guidelines to statements of purpose

8/4/2019 Guidelines to Statements of Purpose

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Guidelines toGuidelines toStatements of PurposeStatements of PurposeGuidelines toGuidelines toStatements of PurposeStatements of Purpose

Academic Writing CentreAcademic Writing Centre


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What is a Statement of

Purpose? Who you are what has influenced your career path so

far your professional interests where you plan to go from here.

It is the only part of your applicationwhere you still have FULL CONTROL


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WHO DO THEY WANT? creativity curiosity

pride in your work an enthusiasm for learning a capacity for teamwork (depending

on your career plan) the ability to think independently


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Resume your SoP is not a repetition of the

information in the resume.

It should instead, use the resume asa reference and highlight thelearnings you have received during

some key points in your career.


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ResearchResearch the universities you are considering applying to. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of each. university and department web sites and brochures home pages of students your seniors or friends who are studying at that university

or in the same field elsewhere your college professors friends in the same field. find out which professors work in areas that interest you

and write to them about your plans. gain a better idea about the areas of research emphasized

upon by that particular department.


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Reflect on the essay

content ask yourself why you want to study further. list down events that have made a significant impression on you. (everyday

or out-of-the-way) make a list of people you admire or who have influenced you - this could be

a friend, a family member, a teacher, etc. and need not necessarily be a

famous person. go through your resume and reflect on what you have learned from yourvarious experiences. How have they molded your interests and led you tothis point? Pick one or two cases that you can talk about in-depth.

For graduate school, it is best to take at least one professional situationand show what you did and learned.

Make a list of schools you plan to apply to. ask yourself why you wish tostudy at each of the schools you have listed. For graduate study, it is

important to ensure that your interests are compatible with the researchinterests of the department you are applying to.


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Keep it truthfulyour deep desire to make society a better place?

your application should reflect it. Have you done anythingabout this desire? Can you talk about your actions andexperiences?

A small example of something you did, not necessarilyspectacular, can do more towards boosting your chancesthan the noblest platitude can.

Dont try to be something you are not. Don. t try to tell theadmissions committee what you think they want to hear. Behonest, look inside yourself and do your best.


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Self-Knowledgethink long and hard about who you are what are the things you appreciate what inspires you What you want out of life where you are going from here.

It is not necessary to have all the answers. It is necessaryto show that you have thought about this. And that theselife experiences have taught you something.


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the DOs Decide the order in which you want to discuss it. Make sure

that the underlying logic of this order is there. BE INDIVIDUAL!

Use concrete examples from your life experience to support

your thesis and distinguish yourself from other applicants.Write about what interests you, excites you.

Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead -- ananecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of ascene.

End your essay with a conclusion that refers back to the

lead and restates your thesis.


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LANGUAGE

GUIDELINES Flow

While each paragraph should make a complete statement on its own, the essay should logicallyprogress from paragraph to paragraph.

StructureThis follows naturally from flow. Do all the paragraphs mesh together to form a cogent whole? Doesthe essay, through a logical progression of ideas, demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and fit in

the department you have applied to? LanguageAvoid slang and abbreviations. For acronyms, use the full form the first time and show the acronymin parentheses. Use grammatically correct English and ALWAYS read your essay carefully forspelling mistakes before you send it off - your computer's spellcheck may not flush out all theerrors.

ConciseTry to make your essay crisp, cutting out unnecessary adverbs, articles and pronouns (for instance, acareful reading may yield several "the's" that are superfluous).

ToneUse a consistent tone throughout the essay - it will only confuse the admissions officers if you

alternately sound like Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare, and is hardly likely to endear you tothem! While you should avoid flowery language and cliches, there is no harm in looking for the mostapt phrase or sentence.

HumourBe careful while using humor - it can misfire and harm your chances.


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The Donts Don't include information that doesn't support your thesis. Don't start your essay with "I was born in...," or "My parents

came from..." Don't write an autobiography, itinerary, or resume in prose.

