SOP STRUCTURE

Statement of purpose
Be speciIic, persuasive, clear.
Tips Irom http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdI. This is an
excellent paper that addresses the bigger picture of applying to CS
program, and is relevant to EE people as well:
It`s misleading that the personal statement is called a 'personal
statement, since what admission committees are really looking Ior is a
research statement. What admission committees want is a statement
about what research you have done, what research you hope to do,
and why you like research.
Structure
Eirst paragraph Describe the general areas oI research that
interest you and why. (This is helpIul Ior a committee to
determine which proIessors should read your application.)
Second paragraph and Third paragraph Descibe some
research projects that you worked on. Tell us what you Iound,
what you learned, what approaches you tried. It`s Iine to say
that you were unable to prove what you wanted or to solve
your problem.
Eourth paragraph Tell us why you Ieel you need a Ph.D..
Look back to section what in there appealed to you.
EiIth paragraph Tell us why you want to come to CMU.
Whom might you like to work with? What papers have you
looked at Irom CMU that you enjoyed reading? What will
CMU teach you?
Tips Irom
http://www.sjsu.edu/Iaculty/gcallaghan/graduate/winningstatement.htm:
Your purpose in graduate studv. This means you must have thought
this through beIore you try to answer the question.
The area of studv in which vou wish to speciali:e. This requires that
you know the Iield well enough to make such decision.
Your future use of vour graduate studv. This will include your career
goals and plans Ior your Iuture.
Your special preparation and fitness for studv in the field. This is the
opportunity to relate your academic background with your
extracurricular experience to show how they unite to make you a
special candidate.
Anv problems or inconsistencies in vour records or scores such as a
bad semester. Be sure to explain in a positive manner and justiIy the
explanation. Since this is a rebuttal argument, it should be Iollowed
by a positive statement oI your abilities.
Anv special conditions that are not revealed elsewhere in the
application such as a large (35 hour a week) work load outside of
school. This too should be Iollowed with a positive statement about
yourselI and your Iuture.
You mav be asked, "Whv do vou wish to attend this school?" This
requires that you have done your research about the school and know
what its special appeal is to you.
Career goals. write two short paragraphs:
What career have you chosen? What Iactors Iormed this
decision?
What evidence shows that this is a correct choice? That is, how
can you show that this choice is realistic? (Personal experience
in the Iield is a good place to begin.)
What accomplishments, work experiences, important activies
(skills/qualities) will help me in grad school?
Tips Irom http://bgess.berkeley.edu/cgi-
bin/rewrite/w2/gradinIo/purpose.html:
Demonstrate motivation in-between the lines.
Emphasize everything Irom a positive perspective
Recommended writing structure:
Introduction
This is where you tell them what you want to study. Eor
example, M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering with
an emphasis in dynamics and controls.
Summarize what you did as an undergraduate
Important class or classes you took which stimulated
your desire Ior graduate study; speciIic project or class?
Research you might have done. Indicate with whom, the
title oI the project and what your responsibilities were.
Write technically; it's proIessors, not secretaries, reading
this.
Work experience, especially iI you had any kind oI
responsibility Ior testing, designing, or researching a
product or apparatus.
Indicate what you want to study in graduate school in
greater detail.This is a greater elaboration of your opening
paragraph.
Indicate area oI interest, then state questions you might
have which are associated; i.e. what you might be
interested in studying. You should have an area selected
beIore you write the statement.
II you can, contact the department Ior inIormation and
Iind out what the proIessors are doing Ior research. Are
there people whose interests match yours? II so, indicate
this as it shows a sign that the student has done his or
her homework and is highly motivated. (Be sincere,
however. Don't make up something bogus just to
impress people.)
Tips Irom
http://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/Students/Colleges/personalstatemen
t.htm:
Academic background
How have you prepared yourselI to succeed in graduate
school?
What body oI relevant knowledge will you take with you?
SigniIicant study or lab skills
Research or publications completed to date
A successIul statement will...
Has great opening lines or paragraphs
Conveys at least a glimpse oI the applicant's personality
Substantiates speciIic academic preparation and knowledge oI
subject matter
Demonstrates an understanding oI the challenges as well as the
rewards oI a chosen career
Gives a sense oI maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork
skills, leadership potential and general likability, usually
without addressing these issues directly (tells a story rather
than gives a list)
Says what you really mean by describing an event or emotions
and thoughts in detail
Gives speciIics, with DETAILS. It's Iar better to give your
essay a complete description oI one incident than to cram it Iull
oI activities and accomplishments without any hint oI what
they meant to you, your motivations Ior doing them, what you
learned, or emotions evoked.
Shows how you will use the graduate education in your
planned career and establishes that you understand your place
in the "big picture"
Demonstrate that you've read the catalog careIully, researched
the program, and considered your reasons Ior applying to the
particular school.
Direct your Iocus at that speciIic program; reIer to
Iaculty with whom you have been in contact.
Get the name oI the program you are applying to into
the statement. Know the exact name.
All the best essays will be both honest and direct.
Don't attempt to guess at what you think people want to
hear.
Sincerity and truthIulness should be clearly evident.

