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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xBFjnYu8p9cCe7_ZSr2RefPNYqiAxngPXiGG4HO9kd8/edit?usp=sharing It's for a Master's program in Applied Linguistics, but even if you're not familiar with the field, I'd appreciate any and all feedback on it. You can leave a comment here, message me, or leave comments in the document. I'm admittedly a novice at grad school applications, but in return I'm willing to read your SOP and give any feedback I can.

Hey, guys! I was hoping to find someone interesting in trading their SOP, especially for a public affairs/government related program. Let me know!

Hi, I'm applying to graduate school and want to change majors from physics to CS. Most of my undergraduate work, internships and research has been in physics and electrical engineering with some programming. Since then, I've lost interest in physics/EE and want to focus on CS. What kind of advice would you give to me about explaining this in my SOP? I know that I will need to discuss my past experiences and I certainly will be doing that, but how do I do so without making my SOP seem unfocused? I fear that my application will be disregarded because I do not have adequate programming experience. Yet, there are some programs out there that will accept applicants without a strong CS background. I'd appreciate any kind advice that anyone here can offer regarding this issue. Thanks!

Hey all, Anyone willing to review the first draft of one of my SoPs? I can offer an exchange and/or virtual brownies. This is for a Communication PhD program.

Hello guys, I am new to this forum. I want to apply to U.S. Universities for Fall 2018. I have written the first draft of my SOP. I would be really grateful if you could go review my SOP. I am attaching it here. I know everyone is really busy so I thank you in advance for taking time of your busy schedule to read this. Sayani. SPACE SCIENCE SOP.doc

Hey, guys! As a foreign student, I've never had the need to write anything like a statement of purpose. Well, now that I'm applying to Grad School, I just finished mine. I would like to know if there's anyone here willing to take a look at it and give a few comments on how it is. Thanks!

Hello Is anyone willing to critique my SOP and suggest changes? Thanks!

Hello everybody, This is the first draft of my personal statement for UI-Bloomington's French grad (MA/PhD) program. I realize most people advice to avoid writing statements that sound like an accomplishment list but since for this one I had only 500 words, I went for this traditional route and simply stated why I think I am a good fit. The ending sounds a bit corny so I might definitely drop it (I had a good story to go along with that ending, but I ran out of words). Let me know what you think, any advice, suggestions, word is very welcome. This is the first I've written so far, and frankly I do not hate it and feel 80% good about it. Also I can return the favor if you just let me know! We're all in this together. Thanks! UI Bloominton SOP.docx

I am applying to PhD programs in Public Affairs this upcoming cycle and am beginning to write my statement of purpose. I was initially under the impression from reading past posts that most folks write a base essay and tweak it slightly for every school (for the why Michigan/Duke/Indiana University etc... section). However, after browsing school websites they seem to be asking for totally different essays. For Example: UT Austin: Broken up into two essays 1 - Please address your medium to long-term career goals and how a doctorate will assist in achieving those goals. There are no specific formatting requirements, but please try to keep it under the equivalent of three double-spaced pages in a normal, 12-point font. 2 - Please address the following in your proposed program of study: Specific areas of research Potential dissertation topics Types of courses that would fit into your overall plan The work of individual professors that seem most relevant to your policy interests Duke: As part of your online application, you must upload a statement of purpose. The statement should be one to two pages and single spaced. It should briefly discuss your purposes and objectives in pursuing graduate study; your special interests and plans; your strengths and weaknesses in your chosen field; any research projects or any independent research in which you have actively participated and how they have influenced your career choice and desire to pursue graduate studies; and any particular reasons you may have for applying to Duke (e.g. you would like to work with a specific faculty member). Would you recommend writing each essay essentially from scratch or should you assume they have different prompts but really all want the same information? Any insight would be SUPER helpful! Thank you!

