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Stanford Online

How to write a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school.

A statement of purpose (SOP) is a critical component of most graduate school applications, and are often required for various types of graduate level programs, including Graduate Certificates and Master’s Degrees .

An SOP offers you the opportunity to showcase your motivations, qualifications, and aspirations to a school’s Office of Admissions. Crafting an effective SOP requires careful planning and attention to detail. Whether you're applying to Stanford or any other institution, here's a guide on how to write a standout statement of purpose that shows how your goals align with the program's expectations.

Understanding the Prompt

A prompt's comprehensive nature offers you the chance to provide a holistic view of your journey, motivations, and aspirations. Be sure to check the websites of any programs you’re applying to, as they often have additional information or suggested frameworks to get you started.

Stanford Master’s Degree

If you are applying to a Stanford master’s degree program , the recommended maximum length for your SOP is 1,000 words and the prompt for the statement of purpose emphasizes several key elements:

• Reasons for applying
• Preparation for the field of study
• Research interests
• Future career plans
• Relevant aspects of your background

Stanford Graduate Certificate

If you are applying to take individual graduate courses or pursue a graduate certificate through Stanford Online, the prompt contains less elements than for the master’s program. This statement of purpose should be brief, as you’re limited to 4000 characters. You should summarize:

• Specific course work on your transcript that meets the course and or certificate prerequisites
• Relevant aspects of your professional experience

Tips for Writing your Statement of Purpose

After you fully understand the prompt for the program you’re applying to, use these tips to guide your writing:

• Be Concise and Focused Most institutions have maximum lengths for words or characters. With limited space, it's important to be concise and focused. Use each word purposefully to convey your message. Ensure that every paragraph adds value and contributes to your overall narrative.
• Start Strong Your opening should be attention-grabbing. Consider sharing a personal anecdote, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question that sets the tone for your SOP. Engaging the reader from the beginning can make your statement more memorable.
• Address the Prompt Thoroughly Cover each aspect of the prompt thoroughly, addressing your reasons for applying, your background preparation, your research interests, and your future career plans. Use specific examples to illustrate your points. For instance, if you're applying to a computer science program, discuss projects, coursework, or experiences that highlight your passion and readiness for further study in this field.
• Showcase Fit with the Program Demonstrate a clear understanding of the program you're applying to and explain why it's an ideal fit for your academic and career goals. Highlight specific courses, professors, research opportunities, or unique features of the program that attracted you. This showcases your commitment to the program and demonstrates that you've done your research. You may consider including reasons your presence will benefit the program as your uniqueness may help set you apart from other applicants.
• Highlight Research Interests Discuss your research interests in detail. Explain how your past experiences have shaped your interests and how the program's resources can help you further develop them. Share any relevant research projects you've been a part of and explain their impact on your academic journey. If your program includes a capstone, you may want to include more actionable, compelling examples.
• Connect to Your Future Career Articulate your future career plans and explain how the program will prepare you for success. Whether you plan to pursue academia, industry, or another path, convey how the skills and knowledge gained from the program will contribute to your career trajectory.
• Weave in Personal Background Share aspects of your personal background that are relevant to your journey. This could include challenges you've overcome, experiences that have shaped your perspective, or unique qualities that set you apart. Ensure that these details contribute to your overall narrative and that adding them showcases your qualifications.
• Edit and Proofread After writing your SOP, review it meticulously for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Typos and errors can detract from the impact of your statement. Consider seeking feedback from mentors, professors, or peers to ensure your SOP effectively conveys your message.
• Tailor for Specific Programs If you're applying to multiple programs, make sure to customize each SOP to align with the specific program's offerings and requirements. Avoid using a generic SOP for all applications, this tends to be very noticeable to admissions.
• Seek Inspiration from Examples If you’re applying to a Stanford Master’s program, the Stanford Graduate Admissions website provides specific guidance on the statement of purpose. Review your program’s recommendations and, if available, consider reading sample SOPs from successful applicants to gather inspiration and insights.

Writing a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school requires thoughtful reflection, careful planning, and clear communication. By addressing the prompt comprehensively, showcasing your fit with the program, and demonstrating your passion and readiness, you can craft an SOP that stands out and may even increase your chances of admission to your desired program. Although it’s far from the only criteria that will be considered in the admissions process, your SOP is your chance to tell your unique story and show why you are a perfect candidate for graduate study. We hope you find this guide useful as you write your statement of purpose, please know that following this guide does not guarantee your admission to any program.

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Graduate School Statement of Purpose

Criteria for success.

Your statement of purpose, sometimes referred to by other names including “statement of objectives,” should…

• convince a faculty committee that you are qualified for their program and that you are a good fit for their program’s focus and goals.
• show a select group of skills and experiences that convey your scientific and technical accomplishments and interests.
• include concrete and quantitative experiences, accomplishments, and qualifications.
• adhere to the length and formatting guidelines of the program to which you are applying (usually no more than 2 pages).

