Graduate School Statement Template Page 4
ADVERTISEMENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18Page 4 of 18
The Grad School Statement of Purpose
by Geoffrey Cook
The best way to approach your personal statement for graduate school is to imagine
that you have five minutes with someone from the admissions committee. How would
you go about making the best case for yourself while holding the listener's interest?
What would you include and omit in your story? Figuring out the answer to these
questions is critical to successfully preparing an effective statement.
To arrive at these answers, you should begin by asking yourself two specific questions:
Why have I chosen to attend graduate school in this specific field,
and why did I choose to apply to this particular school's program?
What are my qualifications for admission?
The answers will not necessarily come easily to you, but this exercise will have great
practical benefit in readying you to write an outstanding personal statement. By
answering each question thoroughly, you will have given much thought to yourself, your
experiences, and your goals, thereby laying the groundwork for formulating an
interesting and persuasive presentation of your own personal story.
As the founder of , I have seen firsthand the difference a well-written
application essay can make. If you remember nothing else about this article, remember
this: Be Interesting. Be Concise.
Why Graduate School?
Graduate school is a serious commitment, and it may have been your goal for a long
time. Describing your early exposure to a field can offer effective insight into your core
objectives. Watch out, however, that you do not make your point in such a cliched,
prepackaged way as to make your reader cringe. For example, you should not start
your essay, "I have always wanted to" or "I have always known that _______ was my
calling." Instead, you should discuss specific events that led to your interest in the field.
Graduate school is, of course, a means to an end, and admissions committees prefer
students who know where they're going and to what use they'll put their education
(though the occasional soul-searcher, who may exhibit exceptional raw potential, is
welcomed). For many people, the long-term goal is to work in academia, and to
differentiate yourself in such cases, you can stress more specific objectives such as
your research interests.
Note: Read the instructions carefully. Sometimes schools will ask for a statement of
purpose describing your specific research interests in lieu of, or in addition to, a
personal statement that emphasizes your character and qualities. For these types of
essays, you can assume that a faculty member will be reading your statement, but it
should still be accessible enough for a non-specialist to understand. Remember that
The Writing Center: Writing a Grad School Personal Statement
ADVERTISEMENT
0 votes
Related Articles
Related forms
Related Categories
Parent category: Legal