Applicants are asked to provide a 1 - 2 page, double-spaced personal statement which includes the following: Why do you want to undertake graduate work? Why do you qualify to pursue a graduate degree at Virginia Tech? What do you expect to derive from your program of study? If you have a concentration or area of interest in mind, briefly outline your interests in this area. What do you expect to contribute as a student and subsequently as a member of the profession? If you have not previously indicated in your application the names of faculty members you are interested in working with, please include that information in this statement. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Seeing my father drive, the concept of mobility in machines, shifting gears, accelerating, judgment to take a pass or to turn & all this controlled by a human seemed like magic to me. Since I started driving this fascination grew into a passion. This passion has been responsible for my inclination towards engineering. I have been an automobile fanatic right since my primary schooling days. Shows like Super Cars & Mega Factories gave me motivation. Motivation and passion, in my opinion, have a strong correlation. This correlation led me to pursue undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering. I have completed my undergraduate course in Mechanical Engineering from Manipal University Jaipur, India. My undergraduate course has given me numerous opportunities to learn what I enjoy. However, moving ahead, I desire to study Mechanical Engineering further by undertaking graduate work as it would give me more insight into the field, do something constructive in the field with much better understanding as well as provide me with more career opportunities. During my undergraduate subjects like Mechanical Engineering Sciences, manufacturing processes engineering, Theory of machinery, Internal Combustion Engines, gave me a clearer view of what I wanted to do. I seek to design and engineer something new in a developing segment of mechanical. But sadly there were very few subjects relevant. So whenever & wherever I got any chance to follow my passion, gain more knowledge and practical skills I took it. I chose Automobile Engineering, micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS), Computational Fluid dynamics (CFD), sustainable development & optimization technique as my elective courses even when only as much as 10% students of the department chose to study these subjects. The final year project considered in my undergraduate program was titled “Long Stroke Engine Development” & it gave me the opportunity to be a part of a team to design and develop something new. It was one of the most original, challenging & insightful project & was appreciated with good grades. We developed a 4 Cylinder Vertical In-Line Engine to achieve higher horsepower than all existing engines at MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA. Being the only student selected for project & I needed to have a thorough knowledge of most of the operations and structure of the IC engine. Working toe to toe with experienced Industrial Experts has improved my knowledge & skills in engine assembly, engine testing, time management & teamwork. I have attended several workshops, seminars and internships organized at different institutions which helped in having hands on experience of the various machines that are the backbone of mechanical engineering. Having these valuable experiences have shown me the value of practical exposure. To learn what other institutes offer I joined and completed many MOOC courses like Machine Design from Georgia Institute of Technology & I am currently finishing A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations from Cornell University using ANSYS Mechanical & ANSYS Fluent. It has increased my knowledge in structural mechanics, fluid dynamics and heat transfer through finite-element analysis, computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics simulations. I did my summer internship at NBC. This training at undergraduate level has helped me identify the various manufacturing processes, issues underlining each sector of the industry. Apart from the academic learning at the university level, I was elected as member for Student Council of the University by the university students & at the departmental level, I was voted as Class Representative. These two huge designations have given me a sense of commitment and responsibility toward the community of which I am a part of. I had been a part of organizing teams of the annual technical festival, cultural & sports festival of my university. I was campus and hostel committee member of University's joint admission counseling & have worked 210 hours each summer for past three years. These all have helped me in building my organizational skills, management, reasoning skills, team management & problem-solving skills & this helped me overcome my social barrier. These developed skills proved to be the foundation for many other skill developments. I have also worked as customer care executive for two and half months during my summer break of the 3rd year of undergraduate, giving me command over my communication skills and various quick problem resolving skills. My academics declined when I met two life threatening accidents. I had to be away from lectures for months due to prescribed bed rest, progressive surgeries and was dependent on others for attending classes for a substantial period. I had to miss 2 midterm examinations in different semesters resulting in my inferior GPA. Those were massive emotional, physical & mental setbacks for me. I have overcome those now. I have been trying with all what is within my capability & capacity to compensate those setbacks. I got certified in diesel management system and vehicle dynamics from BOSCH, developed a Go-Kart vehicle with a primary objective to design a safe & functional vehicle based on a rigid and torsion –free chassis, I was the design & material coordinator of the team & worked really hard for my project. These have enhanced my skills and knowledge even further. Research is a very important part for the growth and sustenance of both the university and its students. It allows us to give something back to the society in terms of new findings or better solutions to a potential problem. Virginia Tech has pioneered this area. We all know where the power supply for Intel chips was designed. The accomplished research work of department professors like Douglas Nelson, Joseph Meadows fascinates me, and if provided with the opportunity I would like to work under the combined guidance of both of them in investigating CFD &combustion systems application in hybrid vehicles. Also, other factors to be considered for choosing Virginia Tech as my top choice are that the faculty to student ratio is good, the campus looks very institutional and what I have gathered is that the institute is focused on preparing the student for a lifetime of service no matter their academic discipline. With my Master’s degree in place, I would want to pursue a further in-depth research where I can find novel ways and techniques that would help the industry to develop, for this I need to have a thorough knowledge which is possible at your institution. Once I have the field proficiency in the job I wish to make an impact in the field. For me to achieve this, education and experience are the stand up pillars. I can then combine my experience and knowledge to develop a stable & prosperous future. Learning in a well-organized institution in the USA with powerful pedagogical resources, vibrant intellectual environment, and a comprehensive curriculum will be a great step for me to achieve my aims and through working in a community having very large number of international students will give me a chance to interact with people from different & diverse cultures. It would give me a wider perspective of the world. I would be honored if you decide to accept my candidateship for Master studies. At the same time, I am aware of possible challenges and the high investment of efforts which I will have to put in order to successfully complete this course. I am looking forward to new experiences at the university. I am sure that the university will give me chances and challenges which will assist me in my all round personal growth GAURAV SHARMA