Structure Diagram

The graduate school statement of purpose should strengthen your chance of acceptance into a graduate program by demonstrating that you are a good match for the particular department or program. Matching goes both ways: they should be interested in you, and you should be interested in them. Your statement should make this match clear by telling your personal story as a researcher.

Analyze Your Audience

Your statement of purpose is typically read by a graduate committee, a handful of faculty from your program. They’re trying to determine if you will be a successful graduate student in their department, a positive force in the department’s intellectual life, and a successful researcher after you graduate. They are therefore interested in your qualifications as a researcher, your career goals, and how your academic focus matches their labs and department.

The graduate committee could read hundreds of applications a year. To make it easy for them to figure out that you are a good fit, make direct, concrete statements about your accomplishments and qualifications. To make it easy for them to remember you, create a narrative that “brands” you.

Create an individual narrative

PhD programs invest in the professional and technical growth of their students. Get the committee excited about investing in you by opening your essay with a brief portrait of what drives you as a scientist or engineer. What research directions are you passionate about, and why? What do you picture yourself doing in 10 years?

If you’re not quite sure what you want to do in graduate school, it’s still best to focus on a specific area or topic in your application. What would you work on if you had to start graduate school tomorrow? You can always change your research focus later.

Any personal stories should fit in the overall narrative of your research story. Avoid cliche openings like “ever since my childhood, I’ve been fascinated by…”. The statement of purpose should tell your unique research story, not your life story.  

Close your essay with a 2-3 sentence discussion of your career interests. No one will hold you to these plans; it simply helps your committee visualize your potential trajectory. Emphasize how the program you are applying to will help prepare you for these long-term goals.

Describe your experiences

Experiences are the “what” of your essay. What experiences led you to develop your skill set and passions? Where have you demonstrated accomplishment, leadership, and collaboration? Include research, teaching, and relevant work experience or extracurriculars. State concrete achievements and outcomes like awards, publications, or projects completed.

Achievements do not need to be directly tied to research projects or publications. However, they should relate to the type of work you expect in graduate school. For example, you can discuss significant, research-oriented class projects. Describe any collaborations with senior students or faculty that demonstrate your passion about relevant research topics. Computer science students can discuss projects from software internships that involved architecture design, algorithm design, security considerations, machine learning, etc. These experiences can inform your academic interests and demonstrate ability as well as more formal research experience. Also consider including experiences that demonstrate other skills that are crucial for a successful grad student such as good communication and self-motivation. 

Quantify your experiences to show concrete impact. How many people were on your team? How many protocols did you develop? How many people were in competition for an award? As a TA, how often did you meet with your students?

Describe actions, not just changes in your internal mental or emotional state. A statement of purpose is a way to make a narrative out of your CV. It is not a diary entry

Explain the meaning of your experiences

Meaning is the “why” or “so what” of the document. Why was this experience important to your growth as a researcher? What does it say about your abilities and potential? It feels obvious to you, but you need to be explicit with your audience. Your descriptions of meaning should also act as transition statements between experiences: try to “wrap” meaning around your experiences.

Demonstrate match to your target program

Demonstrate an understanding of the program to which you’re applying and about how you will be successful in that program. To do this:

• Read the program’s website. See what language they use to describe themselves, and echo that language in your essay. For example, the website for MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory displays three main research areas and the values of the lab .
• In some areas (often those with a more rigid lab structure), reaching faculty is very important. You should know what faculty members are taking new students and whether or not you would be a fit for their lab before applying. In other areas, contacting faculty is not expected and may be difficult. Reach out if in doubt and consult current graduate students, undergraduate professors, or graduate admissions officers if you are unsure what is typical in your area.
• State which professors in the program you would plan to work with. Show how their research areas align with your background and your goals. You can even describe potential research directions or projects. It can also be helpful to mention other departments or groups at the university that you might be interested in collaborating with or learning from.

Content adapted by the MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Communication Lab from an article originally created by the MIT Biological Engineering Communication Lab .

Related Resource

For more information, see these statements from MIT EECS faculty about what they look for in a grad school statement of objectives.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in CSAIL 192 KB

Annotated Example 2

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in EECS 292 KB

Annotated Example 3

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in EECS 873 KB

How to Draft Statement of Purpose (SOP) Computer Science PhD? (Sample Included)

• Post author: admin
• Post published: November 29, 2023
• Post category: SOP
• Post comments: 0 Comments

Imagine applying for a Computer Science PhD is like setting out on a thrilling adventure. Now, at the heart of this adventure is a document that holds the key to your academic dreams—the Statement of Purpose (SOP). It might sound like a fancy term, but think of it as your personal story, told in a formal way, showcasing your love for learning and your big dreams in research.

