Writing the Statement of Purpose

1. Writing the Statement of Purpose Madhu Sudhan Rao. M Dept. of Communication & Soft Skills

2. Factors for Admissions • GPA • GRE • Letters of Recommendation • Interview/Visit • STATEMENT of PURPOSE • Complete Application

3. Statement of Purpose • Idea of your research/study interests • Sample of your ability to write • Proxy for interview • Can be the difference between getting in or not • Opportunity to sell yourself!

4. Central Theme • Reasons for your interest in attending a specific program at a particular institution • Statement is tailored for the program & institution

5. The Key Idea • Look like you will be a success in graduate school. • coming in, you are prepared, motivated, focused, have needed skills (writing, math, research) • once there, you will successfully complete all requirements and you will progress as a researcher

6. Important to keep in mind: • Audience: admission committees are professors in your discipline - no need to define basic terminology. • Establish your voice: confident, but not arrogant • straightforward tone: explain how you are prepared for graduate school • acknowledge poor performances (GPA, GRE scores etc.) then focus on achievements not failures

7. Important to keep in mind: • Answer the question: most graduate schools don’t give much instruction about SoP, but if application asks a specific question, make sure to address it • Get feedback: At your current study, talk with professors and graduate students about graduate school and the application process, and get suggested revisions from them on your draft SoP.

8. Writing an Effective Statement • How did you become interested in your field? • - describe how research experiences, courses, professors, internships, work experiences, community service, things you’ve read, other independent studies, or life experiences that stimulated your interest • What are your interests and career objectives? • - be specific about discipline and objectives

9. Writing an Effective Statement • What are your research interests? • - introduce a few topics of interest • - don’t need to make a specific thesis or dissertation proposal, but should be able to pose 1 or 2 questions or problems • What attracts you most to the institution/ program and why are you a good match? • - interests should parallel those of the faculty in the program you are applying to—read their articles, mention their names • - the better the match, the better the chance of getting admitted

10. Statement Should Be… • Well organized • Concise • Free of grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors • Convincing that you will be successful graduate student • 1 to 2 pages in length • Including a last paragraph that mentions the names and work of potential advisors • Proof-read!!

11. Statement Should Not Be… • An undergraduate application • focusing on extracurricular, life history, hobbies, general world view • About your convenience • Unclear

12. Discipline-specific • Be prepared: research experience, statistics • Know what area you want to study • Show awareness of how topics are researched

13. In Conclusion The reader should be able to: • see what you are interested in, and why • see that you know what graduate school is about (research) • see that you will be a success

14. Questions???