Does anyone have any advice on crafting the perfect Statement of Purpose? I'm applying for a P.h.D in literature btw

Hi All, I did a Masters in Berkeley in Statistics, fell in love with it, and am now applying for a PhD in Statistics. Would anyone be willing to read over my statement of purpose? What follows is my first draft, and I'm really not sure how to feel about it, so any comments are appreciated. Notes / Questions are in italic font. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since I can remember people told me that the only people that amount to something are “practical” people: engineers and the likes. I did not, and still do not, want to accept that premise. Because I am about as clumsy as a Panda bear. And because my passion lies in Statistics. As the first of my family to go to College I felt bad for the financial burden I put on us, so I gave in to the pressure. I studied Industrial Engineering and had my life cut out for me: Finish my Bachelors, start working in a Consultancy. Luckily things changed last year. The Fulbright Commission enabled me to spend a year finding and pursuing my passions, free from financial worries and far away from pressure from my family. Do you feel like I should delete these 2 paragraphs or put them in a personal history statement? Any other comments here? Because I worked for three semesters at the Statistics Department in city ABC during my Undergraduate I knew I liked the subject, and after my Masters I now know I am passionate about it. The project work at Berkeley has shown me the joy, and frankly also a sense of pride, in coming up with ideas no one had before. It has also shown me the frustration that every researcher has to suffer at some point, and the fact that I not only finished the project, but finished it successfully strengthened my resolve to do a Ph.D. Should I be more specific about the project work? We are trying to get it published, but I'm not sure if we will in time. So include specifics? Throughout my Undergraduate career I found myself studying the same things again and again. Worse even, I still forgot much of what I studied. [DC1] The Causal Inference reading group with Prof. XYZ during my masters showed me how to best retain and cope with a huge amount of new knowledge. There I also learnt how to approach new subject matter independently. While there have been academically more rewarding classes, the reading Group has given me a taste of what a Ph.D. would be like, and shown me that I would enjoy doing one. The aim here is to tell them that during my masters I already got a taste of a PhD and decided that I'd like to do it. Because the masters is a "Professional Degree" the commission commitee might ask itself what changed that I wanna do a PhD now, so I'm trying to adress that point here. Do you think I should adress it more explicitly? The reading group and the causal inference class I took in Berkeley showed me the relevance of applied statistics for their respective fields and taught me how important proper statistical education is for most researchers. I thoroughly enjoyed both courses and would love to work in this area. Professor XYZ and ABC have been inspiring teachers and conduct research in areas that I would love to immerse myself in. A unique thing about statistics is that it gives us methods to draw conclusions about data. Especially if we are able to draw causal conclusions those conclusions can change lives. Here I wanna talk about causal inference, that I liked and would love to do more about it. Do you think that's not explicit enough? I am wary about committing myself prematurely to a specific topic of research, but am very excited about Causal Inference and would love to make my own small contribution to the advancement of the field. What makes Causal Inference special is that advancements have immediate and real impact on a wealth of studies and their results The cross-section and cooperation between Statistics, Biostatistics and Public Health in DOTDOTDOT (don't worry, it's not a generic statment) make it an ideal environment for me to develop my interests and foster fruitful discussions. There's also a last sentence, that's too personal for me to post. I can PM it to anyone interested. Also, feel free to correct any spelling mistakes, I'm not from the states so a couple of them might have gotten in there. Thanks, Dario

My GRE score is 166Q and 154V. My Undergrad CGPA is 3.77/4.00 and have 3 years industry experience. Can anyone please share from their experience what are the things virginia tech looks for in an individual that I should highlight in my SOP. I intend to apply in Fall 18.

