Questions tagged [statement-of-purpose]
Concerning an individual, what influences them, professional interests, and plan for the future, typically described as part of a college applicant's application for admission.
502
questions
10
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Pronouns of professors in Statement of Purpose
In recent years, we have seen the emergence of numerous pronouns beyond the regular he/him and she/her, such as they/them, Xe/xem, Ver/vir, and many more. However, the issue arises when browsing ...
-1
votes
0
answers
80
views
Is a 3 page Statement of Purpose for Course-based Graduate Program too much?
I have a short-term goal of improving a current Machine learning model in loan disbursements for the unbanked as well as integrating explainable AI (XAI). And my long-term goal is to work on ...
- 9
0
votes
1
answer
80
views
How important is to show Extracurricular or Leadership skills in SOP apart from academic background and research interests?
I have an 83-word small paragraph in my SOP (computer science, PhD) mentioning that I am the honorary moderator of a computer club and how I organize events and motivate students to participate in ...
2
votes
2
answers
230
views
I can't afford to pay for Statement of Purpose (SOP) proofread. What should I do?
Reliable SOP proofreading services are very costly, almost around $150-$200. I have written an SOP for my Ph.D. program in the USA, which is almost 1400 words, but I need to reduce it to 1000 words. ...
0
votes
1
answer
86
views
In my Statement of Purpose (SOP), is it best to write about my specific area of interest, or to broaden my options?
I am currently a 4th year CS undergrad student.
If I tailor my Statement of Purpose (SOP) around my research interests (which are related to the research project I am working on with my professor), I ...
9
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Statement of Purpose for Math PhD's with a fairly complicated mathematical history
TL;DR: I'm applying for a PhD program in mathematics, but my academic performance was bad for a long while and I already have a PhD attempt that I ended early. (However, I now have good enough ...
- 91
0
votes
1
answer
154
views
Is it better for a statement of purpose for a physics PhD program to be straightforward as opposed to attempting to make the style interesting?
Consider a statement of purpose of a physics PhD program.
Some people say that the statement of purpose does not matter, but a horrible one can hurt you. So, all that is necessary is to write a decent,...
- 101
1
vote
1
answer
67
views
How to prioritize which content to mention and what not in the Statement of Purpose
I am applying for the CS Ph.D. program in the USA. While writing my Statement of Purpose (SOP), I realized I have a multitude of accomplishments to convey. For instance, I hold both undergraduate and ...
-2
votes
2
answers
439
views
What does this personal essay prompt mean?
I am in the middle of my application to Princeton physics graduate school. Princeton requires a personal essay, with the prompt:
Princeton is strongly committed to welcoming students from diverse ...
- 166
1
vote
3
answers
697
views
Should I write a personal statement that is department-oriented or research-oriented?
I majored in computer science and I am writing a personal statement to apply for a PhD in computer science. The research direction I'm interested in is somehow related to computational biology in ...
- 13
3
votes
1
answer
277
views
What to do if a professor with whom I have worked with for a long time is unable to provide a letter of recommendation for medical reasons?
I have been working with a professor for almost 2 years of my undergraduate degree and shared a nice bond with them. The work done under this professor is the soul of my Statement of Purpose and how ...
- 145
1
vote
1
answer
139
views
Should I mention in CS PhD apps that I was accepted into Math PhDs?
I am applying to CS graduate programs, coming from a background in mathematics.
As an undergraduate I developed research experience and a strong background in mathematics and was accepted into math ...
- 13
0
votes
1
answer
126
views
Using figures from papers in PhD applications
Is it okay to use figures from other papers when writing a statement of purpose for a PhD application, after of course citing the paper? Or do I have to ask for permission from the author?
- 945
0
votes
1
answer
138
views
Is it reasonable to mention that you would certainly attend a school if accepted in statement of purpose?
When discussing graduate school and PhD programs, I had a professor mention to me that some schools will not accept a student because they do not anticipate that student accepting the offer. This ...
- 101
0
votes
0
answers
83
views
SOP highlighting a change in career path
I am eager to pursue a postgraduate diploma course in supply chain management, a path I believe aligns perfectly with my analytical thinking capabilities. Now I neither have relevant experience nor an ...
1
vote
0
answers
30
views
Can a statement of interest be a narrative storytelling kind of style? I'm doing this for a program
More specific is the prompt here:
Share why you want to serve on this committee! Your statement of interest should describe your background, knowledge, and any experience that would add value to the ...
