7 Successful Statement of Purpose Examples - PrepScholar GRE

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7 Successful Statement of Purpose

Examples
Ellen McCammon / March 26, 2017 / Grad School / applying to grad school, personal
statements
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a statement
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Looking at successful graduate school statement of purpose samples can
help! In this guide, we’ll orient you to what makes a great statement of
YES,
purpose or letter of intent for graduate school. ThenI we’ll
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you with
four successful statement of purpose examples from our graduate
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a top-notch GRE successful.
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Finally, we’ll direct you to even more helpful examples that you can nd
online!

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The Graduate School Statement of Purpose:

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A statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or a research

statement) introduces your interests and experience to the admissions
committee. For research-focused programs, like most PhDs and many
master’s degrees, your statement of purpose will focus primarily on your
past research experience and plans. For more professionally-focused
graduate programs, your statement of purpose will primarily discuss how
your pursuit of this professional program relates to your past experiences,
and how you will use the skills from the program in your future career.
A statement of purpose for grad school is also where you sell the
admissions committee on why you belong in their program
speci cally. Why do you t there, and how does what they o er t your
interests?
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Show how you t together.

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What’s in a Great Grad School Statement

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Here are the essential elements of a strong graduate school statement of
purpose:
Clear Articulation of Goals and Interests
A strong statement of purpose will clearly and speci cally lay out your
goals in undertaking the program and what you hope to accomplish
with the degree. Again, for a research-focused program, this will focus
primarily on the research project(s) you want to undertake while you are
there. For a more professional program, discuss what interests you within
the professional eld and what skills/knowledge you hope to gain through
the program.
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You should be as speci c as possible in discussing what interests you.

Use examples of particular phenomena, tools, or situations that you nd
exciting. If you are vague or say that everything in the eld interests you,
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you run the risk of seeming unfocused or not actually that passionate.
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Don’t worry that being too speci c will box you into a particular research
Purpose
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area or sub eld during your entire tenure in graduate school. Your
program understands that interests change—they won’t be pulling out
your research statement to cross-reference with your dissertation
proposal!
Evidence of Past Experience and Success
A great graduate school statement of purpose will also show programs

that you have already been successful. They want applicants that will be
able to follow through on their research/professional plans!
To this end, you’ll need to provide evidence of how your background

quali es you to pursue this program and your speci c interests in the eld.
You’ll probably discuss your undergraduate studies and any professional
experience you have. But be sure to draw on speci c, vivid
examples. You might draw on your thesis, major projects you’ve worked
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on, papers you have written/published, presentations you’ve given,
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mentors you’ve worked with, and so on. This gives admissions committees
concrete evidence that you are quali ed to undertake graduate study!

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Past successes: slithering, sliding, shedding, snaking.
Interest and Fit With the Program
The third essential ingredient to a great statement of purpose is to clearly

lay out why you and the program are a good t. You should be able to
identify both speci c reasons why your work ts with the program and why
the program suits your work/interests! Are there particular professors
you’d like to work with? Does the department have a strong tradition in a
certain methodology or theory you’re interested in? Is there a particular
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facet to the curriculum that you’d like to experience?
Showing that you and the programGRE Vocabulary?

are a match shows that you chose the
program thoughtfully and have genuine interest in it. Programs want to
admit students who aren’t just passionate about the eld.
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students who are genuinely enthused about their speci c program and
positioned to get the most out of what they have to o er.
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The nal essential piece of a strong statement of purpose or letter of intent
is strong writing. Writing skills are important for all graduate programs.
You’ll need to demonstrate that you can clearly and e ectively
communicate your ideas in a way that ows logically. Additionally, you
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should show that you know how to write in a way that is descriptive but
concise. A statement of purpose shouldn’t ever be longer9than
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twotopages,
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even without a hard word limit. Great
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Admissions committees for humanities programs may be a little more
focused on writing style than admissions o cers for STEM programs. But
even in quantitative and science-focused elds, written communication
skills are an essential part of graduate school. So a strong statement of
purpose will always be e ectively written. You’ll see this in our statement
of purpose for graduate school samples.
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Real, Successful Statement of Purpose Samples
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In this section, we’ll present four successful graduate school statement
of purpose examples from our graduate school experts, along with a brief
commentary on each statement. These statements come from a diverse
selection of program types to show you how the core essentials of a
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statement of purpose can be implemented di erently for di erent elds.
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Note: identifying information for these statements have been Statement
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changed—
except for example four, which is my statement. Purpose
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for …
Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA
(click icon)
This statement of purpose is notable for its great use of space and its vivid
descriptions. The author is able to cram a lot into about a page. She
discusses how she came to her two primary research interests (and how
they are connected). She integrates this discussion of her interests with
information on her past experiences and quali cations for pursuing the
course of study. Finally, she includes details on her goals in pursuing the
program and components of the program that interest her. Her examples
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are speci c and eshed-out. There’s a lot very cleverly included in a small
amount of page space!
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Additionally, the language is very vivid. Phrases like “evocative and
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visceral” and “steadily unraveling,” are eye-catching andscore with our
intriguing. 2018
They
demonstrate that she has the writing skills necessary to pursue both
graduate study and her interest in translation.
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The ONE course
Statement that will
of Purpose makeTwo:
Sample you a top-notch
Music MM GRE scorer.
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(click icon)
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This sample is fairly long, although at 12 point Times New 9Roman