Don't try to be a clown (but gentle humor is O

K). Don't be afraid to start over if the essay just isn't working or

doesn't answer the essay question. Don't try to impress your reader with your vocabulary. Don't rely exclusively on your computer to check your spelling. Don't provide a collection of generic statements and platitudes. Don't give mealy-mouthed, weak excuses for your GPA or test

scores. Don't make things up.


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BEFORE SENDING Revise your essay at least three

times.

In addition to your editing, asksomeone else to critique yourstatement of purpose for you.

Write clearly, succinctly.


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THE FULBRIGHT

ESSAYSThe statement of purpose is divided into 2 parts: Study/work objectives Personal statement

(that doesnt mean the study objectives essayshas to be impersonal. All it means is that you getextra space to talk about your wider interests and

what has shaped your character in a separatesection. )


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Study/Work ObjectivesThe first essay is the STATEMENT OF PROPOSED STUDY or project essay : "Describe your study or

research plans and your reasons for wishing toundertake them in the country of your choice. Outline a plan that realistically can be completedin one academic year abroad. ... Applicants in the creative or performing arts, are not expected toformulate detailed research projects. ... Graduating seniors should describe the study programsthey wish to follow in terms as specific as possible."

"All candidates should submit projects indicating in detail their reasons for choosing aparticular country, the form their work will take, the results they hope to obtain, and thecontribution that a foreign experience will have on their future development."

The project essay might follow this format:1) Begin by specifying the university or institution (museum school, etc.) you want to attend, the course

of study you want to pursue there (also indicating the specific creative issue you might focus on)and explain why that course of study is especially suited to that institution in that country.

2) Explain why this course is worth pursuing and the "results you hope to obtain."3) Explain why on the basis of your prior experience you are qualified to do it.4) Say what steps you have taken or will take to investigate the program of study and to secure

an affiliation with the institution of your choice. (Have you written for or received informationregarding faculty, courses, library or other facilities? Do you have an application?) Include in

your application any letter indicating that you will be welcome to the institution.5) Explain how the program of studies relates to your future career interests.


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Personal Statement The second essay is the personal essay. This statement should be a narrative giving a

picture of yourself as an individual. It shoulddeal with your personal history, family background, influences on your intellectualdevelopment, the educational and cultural opportunities (or lack of them) to which youhave been exposed,and the ways in which these experiences have affected you. Also include your specialinterestsand abilities, career plans, and life goals, etc. It should not be a recording of factsalreadylisted on the application or an elaboration of your statement of proposed study.

This essay gives you the chance to present yourself as intellectually alive andculturally aware, a tactful person of goodwill who will make an excellent ambassador inthe Fulbright year. Explain how your proposed program of studies or teachingassignment relates to your personal intellectual growth at the close of yourundergraduate years. Stress any special intellectual interests, avocations, artistic ormusical abilities that you could develop or contribute during your Fulbright

year. Coordinate this personal essay with the project statement and with theportfolio of your work, so that they complement and do not repeat eachother. Finally, your essay must display a graceful and concise command of your nativelanguage, so plan to revise, revise and revise. Both Fulbright essays are only a pagelong, single-spaced.


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Helpful links Comprehensive guidelines for the Fulbright essays (if applying for the

Masters prog, dont worry about the detailed proposal guidelines sincethose are meant more for the PhD and post-PhD level)http://www.jhfc.duke.edu/ducis/fulbright/process/app_process4.html

How to put together a competitive applicationhttp://www.apu.edu/fulbright/pdfs/fulbright_competitive_app.pdf

An brief and useful exercise to polish your study objectiveshttp://irn.uit.tufts.edu/research_planner/documents/11/fulbright_project

_essay.pdf

Sample Fulbright personal statementhttp://www.jobseekersadvice.com/career_education/articles/scholarship_essay_examples.htm#Scholarship%20Essay%20Three

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