- 11
3
votes
2
answers
282
views
When asked about my topic of interest, I don't have a story to tell. How do I make my answer sound interesting and convincing for the position?
I am currently doing master's in mathematics and am applying for summer research projects in various institutes where they ask a particular question: What is your topic of interest and why? I asked a ...
- 43
1
vote
1
answer
357
views
I want to do a research project in Mathematics. But I am getting rejected due to no research experience. How should I proceed?
I completed my undergraduate in Mathematics in 2018 and masters degree in 2020. After that, I taught in a college for two years. I was not satisfied with my masters degree, and also was getting ...
- 43
3
votes
2
answers
864
views
How would PhD Admissions committee read Statements of Purpose?
I am referring to PhD admissions in US here. I've been always told that SoP's are important and require some commitment in writing. But in the meantime I hear a lot of such voices that PhD programs ...
0
votes
2
answers
72
views
In my statement of purpose, how much should I elaborate on my project/thesis plans?
I’m applying to schools for my Masters in Computer Science and I’m writing my statement of purpose. I don’t really know what I want to do for my project/thesis, but in their prompts, the schools ask ...
8
votes
4
answers
1k
views
What motivates requiring a diversity statement from minority applicants?
Applying for many academic positions in North America often requires a diversity statement.
As someone who is a disabled, racial, sexual and religious minority, immigrant, and someone who grew up poor,...
- 1,029
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Addressing the shortcoming in IELTS results
I'm applying for fall 2023 and I took the IELTS Academic but scored an overall of 7 with a writing 6. I'm planning to retake the test. Should I mention this in the sop?
I wrote this:
Despite having ...
- 29
0
votes
1
answer
174
views
Best way of mentioning specific non-famous/named theorems in my Statement of Purpose (SOP) for PhD math
In my SOP for PhD math in US grad schools, I am mentioning a specific instance where I came up with an easier solution to a problem using elementary theorems, instead of using more complex theorems. ...
- 544
0
votes
1
answer
90
views
SOP: Should I mention that I was accepted before for a similar course but decided to drop out?
Due to my above average performance in my Bachelor's, my university (which is the toppest one in my country) allowed me to enroll a master's course directly. This is really a great opportunity and is ...
- 3
1
vote
3
answers
174
views
How to call a paper that has been submitted to a journal? [duplicate]
For my statement of academic purpose I want to highlight that I have a work on arXiv which has been submitted to a journal. How would I call such a work? Is the term "submitted publication" ...
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
102
views
Can I mention my current grad school in my PS for PhD application to other schools?
I am currently a master's student at upenn, and I am trying to apply for phd in other schools. Would it be okay if I explicitly mention upenn in personal statement because I was trying to talk about a ...
user165165
3
votes
2
answers
479
views
Should I mention in my Statement of Purpose that this university is my "top" choice
I am applying to graduate schools this year for a master's degree.
I've read that some universities will reject some "strong" applicants because they believe this student would be accepted ...
- 611
1
vote
2
answers
221
views
Guideline for Statement of purpose
In the guidelines for the statement of purpose for a PhD one of them says this: "A self-assessment of any past research experience and analytical skills.". This is my first ever statement of ...
- 65
28
votes
8
answers
10k
views
Humor in a personal statement
As I write personal statements for graduate school, I want to highlight my hard work through humor and also just show my personality. As someone who works full time (in order to fund my education) as ...
anon
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
Indicating professors from a different department in a PhD application statement of purpose
I am applying for US PhD's this December. I have a BS in mechanical engineering and an MS in artificial intelligence. The common advice is to mention advisors you would like to work for in the ...
- 3
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Life story on Ph.D SOP
I am applying to math Ph.D programs from U.S universities for next fall.
Frankly, I was not a good student during my Bachelor's degree. Instead, I did many things towards finding my real dream: what I ...
- 213
1
vote
1
answer
644
views
How to write statement of purpose with study gap and unrelated work experience?
I'm having difficulty in writing my statement of purpose for my MA political science. I had a degree in political science, then a 10yrs study gap. All my work experience are not related to my field of ...
3
votes
2
answers
391
views
Best website for giving details of a book mentioned in a Statement of Purpose
I want to mention a book in my SOP/PS and would like to provide a link so that the reader can easily get more details about the book instead of googling it. What would be the ideal website for this ...
- 544
2
votes
1
answer
331
views
Is it better to merge my SOP and PS into a single essay or just join the two files one after the other to create a single file?