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two pages single-spaced. The length of this statement is partially
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the somewhat expansive nature of the prompt, which asks what rolefor
Purpose music
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has played in the applicant’s life “to date.” This invites applicants to speak
more about experiences further in the past (in the childhood and teen
years) than is typical for a statement of purpose. Given that this is for a
master’s degree in music, this is logical; musical study is typically
something that is undertaken at a fairly young age.
This statement does an excellent job describing the student’s past

experiences with music in great detail. The descriptions of the student’s
past compositions and experiences performing new music are particularly
vivid and intriguing.
This statement also lays out and elaborates on speci c goals the student
hopes to pursue through the program, as well as features particular to
the program that interest the student (like particular professors).
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Make beautiful music with your statement of purpose.
Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD
(click icon)
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One of the rst things you’ll likely notice about this statement is that it’s a
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little on the longer side. However, at 12 pointVocabulary?
Times New Roman font and
single-spaced, it still comes in under 2 pages (excluding references). It
makes sense for a PhD statement of purpose Boostsample
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to be our 2018
longer than
a master’s degree statement of purpose—there’s more to lay out in terms
of research interests!
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The writing style is fairly straightforward—there’s de nitely a stronger
focus on delivering content than ashy writing style.NOAsTHANKS
Economics is a
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more quantitative-focused eld, this is ne. But the writing is still well-
organized, clear, and error-free.
The writer also gives numerous examples of their past work and
experience, and shows o their knowledge of the eld through references,
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which is a nice touch. 9What

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Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MA
(click icon)
This is actually my statement of purpose. It was for a program that I got

accepted to but did not end up attending, for a Master’s in the History of
the Book. You’ll notice that the two essay prompts essentially asked us to
split our statement of purpose into two parts: the rst prompt asked about
our research interests and goals, and the second prompt asked about our
relevant experience and quali cations.
I’ll keep my comments on this graduate school statement of purpose

sample brief because I’ll do a deep dive on it in the next section. But
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looking back at my statement of purpose, I do a good job outlining what
within the eld interests me and clearly laying out how my past
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experiences have quali ed me for the program.
Obviously this statement did its job, since I was accepted

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However, if I were to improve this statement, I’d change the cliche it's FREE)
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beginning (“since I was a child”) and provide more speci city in what about
the program interested me.
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What about the history of these books?
Deep Dive Analysis of a Sample Statement of

Purpose for Graduate School
Next, we’ll do a paragraph by paragraph analysis of my statement,

statement of purpose sample four. I’ll analyze its strengths and suggest
ways I could shore up any weaknesses to make it even stronger.
Essay 1: Academic Interests Struggling with

To refresh, here’s the
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rst prompt: Please give a short statement that
describes your academic interests, purpose,Boost
objectives and motivation
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undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 it's FREE)
words)
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Get a great GRE score. Guaranteed
PARAGRAPH 1
Since I was a child, my favorite thing has always been a book. Not just
for the stories and information they contain, although that is a large
part of it. Mostly, I have been fascinated by the concept of book as
object—a tangible item whose purpose is to relate intangible ideas
and images. Bookbindings and jackets, di erent editions, the
marginalia in a used book—all of these things become part of the
individual book and its signi cance, and are worth study and
consideration. Books and their equivalent forms—perfect bound,
scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus—have long been an essential part of
material culture and are also one of our most signi cant sources of
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information about the human historical past. Through both the literal
object of the book, the words contained thereon, and its relationship
GRE
to other books—forms of context, text andVocabulary?
intertext—we are able to
learn and hopefully manage layers of information with which we
would otherwise have no familiarity. GRE Vocab Course! (p.s. it's FREE)
First, the good: this paragraph does a good job introducing my academic
interest in the book-as-object, and shows oYES, I WANT
pre-existing IT. both
knowledge
of the study of material culture and literary theory. Additionally, the
NO and
language is engaging: the juxtaposition of “tangible” THANKS
“intangible” in
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the beginning and phrases like “perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets,
papyrus” lend life to the writing and keep the reader engaged.
If I were to go back and improve this paragraph, rst, I would absolutely

change the rst sentence to something less cliche than talking about
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my childhood. I might try something like “My love of books9What

