Statement of Purpose Grad School

There is a simple solution to how to write a State of Purpose for grad school. Contrary to popular belief, writing one is not rocket science. So long as one can furnish all details expected to be written in the document, one can successfully and easily get down to writing an excellent statement of purpose. Keeping to simple and basic guidelines without overdoing anything is important, failing which the SoP may be discarded for want of expected content or clarity. The process outlined below is simple, easy to follow, and standard practice:

1. Step 1: Brainstorm & Ideate
   The first step to take before writing a Statement of Purpose is to brainstorm with some sheets of paper and a pen. Get the brain jogging and think of all that can be thrown into the statement of purpose – random thoughts, events, anecdotes, incidents, and anything that simply springs to mind. Formulate ideas and capture a theme or focal point for the SoP, around which everything else can revolve or relate.
2. Step 2: Summarize, Condense & Outline
   Once the brainstorming is done, pick and choose the best points to go into the Statement of Purpose. This process is a good method to short-list thoughts, points, and ideas and do away with irrelevant, over-the-top, arbitrary, or simply in excess. Before proceeding, prepare the short-list and look to see whether the points can be linked up or not.
3. Step 3: Prepare the First Draft
   From the points in the short-list, start preparing the first draft of the Statement of Purpose. Do not worry just yet about the logic of the essay or flow. Concentrate instead on expounding the actual point and writing it skillfully and tactfully. While writing, should additional thoughts spring to mind, jot them down and continue without hesitation.
4. Step 4: Format & Arrange
   Once the first draft is ready, commence with formatting it. Check the document’s margins, select a beautiful, legible font, set a suitable font-size, and pick a decent line-spacing. If other styling options may be required to apply, now is a good time to do so. Following this, arrange or rearrange points and paragraphs to better connect them or help with a logical flow. Articulate all points well and see that the overall essay is free of fluff and clutter.
5. Step 5: Reviewing, Editing, and Refining
   This step is perhaps the most important step, which, unfortunately, many candidates skip altogether. It is extremely vital to review the first draft, edit the points that have been made, refine the vocabulary and grammar and correct any glaring errors, textual or otherwise. Writing a second draft after affecting all these changes and then reading this second draft several times will ensure that the content is rich and error-free. Do note that getting a mentor, teacher, or a relative to read the last draft and provide feedback or suggestions is a good idea. However, ensure that such person or persons have a fair understanding of a Statement of Purpose and preferably some experience in such matters.
6. Step 6: Polishing & Fine-Tuning
   If the second or subsequent drafts are satisfactory, review the last draft again – from top to bottom – and polish the rough edges. If there are points that need tinkering or fine-tuning, change them carefully, without dislodging them completely (thereby making them irrelevant.) Check for errors and typos and see if the styling is pleasing to the eye and enticing enough. Finally, make sure that everything is now concise and well-organized, ready to be published.
7. Step 7: Publishing or Printing
   Some Universities require the applicant to attach the Statement of Purpose to the application and supporting documents/transcripts. If such is the case, print the Statement of Purpose on crisp, thick, wrinkle-free, and crease-free paper. Do not fold the printed sheets and ensure that they do not have ‘dog-ears’ as well. Staple two or more sheets only once.
   
   Alternatively, some Universities may require the applicant to upload the Statement of Purpose on a designated webpage. When doing so, one must stick to a standard Portable Document Format (PDF), unless specified otherwise and keep the file size to around or less than 2MB. It is also a good idea to encrypt the document with a password to prevent editing.

In the interest of being admitted to a particular Program at a particular University, it is common enough for applicants to be overenthusiastic about a Statement of Purpose and its intent. There are a few things to bear in mind and avoid, if the document is to be read and not set aside, such as:

1. Elaborating your childhood
   A Statement of Purpose is not a historical document and does not warrant a detailed account of the candidate’s childhood, complete with events, dates, and protagonists, thrown in.
2. Beating around the bush
   It is easy to get carried away and keep writing page after page about a particular section or point without actually making sense or ever arriving at the point! One must be concise and to-the-point, avoiding boring details and an overload of information with no actual bottom-line insight. Keeping sentences short while conveying what they are meant to convey will keep the Statement of Purpose concise, as it should be.
3. Sounding profound and intellectual
   A Statement of Purpose is meant to highlight the applicant’s reason for applying to a specific program at a particular University, along with a brief academic background and listing of professional experience, in addition to other relevant information. It is not there as an editorial or column article that seeks to expound a philosophical point by any stretch of the imagination. Therefore, one must never make or explicate moral, religious, political, or opinionated statements and go astray from a Statement of Purpose’s actual requisites.
4. Getting technical and using excessive jargon
   Getting technical or, for that matter, using jargon that has precious little to do with the actual point will put off the reader of the Statement of Purpose. An applicant must never try to sound knowledgeable with the use of complex terms, technical details, or vocabulary and jargon that do not serve the purpose. Keeping things simple and conveying all that is expected to be conveyed in a Statement of Purpose will suffice.

A good Statement of Purpose should always leave a mark on the reader and explain why the applicant is the ideal candidate for the program being applied to. There are thousands of Statement of Purpose Grad School Examples available online, but in tune with all that has been outlined so far, here is an example that may serve as an indicator of how one should be written:

Statement of Purpose: Master of Science (Computer Technology), Colorado State University

One can find several journals in libraries and many websites available to write an excellent Statement of Purpose for Grad School. However, reading too many tips and sample statements of purpose may cause a great deal of confusion and make the whole experience of writing a statement of purpose rather frustrating. Therefore, we advise caution when seeking help from external resources, some of which are listed below:

• Wordvice – Wordvice is a wealth of information and resource for those applying for Grad School. The site offers writing and editing services for a fee, serving as an option for seeking help from professional writers.
• Essaysmith – Essaysmith has a sample Statement of Purpose for a host of Graduate School Programs. Additionally, the portal also offers a statement of purpose writing services and at a fee.
• MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) provides students with guidelines about writing a statement of purpose for grad school.
• Essayedge – Essayedge has an in-depth article about what to cover in the statement of purpose for grad school.
• University of Southern California – University of Southern California (USC) provides top tips about writing a statement of purpose for grad school.