Student X, Statement of Purpose Page 1 of N Ideally, SOP should have N=1. In that case, no header needed.

If it spills onto multiple pages, put a header like the above on each page except pg. 1

Statenent of Purpose
What is your purpose? Conquer the Universe etc

Student X
Present Perfect tense

Why do you want to do it?

Present or Past tense

Past tense What qualifies you to do it? What gives you the confidence to do it? pointers and highlights of research projects details of projects must go in CV Notes on typography: All text must be 12 pt, Times New Roman If a sentence flows over two lines, it's too long! Restrict yourself to short sentences. Avoid use of conjunctions: While......long story...., I also.....long story... Use active, possesive style: example In this project on Supersonic Warpdrive, I worked on ..a little bit of specifics... (details go into CV). This made me realize that I really wanted to be a space pilot. and not: In this project on Supersonic Warpdrive, ...such and such things were done... (who did them?) This section should mostly emphasize assertions like the one underlined above why do you want to fulfill the purpose stated in this document? Each paragraph should have the following structure: 1st sentence (exactly one line, no more) introduces what this paragraph is about. Middle about 3-5 lines, the content of the paragraph. Last sentence summarizing the paragraph, and logically connecting it to next para.

Conclusion: Future tense I feel confident that with my research experience and interests, I would fit well into [Prof. XYZ]'s group working on [ABC] and be able to contribute positively to the research program. University [PQR] with it's vibrant academic environment would be a great venue to take my first steps into the academic research world.