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multifaceted thing. I don’t only love them for the stories and….” Scores for
Second, I of
would chill out on the em dashes a little bit. Three sets inPurpose
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one for …
paragraph is a little excessive. Finally, I might actually cut this paragraph
down slightly to make more room word-wise later in the statement to
discuss what speci c things about the program interest me.
The pen really is mightier than the sword when it comes to your
Struggling with
statement of purpose.
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PARAGRAPH 2 GRE Vocab Course! (p.s. it's FREE)
Furthermore, blogs, webcomics, digital archives,

YES, e-readers,
I WANT and even
IT.
social media sites like tumblr and Facebook have revolutionized the
concept of the book by changing how we share NO
andTHANKS
transmit ideas
and information, just as the Gutenberg printing press revolutionized
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YES, I WANT THIS.
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the book all those years ago in the fteenth century. Once again
there has been an explosion both in who can send out information
and who can receive it.
This paragraph brie y and e ectively introduces my otherGRAD

mainSCHOOL
academic interest: how new technology has changed the9concept

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the a
book-as-object. The tie-back to the printing press is a niceGreat
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touch;Scores forof
it’s a vivid
Purpose
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example that shows that I’m aware of important historical moments for
in …
book history.
PARAGRAPH 3
I am deeply interested in the preservation of the physical book, as I

think it is an important part of human history (not to mention a
satisfying sensory experience for the reader). However I am also very
concerned with the digitization and organization of information for
the modern world such that the book, in all of its forms, stays
relevant and easy to access and use. Collections of books, archives,
and information as stored in the world’s servers, libraries and
museums are essential resources that need to be properly organized
and administered to be fully taken advantage of by their audiences.
My purpose in applying to the University of Edinburgh’s Material
Culture and History of the Book is to gain the skills necessary to keep
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all forms of the book relevant and functional in an age when
GRE Vocabulary?
information can move more radically than ever before.
This paragraph actually has a focus problem. Since

Boost it covers
your two our
score with topics,
2018I
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should split it into two paragraphs: one on the Vocab Course!
integration of my(p.s.
two it's FREE)
interests, and one on my goals and interests in the program. I could also
stand to expand on what features the program has that interest me:
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professors I’d like to work with, particular aspects of the curriculum, etc.
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The
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spite course
of these that
things, will make
however, you a top-notch
this paragraph does a goodGRE scorer.
job clearly
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integrating the two academic interests related to the book I introduced
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in the rst two paragraphs. And the language is still strong—“satisfying
sensory experience” is a great phrase. However, I’ve been using the word
“information,” a lot; I might try to replace with appropriate synonyms (like
“knowledge”) in a couple of places.
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PARAGRAPH 4 Purpose
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for …
Additionally, I intend on pursuing a PhD in Library and Information

Sciences upon completion of my master’s and I feel that this program
while make me uniquely suited to approach library science from a
highly academic and interdisciplinary perspective.
This nal paragraph o ers just quick touch on my future goals beyond the
program. It’s typically ne for this to be relatively brief, as it is here, just so
long as you can clearly identify some future goals.
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See those goals o in theYES, I WANT

distance. IT.
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Essay 2: Relevant Experience
The second prompt just asked me to describe my relevant knowledge,

training, and skills.
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PARAGRAPH 1 Purpose
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As a folklore and mythology student, I have gained a robust

