Statement of Purpose hooks, help please!

[Liza_Ann_92]

Hello all!

I will be graduating in 2 years with my Bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders and I started outlining my Statement of Purpose (SoP) early. I probably will start applying to grad programs in 2017 or 2018. I'm not sure if I want to apply immediately after I graduate or take a year or 2 off building work-related experience...

Anywho, I have listed a few possible introduction hooks that I want to include in it, but I'm not sure if there's potential in them.

1) My interest/curiosity for foreign language (I live in a multicultural neighborhood with Spanish-speaking neighbors, I learned French in high school, I started learning Korean when I entered college, and I'm interested in sign language/ASL).

2) Childhood struggles (I was in early intervention, was diagnosed with mild Cerebral Palsy, and had speech therapy until high school.) I was developing at a slower rate than my classmates, but I eventually caught up with everyone

3) Using my last name as a joke of some sort. I love phonetics because I can write my last name in IPA because it's difficult to pronounce it when you're looking at it on paper. It's not pronounced the way it looks on paper!

I like these ideas, but I'm not sure if any of them will make me stand out amongst everyone else that's applying to grad school and if one is better than the other.

Suggestions and input is great appreciated! Thanks guys and gals )

Edited March 16, 2015 by Liza_Ann_92

[StenoLubr]

2 would be the best way to go imo

[j_rae]

definitely 2. overcoming adversity, experience with SLPs, understanding what your clients will be going through... etc. they'll definitely love that.

[slpchi]

Definitely number 2!

[CBG321]

#2 sets you apart and is the most interesting in my opinion .  Think of how many applications they read, yours will sound unique from the start with that introduction!

[mimblewimble]

Hey, I think it's great that you are starting early! Definitely don't discredit the experiences you could have in the future that could change the course your statement

I think my two cents would be:

a ) Think about the essay prompts: why you want to be a speech pathologist, what your skill set/experiences are that you can bring to the field, and why you want to go to that specific school. Think about this as you continue to go through these next few years.

 

b ) Write around cliches; make them original. Many people will have stories where either they, a sibling, or family member had speech therapy and will be writing about that. That doesn't mean avoid it completely, but think about how you can present it in a refreshing, clear, concise way, because the committee sees a lot of the same essays.

 

Along the same lines, consider other experiences/leadership positions/activities outside of speech or NSSLHA. Surprisingly, many of these experiences can directly relate to speech and they generally are not as universally shared "When I was little..." speech essay/experience.

 

c ) Remember it's not an undergraduate college essay, where they can be creative and very open, but a strong statement. I did include a short anecdote in my essay, but the anecdote had a clear purpose (e.g. gaining perspective of the field, highlighting applicable experience) and then transitioned for the rest of the essay into a straight up "this is what I can offer and what I want to do" format.

 

d ) I had a few ideas running around in my mind like you; try outlining all of them and go from there That might make your decision easier/help be able to see the strengths and weaknesses of each potential statement.

 

e) Have a professor or professional/career adviser read it!

Hope this helps!

Edited March 16, 2015 by mimblewimble

[MonicaSLP]

Mimblewimble's advice is good. There is a way to work in you interest in language as well as your personal experience with SLP, but I don't think the language thing alone is strong hook, and the personal experience is fairly cliché as your main point. The last name thing is too cutesy to include at all, IMO.

 

Start making bullet points of ALL the reasons that this is your choice, even fleeting moments that you haven’t thought of in a while. One of those is likely what sets YOU apart. You can expand on one of those as your overriding theme and work in the others as appropriate.

 

Also, a general tip that I used as I was writing. I have a friend who is a career coach and she always says "it's not bragging if it's true". I was afraid to mention certain things, but as long as they're stated as fact rather than in a smug kind of way, it belongs in there. This is your chance to sell yourself. If you don't tell them why you are right for their program, no one else will, including your grades and GREs.

[anslpaday]

This is your chance to sell yourself. If you don't tell them why you are right for their program, no one else will, including your grades and GREs.

 Just popping in to second this statement. 

[LlamaMama]

-Make sure you understand and answer the essay question.

-Tell how you will contribute to your chosen grad program. How does your unique perspective benefit your classmates, your class discussions, or a professor's area of research? This is also an opportunity to show you've researched the schools you're applying to.

[Liza_Ann_92]

I really appreciate your 2 cents!! This means a lot to me. Thanks y'all