tRoSeSTO

I'm hardly an expert on this field. In fact, I'm currently lacking the same experience you desire. However, maybe some of the ideas I came up with while brainstorming may be useful. Of course, when most people (including me) think of IR experience, they jump to the big guns: United Nations, WTO, etc. But there may be plenty of smaller organizations that have greater scheduling flexibility. As a NYC resident, if anyone has access to them, it's you. Local NGOs, advocacy groups, and organizations that cater in the needs of foreigners and expatriates residing in/visiting the States are some options. For example: my area of interest is China, so I volunteered in my city's local Chinese-language newspaper. This led me to get involved with lots of people related to the local Chinese business community, which got me involved in other organizations that focus on Chinese-Americans. Maybe this would be "international-lite", but it's something to do with your free time! Another consideration: see if you can pick up some amateur freelance work from sites like Fiverr. Maybe there's someone out there will to pay a bit of money for someone to write short IR articles for their blog/publication/etc. Hope some of mine are useful, or at least can get you thinking in the right direction. Let me know if you think of other ideas!

I think this is an accurate suggestion--one that has been recommended to me by quite a few people. So, you could say something very concise and precise like "My first research experience was [research program]. Since then, my interest in [subject] has only deepened" If you want to shorten it, you could aim for something like "My first research experience with [research program] deepened my interest in [subject]." Note: some may take issue with a word like "deepen" because it's metaphorical. In my 100% non-professional opinion, completely stripping away such words can leave behind a dry and overly "scientific" statement. If you feel the need to avoid such words, you could try something like "I first became interested in research through [research program. Since then, I have continued to pursue my interest in [subject] by [studying / working / blah blah blah]" One of the most helpful--and most difficult--pieces of advice I ever received: "show, don't tell." Don't say "I'm passionate." Show you're passionate. Don't say "I'm passionate about biology." Say "I have spent the last three years conducting research in XYZ's laboratory, taking supplementary courses in my spare time, and contributing to the journal ABC." That may not be the best example, but I think it gives you the basic idea. I guess everyone has their own way of doing this. For me, I tried to weave a narrative that shows my enduring interest in my field...it's not some passing fancy, but a long-lasting interest that I've pursued for years. I tried to make it sound like grad school was the next logical step, and one that I have been considering for a long time. Hope some of this is helpful!

Sure! I'm not sure if I can provide any valuable insights, but I can at least look it over.

Thank you TakeruK, fuzzylogician, and Psygeek for your valuable insights! TakuruK I certainly agree that being clear and concise is valuable, especially when given a space of 2-3 pages The part I have been struggling with is the "compelling narrative" part. My natural writing style is #1, and it's hard for me to appreciate a story written in the tone of #2. I'm working on it though! Thinking about where my reader is going to read my statement is actually really helpful. It reminded me of something I heard in a writing class: “Although you may feel obliged to write, nobody has ever felt obliged to read” "you want to equip the person who will speak on your application with concrete details they can say about you" --> This is also very helpful. I will think carefully about the tidbits of my life will be interpreted by the committee, as well as how that will affect the way they talk about me I appreciate that you have a strong inclination towards style 1 while still maintaining an openness about style 2. I think it's important for me to remember that I'm writing for my reader and not for myself. I might not like how boring style 2 makes my life feel, but I think you're correct that it's still the style that's best suited for my goal. fuzzylogician Thanks for your directness and honesty! I appreciate the candor. After all, I'm not looking to be coddled; I'm looking to get into grad school! I agree with what you said. As I mentioned above to TakuruK, I really need to remember that 1 - I'm writing for my reader, not myself, and 2 - the goal isn't to convince myself that my life experiences were vivid and interesting, but to show the committee that I'm a suitable and "mature applicant" Psygeek I guess I didn't consider the difference between "writing like a story" and "telling a story" Thanks for sharing some of your own experience! It's helpful to understand how other people approached their statements I definitely need to remain aware of the proportion of my paragraphs that are serving each purpose. Currently, my paragraphs are written in this way: passion hook --> Japan Japan changed me from 2.0 to 4.0 GPA student --> 4.0 in Japan, 4.0 in Colorado, 4.0 in Missouri continued learning on my own earned 24 certificates from online classes --> started focusing on China and trade relations taught myself Mandarin --> passed the highest language proficiency certification last month talk about university's master's degree and general things I want to learn from it --> hope to study under the leadership of faculty member ABC for interests 1 and 2 interest 1 - interest intro, why this interest, why under ABC, related classes at the university, how the skills from master's helps me pursue interest 1 interest 2 - interest intro, why this interest, why under ABC, related classes at the university, how the skills from master's [...] interest 3 - [...] + study under faculty member XYZ career objectives --> how this master's helps --> what I can contribute to the program conclusion Thank you all again for taking the time to read through my post! I will incorporate all of your suggestions into my next draft.