The SOP isn’t just a box to tick; it’s more like your self-painted portrait. This document, carefully crafted, lets you share your academic journey and spill the beans on why you’re excited about diving deep into Computer Science. In the world of PhD applications, especially in Computer Science, the SOP is your secret weapon.

It not only shows off your smarts in academics but also reveals your passion for exploring new frontiers in research. So, let’s break it down and see how you can turn this piece of paperwork into a compelling story that makes you stand out!

Structure of a Strong SOP for Computer Science PhD

Alright, let’s break down the SOP into bite-sized pieces to create a roadmap that admissions committees can effortlessly follow.

Introduction: A Captivating Kickoff

• Start your SOP with a bang! Craft an introduction that grabs attention.
• Keep it concise but powerful, setting the stage for what’s to come.
• Use this section to hint at your passion for Computer Science and why you’re ready to dive deep.

Academic Background: Your Educational Canvas

• Paint a picture of your academic journey so far.
• Highlight key courses, projects, or achievements that shaped your love for Computer Science.
• Don’t just list, narrate. Share the story of your academic evolution.

Research Experience: Unveiling Your Investigative Side

• Showcase any research projects or experiences you’ve had.
• Emphasize not just what you did but what you learned from each experience.
• Connect your research ventures to your passion for advancing knowledge in Computer Science.

Future Goals: Casting Your Academic Vision

• Envision the future! What do you aspire to achieve with a Computer Science PhD?
• Be specific about how this particular program aligns with your goals.
• Convey a sense of excitement about the impact you aim to make in the field.

Tips for a Cohesive Flow:

• Thread of Continuity: Ensure a smooth transition between sections. Let one idea naturally flow into the next.
• Connect the Dots: Clearly show how each section contributes to the bigger picture—your journey and your aspirations.
• Avoid Repetition: Be mindful not to repeat information. Each section should add a new layer to your story.
• Maintain Clarity: Use straightforward language. Remember, you’re telling a story, not penning a mystery novel.
• Pacing is Key: Don’t rush. Give each section the attention it deserves, balancing details without overwhelming the reader.
• Reflect Your Voice: Let your personality shine through. An SOP is not just about facts; it’s about you.

By following this roadmap, your SOP becomes a compelling narrative that not only checks the boxes but leaves a lasting impression on those reviewing your application. Now, let’s dive into each section and discover how to make your SOP a standout piece in the world of Computer Science PhD applications!

How to Tailor Your SOP for a Computer Science PhD: Crafting a Stellar Narrative

Tailoring your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD is akin to creating a bespoke masterpiece. Here’s your guide to weaving a narrative that not only stands out but also resonates with the unique vibe of the Computer Science academic realm.

Precision in Passion: Illuminate Your Unique Spark

• Engage with Details: Dive into the specific aspects of Computer Science that light the fire in your academic soul.
• Steer Clear of Generalities: Avoid vague statements; instead, pinpoint the precise areas that fuel your passion.
• Why Here, Why Now: Clearly articulate why pursuing a PhD in Computer Science is the next logical step for you, especially at this particular institution.

Aligning Stars: Mapping Your Journey to the Program

• In-Depth Program Research: Showcase your familiarity with the program’s strengths, faculty, and distinctive features.
• Demonstrate Fit: Explicitly align your research interests with what the program specializes in.
• Highlight Synergy: Illustrate how your academic journey seamlessly integrates with the unique offerings of the program.

Unique Contributions: Spotlight Your Distinctive Brilliance

• Unveil Your Uniqueness: Showcase skills, experiences, or perspectives that make you stand out.
• Contribution Quotient: Emphasize how your presence will enrich the academic community.
• Connect the Dots: Demonstrate how your background aligns with the ethos and culture of the program.

Previous Collaborations: Weaving a Tapestry of Connection

• Faculty Interactions: If you’ve interacted with faculty members before, mention these experiences.
• Seamless Continuity: Illustrate how these interactions have influenced your decision to pursue a PhD in Computer Science.
• Building Bridges: Show that you’re not just an applicant but someone who already shares a connection with the academic community.

Research Synergy: Harmonizing Your Goals with Program Initiatives

• Concrete Examples: Discuss specific research initiatives within the program that resonate with your interests.
• Showcase Alignment: Use tangible examples to illustrate how your research goals complement the ongoing work within the department.
• Paint a Collaborative Vision: Convey how your research contributions can seamlessly integrate with the existing research landscape.

Forward-Looking Fit: Crafting a Visionary Finale

• Future Research Aspirations: Share your vision for future research endeavors and how the program acts as the catalyst.
• Resource Utilization: Illustrate how the program’s resources, faculty mentorship, and collaborative environment will propel your academic ambitions.
• Infuse Excitement: Convey a sense of eagerness for the journey ahead, painting a vivid picture of the exciting possibilities within your grasp.