Hi! I would like to seek advice on how to improve further my Statement of Purpose (SOP) to be submitted to the University of Canberra. I am from the Philippines and I would like to pursue a Master of Strategic Communication in Australia.I have read multiple blogs on how to write an SOP, but I would like to know on what would be the best approach.Also, here are the key points the agency mentioned that must be included in my SOP:- Your personal, academic, and employment circumstance in the Philippines;- Your reason/s for choosing to study in Australia rather than in your home country;- Your reason/s for choosing the education provider (school);- Your reason/s for choosing to study the program (course);- The relevance of this program/course to your educational and/or professional background;- The relevance of completing this study to your future career plans in your home country, including prospect employer and remuneration;- Your travel and visa applications history in Australia and other countries;- Your potential circumstance once you arrived in Australia, including your accommodation arrangement, researched knowledge of the state/city, basic living expenses, and source of funds -discuss sponsorship of family member/sYour help is highly appreciated. ------------------------------------------------------ I pursued journalism knowing that was where I was good at. But with the dangers that journalists face in the Philippines, I welcomed the idea of doing communication in a corporate setting. That desire, however, took a backseat when I was hired as a customer service associate for a real estate company. After two years, I decided to pursue my original goal.I took up an online certificate course on Corporate Communication to know the basics of concepts such as strategic corporate communication planning, employee communication, publicity and media relations, and crisis communication. It was a stepping stone for soon pursuing a related master's degree and landing my present job, which is into Marketing Communications.The Marketing Communications department in SEAOIL is divided into two based on media – digital and traditional. I am the sole Marketing Communications Officer and my main focus is internal communications, in which I used digital and traditional communication channels to inform and engage employees. Since I am the only Marketing Communications Officer, I also have become exposed to content conceptualization and strategy development for changes in branding of the company. This made me discover my talents along the way. I realized my talents in planning and conceptualizing – that by earning a master's degree in Strategic Communication would develop these talents and help me further contribute, assess and direct the communication direction of the company. In addition, I choose to study to be a Master of Strategic Communication in the University of Canberra because of its holistic curriculum. Some of the units are Strategic Communication Planning, Risk Communication, Issues Analysis and Management. In addition, I will have the opportunity to increase my knowledge on some units in Marketing Communication. Contrary to the Philippines, pursuing further studies in Communication focuses either solely on Media and Sales and Marketing.I will be funding my own study in Australia as I do not have any relatives to finance my studies in Australia. My parents are about to retire, leaving my sister and I to care for ourselves.In regards to my travel history and visa application to other countries, I have travelled to Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As of this writing, I have also been granted a visa to travel to South Korea. It will remain valid until September 2017. My sister and I will be travelling to South Korea on July 4 and will be returning to the Philippines on July 12.

I will PM it to you, anyone with spare time to give a final thought on my SOP please hit me up.

For those of your that are, or have applied to grad school in London, I have a question (probably a few). Do you write your statement of purpose with American english spelling or British english spelling? I would assume that since we speak the same language they would obviously understand, but what if they do not want to see American english spelling? The programs I am looking at and admission dept. don't specify this for native non british speakers, so should I play it safe with British english even tho it wouldn't be authentic on my part to please british administration, or should I just write it in American english?

Hello folks, I have put together a statement of purpose for my MBA. I am short on time and wrote this down in a hurry. I have penned it in a different way than usual and hence it would be great to receive some feedback on the same. Let me know if anybody can help me with it. Also, I can review your letters for you. Have uploaded the doc on my drive. Follow the link to read it. You can also comment in the doc itself. Statement of Purpose - https://goo.gl/uz1kAK

Hi all, Does anyone have any advice on writing personal statements for grad school apps? Applying this fall and wanted to try to get ahead. I've looked at some school's websites to see what they're looking for, but I wanted to see if anyone had specific tips. Thanks ahead of time!

I applied to Columbia's PhD, but I was rejected and sent on to be considered for the MA. They're asking for a new Statement of Purpose. How different should my new SOP be? Obviously, the first SOP didn't work and this one can be more focused on the MA. But, I worked on my SOP for months and my Columbia one was maybe my best. Of course, if it's the same adcomm, I want to show them something new. Thoughts?