understanding of material culture and how it relates to culture as a
whole. I have also learned about the transmission of ideas,
information, stories and pieces of lore among and between
populations, which is an important component of book history.
Folklore is also deeply concerned with questions of the literary vs.
oral lore and the tendency for text to “canonize” folklore, and yet text
can also question or invert canonized versions; along with this my
studies in my focus eld of religion and storytelling have been deeply
concerned with intertextuality. One of my courses was speci cally
concerned with the Heian-period Japanese novel The Tale of Genji and
questions of translation and representation in post-Heian picture
scrolls and also modern translations and manga. In addition to
broader cultural questions concerned with gender and spirituality
both in historical Japan and now, we considered the relationships
between di erent Genji texts and images.
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This is a strong, focused paragraph. I relate my academic background in
Folklore and Mythology to my interests in studying the book, as well as
showing o some of my knowledge in the area. I also
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scoreand
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elaborated on a strong example (my class GRE
on the TaleCourse!
Vocab of Genji) of my
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relevant coursework.
YES, I WANT IT.
PARAGRAPH 2 NO THANKS
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YES, I WANT THIS.
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I also have work experience that lends itself to the study of the book.
After my freshman year of college I interned at the Chicago History
Museum. Though I was in the visitor services department I was
exposed to the preservation and archival departments of the
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museum and worked closely with the education department, which

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sparked my interest in archival collections and how museums
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collection information to the public. After my sophomorePurpose
year of for …
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college and into my junior year, I worked at Harvard’s rare books
library, Houghton. At Houghton I prepared curated collections for
archival storage. These collections were mostly comprised of the
personal papers of noteworthy individuals, categorized into
alphabetical folders. This experience made me very process-oriented
and helped me to understand how collections come together on a
holistic basis.
This paragraph also has a clear focus: my past, relevant work experience.
Discussing archival collections and presenting information to the public
links the interests discussed in my rst statement with my quali cations in
my second statement. However, if I were to revise this paragraph, I would
add some speci c examples of the amazing things I worked on and
handled at Houghton Library. In that job, I got to touch Oliver Cromwell’s
death mask! An interesting example would make this paragraph really pop
even more.
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PARAGRAPH 3 GRE Vocabulary?
Boostmentor
Finally, in my current capacity as an education your score with our
in Allston, a 2018
suburb of Boston, I have learned the value of book history and
material culture from an educational perspective. As a mentor who
designs curriculum for individual studentsYES, I WANT
and small groups, I IT.
have
learned to highly value clearly organized and useful educational
resources such as websites, iPad apps, and booksNOasTHANKS
tools for
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YES, I WANT THIS.
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learning. By managing and organizing collections in a way that makes
sense we are making information accessible to those who need it.
This nal paragraph discusses my current (at the time) work experience in
education and how that ties into my interest in the history of GRAD
the book. It’s
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9What
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an intriguing connection and also harkens back to my discussionto
ofWrite
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information availability in the paragraph three of the rstGreat
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statement. forof
Again,
Purpose
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if I were to amp up this statement even more, I might include for …
a speci c
example of a book-based (or book technology-based) project I did with one
of my students. I worked on things like bookbinding and making
“illuminated manuscripts” with some of my students; those would be
interesting examples here.
This statement is split into two parts by virtue of the two-prompt format.
However, if I were to integrate all of this information into one uni ed
statement of purpose, I would probably brie y introduce my research
interests, go in-depth on my background, then circle back around to speak
more about my personal interests and goals and what intrigues me about
the program. There’s not really one correct way to structure a statement of
purpose just so long as it ows well and paragraphs are structured in a
logical way: one topic per paragraph, with a clear topic and concluding
sentence.
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YES, I WANT IT.

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YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.
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Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
Make sure it’s got that ow.
More Statement of Purpose Examples
We’ve provided you with four great graduate school statement of purpose
examples from our graduate school experts. However, if you’re looking for
more, there are other sample letters of intent and statements of purpose
for graduate school online. We’ve rounded up the best ones here, along
with some strengths and weaknesses about each example.

Struggling with
GRE Vocabulary?
Majortests Statement of Purpose Sample
This is a fairly straightforward, clearly writtenGRE
statement of purpose
Vocab Course! sample
(p.s. it's FREE)
for a biology program. It includes useful commentary after each paragraph
about what this statement of purpose is accomplishing.
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STRENGTHS      
YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.
This statement of purpose sample is well-organized, with clear topic
sentences and points made in each paragraph.
The student clearly identi es what interests her about the program.
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The student proactively addresses questions about why she hasn’t
Great
GREStatement
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gone directly to graduate school, and frames her professional
Purpose
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for …
research experience as a positive thing.
She gives a tiny bit of color about her personality in a relevant way
by discussing her involvement with the Natural History Society.
WEAKNESSES
In general, discussing high school interests is too far back in time

unless the anecdote is very interesting or unusual. The detail
about The Theory of Evolution is intriguing; the information about the
high school teacher seems irrelevant. The student should have
condensed this paragraph into a sentence or two.
While this statement is cogently written and makes the candidate

sound competent and well-quali ed, it’s not exactly the most
Struggling with
scintillating piece of writing out there. Some of the constructions
GRE Vocabulary?
are a little awkward or cliche. For example, the “many people have
asked me” sentence followed by “the answer is” is a little bit clunky.
This is probably ne for a STEM program. But just be aware that this
statement is not a paragon of writing style.