Showcasing Academic Background for a Computer Science PhD: Crafting Your Academic Narrative

Your academic background is the canvas upon which you paint the story of your readiness for a Computer Science PhD. Make this narrative captivating by strategically presenting your achievements. Start by delving into specific courses, projects, or research experiences that highlight your prowess in the realm of Computer Science.

Instead of a mere laundry list, narrate the significance of each academic milestone, showcasing how it has fueled your passion and prepared you for the challenges and innovations integral to a PhD journey.

Emphasizing Research Experience for a Computer Science PhD: Unveiling Your Investigative Journey

In the intricate tapestry of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, the spotlight on your research experience is akin to revealing the heart of your academic journey. Elevate the significance of detailing your research escapades; this is your chance to showcase your prowess in tackling real-world challenges and contributing to the evolving landscape of Computer Science.

When delving into your research experience, don’t merely list projects—narrate them. Provide a window into your contributions, methodologies, and outcomes. Break down the complexity of your work, ensuring that the reader not only comprehends your technical prowess but also appreciates the tangible impact of your research.

Aligning with Faculty and Research Opportunities: Forging Connections in Your Computer Science PhD Journey

Navigating the labyrinth of a Computer Science PhD application involves not only aligning with the program but also forging connections with the academic trailblazers—faculty members. Understanding the pivotal role that faculty play in shaping your academic odyssey, it’s crucial to delve into the significance of researching their work. You can use resources like LinkedIn to connect with faculty members.

Take the time to explore the research portfolios of faculty members within the Computer Science department. Uncover their contributions to the field, ongoing projects, and areas of expertise. Expressing genuine alignment with specific faculty members in your Statement of Purpose (SOP) isn’t just a formality; it’s a strategic move that showcases your investment in the program and your vision for collaborative research.

Addressing Potential Weaknesses: Navigating Challenges with Transparency and Resilience

In the candid narrative of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, addressing potential weaknesses becomes an art of transparency and resilience. Rather than sidestepping challenges, use this opportunity to showcase your ability to navigate them with honesty and determination.

  If there are gaps or weaknesses in your academic or research background, embrace them with transparency. Acknowledge the hurdles you’ve faced and elucidate the steps taken to overcome them. Whether it’s a dip in grades during a particular semester or a shift in research focus, be forthright about the circumstances. However, don’t stop there—highlight the lessons learned, the skills gained, and the resilience fostered through these experiences.

Editing and Proofreading Tips: Polishing Your Computer Science PhD SOP to Perfection

In the final lap of crafting your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, the spotlight shifts to the crucial phase of editing and proofreading. This meticulous process is not just about fixing typos; it’s about sculpting a narrative that sparkles with clarity, conciseness, and error-free precision.

• Clarity is Key:
• Readability Check: Ensure your SOP is easily digestible. Break down complex sentences and avoid jargon.
• Logical Flow: Confirm that your ideas progress logically. Each paragraph should seamlessly lead to the next.
• Conciseness Matters:
• Trim the Fat: Weed out unnecessary details. Every word should contribute to your narrative.
• Brevity with Impact: Be concise, but make each sentence count. Quality over quantity is the mantra.
• Error-Free Zone:
• Grammar Guru: Scrutinize grammar and punctuation. Consider tools like Grammarly for a thorough check.
• Precision Matters: Accuracy in conveying your ideas is non-negotiable. Review facts, figures, and technical terms for precision.
• External Perspectives:
• Fresh Eyes: Ask a friend or mentor to review your SOP. A fresh perspective can catch overlooked errors.
• Alignment with Guidelines: Ensure your SOP aligns with the program’s guidelines. Adhering to specified word limits and formatting is crucial.
• SEO-friendly Touch:
• Strategic Keywords: Integrate relevant keywords organically, such as “Computer Science PhD,” “academic journey,” and “research aspirations.”
• Meta Tags: Optimize meta tags and descriptions with program-specific terms for increased online visibility.
• Read-Aloud Ritual:
• Auditory Check: Read your SOP aloud. This helps catch awkward phrasing and ensures a smooth, engaging rhythm.

Sample Computer Science Statement of Purpose (SOP)

To help you have a good head start, feel free to refer our sample SOP which is tailored specifically for PhD in Computer Science –

Sample Statement of Purpose for Computer Science PhD

FAQ Section: Your Queries, Answered

Q1: what makes a strong statement of purpose (sop) for a computer science phd.

A: A strong SOP for a Computer Science PhD is one that vividly communicates your passion, aligns with the program’s offerings, and showcases your academic and research journey. Be specific about your academic background, research experiences, and future goals. Tailor your SOP to resonate with the program and faculty, highlighting unique contributions you can bring to the academic community.

Q2: How should I address potential weaknesses in my academic or research background?

A: Addressing weaknesses in your SOP is an opportunity to display transparency and resilience. Acknowledge any gaps or challenges, and then emphasize the steps you’ve taken to overcome them. Highlight the lessons learned and skills gained from these experiences, demonstrating your ability to turn obstacles into opportunities for growth.

