Creating an Outline
Come up with a “hook.” Admissions committees will expect that every applicant is excited to study the field they’re applying for, whether it’s biology, history, or anything in between. If you want to stand out, you’ll have to start with an attention-grabbing hook that explains exactly why you are motivated to pursue advanced study in your field. Brainstorm particular factors that led to your decision to pursue graduate study. Make these as interesting as possible, but truthful and believable. For instance, maybe your interest in studying Italian grew out of that time you got stranded at the airport in Rome for 24 hours. Or maybe you decided to study entomology because you can remember your grandparents telling stories about how devastating the boll weevil infestations were.
Sketch out a description of your experience in the field. If you’ve completed any research projects or gained other significant expertise in the field, you’ll definitely want to say so in your statement of purpose. Focus only on experiences you garnered as an undergraduate--no one wants to hear about your high school chemistry class! Plan to include a section discussing anything relevant, like: Your undergraduate thesis, senior project, or other major research work. Time interning in a lab, with a cultural foundation, etc. Any publications you have produced or contributed to. Major presentations, talks, posters, or exhibits you have been involved in.
Plan a section that specifically discusses what you want to study. Be specific here. Instead of just stating that you want to study sociology, for instance, describe your serious interests in the intersection of gender, public health, and post-industrial urban spaces. This section should also make it clear why the school you are applying to is the right place to study this field. Do your research. Study the webpages of the department you are interested in applying to as well as its faculty members. Their research interests don’t have to be exactly the same as yours, but they should be related.
Daydream about your future plans. Some discussion of where you’d want to go after graduate school would be a good idea. This could say that you’d like to become a researcher at a university, or apply your advanced knowledge of chemistry to the pharmaceutical field.
Pay attention to any specific questions you are asked. The prompts for statements of purpose are often very general, like “Describe your interests and experiences in this field, and where you see your future in it.” However, sometimes you will be asked more specific questions, like “What specific resources do you expect to need for your graduate research?” If your application’s prompt includes any specific questions, build them into your outline.
Drafting Your Statement
Wow them with your knowledge of the field. You should have at least one substantial paragraph devoted to the specific topics that interest you. Describe the contemporary theories, books, scholars, or topics that excite and inspire you. You can pose interests as a question. This makes your writing engaging, and shows your ability to formulate research questions. For instance, you might write something like “the question I keep turning to in my research is: How did gender-based concerns shape the epistolary novel and related genres in eighteenth-century France?”
Focus on showing, not telling. Let the details speak in your statement. This will excite the admissions committee, and make your personal statement stand apart from boring, stale, and vague essays. For instance, write something more than “I gained significant experience as an intern in a chemical engineering lab that I will apply to my graduate study.” Instead, try something like “While interning at the UC Berkeley Chemical Engineering Lab, I discovered a new method for crystallizing citric acid. In my article published in the New England Journal of Chemistry, I explained how this can potentially transform the industrial production of this compound. I intend to pursue research on these applications during my graduate study.” Don’t be afraid to use the technical lingo of your field. Remember you are writing to your peers who want to know you are knowledgeable.
Toot your own horn. A statement of purpose is no time to be modest. Don't boast, but be forward about your accomplishments. Remember you want to impress admissions committees! This means don't settle for something like “As an undergraduate, I excelled academically.” Instead, show specific evidence of your accomplishments: “A $2000 grant from the Louisiana Historical Society to fund my research on material culture in Antebellum African American daily life. The senior thesis I wrote reporting my findings earned the LSU Library Undergraduate Research Award.”
Name who you want to work with. If there are specific professors you want to work with in graduate school, mention them in your statement of purpose. This will need to be tailored to each individual school you apply to. For instance, you could say something like “I’m interested in taking one of Professor Mueller’s courses on contemporary theories of the novel,” or “As a student in your program, I would further my research by participating in Dr. Cortez’ genomics lab group.” If you don’t yet have anyone specific in mind, that’s ok. Instead, you can mention the department’s or university’s strengths and how you would benefit from them: “As a practicing translator, I would enthusiastically contribute to UD’s Center for Intercultural Communications.” Be honest in talking about your interests, and don’t feel as though you can only discuss working with big names. Keep in mind that sometimes the most famous professors in a department might not work with many graduate students.
Explain any gaps or academic issues. It’s perfectly fine if you’ve taken some time off between your undergraduate years and entering graduate school, but you should briefly address this. Likewise, having an academic setback (like a failing grade one semester or a lowish test score), won’t get you automatically rejected if your application is otherwise strong--but you should explain yourself. For instance, you might say “After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent two years as an assistant to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, an experience that will inform my graduate studies in public administration.” If you have an academic issue to address, try something like “After selecting my senior research topic, my sense of focus was heightened. My GPA increased significantly, and I received a High Pass on my senior thesis.”
Be concise. Most statements of purpose are about 500 to 1000 words (1-2 pages). If the length is not specifically stated, keep them within this range. Make your statement too short, and admissions committees will be underwhelmed. Make it too long, and they’ll be annoyed. If the application specifically asks you to write a statement that is less than 500 words or more than 1000, however, follow the directions.
Reviewing Your Statement
Read your work out loud. While your statement of purpose is written for an audience of scholars, and can make use of specialized vocabulary, it should sound nice as well. Reading your essay out loud is a good way to make sure it flows well, and doesn’t have any awkward phrases, overly long sentences, or other issues. Mark any problem spots as you read your statement of purpose outloud, then revise them.
Have professors look over your statement. Professors in your field will know what makes a compelling and convincing statement of purpose. Ask at least two who know you well (such as your thesis advisor, or any who write you letters of recommendation) to read over the statement once you’ve drafted it. If they have any suggestions to improve your statement, revise it and ask them to read it again.
Proofread and copy edit. After you’ve drafted and revised your statement of purpose, and some professors have given it their seal of approval, it’s ready for a final polishing. Go through your essay with a fine-toothed comb, checking for typos and any other errors. Don’t rely on your word processor’s spelling and grammar check tools, since they might not catch everything.
Double check all requirements before submitting. After your statement of purpose is finished, re-read the directions on your application. Make sure you’ve answered any specific questions on the prompt, and that you’ve formatted everything properly. Once everything looks good, it’s ready to go! If you have multiple applications, make sure that you’ve matched the right statement of purpose with the right application. You don’t want to send in a statement of purpose that mentions the wrong school!
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