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Steps to Success: Writing a WinningStatementofPurposeFor students in the science, technology,engineering, and math (STEM) fields.Steps to Success
Personal Statement (PS)vs.Statement of Purpose (SP)Steps to Success
Personal Statement (PS)One way to think about PS isthat, in general,undergraduate programsare interested in you as aperson and what you mayoffer to enrich their overalluniversity community.Steps to Success
Statement of Purpose (SP)SP describes your “brain,” thescientist you have becomeand will grow to be. Youare now the scientist andany personal informationshould be related to yourscientific approach and howyou will enrich the scientificworld.Steps to Success
Becoming a ScientistYour Research IsYour PurposeAvoid ChildhoodKindergarten-High School“The big questions — how to control a cell’sfunction, how to interfere with a cell becoming acancer, how to stop heart disease — are still outthere to be answered. The key is bringing freshideas along with new tools and technologies to thesame old problems.”—Mike Teitell, Pathology and Laboratory MedicineSteps to Success
Who Reads Your Application?Each department has its ownreview process.Science Faculty: Your futurecommunity.“When you recognize your interdependenceand changing nature, you no longer seeyourself as separate from another person,and this is the foundation for buildingstronger communities.”—Susan Smalley, Neuropsychiatric InstituteSteps to Success
Who Should Proofread Your Application?"Nanotechnology is in our watches,cars, hospitals and it shufflesinformation around. But it's also abouttherapies and new ideas — the next bigthing that's going to change the world in20 years."—Jim Gimzewski, Chemistry andBiochemistry Advisors and Professors Faculty letter writers People from differentdisciplines Each other:The stronger they are,the stronger you are.Steps to Success
WRITING STRATEGIESTrust Yourself & DreamCelebrate your work in your SP!This the fun part.Steps to Success
Imagine The “Wow” FactorDid an article or book inspire you?Read the faculty’s research, thencontact them.An artist’s impression of a supermassive blackhole at the center of a galaxy. (NASA/MAXIM)Andrea Ghez, Astronomer, answered one ofastronomy’s more important question byreporting that a monstrous black hole residesat the center of the Milky Way galaxy.Steps to Success
Be FreeFree WriteDo not expect your first SP draft to beperfect. Keep writing, put it away for afew days, and edit later.Be ForgivingSteps to Success
Tooting Your Own HornNow you decide not to tell anyone?Steps to Success
Format / Content You must think of yourself as ascientist. Every paragraph shouldsomehow be related to yourresearch area, interest,experience, and future.Steps to Success
Metaphors/Themes to Link Ideas Let images that flow throughout your SP. Steps to Success The chemical structure of water ThemesLinked ImagesAll should be related to your interests and researchSteps to Success
Personal Information Personal information should beminimized, if not eliminated, ifnot relevant to research. Do not compare the content ofyour SP with friends applying tosocial sciences, humanities, law,medicine and health relatedprograms.Steps to Success
Extenuating Circumstances“Extenuating circumstances that may haveresulted in less than ideal academiccredentials for graduate school.”Dr. Liza Cariaga-Lo, Assistant Dean, Yale Graduate School of Arts 12b-so.stmKeep this BriefSteps to Success
Spin Spin Spin Make what is negative positive.Steps to Success
What to IncludeWeak vs. StrongSteps to Success
Avoid ExcusesI had to work two jobsto support my familybecause my fatherwas injured. Mygrades suffered.NOTE: Someone always has amore painful story.Steps to Success
Better but I maintained a B averagewhile working in Dr.Sprout’s botanylaboratory despitehaving to work fortyhours a week as awaitress to support myfamily.Steps to Success
Yawn EffectI love science. I love to study it,to breath it, to be it. Science isthe foundation for all that weare. I have worked long hourspursuing my goal to become aPh.D.NOTE: Don’t tell me you are passionate and a hardworker, show me how you are and what you did.Steps to Success
Content What is the purpose of your graduate study? Specialized areas of interest? Who did you work with,what did you do: internships, projects, employment,research and publications? What skills do you have: using, testing, designing orresearching equipment? Future goals? Tailor to Dept: What makes you uniquely suited for thisparticular department, this specific institution?Steps to Success
