Buiding up your Statement of Purpose

Below you will find five important areas that you need to cover when writing your statement of purpose.

1. How did you become interested in this field?

Explain your serious interest in the field and describe positive steps taken in pursuing this interest. Do not be afraid to promote yourself—give the readers of your essay a specific understanding of your dedication, talents, and academic strength.

2. What experiences have contributed toward your preparation for further study in this field?

Demonstrate your interest by providing examples of research experiences, internships, work experiences, community service, and/or publications. Briefly describe what you did during each experience. Also, make sure to articulate what you learned about the field from your experiences and how what you learned inspired you to pursue an advanced degree.

3. What are your future goals?

Specifically state your degree objective (master's or Ph.D.) and specify what sub-disciplines you are interested in pursuing. For example, if you are applying in electrical engineering, the committee needs to know whether you are planning on pursuing signal processing, control systems, telecommunications, electronics, or some variation.

4. What are your research interests?

Within your sub-discipline, you should be able to identify one or two topics that are of interest to you. We cannot stress enough that when possible, be specific about your research agenda. Remember that you will be working with the program’s professors in research; therefore, your research interests should parallel those of the faculty.

5. How are you a "match" for the program or professors to which you are applying?

Explain what attracts you most to the institution/program to which you are applying. Align your research interests with those of one or more of the affiliated professors. The better the "match" with the program or professors—the better the chance for admission.

Remember that your statement of purpose should be well-organized, concise, and free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Before submitting the statement, seek constructive comments and criticism from friends, colleagues, and instructors.