Table of Contents
It will not come as a surprise to you that your graduate school application needs one minuscule detail. It is a graduate statement of purpose. We do believe that you are at a loss since you are not quite sure what things to cover in this type of writing. The truth is you are greatly encouraged to tell about your candidacy something besides the grades and test scores, the resume data, and letters of recommendation.
It goes without saying that the information you include in a graduate statement of purpose should be original and ample. This piece of writing will be your proof why you are the best candidate for grad school. What is the reason for reiterating data from your resume or any other document? There is no actually. For a short period of time, you will receive the undivided attention of the admission committee, so seize the opportunity to present yourself in the best possible way. Your primary task is to make a graduate statement of purpose memorable, personal, and informative.
What to Cover
- your burning yen or motivation to obtain a degree exclusively in this university;
- how your life experience will help you to succeed in this field/ in your career;
- conducted research, volunteering, or experience you gained being an intern. Make sure your data is connected to the field chosen;
- honors, publications, and awards, especially if you have obtained them recently;
- minuscule details about your long-term and short-term goals and how you will benefit from achieving them;
- detailed information on the programs you are going to apply for and the professors you would like to consult with, as well as the reasons why you have chosen them and how they will help you to pursue a future career.
What not to Cover
- the information from any of your application materials;
- data that might have a negative impact on your candidacy; it does not mean you assumed to lie or provide false info, but it is better to omit some details, for instance, a low grade in the fresher’s course;
- advanced vocabulary in case you are not sure about its meaning;
- details, which intend to embellish the reality and you as a personality in order to make you a more suitable candidate.
With this graduate statement of purpose, the admission committee aims to evaluate the maturity level of each candidate and that is the reason why it is an integral part of applying for most graduate programs. Furthermore, this is a perfect opportunity for admission officers to estimate the candidate’s writing skills and potential. You may meet the latter with your eyebrows raised high yet a graduate statement of purpose provides an unparalleled opportunity to evaluate the potential for success in the chosen field due to the goals and determination of the candidate.
The purpose of a graduate statement of purpose (sorry for tautology) is to let you cover things, which you cannot cover in your resume or other application materials. Do not hesitate to grab this opportunity!
Before kicking off the writing process, look through “what to cover, what not to cover” section again!