Q3: How can I align my SOP with specific faculty members and their research in the Computer Science PhD program?

A: Research faculty members thoroughly by exploring their work, ongoing projects, and areas of expertise. Express genuine alignment with specific faculty members in your SOP, citing their work that resonates with your research interests. Be authentic in showcasing how their expertise complements your academic aspirations, indicating a readiness to contribute meaningfully to their research initiatives.

Q4: What are essential proofreading tips to ensure a polished SOP?

A: To ensure a polished SOP, focus on clarity, conciseness, and error-free writing. Check for readability and logical flow, trim unnecessary details, and meticulously proofread for grammar and punctuation. Seek external perspectives for fresh insights, adhere to program guidelines, and incorporate relevant SEO-friendly keywords to optimize your SOP for search engines.

Q5: How do I make my SOP stand out in the competitive landscape of Computer Science PhD applications?

A: To make your SOP stand out, craft a compelling narrative by emphasizing your passion, unique contributions, and alignment with the program and faculty. Showcase specific examples of your academic and research achievements, articulate future goals, and demonstrate a clear understanding of how the program will support your aspirations. Engage the reader with authenticity and a well-structured, error-free narrative.

Closing Thoughts: Embarking on Your Computer Science PhD Journey

As you conclude the compelling narrative of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, remember that this document is not just a reflection of your academic journey but a testament to your aspirations and resilience.

The road to a PhD is paved with challenges, but it is also a journey of self-discovery and scholarly growth. Take a moment to reflect on the milestones you’ve achieved and the intellectual terrain you’re eager to explore.

Your SOP is not merely a formality; it is your voice in the competitive landscape of PhD applications, resonating with the vibrancy and innovation that characterize the field of Computer Science. Also, feel free to go through our guide on the best universities for Computer Science in UK.

As you embark on this transformative journey, keep in mind that each word in your SOP holds the power to shape your academic future. Be genuine, be bold, and let your passion shine through every sentence. The challenges ahead are not obstacles but opportunities for intellectual triumphs and groundbreaking contributions.

Should you have any lingering questions or wish to share your experiences, I invite you to engage in the comments below. Your insights and queries are not only valuable to you but also to the broader community navigating the exciting terrain of Computer Science PhD applications.

Remember, the journey you are embarking upon is both profound and rewarding. Best of luck as you set forth on this academic odyssey, and may your SOP pave the way for an enriching and fulfilling pursuit of a Computer Science PhD.

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Eugenie Y. Lai

Contact: eylai [at] mit.edu GitHub: ey-l Twitter: @EugenieLai eugeniesday --> Scheduled — --> CV , transcript

News [ More Updates ] 2021.04 Joining the Data Systems Group (DSG) at MIT EECS CSAIL as a PhD student in Fall '21.

Theme by orderedlist

Another Annotated Example: CS PhD Statement of Purpose

Date: 2021-04-22

This post is inspired by the Statement of Objective examples provided by the MIT EECS Communication Lab . Some programs (e.g., Berkeley EECS) require a Statement of Purpose (SoP) and a Personal Statement (PS). In this post, we will dissect and annotate my SoP submitted to MIT EECS, which is a hybrid of both, in my case.

I also shamelessly include a copy of my first draft for a before-after comparison and show how far I have (and maybe anyone could) come by applying the learnings discussed in this post. It would be difficult to measure the impact of something without showing the starting point, which is often missing in the existing resources for SoP.

Also, if you are an anxious applicant, let’s not compare ourselves. I know it’s easier said than done, and I still fall into that trap too. But it is unfair to compare the ins and outs of ourselves to only the best side of others (e.g., their SoP). This note was first brought up to me by Dr.* Maria De-Arteaga back in 2019 when I just started to pivot my profile towards grad school and has been helping me get off the overthinking treadmill since.

*Note: I heard Prof. and Dr. are distinct in the states, but we use Dr. for both in Canada. I didn’t know until the visit days and only used Dr. in my SoP. So let’s use Dr. in this post to keep everything consistent.

Before We Start

Intended audience: Future and current CS PhD applicants.

The role of SoP in grad admissions: Touched on by this Twitter thread , which could be specific to MIT EECS.

My result: I applied to 8 programs and was fortunate to get in almost everywhere, with 5 offers (i.e., Berkeley, MIT, UBC, UMichigan, and UWashington) and 3 withdrawals (i.e., Columbia, Maryland, and NYU).

A non-exhaustive list of caveats that may make this post not as applicable so readers’ discretion is advised:

• I applied during a pandemic, not sure how that affected my experience.
• I only applied to programs in the US and Canada so the experience is subjective to the system here.
• I’m in data systems so please question if the content is field-specific.

Motivation to (uncomfortably) put myself out there:

• Writing crystallizes my learning and is a skill I’m working on. The pressure helps me practice.
• The potential of helping someone trumps the fear of being judged.
• I received so so much help and support throughout this grad application cycle and just want to give back.