Now I have what could be the final edition of my purpose statement and I'm wondering if you guys will work your magic for me. Here it is! While my decision to apply to a Master of Public Administration program was made partially because it is the logical next step in my academic career, it is far more than just logic that drove my decision. As a child, I was exposed to contaminants on a playground and the negative effects have continued to impact my life since. Migraines were a daily occurrence, often preventing me from being able to go to school. My school district was not equipped to handle educating someone with the health problems I was facing and I eventually withdrew from school and obtained a high school equivalency diploma. Although I am fortunate enough now to say that my health problems are under control, that is not the end of this fight for me. The events of my childhood generated a drive inside of me to pursue a career in public administration. My dream is to ensure that no child ever has to choose between their health and pursuing an education. The current emphasis on testing in education diminishes the concern with the students with the strongest and weakest capabilities. Schools are compelled to have strong median and mean scores, leading them to ignore other students. I have decided to pursue an education in public administration rather than education administration because schools are often too vested in these practices and change would have to occur at an oversight level. In 2013, I took the first step towards making my dream a reality by enrolling in night classes at the local community college. I spent two years studying to earn my associate’s degree, all the while working at a local bank to fund my education. I exceeded countless expectations by not only graduating but by receiving high honors. As I walked across the stage, I vowed to continue my education and to fight to promote universal access to education. In the Fall of 2015, I enrolled at -undergrad school- majoring in Political Science. I am graduating this May with a dual major in Political Science and Public Administration along with a minor in Geography with a GPA of 3.72. -Undergrad School- has opened up numerous doors that have continued to reaffirm my career goals. In the Spring of 2016, I served as an intern for a city planning office. In this position, I provided research assistance to the office and attended city council meetings to report back to the principal planner. Additionally, I answered calls from residents and provided information on anything from zoning to natural disaster management. I completed a project for the office that compared the historical sites in the city to their present day condition, finding that many of them had been poorly preserved over the years. During the summer of 2016, I was one of eight students selected from my school to participate in an internship in Washington D.C. with one of our state’s Congress members. I found myself immersed in public policy and I loved every minute of my experience. During my internship at the D.C. office, I attended Senate sessions and Congressional hearings. Additionally, I completed policy memos for the Senator, ensuring he was well prepared for any meetings or events he attended. Upon my return home from Washington D.C., the local constituent office for the Senator contacted me to offer me an internship in their office. At the constituent office, I was primarily responsible for organizing the Senator’s schedule and answering questions and concerns of the Senator’s constituents. The Senator is highly involved in protecting the environment and hosts a conference for energy and environment leaders at the local convention center every year. While working for the Senator, I was able to help organize and manage the conference to ensure all went as planned. I have recently started my final internship in my undergraduate career at an office as a policy intern. In this internship, I will attend legislative sessions and provide research support for the department. Additionally, I am assisting in the modification of a program that helps those receiving unemployment benefits regain employment. These experiences that have made me an outstanding candidate for your public administration program. Obtaining a Master of Public Administration is the final step in ensuring that I can accomplish my aspirations.

I'm applying for an internship to study a master's in a U.S. university to specialize in graphics programming and simulation. I'm from Spain, and they rate the SoP from 1 to 8. If I don't get 8 points I get disqualified because of the competitivity and low total number of granted internships. I will share this statement with my professors too but I would really appreciate some help online. Please have a look and tell me if it is boring, or if you honestly like it. The maximum length is 3 pages, so If you find any useless and generic area I will delete it. All criticism is welcomed. I've already been told that my Universities section is weak, that I need to say something special about each one. What do you think about that? Btw, the link in the document is not available yet. Thanks in advance.

Hello, I am obnoxiously checking on The Survey on this website and realizing folks who are identifying what sub-fields they are intending in pursuing, while some are not. This is making me worry as I am realizing I never explicitly identified my intended sub-field in my statement of purpose. Is this something to be worried about? I feel as though my intended sub-fields (comparative) was implicitly implied in my letter. Does this sort of thing make a big difference in application review? Thanks! Mark

I would be eternally grateful. Hopefully this is the last time I will have to do this.

worked hard for 3 months and finally had a decent GRE scores. Now, writing SOP! 1:00-7:00 sleep, dreaming about writing SOP 8:00 should I write SOP? Not now, have a class at 8:30, later. 9:00 should I write SOP? Not now, in the class, later. 10:00 should I write SOP? Not now, hungry go to starbucks, later. 11:00 should I write SOP? Not now, have a prelab, later. 12:00 should I write SOP? Not now, have a class at 12:30, later. 13:00 should I write SOP? Not now, in the class, later. 14:00 should I write SOP? Not now, so tired and have a class on 15:30, later. 15:00 should I write SOP? Not now, hungry and in the class, later. 16:00 should I write SOP? WRITE THE SOP NOW and ended up with 1st paragraph, I'll continue later. 17:00 should I write SOP? Not now, already finished the 1st paragraph no worries we have time, later. 18:00 should I write SOP? Not now, dinner with friends, later. 19:00 should I write SOP? Not now, dinner and after-dinner starbucks, later. 20:00 should I write SOP? Not now, too full to think, later. 21:00 should I write SOP? Not now, WHAT !? HOMEWORK DUE TOMORROW !? later. 22:00 should I write SOP? Not now, doing hw, later. 23:00 should I write SOP? Not now, doing hw while watching netflix, later. 24:00 should I write SOP? Not now, writing this useless thing on Grad Cafe, later. repeat. I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, can anyone review my Statement of Purpose?