English WritingPart 9:

Statement of Purpose, part 2

John E. Clayton

Nanjing University, Spring, 2005

Syllabus

03/02 Introduction; Overview; Writing a good paragraph03/09 Information Form; Essays – structure, thesis 03/16 Thesis Focus; Movie: Johnny Lingo Journal 103/23 Essay Introduction and Conclusion 03/30 Movie: Dave Journal 204/06 Review for mid-term exam; Overcoming Fear04/13 Mid-term exam Journal 104/20 Resume - 104/27 Resume - 2 Journal 205/04 Holiday 05/11 Business Letters Journal 105/18 Statement of Purpose05/25 Statement of Purpose Journal 206/01 Review for final exam06/08 Final exam

Going Away PartyPlease join Mr. and Mrs. Clayton at their giant end-of-school year going away party, as they return to America.

Thursday, June 9th

6:00 – 8:00 pmLi Xing Guan Student CenterPukou Campus

Activities to include:Speech contest, with prizesDrawings and give-awaysMusicSongsGames

Who is invited? Any of Mr. or Mrs. Clayton’s students - last year or this year.

Homework

Please turn-in your journals, 1 & 2.

Last time!

• 1 stage: Preparation • 2 stage: Writing • 3 stage: Revision

3 Stages of the Writing Process

• Arrange a month or so to write a successful SOP

• Conduct brainstorming of your advantages and disadvantages

• What is special and unique about you and what distinguishes you from others

• Why exactly does this program and this university match your goals and interests, and why you apply to them

Stage 1: Preparation

• Make an outline of your SOP with logical

sequence and reasoning of main ideas you wish to present.

• Work on your first sentence and first paragraph. Imagine that the first sentence is the only chance for you to make sure that the admissions official that reads your application remembers you and wishes to read further about you. Same for first paragraph and a final conclusion sentence. They are of key importance!

Stage 2: General Advice

• Be clear, specific, interesting and say

only what is important. Brevity is important, so exclude sentences or ideas that are not necessary.

• Do not lie or exaggerate, be sincere• Be positive (try to omit negative

information, instead try to view and present it in a positive way)

• Write several drafts and allow each to “rest” for a few days.

Stage 2: General Advice, CONT.

What makes you different and unique?

Why?

Consider: • Your family, relatives and even pets,• Your role models and inspirations,• The time you helped a friend through a

personal trauma (or vice versa),• The remote place where you spent a

portion of your formative years,• Your trophies and awards.

Stage 2: General Advice, CONT.

What makes you different and unique? • Your unusual skills, talents, and abilities• A learning disability• A physical handicap or other feature that

might make you different (in a positive sense in achieving your progress and goals)

• Your disadvantaged background or minority status that contributed to make you different in achieving your goals or progress

Stage 2: General Advice, CONT.

Name one thing that makes you

different from everyone else

Stage 1: Preparation

Do not just write a summary of your background (education, experience, social activities etc) in your SOP.

The winning SOP should not repeat the

information you provide elsewhere in your application. It should provide NEW information and MORE, OTHER interesting and important information on you, your goals, interests and personality.

Stage 2: Contents

Let the draft “rest” for a day or two, then have a fresh look at it.

Request someone knowledgeable and objective read your draft and provide comments (even criticize).

Write several drafts in similar way, then review and choose the best or combine some ideas.

Stage 3: Revision

Outline

I IntroductionI Introduction

Tell a story--grab the reader’s interestTell a story--grab the reader’s interest

Share a life experience--what is special, unique Share a life experience--what is special, unique or distinctive about you.or distinctive about you.

II. Body of the PaperA. Explain background» Where and what studied» If coming from a different field

of study, explain how skills learned in earning your degree can be applied to the new field

Outline

B. Describe professional goals» Why that field of study interesting/ what influenced you

to choose that field» Future plans after receiving degree

C. What you wish to study in graduate school» Your specific interests in your field» Why this program is needed for your professional

development» Why you wish to study in the US» Why you’re applying to this university

III. Conclusion• A. Summing up the main points

• B. What you can contribute to the program (to the university)

Describe what drives you – i.e. what motivates you in past experiences and activities and now,

Do not just describe your experiences, evaluate them and write how they changed you (your values, interests, behavior, etc),

Be creative and imaginative especially in opening sentences that should catch the attention of the reader, make him/her intrigued in continuing to read and make them remember your statement of purpose out of hundreds of others,

Homework

Finish your statement of purpose – print to hand-in

next week

Start reviewing your notes for the final exam

SOP Tips

• Covering the basic points is not enough. • You should create your SOP in a unique style.