Speaking of support, a list of direct help I received for my SoP:

• I was privileged to be assisted by the MIT GAAP and Berkeley EAAA program . A huge thank you to my MIT GAAP mentor, Xuan , who chatted with me bi-weekly since October 2020, provided extremely valuable feedback on my SoP, and helped me navigate through the applying process. It still feels surreal that I will actually meet her in person at MIT this fall.
• Many thanks to my labmates and my research parent, Dr. Rachel Pottinger , who offered both helpful comments and emotional support.
• I happened to take COMM 395 Business Communication with Elizabeth Bowker that term (to fulfill my undergraduate degree requirement at UBC). I found some materials covered for presentations transferable to writing, and a big thank you to her for the additional support.
• I was also privileged to get help from the Writing Centre and Student Service Centre at my undergraduate university.
• Just to reiterate, the examples by the MIT EECS Communication Lab are particularly helpful. Many other schools/programs (e.g., CMU ) provide such examples too.
• I was also influenced by these YouTube channels: Lillian - AlphaGenesis , Casey Fiesler , The Kath Path , Andy Stapleton .

So the first takeaway is clear: Be resourceful. Ask around. Keep an eye out for opportunities and resources, which shouldn’t take up much energy. Just have that running in the background.

Overall Thought Process

The grad application as a whole is supposed to show a 3D us to let the committee make a sensible decision. If we think backwards, SoP is only included for a reason. Like any member of a K-Pop group, it has a unique proposition in the package.

I wanted to show a 3D me by leveraging the application package with little overlaps between materials. But so far, the transcript and CV only put me into numbers and project names.

So something is missing – without showing my thought process and personality, I’m boring, cold, and flat. This gap is where SoP comes in, and it is the only* opportunity to add that third dimension. We will use sketching as an analogy and go through the things that I constantly reminded myself of when thinking about my SoP at a high level.

*Note: Letters of recommendation (LoRs) help too, but they are observations of us. SoP is the one thing in our full control.

Convey the why’s. Like all drawings, SoP needs a purpose, a main message that both utilizes the space in the application and fills the gap. From most of the resources above, the purpose should be conveying the why’s (e.g., why research, why grad school, why this subfield).

Find a common thread and tell a story about professional development. Now we know what to include, but how could we organize the content in a way that shows the reader how we think? We need a skeleton first. I could tell my why’s in a plain list. But wouldn’t some layered structure to show how my research journey evolved add more character? Inevitably, we have to repeat what’s in the CV, but the added value comes from the personality and thought process illustrated through those experiences. The experiences are just a tool at this point, instead of the main focus, so don’t worry about repeating the content.

Bring in personality. Let’s colour the black-and-white skeleton with a personal pallet. I tried to make every sentence read like something only I would write. Admittedly, bringing in a personal voice while staying professional is a fine line to walk, but it’s possible. The annotated SoP is (trying to be) an example. So is this post. We will talk about a few ways to do that in the detailed comments.

Help the reader focus. We have limited paint. Be concise and precise. Every sentence is an opportunity to draw a line and should together portrait a clean image. We don’t want to waste any bits or distract the reader with random, extra lines so every word should have its place. I also thought hard about what to leave in and leave out. Although I was involved in many things throughout my undergraduate time, I only included experiences that are pertinent to my story.

Detailed Comments by Section

There is a lot to unpack. We will walk through my reasoning for each section at a detailed level, which can also be seen as a concrete embodiment of the high-level takeaways discussed above.

Statement of Objectives

Introduction

We don’t want to be a boring person. Opening with questions grabs the reader’s attention better than the laundry list of who I am and what I do in my first draft. The questions plant seeds too, as we will see later. Opening with research interests directly is also interesting.

How can we propagate breakthroughs in the scientific community to the real world? With the explosion of big data, how can we help fields outside of computer science (CS) extract and leverage its value? Inspired by these questions, my current research focuses on facilitating user interaction with databases.

Elaborate on my current research interest with the techniques (in the method space) and a use case (in the problem space). The use case also hints at my why’s, coming soon.

Specifically, I apply visualization and machine learning techniques to alleviate the barriers between users and databases to help users access and make sense of data. By helping users better explore and understand the data they have collected, I hope to enable data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields. It is with these broad goals in mind that I am applying to pursue a PhD.

Finding My Research Interests

This section shows two things, my technical competency and why’s. I described 3 research projects and used the reflection on the experience to answer the why’s.

+1 to the example provided by the MIT EECS Communication Lab, the formula I used to describe a research project, one line each: summary + clarification of terms if necessary + need of the work (e.g., gaps) + our contributions + outcomes + my specific input . We will see this formula twice later in this section.

