Microsoft PowerPoint - SOP-Fall13.pptx

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois 1

Todaywe’lllookathowtocraftacompellingstatementofpurposeforgraduate

schoolapplications.

Don’tunderestimatetheimportanceofaneff ectivestatementofpurpose—itis

oftenthetie‐breakerindecisionsonwhethertooff erordenyadmissionto

graduatestudy.

Imagesusedinthistalkareroyalty‐freeand

werepurchasedfromistockphoto.com,

unlessotherwiseidentified.

READtheinstructionsandfollowthemwitlessly.Payparticularattentiontofont

sizes,margins,andpage,word,andcharacterlimits.

Addresseverypointmentioned,intheorderthatthey’representedinthe

instructions.Makeiteasyforareadertoseethatyouhaveincludedeverything

thatwasaskedfor.(Usethesamestructureandthesamewordsthataregivenin

theinstructions.)

Adheretopageandwordlimits,ifstated.Ifapagelimitisnotstated,restrictyour

SOPtonomorethantwosingle‐spacedpagesinareadable(11‐pt.min.)font.

Bewareofthepitfallsofword

processing.It’sheartbreakinglyeasytocopywhat

you’vewrittenforCornellintoanewdocumentforOhioStateandforgetthestray

“IreallywanttocometoCornellUniversity”inthefourthparagraph.Butthe

Buckeyeswillbemiffedandhavedoubtsaboutyourattentiontodetail.

TheStatement

ofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Thefirststepinwritinganything istothinkaboutwhoisgoingtoreadit.Put

yourselfintheadmissioncommittee’smembers’shoes.Whatwouldyourreader

findinterestingaboutyourgoalsandexperience?Whatwouldsheliketoknow

moreabout?

Experiencedacademicphysicistsaregoingtobereadingyourstatementof

purpose.DONOTwriteanything thatyoudonotthoroughlyunderstand!

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

First‐orderquestions:

WhathaveIlearnedinthelastfouryears?aboutphysics?aboutmyself?

WhatdoIenjoydoing?WhatdoIdowell?

WhatdoIknowabout“research”andwhyisthatagoodcareerchoiceforme?

Whataremycareerexpectations?mydreams?

Second‐orderquestions:

HowcanIshowthatIfinishwhatIstart?

HowcanIshowthatI’mcreative?

HowcanIshowthatIcanovercomeadversity?

HowcanIshowthatIhaveanaptitudeforphysics(ormaterialsscience,or

electricalengineering,ormedicine)?forresearch?

HowcanIshowthatI

havewhatittakestobesuccessfulinthisfield?

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Howcanyoudifferentiateyourselffromtheother400peoplewhoareapplyingfor

admissiontothisgraduateprogram?Theyall wanttobecomephysiciststounravel

themysteriesofnature.

Returntothesubjectofyourleadinthefinalparagraphofyourstatementto“wrap

up”theideaandendwithabang.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Overthecourseofyourgraduatestudies,thedepartmentthatacceptsyouwill

likelyspend>$250konyour PhD.Maketheadmissionscommitteeconfident

thatyouareagoodinvestmentandwillbesuccessfulinyourresearchandyour

teaching.

Addressthefollowingpoints:

1. Youunderstandthatgraduateschoolisaboutsuccessfully

doingindependent

research—notaboutgettinggoodgradesinclasses.

2. Youhavethedisciplineandmaturitytomanageyourtimeandmeetyour

responsibilitiesasanemployee.

3. Youhavetheskillsandintereststobeagoodteacheraswellasaresearcher.

BEHONEST.Don’tex aggerateorgiveinappropriateemphasis.Besincere.

Writeityourself—inyourownwords.Iwillgiveyousuggestionsandhelpwith

proofreading,butIwillNOTdothekindofheavy‐dutyeditingthatyou’vecome

toknow(andfear). Yourstatementofpurposemustreflectyourvoiceandyour

writingabilities,notmine.

TheStatementof

Purpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Examplesofshort‐termgoals(whatyouwanttodointhenexttwoyears):

Exploreoneortwosubfieldsofphysics.

Learnnewtheoreticalapproachesorexperimentaltechniques.

Polishyourcommunicationsandteachingskills.

Contributetoaresearchgroup.

Examplesoflong‐termgoals(whereyouwanttobein10years):

Pursueacareerinresearchinindustryoranationallaboratory.

Becomeaprofessor.

Becomeanentrepreneurinahigh‐techenterprise.

Becomeanquantitativeanalystinthefinancialindustry.

Contributetothenation’senergyindependence.

Designnewbiocompatiblematerialsforprosthetics.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Showthatyouareinchargeofyourdestinyandthatyouunderstandthatyou are

responsibleforyoursuccessfulgraduatecareer.

“Hopefully”means“fullofhope”or“inahopefulmanner”;itdoesnotmean

“Ihope”or“itistobehoped.”Atleastthat’smyopinion,andI’mstickingtoit.

BryanGarner(withwhomIagreeabout90percentofthetime,althoughheis

wrongoccasionally)claimsthatthisbattlewaslostinthe1980s,andIam

condemnedtoold‐fuss‐budgetstatusforinsistingonthedistinction.Hedevotes

almostonefullpageofGarner’sModernAmericanUsage tothecontroversy.

Despitewimpingoutandacceptingthelate‐20th‐centuryabuseof“hopefully,”

Garnerendswiththefollowingadmonition:

“Fourth,thoughthecontroversyswirlingaroundthisword

hassubsided,itisnowaSKUNKED TERM.Avoiditinallsenses

ifyou’reconcernedwithyourcredibility:ifyouuseitinthe

traditionalway,manyreaderswillthinkitodd;ifyouuseit

inthenewishway,afewreaderswilltacitlytut‐tutyou.”

