Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent

[speechfan222]

One of the schools I'm applying to requires a letter of intent. I am aware of the basic components in this letter, but do I need to include my name and address as the header and include dear (whom it may concern)? Or can I write it as a normal essay?

[sjoh197]

I put my name and contact info in the header, but didn't write dear or to whom it may concern. 

[speechfan222]

Okay thanks. I see some examples with a header and some without. Besides my interest in the field, reason for choosing my major and this university, and research experience, is there anything else I should be sure to include?

[sjoh197]

I liked having the name in the header, so that if it was being passed around or got disconnected from my file, it could be easily replaced without having to print a new one. It also made sure my name was very prevalent when it was being read. Or at least, that was my thinking.

There are a lot of really really good threads on the topic of what to include in your SOP, Some of the best advice I've seen is from Intextrovert on the pinned board at the top "mistakes to avoid". It's on the first page. 

I would really just focus on what you've done, what you've learned from it, and what you want to do in grad school and beyond. You don't need a story. When you talk about your research experience, remember that almost everything is a learning experience and even basic research tasks that may not have seemed important, can be put in a very positive light. For example, I spent my first semester of undergrad research doing really basic labwork,... grinding up samples, using a centrifuge, etc. But I presented it in a way that I was "Learning about the realities of error in lab work that could potentially affect results, and that I had learned to not underestimate this effect in my future graduate studies." Write everything in your favor. 

[speechfan222]

That's very helpful, thanks!

[speechfan222]

Do I need to start the letter off with 'the purpose of this letter is to...." or just with im interested in obtaining my masters degree in **** from *****?

[AP]

15 hours ago, speechfan222 said:

Okay thanks. I see some examples with a header and some without. Besides my interest in the field, reason for choosing my major and this university, and research experience, is there anything else I should be sure to include?

I also included the professors I wanted to work with and why. In the humanities at least, you have to be more straightforward about faculty and department strengths. I think that it went something like this:

"... Professor X's approach to immigration from an A perspective will help me develop... Professor Y's recent book on B and its impact on C certainly shaped how I ask questions about B." 

I think I used very assertive tenses, like "wil" instead of "would probably". But again, this is only me, a tiny someone in the humanities 

Best of luck!