YES, I WANT IT.
NO THANKS
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Want course your
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GRAD SCHOOL
program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature

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UC Berkeley History Statement of Purpose Sample
This is a graduate school statement of purpose example from the UC

Berkeley History department’s PhD program, with annotations from a
professor as to why it’s a successful statement.
STRENGTHS
Struggling with
GRE Vocabulary?
The author is able to very clearly and articulately lay out her
research interests and link them to past work she has successfully
completed, namely, her thesis.
She is able to identify several things about the program and
Berkeley that indicate why it is a good t for her research interests.
YES, I WANT IT.
She addresses the time she spent away from
NOschool
THANKSand frames it
Theas
ONE course
a positive, that will that
emphasizing make heryou a time
use of top-notch GRE scorer.
was well-considered
     
YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.
and productive.
Her writing is very vivid, with excellent word choice and great
imagery.
GRAD SCHOOL
9What
StepsAre
to Write
Gooda

Great
GREStatement
Scores forof
Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
WEAKNESSES
While very well-written and engaging, this sample statement of purpose for
graduate school is a little bit on the long side! It’s a little over two single-
spaced pages, which is de nitely pushing the limits of acceptable length.
Try to keep yours at 2 pages or less. Some of the information on the thesis
(which comprises over half of the statement of purpose) could be
condensed to bring it down to two pages.
Struggling with
GRE Vocabulary?
YES, I WANT IT.

NO THANKS
The ONE course
She’s that
readywill make you
to investigate a top-notch
history’s mysteries. GRE scorer.
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Pharmacy Residency Letter of Intent Sample
This is not technically a sample letter of intent for graduate school because
GRAD SCHOOL
it’s actually for a pharmacy residency program. However, this

9Whatexample
Steps Are still a
to Write
Good
provides illumination as to what makes a decent graduateGreat
school letter of
GREStatement
Scores forof
intent sample. Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
STRENGTHS
This is a serviceable letter of intent: the writer clearly lays out their
own goals within the eld of pharmacy, what quali cations they have
and how they’ve arrived at their interests, and how the program ts
their needs.
The writing is clearly structured and well-organized.
WEAKNESSES
The main weakness is that some of the writer’s statements come
Struggling with
across as fairly generic. For example, “The PGY-1 Residency
Program at UO Hospitals will provide me with the opportunity to
GRE critical
further develop my clinical knowledge, Vocabulary?
thinking, teaching,
research, and leadership skills” is a generic statement that could
Boost more
apply to any residency program. A punchier, your score with our 2018
program-speci c
conclusion would have amped up this letter.
YES,examples
While the writer does a decent job providing I WANT IT.
of their
activities, like working as a tutor and attending the APhA conference,
more speci city and detail in these examples NOwould
THANKS
make the
statement more memorable.      
YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.
There’s a typo in the last paragraph—a “to” that doesn’t belong! This
is an unprofessional blip in an otherwise solid letter. Read you own
letter of intent aloud to avoid this!
GRAD SCHOOL

9What
StepsAre
to Write
Gooda
NIU Bad Statement of Purpose Example Great
GREStatement
Scores forof
Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
This is an ine ective graduate school statement of purpose example, with
annotations on why it doesn’t work.
STRENGTHS
As you might imagine, the main strength in this document is as an

example of what not to do. Otherwise, there is little to recommend it.
WEAKNESSES
The annotations quite clearly detail the weaknesses of this statement.

So I won’t address them exhaustively except to point out that this
statement of purpose fails at both content and style. The author
includes irrelevant anecdotes and lists without o ering a decisive
Struggling with
picture of interests or any particular insight into the eld. Additionally,
GRE Vocabulary?
the statement is riddled with grammatical mistakes, awkward
sentence structures, and strange acronyms.
GRE
You’ll note that the commentary advises Vocab
you Course!
to “never (p.s.
start it'saFREE)
with
quote.” I agree that you should never start with a freestanding quote
as in this example. However, I do think starting with a quote is
YES, I WANT IT.
acceptable in cases like the Berkeley history example above, where
the quote is brief and then directly linked to the
NO research
THANKS interest.
     
YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.

GRAD SCHOOL
9What
StepsAre
to Write
Gooda
Great
GREStatement
Scores forof
Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
Kitty doesn’t like this statement of purpose.
Graduate School Statement of Purpose

Examples: 4 Key Points
Graduate programs ask for statement of purpose to hear about your

Struggling with
interests and goals and why you think you and the program would be a
good t.
GRE Vocabulary?
There are four key elements to a successful statement of purpose:
A clear articulation of your goals and interests
Evidence of past experiences and success
Interest and t with the program YES, I WANT IT.
Strong writing
NO THANKS
     
YES, I WANT THIS.
YES, I WANT THIS.
We’ve provided you with four successful statement of purpose samples
from our graduate school experts!
Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA

Statement of Purpose Sample Two: Music MM GRAD SCHOOL
Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD9What

StepsAre
to Write
Gooda
Great
GRE
Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MAStatement
Scores forof
Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
We also provided additional statement of purpose samples (and a
sample letter of intent) for graduate school from other sources on the
internet. Now you have all kinds of guidance!
What’s Next?
If you’re looking for more information on graduate school, see our guide to
what makes a good GPA for grad school.
Not sure if you need to take the GRE? See if you can get into graduate
school without GRE scores.
Want more information about the GRE? We can help you gure out when
to take the GRE, how to make a GRE study plan, and how to improve your
GRE score.
Struggling with
GRE Vocabulary?
Ready to improve your GRE score by 7
points? Boost your score with our 2018
We've written a eBook about the top 5 strategies you must be using
YES,
to have a shot at improving your GRE score. I WANT
Download IT.
it for free
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NO THANKS
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YES, I WANT THIS.
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FREE GRE eBook: 5 Tips for 7+ Points
GRAD SCHOOL
9What
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to Write
Gooda
Great
GREStatement
Scores forof
Author: Ellen McCammon Purpose
Scholarships?
for …
Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive
experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth
knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon
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Struggling with
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YES, I WANT THIS.

GRE Prep Online Guides and Tips

7 Successful Statement of Purpose

The Graduate School Statement of Purpose:

A statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or a research

YES, I WANT IT.

What’s in a Great Grad School Statement

Clear Articulation of Goals and Interests

Boost your score with our 2018

You should be as speci c as possible in discussing what interests you.

Evidence of Past Experience and Success

A great graduate school statement of purpose will also show programs

To this end, you’ll need to provide evidence of how your background

Boost your score with our 2018

YES, I WANT IT.

Past successes: slithering, sliding, shedding, snaking.

Interest and Fit With the Program

The third essential ingredient to a great statement of purpose is to clearly

Showing that you and the programGRE Vocabulary?

Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA

This sample is fairly long, although at 12 point Times New 9Roman

This statement does an excellent job describing the student’s past

YES, I WANT IT.

Make beautiful music with your statement of purpose.

Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD

which is a nice touch. 9What

Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MA

This is actually my statement of purpose. It was for a program that I got

I’ll keep my comments on this graduate school statement of purpose

Obviously this statement did its job, since I was accepted

What about the history of these books?

Deep Dive Analysis of a Sample Statement of

Next, we’ll do a paragraph by paragraph analysis of my statement,

Essay 1: Academic Interests Struggling with

Try our 5-day full access trial for free: 9What

If I were to go back and improve this paragraph, rst, I would absolutely

my childhood. I might try something like “My love of books9What

Furthermore, blogs, webcomics, digital archives,

This paragraph brie y and e ectively introduces my otherGRAD

academic interest: how new technology has changed the9concept

I am deeply interested in the preservation of the physical book, as I

This paragraph actually has a focus problem. Since

Additionally, I intend on pursuing a PhD in Library and Information

See those goals o in theYES, I WANT

The second prompt just asked me to describe my relevant knowledge,

As a folklore and mythology student, I have gained a robust

YES, I WANT IT.

museum and worked closely with the education department, which

YES, I WANT IT.

Make sure it’s got that ow.

More Statement of Purpose Examples

In general, discussing high school interests is too far back in time

While this statement is cogently written and makes the candidate

PrepScholar GRE is entirely online, and it customizes your prep

program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also feature

Check out our 5-day free trial now:

Get 7 More Points On Your GRE,

UC Berkeley History Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a graduate school statement of purpose example from the UC

YES, I WANT IT.

Pharmacy Residency Letter of Intent Sample

it’s actually for a pharmacy residency program. However, this

The writing is clearly structured and well-organized.