Before you start to write a statement of purpose, you’ll need to spend time thoroughly researching the programs and schools you plan to apply to:

• You should have a clear understanding of their mission statements, and be able to show how your values align with theirs.

• Take detailed notes of faculty whose research or academic interests align with yours. Below, you’ll see examples of how you can directly weave them into your SoP to demonstrate fit, and we’ll offer further guidance on what and how to research in our analysis, so you can understand it in the context of concrete examples.

• Depending on your circumstances, we’d recommend possibly reaching out to faculty who could serve as potential mentors and with whom you’d like to collaborate.

• Because requirements vary from school to school, be sure to closely adhere to any guidelines the school offers. Follow prompts and word counts carefully.

With that preliminary work in mind…

While the first statement of purpose example below has five paragraphs, you’ll notice that the other examples that follow it range from four paragraphs to seven.

We point this out so you understand that there isn’t a single “correct” structure to follow. Instead, you should feel free to divvy up your statement as you see fit, so long as you follow the schools requirements and cover your required subject matter of the following:

WHAT

1. Your accomplishments (The scholarly past that brings you to the current moment (classes, studies, majors, ideas, research, jobs, internships, publications, etc.)

2. Your goals (scholarly, professional, and humanistic), both for your time in grad school and afterward.

3. What your research questions are. What issues, challenges, or problems do you hope to solve (or at least contribute to solving)?

4. What’s driving you? What are your stakes? Who or what else stands to benefit from your work?

WHY

1. Your motivations: The “why” of it all. (Why this? Why now?)

2. Why this program and why these professors? (The more precise, the better)

HOW

1. How do you plan on going about finding answers to your questions?

2. How will you spend your time in graduate school?

3. How will you take advantage of what this program and university offer (professors, classes, institutes, training, colloquia, conferences, labs, etc.)?

That said, you’ll notice that the statement of purpose examples below generally all follow a standard pattern of:

• Intro

• Main body

• Conclusion

For example, the first statement of purpose example below uses this structure:

• Paragraph one: Introduction

• Paragraph two: Background preparation

• Paragraph three: Areas of study + naming professors

• Paragraph four: Relevant experience

• Paragraph five: Conclusion

To address the WHAT, WHY, and HOW. (See detailed analysis below)

The intro section of your SoP should clearly set up why you are applying to this program (whether setting up the origins of your academic focus, or directly stating your intentions). It’s helpful to grab your reader’s attention, but if, for example, you open with a brief anecdote, be sure it clearly thematically ties to your academic interests.

Keep in mind that it can actually be easier to write a placeholder intro until you’ve written the body and conclusion. Once you’ve drafted those, it can be easier to craft an intro section that leads into them, since you’ll actually know where you’re heading.

In the main body, you’ll offer clear, direct evidence of the WHAT, WHY, and HOW above by including details regarding

• your academic and/or professional preparation for the program

• your fit with the program’s mission/values/academic focus (and show that you’ve thoroughly done your homework)

• your strengths and weaknesses

• your goals and/or (possibly) your career plans

Specificity is key here: A significant chunk of any SofP must address the candidate’s academic qualifications and preparedness for graduate studies.

A “must” for any SofP regardless of field is to address both what the applicant proposes to study and with whom. The length and depth of the “what” can range widely, from a sentence or two, to a lengthy proposal that delves into the intricacies of topic, time period, sources, methodologies, theories, and approaches. For master’s degrees, it’s fine to remain somewhat general; for doctoral programs, you will want to dig more deeply into current scholarship to demonstrate that you’ve done your research and are capable of contributing original work to the field.

Naming the professor/s whose work aligns with your own is critical. Think of this step as a way to situate yourself within a conversation that is currently taking place in your field, whether in person at academic conferences or in writing through journal articles, book reviews, and other publications. This is the single most important way to show that you take that particular program seriously and that you are not simply copy/pasting your statement and sending it out to as many programs as you can think of, crossing your fingers that one will say yes. This is just like the “Why Us?” (note: there’s a research chart at that link that you can use) and “Why X Major?” supplemental essays you likely wrote when applying to college. The more research you do, the better. You’ll want to search until you find something to discuss that isn’t on the department’s home page … something that demonstrates Applicant-Program Fit (APF).

Once you learn about the research interests of the professors in the department, keep going! Do a Google Scholar search and read their recent publications. Read their own websites. Find out what scholars they frequently cite, what kinds of questions they are asking, what inspires or troubles them, and what methods they use to answer their questions. Follow the links wherever they lead. You’ll want to learn enough about the debates and discussions in your proposed area to feel confident that your SofP meets the following criteria:

1. It’s relevant to the professors in the department you’d be joining;

2. It’s up-to-date regarding the state of knowledge in the field;

3. It asks the same or similar kinds of “big” questions that the professor/s ask so that even if your specific topic isn’t a match, your questions, goals, perspectives, methods, and/or stakes complement theirs;

4. Your qualifications and career goals are comparable to current students or recent graduates.

Each university sets its own length limitations for the SofP, ranging from one page to unlimited pages. Keep in mind that they will have your transcript, resume, and letters of recommendation, so there’s no need to waste space by merely repeating that information. Instead, address how your background shaped the trajectory of your ideas and goals. You might ballpark about 25% of your statement dedicated to background preparation and qualifications and adjust as needed.

The conclusion of your statement of purpose should bring a sense of closure to your writing. You can recap a bit, but in general, you don’t need to summarize all that you’ve just said. Unless your SoP is several pages long, your reader will remember—they just read it.

But it can be very useful to leave your reader with a final insight, and to perhaps frame your path and exploration heading forward (whether career plans after your degree program, or questions you hope to continue to explore and issues you hope to help resolve). Help your readers to see that you are ready for this next step, and that their program is where you belong.