Like most of you, I'm here because of uncertainties regarding some aspect of the grad school application process. I've read every credible article I could find about crafting the perfect Statement of Purpose. I've read through a dozen examples of what is considered a great statement. My problem is this: I'm not sure if a lot of the suggestions for writing style are applicable to the kind of program I want to study. Of all the statements I read, my favorites are the ones that are conversational and descriptive. They're the ones that read like a story. But is that style suitable for every major? My favorite statements were written for history and English degrees, but I want to go to grad school for International Relations (IR). The general style of IR publications is anything but vivid. It's careful, clear, and concise. It eliminates adjectives and adverbs, replaces gut-punching verbs with their emotionless equivalents, and speaks in the stilted manner of a indifference. Neutrality is key. So, at last, my question. Should my statement of purpose be written in the style of IR--because that's the degree I want to pursue--or should it be written to captivate the reader--because I want to grab their attention and be memorable? Note: I also have to include a writing sample on an IR topic. I wrote three complete versions of my statement (1,000 words each): #1 is written like a story #2 is written more like an article in IR #3 is a combination page one is my "story"/background, and it's written like #1 page two is my reason for choosing that school and that program, what I would like to learn, from which professors, and what I want to do after graduation. It's written like #2. _________________________ #1 - colorful My bleary eyes snapped open at the flash of the overhead fluorescent lights. Seconds later, my retinas drank in the scene and clarified the unusual predicament I had awoken in. I was surrounded by strangers. Surrounded, in fact, by 10,000 miles of them. I puzzled over the shifting words slithering across the LED displays and clung to my bag. I stretched my tired legs and crept out of the narrow tunnel into my new life. My 17 hour flight to Chongqing had arrived. To understand why I was in Chongqing--and why I am applying your prestigious university--it is instructive to know the experiences that shaped me.Before Chongqing, there was Tokyo. I grew up tending to the delicate leaves of my bonsai tree and reconstructing the gnarled lines found in my calligraphy book. At 13, my hazy lifelong interest in Asia took shape in the form of an academic interest: Japanese. I was drawn to the curvy loops of Hiragana, the jagged edges of Katakana, and the serious pictography of Kanji. I promised myself, “When I’m in college, I’ll study Japanese. I’ll even go to Sophia University!” I dreamed of the day I could move to Tokyo, that bustling city lit by the grotesque light of a million flickering billboards and crammed with overworked businessmen, young fashionistas, and everything in between. On the first day of registration, I took my first step and signed up for Japanese. From that day forward, I grabbed every chance I could to immerse myself in the language. Then, seven years after I picked Sophia, Sophia picked me. _________________________ #2 - IR version My interest in Asia originates from my childhood experiences. At that time, being exposed to Asia primarily meant taking care of a bonsai tree and trying to replicate the character strokes in my calligraphy book. Today, my interest is more academic in nature. By the time I was 13, I had already decided that I would learn Japanese. I even decided that I would study abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo. Once in university, I joined Elementary Japanese, Japanese Club, and the Language Exchange Program. Seven years later, I was the sole candidate selected from my university to attend Sophia. _________________________ Thanks in advance for your help!