SOP STRUCTURE

Statement of purpose

Be specific, persuasive, clear. Tips from http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdf. This is an

excellent paper that addresses the bigger picture of applying to CSprogram, and is relevant to EE people as well:

o It’s misleading that the personal statement is called a “personal”statement, since what admission committees are really looking for is aresearch statement. What admission committees want is a statementabout what research you have done, what research you hope to do,and why you like research.

o Structure First paragraph – Describe the general areas of research that

interest you and why. (This is helpful for a committee todetermine which professors should read your application.)

Second paragraph and Third paragraph – Descibe someresearch projects that you worked on. Tell us what you found,what you learned, what approaches you tried. It’s fine to saythat you were unable to prove what you wanted or to solveyour problem.

Fourth paragraph – Tell us why you feel you need a Ph.D..Look back to section what in there appealed to you.

Fifth paragraph – Tell us why you want to come to CMU.Whom might you like to work with? What papers have youlooked at from CMU that you enjoyed reading? What willCMU teach you?

Tips fromhttp://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/gcallaghan/graduate/winningstatement.htm:

o Your purpose in graduate study. This means you must have thoughtthis through before you try to answer the question.

o The area of study in which you wish to specialize. This requires thatyou know the field well enough to make such decision.

o Your future use of your graduate study. This will include your careergoals and plans for your future.

o Your special preparation and fitness for study in the field. This is theopportunity to relate your academic background with yourextracurricular experience to show how they unite to make you aspecial candidate.

o Any problems or inconsistencies in your records or scores such as abad semester. Be sure to explain in a positive manner and justify the

explanation. Since this is a rebuttal argument, it should be followedby a positive statement of your abilities.

o Any special conditions that are not revealed elsewhere in theapplication such as a large (35 hour a week) work load outside ofschool. This too should be followed with a positive statement aboutyourself and your future.

o You may be asked, "Why do you wish to attend this school?" Thisrequires that you have done your research about the school and knowwhat its special appeal is to you.

o Career goals. write two short paragraphs: What career have you chosen? What factors formed this

decision? What evidence shows that this is a correct choice? That is, how

can you show that this choice is realistic? (Personal experiencein the field is a good place to begin.)

o What accomplishments, work experiences, important activies(skills/qualities) will help me in grad school?

Tips from http://bgess.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/rewrite/w2/gradinfo/purpose.html:

o Demonstrate motivation in-between the lines.o Emphasize everything from a positive perspectiveo Recommended writing structure:

Introduction This is where you tell them what you want to study. For

example, M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering withan emphasis in dynamics and controls.

Summarize what you did as an undergraduate Important class or classes you took which stimulated

your desire for graduate study; specific project or class? Research you might have done. Indicate with whom, the

title of the project and what your responsibilities were.Write technically; it's professors, not secretaries, readingthis.

Work experience, especially if you had any kind ofresponsibility for testing, designing, or researching aproduct or apparatus.

Indicate what you want to study in graduate school ingreater detail.This is a greater elaboration of your openingparagraph.

Indicate area of interest, then state questions you mighthave which are associated; i.e. what you might beinterested in studying. You should have an area selectedbefore you write the statement.

If you can, contact the department for information andfind out what the professors are doing for research. Arethere people whose interests match yours? If so, indicatethis as it shows a sign that the student has done his orher homework and is highly motivated. (Be sincere,however. Don't make up something bogus just toimpress people.)

Tips fromhttp://www.careerservices.calpoly.edu/Students/Colleges/personal_statement.htm:

o Academic background How have you prepared yourself to succeed in graduate

school? What body of relevant knowledge will you take with you? Significant study or lab skills Research or publications completed to date

o A successful statement will... Has great opening lines or paragraphs Conveys at least a glimpse of the applicant's personality Substantiates specific academic preparation and knowledge of

subject matter Demonstrates an understanding of the challenges as well as the

rewards of a chosen career Gives a sense of maturity, compassion, stamina, teamwork

skills, leadership potential and general likability, usuallywithout addressing these issues directly (tells a story ratherthan gives a list)

Says what you really mean by describing an event or emotionsand thoughts in detail

Gives specifics, with DETAILS. It's far better to give youressay a complete description of one incident than to cram it fullof activities and accomplishments without any hint of whatthey meant to you, your motivations for doing them, what youlearned, or emotions evoked.