Include Future Faculty & Fields Including faculty with whom you want to work, thisshows you have done your homework. Contact faculty before you apply to build arelationship. Mention a few fields/areas that you are interested in. Write specifically for a department: you do not wantan overly a general statement.Steps to Success
Strategy: Summarize Poster AbstractsOne paragraph per abstract Explain why your work is important - set the context and preempt thequestion "So what?"Describe the objective(s) of your work. What are you adding to currentknowledge?Briefly explain the methods. This should not be a major focus of yourabstract.Succinctly state results, conclusions, and recommendations. This iswhat most people want to know. Do not say "We present the results of ourstudy and recommendations for action" - tell them what you found andrecommend! iveAbstract.htmlSteps to Success
Follow the Rules Fill out forms completely before giving them to yourprofessors, provide them with stamped envelope. Do not exceed the word limit. Single space is fine. 2 pages should be your target length.Steps to Success
What happens when RushedTiredTrying to ImpressPlease Don’t Hurt Your ThesaurusSteps to Success
What you can do to a cloud The (potentially dreaded)Prepositional Phrase: PASSIVE VOICE Around the cloud About the cloud Of the cloud Of Of OfSteps to Success
The “I” FactorDo not over use “I”: we already know it is your SoP.Steps to Success
Yadda, Yadda, Yadda Platitudes & ClichésI want to cure cancer. Knowledge is power. Quotes & PassagesSocial sciences and humanities applicants overuse thisstrategy (i.e., passages from Shakespeare and theBible). ContractionsAvoid in informal writing: don’t, can’t, won’t Colloquialisms & Email SpeakThe kids in my family. Like, you know .LOL.Steps to Success
Do Not Assume Knowledgeof (all things) AcronymsAlways spell out the first referenceUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)NYU, NB, CSU, FBI, NASA,DOD, NSF, NIH, ASAPSteps to Success
Help Each OtherEach One, Reach One, Teach One!UCLA School of EducationSteps to Success
UNLOCK: Writer’s Block Pretend you are writing about afriend. Email your SP to a friend. Ask a friend to give you an artificialtime limit.Steps to Success
Auditory AssistanceREAD OUT LOUDStart with your last sentence thenproceed to the beginning of your SP.You will often hear your errors.Try not to stop while you are reading,jot down notes, and make correctionslater.Be patient: This is difficult, but useful tool.Steps to Success
Print, Edit, Recycle, Repeat Always print out your essay. Double space. Edit your SP with pen in hand.Steps to Success
BE NICE TO YOUR FACULTY Please, please, donot present facultywith messy andincomplete drafts. Present a packagethat reflects you:The Professional.Professors of excellence – Arnold Scheibel,Susan McClary, Ivan Szelenyi, Kris Gutierrezand Utpal Banerjee.Steps to Success
The First & Final WordsEach university, department, program and person is different.Ultimately, you have to decide.Steps to Success
Research WebsitesGreat UC Search Engines UC Irvine’s Summer Research (go to “off-campus”)http://urop.uci.edu UC Experts by panishexperts/subjects/agriculture.html UCLA Faculty Researchhttp://www.research.ucla.edu/faculty/ UCLA Research Steps to Success
Helpful WebsitesContinuing the Journeyhttp://www.ucop.edu/journeyUCLA Career Centerhttp://career.ucla.eduUC Berkeley Career Centerhttp://career.berkeley.eduUC Davis Career Centerhttp://icc.ucdavis.edu/General Grad School Information (lists areas of study)www.gradschools.comInteractive Grad School Informationhttp://www.phds.orgCSU San Marcos (detailed article)http://www.csusm.edu/CATSS/gradschool info.htmProject 1000 (assists w/ application & GRE waivers)http://mati.eas.asu.edu:8421/p1000/UCSC Online Personality reerplan.htmlSteps to Success
Generous thanks to National Science Foundation’s Alliances for GraduateEducation and the Professoriate (AGEP)Pictures fromhttp://www.magazine.ucla.eduUCLA Marching Band. Photo by Clint Karlsen.http://www.oct-net.ne.jp/ postpet/dog/Barbell.htmlhttp://www.ee.ucla.edu/ 7http://www.infed.org/images/illustrations/artists ms/jordanastevian/aah.jpgwww.google.comSteps to Success
ThanksYou Are Our FutureScholars, Researchers,ScientistsCreated by Dr. Barbara K. Ige, July 2007Steps to Success
Steps to Success Steps to Success: Writing a Winning Statement of Purpose For students in the