I'm applying to grad schools in the U.S. for a Ph.D. in mathematics and I recently read about the key differences between an SOP(Statement of Purpose) and a PS(Personal Statement) after noticing a few ...
- 544
0
votes
0
answers
116
views
Should I explain the reason why I am still taking basic computer science courses when applying for graduate school?
I am an undergraduate student double majoring in computer science in my last year of college, but I am still studying data structure, operation system and will study algorithm and computer ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
266
views
On Writing Statement of Purpose for Grad school Applications
I'm currently preparing a Statement of Purpose (SoP) for my grad school applications this year, and I have some questions about the content and organization of SoP.
Some people say that SoP should ...
0
votes
3
answers
171
views
What to write in a motivation letter where the template says "In a few lines, specify your professional project"
My program is structured such that I have to do two years at one institution, then transfer to a different institution for the third and final year. I am now finishing the second year and filling out ...
- 11
6
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Will it hurt my chances if I state I want to study Theoretical Computer Science instead of something like AI/ML for PhD?
I will be applying to CS PhD programs coming fall. I have a BA in Mathematics right now.
I am hearing that it is harder to get into a CS PhD program if I state I want to study Theoretical Computer ...
- 145
-3
votes
2
answers
211
views
We are applying for Australia and my wife wants to pursue her diploma? [closed]
My wife and I want to go to Australia. She wants to pursue her diploma in hotel management and so we are on the verge of writing our SOP. Should I state that she is single or married, as we heard that ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
220
views
Write up on preparation for pursuing a PhD degree in your subject of interest
I am applying Ph.D. in Mathematics. In the form I found the question.
Please write about your preparation for pursuing a PhD degree in your subject of interest?
How should I write the answer? What ...
user138005
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
PhD personal statement include controversial past
I grew up in an abusive family wherein some family members continuously manipulated and exploited me. And around 10+ years ago I engaged with some violent resistance.
Later I reflected on this ...
- 35
0
votes
1
answer
258
views
I'm a working professional. How do address my lack of (recent) research experience in my SOP?
I am working as a senior computer vision engineer in a startup. Two years back I worked as an intern at DRDO (national defense institute) where I published two papers related to computational ...
- 101
3
votes
1
answer
157
views
Computer Science PhD Application Process Confusion
I am looking for PhD programs in CS in the US. I am currently a junior at a liberal arts college in the US. I have started looking at programs that I am interested in by reading some of the research ...
- 145
0
votes
1
answer
128
views
Do only faculty members mentioned in the Ph.D. application system review that particular application? [closed]
Some departments in US STEM universities require the applicant to mention the names of faculty members with whom they are interested in working with within the online Ph.D. application system. So do ...
- 85
0
votes
1
answer
88
views
How should I approach writing my statement of purpose if I intend to apply for PhD in CS without a master's degree or any relevant research?
I have an undergraduate degree in CS from UK. I have a good GPA and a decent GRE score (164 Quantitative, 159 Verbal). I hope to apply to some PhD programs, most in the US, but am afraid that my lack ...
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
348
views
Can I include another university's name in my SOP?
I am writing my SOP for MSc in computer science, in a paragraph, I'm explaining about things I did to learn more about the field of study I am interested in.
Is it alright to write that I watched a ...
- 263
0
votes
1
answer
268
views
Forgetting to use a title when referring to professors
When I was checking my SoP for grad school, I noticed that I didn't use a title when referring to specific professors.
For example, instead of writing:
"I spoke to Prof. X and Prof. Y" I ...
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is 2500 words an appropriate length for Statement of Purpose?
Usually, for Statement of Purpose (Ph.D. application), the standard length is 1000 words or 2 pages. However, the University of California, San Diego asked for a 2500 words limit. Does this mean I am ...
- 496
3
votes
1
answer
190
views
Mentioning Masters GPA vs Undergrad GPA in SOP?
I'm applying for Astronomy/Astrophysics PhD programs in the U.S.
My undergrad GPA at UT Austin is 3.1/4, but my Master's GPA with all graduate-level classes is 3.85/4 so far, which is a very big ...
- 43
3
votes
1
answer
174
views
Potential supervisor didn't reply to my email, can I still show my interest on my SAP?
I am an undergraduate student applying to graduate schools. I tried to get in touch with a potential Ph.D. supervisor (in Electrical Engineering) but haven't heard back from him. In my application ...
- 1,221