Shows how you will use the graduate education in yourplanned career and establishes that you understand your placein the "big picture"

Demonstrate that you've read the catalog carefully, researchedthe program, and considered your reasons for applying to theparticular school.

Direct your focus at that specific program; refer tofaculty with whom you have been in contact.

Get the name of the program you are applying to intothe 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 truthfulness should be clearly evident.

Tips from http://www.csulb.edu/~psy301/perstate.html:o You must demonstrate to the committee how your goals coincide

with what the program has to offer as well as how you will fit in andhow your qualifications will benefit the program.

o The applicant should not use the same essay for each program. Ageneric personal statement is easy to detect.

Tips fromhttp://www.princetonreview.com/grad/apply/articles/application/purpose.asp:

o To distinguish your essay, add something unique to it withoutthrowing in irrelevant information that will annoy your readers. Oneof the best ways to do this is to discuss, briefly, an idea in your fieldthat turns you on intellectually. It's an effective essay-opener, and itlets you write about something besides yourself for a bit. There areother benefits as well. The idea you choose to talk about, and yourcomments on it, often tell an admissions committee more about youthan your own self-descriptions can.

o Finally, don't just reuse the same statement of purpose for each schoolyou apply to. You can recycle the same information, but make sureyou tweak it for every school. Your statement will sound stale and theadmissions committee will notice if you don't do this.

Tips from http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas/postgrad/statement2.html:o Things which all college admissions officers want to see in the

application: A Picture of Your Overall Personality

How will you give a picture of your personality? I wouldsuggest that you imply rather than state the facts. For instance,don’t say ‘I am a smart person.’ Demonstrate it, imply it. Don’tsay ‘I am energetic.’ Give evidence by the fact that youworked after school for six hours every day and still had timeto play on the volleyball team.

Academic Background and Work ExperienceIt would be a mistake to talk about your high school. Start withyour undergraduate career. School records may be worthmentioning if there is something extraordinary about them.

ContinuityAdmissions officers are looking for some continuity in whatyou have done, what you want to do in the near future andwhat you hope to do in the distant future. So, connect them.

Commitment and MotivationRather than simply saying ‘I am committed’, find a way ofinferring that you are indeed highly committed and motivatedto your proposed field of study.

Communication SkillsThey will be looking at your writing skills - how well you canpresent yourself clearly and intelligently when writing, hencethe importance of spending considerable time on the statement.

o 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 andlogical manner. If you have to be creative, that is fine, but doso in a straightforward way. These people are really interestedin your vocation. They don’t want to read something that is inthe form of one act plays nor do they want to read threeadjectives per noun. They want you to be direct andstraightforward.

Be clear in what you are saying.Make sure you are logical. Explain yourself with great clarity.Finally, most important of all, be specific, not vague. Don’t say- ‘My grades were quite good’ but say ‘I belonged to the top5% of my class’. Don’t say - ‘I am interested in sports’. Say ‘Iwas captain of my hockey team’. Don’t say ‘I like poetry’. Say‘I did a study of Shakespeare’s sonnets and wrote a twelve-page bachelor’s degree dissertation on Imagery’. Don’t say - ‘Iwant to be a Supreme Court Judge, that is why I want to go tolaw school’. Say things like ‘I was an apprentice in a court’ or‘I often went with my father to the courts to listen to cases’ or‘I wrote a legal column for a school newspaper’. That is beingspecific.

Tips from http://www.coe.berkeley.edu/cues/grad.strength.html:o Structure

Think of the statement of purpose as a composition in three differentparts. The first part is a brief summary of the program you want tostudy and what particular area of research you want to focus on. Thesecond part should be a summary of your college experiences. Whatbrought about your interest in engineering (perhaps a bit of pertinentbackground information), any work experience you might have had,if you put yourself through school, co-op or summer job experiencesand research experiences--here you can elucidate what design or jobresponsibilities you had. You may be as specific as possible, as it isengineering professors who are reading this statement. The third partis composed of why you want to go to graduate school, what you

would like to study (research), and ideally, with whom you wouldlike to study. Write the department or consult the web for informationconcerning the professor's research interests, then consult your libraryfor recent publications. When you can mention what you would liketo study, and whom you would like to study with, it often indicates toa department that you've done your homework and have seriousintentions about the pursuit of graduate study. At all times, be sincereand honest