate when applying to a scholarly or research program and not for applied fields like law. Here is an example:

During my graduate training, I want to enhance my research skills, further my knowledge of pharmacology, and learn how to successfully and independently investigate complex research questions. I believe UTSW will provide the necessary training and resources to achieve my goals because of cutting-edge technology and a collaborative work environment. Outstanding faculty research, like the efforts to understand mechanisms of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases by Dr. Maria Chahrourand and Dr. Gang Yu, respectively, support my research interests and career goals of working in neurological diseases. Acceptance into UTSW’s graduate school would be the first step in achieving my career goal of becoming a successful research scientist.

In your final paragraph of the essay, briefly summarize your main points and remind the committee members that you are eager to be a part of their graduate program. Be mindful to not sound repetitive. A nice touch could be to return to the theme of your catchy intro and have your story conclude full circle.

Extenuating Circumstances

The statement can also provide an opportunity to explain extenuating circumstances or particulars about your background. Clarifying the reason you had a low GPA, for instance, can help the admissions committee understand your application better. The important thing is to explain, not make excuses for, your situation. We strongly recommend making an appointment with a CNS Career Coach to talk about the best way to frame your situation in your statement.

Tips and Mistakes

Our CNS Career Coaching team reads hundreds of essays each year. Here are our top tips and most common mistakes to help you be successful writing your admissions essays. 

• Focus on you : Graduate school committees are interested in knowing more about you as a person and whether or not you’re a good fit for their program.
• Follow word and/or character limits .
• Proofread : Keep in mind that these essays are a sample of your communication skills. Triple check for grammatical errors, typos and unclear passages before you submit your essays.
• Be concise and relevant : Admissions committees read hundreds of application each cycle. Keep their attention with concise and relevant writing.
• Finish before the deadline : Give yourself time to draft, revise and edit multiple times. Your recommendation letter writers will likely want to see a draft of your statement as well — another good reason to start early!
• Consider your audience : Most admissions committee members are professors in the department of the program you are applying to. 
• Create a holistic picture : Your statement should complement your resume/CV, but both documents should be understandable without the other.
• Have multiple people review your draft : CNS Career Coaches, faculty,  graduate students and the University Writing Center can all provide feedback.
• Only you will know when you are done .

Common Mistakes

• Breadth over depth : Focus on in-depth description of 2 or 3 key experiences as opposed to briefly mentioning everything you have done.
• Telling your life story : Instead, selectively mention key experiences that are most relevant to the application and you future field of study.
• Dramatic generalizations : These usually take the shape of “I always knew...” Don’t proclaim your passion. Demonstrate it.
• Not focusing on you : Make sure you hone in on what makes you uniquely qualified for this particular graduate program and how you can be an asset.
• Incomplete : Make sure your essay answers the question(s) or prompt provided by the application committee. If there is no prompt, then review our 5 questions your statement should answer at the top of this page.
• Dishonesty : Don’t just say what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. You don’t know what they want to hear. They will sense dishonesty and you lose credibility.
• Be careful with quotes: Admissions committees want to hear your story in your words. Avoid quotes unless there’s absolutely no way to tell your particular story without it.
• Mixing up schools : This usually happens when applying to more than one school. Carefully check which statement is going to whom and that any mention of the program you’re applying to is correct in the essay.

Want Help with Your Statement?

Visit the University Writing Center

MA in Teaching: Online Format

• MA in Teaching

Earn Your Master of Arts in Teaching Online From the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology

The online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) prepares students to become leaders in a classroom and in their communities. The 11-month program blends weekly virtual classes with practical, in-person classroom experiences, preparing you with the technical and interpersonal skills necessary as you look to become a Pre-K to 12 teacher.

Online Master’s in Teaching Program Highlights

Earn your degree and teaching credential in 11 months. 

Online Format

Coursework is completed online so you can continue your personal and professional responsibilities while earning your degree.

Two Program Tracks

Choose between Elementary Teaching (Multiple Subject) or Secondary Teaching (Single Subject).

No GRE or Standardized Tests Required

We offer an equitable admissions process that values your ability and commitment to succeed over standardized test scores.

200+ Student-Teaching Sites

Gain hands-on practice as part of a comprehensive approach to preparing educators.

Low Student-to-Faculty Ratio 

Benefit from a collaborative learning environment that fosters quality, 1:1 faculty, and student engagement.

Application Fee Waivers

Speak to your admissions officer about available fee waivers.

Annual Career Fair

Connect with Pre-K to 12 schools who are hiring at our MAT annual spring fair. Students in the online program are welcome to attend if they are in the area.

Months to Complete

Program Tracks

Student-Teaching Sites

Admissions Criteria

Pepperdine University’s online Master of Arts in Teaching program is always looking for future educators who are passionate about inspiring positive change in the classroom and in their local communities.

• A bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA is required to apply
• GRE/GMAT scores are not required
• Application fee waivers are available

Review a complete list of application requirements

Anti-racism and Anti-discrimination Statement

GSEP stands in solidarity against racial inequities and injustice, and other forms of discrimination and oppression. We are committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment that is enriched and strengthened by diversity including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origin, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, age, ability status, and religion. GSEP also encourages all community members to engage in critical learning and reflection to strengthen our capacity for being effective, active, and outspoken against all forms of racism and intersectional oppression.

Student Experience in the Online Master of Arts in Teaching Program

As a student in the online MAT program, you can immerse yourself in the GSEP culture while still enjoying the flexibility to learn from anywhere. Our engaging, online learning model empowers you to create a support network of colleagues who share best practices and ideas about a variety of topics, including student-teaching placements and potential job opportunities as you prepare to graduate from the Master of Arts in Teaching online program.

You'll benefit from:

• Two-hour sessions (14 total per term) for all 3-credit courses
• A minimum of 600 California-mandated hours in segments of 12 weeks and 6–7 weeks

Curriculum Overview for the Online MAT Program

The 30-credit curriculum blends theoretical study with practical application, offering a robust foundation for you to pursue your teaching career. You’ll find yourself engaged with faculty and fellow peers in our online, face-to-face live courses. Hands-on, classroom experience in a Pre-K to 12 setting will prepare you to apply for licensure upon completion of the program.

Students can choose from two teaching credential specializations depending on your career aspirations: Elementary Teaching (Multiple Subject) or Secondary Teaching (Single Subject).

Elementary Teaching (Multiple Subject) focuses on elementary teaching methodologies, and teaches you how to develop integrated instruction that applies across multiple subject areas. Secondary Teaching (Single Subject) explores the unique aspects of secondary education, and addresses the instructional needs of students in middle and high schools.

Courses include:

• Instructional Design for Teaching
• Literacy Theory and Methods
• Educational Foundations, Equity, and Social Justice
• Teaching Multilingual Learners
• Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms
• Clinical Experience
• Contemporary Issues in Education

Why Pepperdine?

At pepperdine university, students get ready for a life of purpose, service, and leadership..

We believe the purpose of higher education is to develop and equip people of value and virtue, who, in turn, create value and virtue in their communities, nations, and the world. That’s why we are committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values. No matter where our students come from or how they study with us—on campus or online—we welcome them to our community of global scholars.

Take the Next Step

Earn your online MA in Teaching.

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