• Many applicants simply list their academic facts, goals and reasons they choose the school,

• But to distinguish yourself, it is a good idea to start with an idea or story related to your field. The idea you choose, and your comments on it, often tell an admissions committee more about you than your own self-descriptions can.

SOP Tips

Do's•Demonstrate your considerable dedication to earn a master's and even a doctorate degree. •Clearly state your reasons to choose a particular school. •Have someone else proofread your essay. Don'ts•Bring up topics or something of no interest to a prospective admissions committee. •Excessive words on your extracurricular activities. •Reuse the same statement of purpose for each school you apply to.

SOP Tips

Writing Your Statement of Purpose for Grad SchoolThe graduate school statement of purpose is your chance to demonstrate your unique qualifications for and commitment to your chosen field by discussing those experiences, people, and events that compelled you to pursue it.

That's a lot to accomplish--especially in the typical two-to-three pages allowed for your statement. You can find the key to success by focusing on a few illustrative incidents as opposed to giving a superficial overview. Remember: Detail, specificity, and concrete examples will make your essay distinctive and interesting. Generalities and platitudes that could apply to every other grad school applicant will bore. If you use them, you'll just blur into one of the crowd.

Following "Ten Do's and Don'ts for Your Statement of Purpose" will help you write a compelling, focused essay -- one that will transform you from a collection of numbers and classes into an interesting human being. Ten Do's and Don'ts for Your Statement of Purpose

The Do'sUnite your essay and give it direction with a theme or thesis. The thesis is the main point you want to communicate.

Before you begin writing, choose what you want to discuss and the order in which you want to discuss it. Use concrete examples from your life experience to support your thesis and distinguish yourself from other applicants.

Write about what interests you, excites you. That's what the admissions staff wants to read. Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead -- an anecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of a scene.

End your essay with a conclusion that refers back to the lead and restates your thesis. Revise your essay at least three times.

In addition to your editing, ask someone else to critique your statement of purpose for you. Proofread your personal statement by reading it out loud or reading it into a tape recorder and playing back the tape.

Write clearly, succinctly.

The Don'tsDon't include information that doesn't support your thesis.

Don't start your essay with "I was born in...," or "My parents came from..." Don't write an autobiography, itinerary, or résumé in prose.

Don't try to be a clown (but gentle humor is OK). Don't be afraid to start over if the essay just isn't working or doesn't answer the essay question.

Don't try to impress your reader with your vocabulary. Don't rely exclusively on your computer to check your spelling. Don't provide a collection of generic statements and platitudes.

Don't give mealy-mouthed, weak excuses for your GPA or test scores. Don't make things up.

So far we've emphasized content, but of course, persuasive writing requires good style, grammar, vocabulary, usage, etc. You know, those nit-picky details that most people prefer not to think about. Well if you prefer to continue not thinking about them or if you don't think you know enough about them to ensure good writing, check out Accepted.com's review and editing service. If you just want a quick brush-up on writing fundamentals, visit Ten Tips for Better Writing.

But wait. Before putting the pieces together, what if you are still not sure how to develop a unifying theme? Or perhaps you don't know which experiences to focus on, or simply lack confidence in your writing skills, or have suddenly developed an acute case of blank-screen-itis!?! Remember, you can have one-on-one, personalized assistance every step of the way. Accepted.com's complete package is designed to give you the guidance and direction necessary to draft a compelling story and the comprehensive editing needed to perfect it.

Basic Pieces of Information1.What you'd like to study. 2.Why you choose this field. 3.What background you have in the field. 4.Why you choose a particular school. 5.What you plan to do after you graduate.

• With such information, the admissions committee will be able to determine whether you are seriously  interested in and have sufficient experience in the field you’ve chosen.

• The committee also considers your fit to the school.

SOP Tips

Statement of Purpose/Essays plays a major role in admissions. This is the only thing you can express your goals, achievements impressively to admission committee and faculty members of your area.

If more than one students have marginal score for a particular University then these are the only things that will decide admissions.The most important part of your essay is the subject matter. You should give enough time to check and re-check your subject matter. How to do it? Get Complete information of the major your are applying and details of that major in the University (you are applying). See the facilities number of courses provided in that major. Does it matches your Interests? If your interests research) doesn't matches you will most probably be rejected. Some students got rejection letter stating "Your Research Interest doesn't matches with any of our Faculty member so you have been rejected". Direct experience with your field of study is the best kind to have in your essay. A word of caution: Do not focus solely on your research topic unless this is the standard practice of your field of study and you must outline your thesis. By over relying on your research, you risk your essay sounding impersonal. Even if you have no formal experience, you might still have field experience that counts