Writing the Statement of Purpose for

Graduate SchoolMichael J. Spivey

Cognitive ScienceUniversity of California, Merced

Contributing authors:Evan Heit, Psychology and Cognitive Science, UC MercedAlex Whalley, Economics, UC Merced

Factors for Admissions• GPA

• GRE

• Letters of Recommendation

• Interview/Visit

• STATEMENT of PURPOSE

• Complete Application

Statement of Purpose

• Idea of your research/study interests

• Sample of your ability to write

• Proxy for interview

• Can be the difference between getting in or not

• Opportunity to sell yourself!

Central Theme

• Reasons for your interest in attending a specific program at a particular institution

• Statement is tailored for the program & institution

The Key Idea• Look like you will be a success in graduate

school.– coming in, you are prepared, motivated, focused,

have needed skills (writing, math, research)– once there, you will successfully complete all

requirements and you will progress as a researcher

• This is about potential: You don’t have to already have a PhD to get into graduate school!

Important to keep in mind:• Audience: admission committees are

professors in your discipline - no need to define basic terminology.

• Establish your voice: confident, but not arrogant- straightforward tone: explain how you are prepared for graduate school- acknowledge poor performances (GPA, GRE scores etc.) then focus on achievements not failures

Important to keep in mind:

• Answer the question: most graduate schools don’t give much instruction about SoP, but if application asks a specific question, make sure to address it

• Get feedback: At your current school, talk with professors and graduate students about graduate school and the application process, and get suggested revisions from them on your draft SoP.

Writing an Effective Statement

• How did you become interested in your field?- describe how research experiences, courses,

professors, internships, work experiences, community service, things you’ve read, other independent studies, or life experiences have stimulated your interest

• What are your interests and career objectives?- be specific about discipline and objectives- for example, if psychology, what area? teaching vs. research?

Writing an Effective Statement

• What are your research interests?- research is the essence of a PhD—should be reflected in statement- introduce a few topics of interest- don’t need to make a specific thesis or dissertation proposal, but should be able to pose 1 or 2 questions or problems

• What attracts you most to the institution/ program and why are you a good match?- interests should parallel those of the faculty in the program you are applying to—read their articles, mention their names- the better the match, the better the chance of getting admitted

Statement Should Be…• Well organized

• Concise

• Free of grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors

• Convincing that you will be successful graduate student

• 2 or 3 pages in length• Including a last paragraph that mentions

the names and work of potential advisors

• Proof-read!!

Statement Should Not Be…• An undergraduate application

– not too focused on extracurriculars, life history, hobbies, general world view

• About your convenience

• Unclear

Discipline-specific: Economics

• Be prepared: math background

• Know what area you want to study

• Show economic reasoning

Discipline-specific: Psychology and Cognitive

Science• Be prepared: research experience,

statistics

• Know what area you want to study

• Show awareness of how topics are researched

In Conclusion,

The reader should be able to:• see what you are interested in, and

why

• see that you know what graduate school is about (research)

• see that you will be a success

Questions???