The Infamous Graduate Admissions Statement of Purpose
Recently I've heard several students speak about the difficulty of writing the statement of purpose for their applications. They don't know where to start, how to make it long enough, how to make it short enough - they don't know which details to include in general. Well, to sum up for all four of Vanguard's graduate programs, the statement of purpose is a way for us to get to know you and your future goals better. But let me expand on that and give you some ideas that will hopefully make the writing process a little more enjoyable:
1. Try writing out a list of the points you want to make about yourself in relation to your program of choice. Then use that list as an outline for your essay.
2. You could start by writing about an experience that was important to you and how that relates to your desire to attend grad school.
3. If you're having trouble keeping your essay short and to the point, try writing multiple drafts. Then you can find the themes that are common between your drafts and distinguish them as the most important.
4. Get feedback! Read it out loud so you can better catch mistakes, and ask friends and family to suggest ways to improve it.
5. Be sure to talk about your strengths! Sometimes it's hard to toot your own proverbial horn, but this is really the time to do it, so don't be shy.
These are just a few suggestions, but in the end we really just want to hear your own perspective written in your own style. Happy writing!
Oh, and Happy New Year!