BryanA.Garner,Garner’sModernAmericanUsage

(Oxford,Oxf ord

UniversityPress,2003),pp.412–413.

Countmeamongthetut‐tutters.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Whyareyouaparticularlystrongprospectforthisdepartment?

Haveyouhadtoovercomeanyunusualobstaclesinyourlifethathavecontributed

toyourmaturityorintellectualgrowth?

Communicationsskills—asineverythingelseyouwrite,consideryouraudience.

Theymaynotbeexpertsinyournarrowfield;don’tuse

jargon;defineyourterms.

Don’tuseslang.Conveythatyouareaseriousprofessional.Youdon’thavetobe

stuffy,butyouhavetobeprofessional.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Beselective.AnSOPisaprospectus,notyourmemoirs.

Theexperiencesthatyouhighlightshouldberelevanttoboth

‐ yourpersonalcareergoals.

‐ theopportunitiesthatthisparticulardepartmentoffers.

Toolittleisasbadastoomuch;youwantthecommitteememberstofeelthatthey

knowenoughaboutyoutopredictyoursuccessconfidently.

Themotivating“whyIwanttobeaphysicist”shouldbenolongerthanaparagraph.

Theadmissionscommitteeprobablydoesn’treallycareaboutyourtriptothe

MuseumofScienceandIndustryinfirstgradeoryourCubScoutmeritbadgein

“e lectricity.”

Include

experiencesthathavedirectlyshapedyourthinkingorthathavetested

yourresolve,butbeselective.Onecompellingexampleismuchmorepersuasive

thanadisjointedlaundrylistofthingsyou’vedone.

Don’ttalktoomuchaboutclasses.Graduateschoolisaboutdoingindependent

research,nottakingclasses.Ifyoudo

talkaboutclasses,emphasizeskillsthat

you’veacquired,notgradesthatyougotorcoursesyousatthrough.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Arethereanydeficienciesinyouracademicrecordortestscoresthatyoushould

explain?

Talktoyouradviserandyourletterwritersaboutwhetheranexplanationwillhelp

orhurtyourchances.Ifthedeficiencyissoegregiousthatitcastsdoubtonyour

abilitytobesuccessfulingraduatestudy, somebody hastodiscussit.Aletter

writermaybeabletoofferamoreconvincingexplanationthanyoucan;heorshe

atleasthasthecloakofobjectivity.

Ifyoufeelcompelledtoexplaintheproblem,focusonwhattheexperiencehas

taughtyou,whatyou’vedonetoovercometheproblem,andhowyouarebetter

equippedtofaceadversityinthefuturebecauseofit.

Ownyourmistakes,andtakeresponsibilityforyouractions.

“Amancanfailmanytimes,butheisn’tafailureuntilhebeginstoblame

somebodyelse.”JohnBurroughs,1837–1921,U.S.naturalistandessayist,

influentialintheconservationmovementintheUnitedStates

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Mentionspecificfacultymembersorresearchprojectsinwhichyou’reinterested.

Ifthedepartmenthasuniquefacilities,showthatyouknowaboutthemandexplain

howlearningtousethemwillprepareyoutoachieveyouroverallgoals.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Dobespecificaboutyourgeneralinterestsandobjectives,butdon’tpaintyourself

intoacorner.

IfallyouwriteaboutistheworkbeingdoneinProfessorJones’groupandhow

muchyouwanttojointhatgroup,andProfessorJonesisn’ttakinganystudentsfor

twoyears,thecommitteemaydecidetoadmitsomebodyelse.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Describeyourresearchconciselyandexplain whatyoucontributed.

Don’tgetboggeddownindetails—thecommitteedoesn’tcarehowlongittookto

annealthesampleorwherethedialwasset.Theywanttoknowhowyou

formulateahypothesis,attackaproblem,determinethevalidityofanapproach,

knowwhenyou’re“done,”decidewhattodonext.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Startyourstatementofpurposewithastrong“lead”thatwillimmediatelygrabthe

reader’sinterestandat tention:

“Physicist—rockstar?Rockstar—physicist?WhatdoIwanttobe?”

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Startfromanoutlineoftheimportantpointsyouwanttomake.

Makesureyouroutlineconformstothestructuregivenintheinstructionsforthat

particulardepartment.

Fillintheoutlinewithrealsentences.

Revise.

GiveyourstatementtoyouradviserorPhysicsmentortoreadandaskfor

constructivecriticism.

Incorporatesuggestions

andrevise.Again.

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois

Trainyourselftorunthespellcheckeverytimeyoumakeachangetoyour

document.Ifsomethinghastobeperfect (andanSOPdoes),usetheseold

proofreader’stricks:

1. Alwaysproofreadfromahardcopy.Mistakeswillleapoffthepaperthatyou’ll

neverseeonthescreen.

2. Startatthelowerright‐handcornerofthedocumentandreadrighttoleft,

bott omtotop.

Suggestionsforfurtherreading:

C.R.Barrera,“TheGraduateSchoolApplication,”

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2

006_04_14/noDOI.5474268556298302823

B.Rybarczyk,“SellYourself:GuidanceforDevelopingYourPersonalStatementfor

GraduateSchoolApplications,”

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2

006_01_06/noDOI.15679808495969 386309

B.Rybarczyk,“Perspective:SellYourself—RefiningthePersonalStatement,”

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2

010_01_08/caredit.a1000005

TheStatementofPurpose,

CeliaM.Elliott

6Sept2013

TheBoardofTrusteesoftheUniversityofIllinois