With a focus on data provenance summarization, my research journey began under Dr. Rachel Pottinger at the UBC Data Management and Mining Lab. The provenance of a query over a database is a subset of the data in the database that contributed to the query answer. While comprehensive, query provenance consists of large volumes of data and hence is overwhelming for users to explore. We presented an approach to provenance exploration that builds on data summarization techniques and provides an interface to visualize the summary. This work led to the first two papers I co-authored, Summarizing Provenance of Aggregation Query Results in Relational Databases (ICDE’21) and Pastwatch: On the Usability of Provenance Data in Relational Databases (ICDE’20). My main contributions include identifying the limitations in the existing methods, implementing the existing and our summarization methods, and running the experiments.

We love the dark times. Dr. Brené Brown said vulnerability and hardships help people connect and build trust. Being rejected is my true experience, and I intentionally included that to make myself relatable to the reader. In this case, it also shows resilience and segues into my first why, why research but not industry. As you may have also noticed, this concept is used everywhere in this post too.

Our work experienced a few submissions. Although I felt discouraged at first, I learned to reflect and was encouraged by how much our work had improved after each round. I also enjoyed my experience in research more than the industry for the autonomy and ownership over my work.

But I didn’t want to just tell my why’s like a list. I envisioned a story structure inspired by The Secret Structure of Great Talks by Nancy Duarte. She introduced a shape at around 6:00. Applying that concept, I first established what is, what could be, and the gap here. Like the shape, we will see me traversing between what is and what could be in the rest of this section.

However, I had some burning questions regarding my research interests going forward. Although I was engaged by the technical aspects of solving open-ended problems, I wanted to find something that would really excite me – what is the thing that would get me out of bed every morning? And how could I find it?

Transition to my next project to show more technical competency while keeping the flow of the story.

My next project, Developing a Data-Driven Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy in Surrey, BC, Canada, helped me answer those questions.

Another example of the formula above but in a slightly different order to make things flow better.

Working with another undergraduate student under the supervision of Dr. Raymond Ng, we set out to address the challenge of how the city of Surrey should place EV charging stations. Prior to our work, the approach to determine where to install an EV charging site was solely based on expert opinions, despite a large volume of data collected by the city of Surrey. To help city planners make strategic decisions informed by evidence, I developed a web application to give them a user-friendly way to explore and make sense of the data. I used interactive maps and graphs to visualize the spatial distribution and time trends of Surrey’s vehicle stock, traffic flows, and land use. In September 2019, the city used my tool to choose 20 charger locations for a Canadian federal funding proposal, and I was proud to co-present this work at the SIGKDD’20 Social Impact Session this summer.

Talking about our values is another good way to bring in our personality while staying professional, which also helps answer some why’s. For example, what kind of research keeps us excited? I’m excited about real-world users (in the problem space), but everyone is motivated differently. Maybe you are excited about system design? Cool! Or applying new ML models? Also cool! Note that this part also ties back to the opening questions.

Through zooming in and out on a pressing, real-world issue, I realized what I should be looking for in the research I pursue: the possibility of helping others and the insight into real-world issues that would spark that possibility. I started to envision making an impact on the real world through my research. The value of our work in the scientific community can only be actualized when our tools are adopted by downstream users such as domain experts and decision-makers. Hence alleviating user-database barriers is a vital step in advancing data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields.

Transition to the 3rd and final project. Another piece of advice I got (for almost everything grad application related) is don’t tell, but show . Earlier I said that I’m motivated by real-world issues, and here I showed that I followed through my words with actions.

With that overarching goal in mind, I initiated a project to facilitate user interaction with databases by identifying the major stakeholders and their challenges when interacting with databases, and then mapped that to their needs.

Apply the formula again to describe the project.

Database users often interact with databases via SQL query sessions. From our analysis, users pose a variety of SQL queries in sequence with changes in SQL keywords and query fragments such as tables and attributes. However, the existing approaches only consider queries individually and make recommendations based on query similarity and popularity. We presented a new approach to recommend query information by learning from the sequential knowledge exploration patterns of historical users. We modelled our query recommendation problem as a query prediction task and used sequence-to-sequence models to predict the next query. Supervised by Dr. Pottinger, this work led to Sequence-Aware Query Recommendation Using Deep Learning, submitted to VLDB’21. As the lead researcher, I identified knowledge gaps in the existing work, defined and scoped the research problem, analyzed the workload data, implemented the deep learning models, ran the experiments, discussed the results, and wrote the paper.

Tie back to the motivation and answer why grad school to wrap up the story.

Seeing a connection between my work and the quantifiable impact gives me a rush of excitement that I am contributing to help those real-world users in need. Through this project, I found myself enjoying both scoping and solving open-ended problems and hope to further improve with additional formal training in graduate studies.

Equal Access in STEM

I added this section following the same MIT EECS Communication Lab example and used the previous formula to explain the project as well.