Tips Irom http://www.csulb.edu/~psy301/perstate.html:

You must demonstrate to the committee how your goals coincide
with what the program has to oIIer as well as how you will Iit in and
how your qualiIications will beneIit the program.
The applicant should not use the same essay Ior each program. A
generic personal statement is easy to detect.
Tips Irom
http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/apply/articles/application/purpose.asp
:
To distinguish your essay, add something unique to it without
throwing in irrelevant inIormation that will annoy your readers. One
oI the best ways to do this is to discuss, brieIly, an idea in your Iield
that turns you on intellectually. It's an eIIective essay-opener, and it
lets you write about something besides yourselI Ior a bit. There are
other beneIits as well. The idea you choose to talk about, and your
comments on it, oIten tell an admissions committee more about you
than your own selI-descriptions can.
Einally, don't just reuse the same statement oI purpose Ior each school
you apply to. You can recycle the same inIormation, but make sure
you tweak it Ior every school. Your statement will sound stale and the
admissions committee will notice iI you don't do this.
Tips Irom http://www.Iulbright.co.uk/eas/postgrad/statement2.html:
Things which all college admissions oIIicers want to see in the
application:
A Picture of Your Overall Personality
How will you give a picture oI your personality? I would
suggest that you imply rather than state the Iacts. Eor instance,
don`t say I am a smart person.` Demonstrate it, imply it. Don`t
say I am energetic.` Give evidence by the Iact that you
worked aIter school Ior six hours every day and still had time
to play on the volleyball team.
Academic Background and Work Experience
It would be a mistake to talk about your high school. Start with
your undergraduate career. School records may be worth
mentioning iI there is something extraordinary about them.
Continuity
Admissions oIIicers are looking Ior some continuity in what
you have done, what you want to do in the near Iuture and
what you hope to do in the distant Iuture. So, connect them.
Commitment and Motivation
Rather than simply saying I am committed`, Iind a way oI
inIerring that you are indeed highly committed and motivated
to your proposed Iield oI study.
Communication Skills
They will be looking at your writing skills - how well you can
present yourselI clearly and intelligently when writing, hence
the importance oI spending considerable time on the statement.
Writing style
Write simply, not in a flowery and complicated manner.
Write in a straightforward way.
In other words don`t be subtle or cute. Write in a clear and
logical manner. II you have to be creative, that is Iine, but do
so in a straightIorward way. These people are really interested
in your vocation. They don`t want to read something that is in
the Iorm oI one act plays nor do they want to read three
adjectives per noun. They want you to be direct and
straightIorward.
Be clear in what you are saying.
Make sure you are logical. Explain yourselI with great clarity.
Einally, most important oI all, be speciIic, not vague. Don`t say
- My grades were quite good` but say I belonged to the top
5 oI my class`. Don`t say - I am interested in sports`. Say I
was captain oI my hockey team`. Don`t say I like poetry`. Say
I did a study oI Shakespeare`s sonnets and wrote a twelve-
page bachelor`s degree dissertation on Imagery`. Don`t say - I
want to be a Supreme Court Judge, that is why I want to go to
law school`. Say things like I was an apprentice in a court` or
I oIten went with my Iather to the courts to listen to cases` or
I wrote a legal column Ior a school newspaper`. That is being
speciIic.
Tips Irom http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/cues/grad.strength.html:
Structure
Think oI the statement oI purpose as a composition in three diIIerent
parts. The Iirst part is a brieI summary oI the program you want to
study and what particular area oI research you want to Iocus on. The
second part should be a summary oI your college experiences. What
brought about your interest in engineering (perhaps a bit oI pertinent
background inIormation), any work experience you might have had,
iI you put yourselI through school, co-op or summer job experiences
and research experiences--here you can elucidate what design or job
responsibilities you had. You may be as speciIic as possible, as it is
engineering proIessors who are reading this statement. The third part
is composed oI why you want to go to graduate school, what you
would like to study (research), and ideally, with whom you would
like to study. Write the department or consult the web Ior inIormation
concerning the proIessor's research interests, then consult your library
Ior recent publications. When you can mention what you would like
to study, and whom you would like to study with, it oIten indicates to
a department that you've done your homework and have serious
intentions about the pursuit oI graduate study. At all times, be sincere
and honest