Seems disencouraging?

[Jang]

I mean the macro situatioin, the financial crisis, certainly has significant implication on our application. California is dying, I guess the negative consequence on education will not be small. Public universities have to cut down their budget, and actually these are UC series(I'm informed by one senior relative who works in UCSD)

Those are just prelude, actually what I want you to help is with my background~~~

GRE:650+780+3.0. AW sucks to the hell, but no time to take another now. so i can't repent. However, I got papers in english, but not as 1st author, I'm 2nd and 3rd and 5th.

GPA 3.69, major gpa could be more than 3.8.

mediocre LoR~no big figures.

Now I'm worrying about the Statement. Do you guys write it straightforwardly, I mean, list your reasons/activities/capacity and interests. Or make it rather complex, in a manner like literature?

Statement is obfuscating! You have to organize your experiences meticulously, they stuck there even if they are just at hand.

[SocViv]

Now I'm worrying about the Statement. Do you guys write it straightforwardly, I mean, list your reasons/activities/capacity and interests. Or make it rather complex, in a manner like literature?

I started my statement with a paragraph about my first job out of college and how it raised issues that I want to study further. In the next (short) paragraph, I mentioned a recent news article about a scandal related to my area of study, the repercussions it may have on society, and the need to study the topic. Then I had a big paragraph about my master's thesis and work experience since then and how it relates to what I want to study. And finally another big paragraph about why the faculty there are such a good match for my research interests, as well as a sentence about professors I'd talked to and how I was encouraged by talking to them.

The best advice I got in thinking about the statement was to start from the present and work backwards. A friend of mine actually gave me percentages, which was really helpful for me in cutting down my statement to the required length. In the beginning it should be a brief outline like a research proposal for a grant (50%), then why you're qualified to go into this field (25%), relevant work/life experience (15%), and why you're a good fit and who you've communicated with (10%).

Also, have a few trusted people read it over. Doesn't have to be a professor, but someone with a PhD or studying for a PhD would have a good idea of how to evaluate your statement.

Hope that helps!

[Jang]

I started my statement with a paragraph about my first job out of college and how it raised issues that I want to study further. In the next (short) paragraph, I mentioned a recent news article about a scandal related to my area of study, the repercussions it may have on society, and the need to study the topic. Then I had a big paragraph about my master's thesis and work experience since then and how it relates to what I want to study. And finally another big paragraph about why the faculty there are such a good match for my research interests, as well as a sentence about professors I'd talked to and how I was encouraged by talking to them.

The best advice I got in thinking about the statement was to start from the present and work backwards. A friend of mine actually gave me percentages, which was really helpful for me in cutting down my statement to the required length. In the beginning it should be a brief outline like a research proposal for a grant (50%), then why you're qualified to go into this field (25%), relevant work/life experience (15%), and why you're a good fit and who you've communicated with (10%).

Also, have a few trusted people read it over. Doesn't have to be a professor, but someone with a PhD or studying for a PhD would have a good idea of how to evaluate your statement.

Hope that helps!

Goodness, it's very helpful, thanks for your reply. But I found 50% for a research proposal may be lengthy? Previous experiences and fitness would occupy much more than 40%, so far as I found in writing a draft of statement. And most of time, proposal could be actually divided into other paragraphs like experiences, intent of study. American schools don't really require a proposal as U.K and Australian schools do. Isnt it?

[SocViv]

I found 50% for a research proposal may be lengthy? Previous experiences and fitness would occupy much more than 40%, so far as I found in writing a draft of statement. And most of time, proposal could be actually divided into other paragraphs like experiences, intent of study. American schools don't really require a proposal as U.K and Australian schools do. Isnt it?

I wouldn't worry too much about the exact percentages; it's just a guide. The committee can read about your experience on your resume (which I assume you're sending as well), so it's probably best to highlight just the most relevant stuff (I left out some of my work experience that wasn't relevant). If it makes sense to divide your statement into different categories, then do it.

I've only applied to US schools, so I couldn't give you a good comparison to UK/Aussie schools.

[rising_star]

mediocre LoR~no big figures.

Now I'm worrying about the Statement. Do you guys write it straightforwardly, I mean, list your reasons/activities/capacity and interests. Or make it rather complex, in a manner like literature?

Statement is obfuscating! You have to organize your experiences meticulously, they stuck there even if they are just at hand.

Do you mean that the letters themselves will be mediocre? If so, that's definitely something you need to fix now, before you apply. You want recommenders to say that you're a good researcher, a good student, and will do well in graduate school, in addition to highlighting some of your past accomplishments. A glowing letter from a relatively unknown professor is better than a generic one from a big shot. But then again, you might've meant mediocre in the sense that the writers aren't well-known names...

As for the statement, I agree with what's been said about limiting your discussion of the past. It's ok to elaborate on specific, relevant experience, but the list of what you've done should be sent separately on your CV. Don't dwell on the past or elaborate on all of your experiences. Organize them categorically and chronologically and put them on your CV.

Your Statement should focus on the research you want to do and why, who you want to work with, and why that department/program is the right one for your research and you're the right person for them to accept. If we're talking percentages, I usually had 1-2 paragraphs about my master's thesis, then explaining how my interests had evolved in a new direction based on something I learned while writing that thesis. The rest was about my research ideas for the dissertation, who I wanted to work, and other resources both within and beyond the department that could help me do my research.

[misterpat]

I mean the macro situatioin, the financial crisis, certainly has significant implication on our application. California is dying, I guess the negative consequence on education will not be small. Public universities have to cut down their budget, and actually these are UC series(I'm informed by one senior relative who works in UCSD)

Those are just prelude, actually what I want you to help is with my background~~~

GRE:650+780+3.0. AW sucks to the hell, but no time to take another now. so i can't repent. However, I got papers in english, but not as 1st author, I'm 2nd and 3rd and 5th.

GPA 3.69, major gpa could be more than 3.8.

mediocre LoR~no big figures.

Now I'm worrying about the Statement. Do you guys write it straightforwardly, I mean, list your reasons/activities/capacity and interests. Or make it rather complex, in a manner like literature?

Statement is obfuscating! You have to organize your experiences meticulously, they stuck there even if they are just at hand.

Since it appears that your native language is not English, you should relax about the AW score. Departments will probably cut you some slack. 3.0 should be just fine for an international student, provided your TOEFL score is up to par. Just make sure to have someone with superb English skills proof-read your Writing Sample and Statment, so that you don't end up with things like "Statement is obfuscating!" in there. :wink:

The Statment should lay out what your interests are, and explain why you are a good fit with that particular department. But avoid masturbatory expositions on your own greatness (especially in the abstract) and coming off as a sycophant.