It may seem odd to risk the flow of a research-focused SoP and make us question if this section is even relevant. But MIT EECS doesn’t require PS, and I wanted to show what I care about and where I come from. This section is also intended to help the SoP stay professional when I touched on my personal background in the last section. Again, fine line to walk. Lastly, grad school to me is more than research. This section adds another dimension to my professional development and connects to my career pursuit in academia mentioned later.

My other goal in graduate school is to further my pursuit of advancing equal access to educational resources for students in marginalized groups. Besides mentoring young women in STEM throughout my undergraduate time, for the past year, I worked on the UBC CS Undergraduate Program Evaluation and Renewal project. In the process, I realized how my experience with data visualization and user interface design could help to improve equity in education. Degree planning is challenging and time-consuming since students have to envision their career path and go to individual course pages to ensure they meet prerequisites accordingly. First-generation college students are especially vulnerable as they lack adequate guidance from their immediate support system. To solve this problem, I designed an interactive directed graph to show the dependencies between courses, provide a holistic view of the CS program, and visualize potential academic trajectories at UBC CS. I was thrilled to present my work at the UBC Board of Governors Meeting in Spring 2020. I deployed the graphs to the UBC CS website this summer and am currently helping UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology adapt the graphs campus-wide. Participating in this project allowed me to advance equal access in a higher level of education and help as many students thrive as possible.

Future Work

This section aims to convince the reader that I know the strengths of the program, our interests align, and I’m valuable specifically to them. The first part outlines my overall research interests, while I gave specific examples about the program and PIs in the second part.

I chose to put my research statement here, not anywhere else. Up to this point, I’ve been signalling pieces about my motivation and research interests using the opening questions, projects, and my why story. The reader now has enough context and is ready for a punch.

All my experiences collectively shaped my research interests and motivated me to pursue graduate studies. Today, database systems provide a vital infrastructure to access high volumes of data in a variety of applications. Seeing the user-database barriers and the potential of data-driven decision-making in areas outside of CS (e.g., city planning and sustainability) incites my urge to build my work around the theme of facilitating user interaction with databases. With a deep understanding of the problem space and skills gained through solving problems in this space, I hope to continue this line of work by applying visualization and ML techniques to help database users access and make sense of data.

I find this part becomes more candid and compelling when I write it as if the PIs would actually read it (and mine really did). Also, it only becomes attractive when the interest goes both ways. I wanted to show how they could help me but also what unique skills I could offer.

MIT CSAIL’s past and current work indicates its members’ unique strengths on this topic. Specifically, I would be excited to work with Dr. Tim Kraska and Dr. Sam Madden. Dr. Kraska has made outstanding contributions to enabling data analytics for individuals outside of CS using ML-inspired techniques. The sequential features of query sessions discussed in his recent work, IDEBench (SIGMOD’20), are fundamental to my work on sequence-aware query recommendation, where we empirically analyzed the query sequences in two real-life workloads. Extending my work under his supervision would give me strong support in leveraging query session information using ML techniques. My research interests also greatly overlap with Dr. Madden’s work, such as Data Civilizer, on building end-to-end systems to facilitate domain experts with data exploration. I would be excited to work with Dr. Madden by bringing my skills and experience in applying ML techniques to SQL queries.

Where I See Myself

I wanted to address why I spent 6 years at UBC, which is relatively uncommon and often raises questions (e.g., if I can handle a rigorous course load). However, it was difficult to word my reason in a professional way at first. So I only briefly mentioned the personal aspect while elaborating on my work experience. Xuan pointed out the key is to relate personal struggles to professional development and helped me further emphasize the value of the experience and how it contributed to my goals in graduate studies.

As a first-generation college student from a low-income, single-parent family, working puts additional constraints on my course load yet is the most effective way to support myself. Although I spent six years on my undergraduate degree, I did two years of co-op at three different places in industry, non-profit, and academia. While studying full-time, I have also worked part-time in retail, administration, and teaching. Through these valuable experiences, I not only learned about the many real-world challenges that people face on the job, but also discovered research interests that would allow me to address some of those challenges.

Let’s not leave any loose ends and tie the two goals together to wrap up.

After graduate studies, I aim to pursue a career in academia, so that I can develop the research and tools to address these challenges and more. Furthering my education at MIT would bring me one step closer to my goal of advancing data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields and improving equal access to educational resources for students like me in marginalized groups.

Other Takeaways

I also learned and applied these general/minor things.

Just start writing. It is an iterative process. The first draft is the hardest and almost guaranteed to suck, but it gets our brain going. It gets a lot easier once we gain the momentum and just have to make incremental changes.

Start early , which goes hand-in-hand with the last point. I wanted to leave ample time for that interactive process, finished my first draft in late August, and finalized it in the first week of December 2020. I feel grateful that I took the time to reflect on my why’s, which also came in handy later in the (quite intense) interview process in January 2021.

Don’t stress too much about tailoring the SoP to each program. Partial thanks to SIGMOD ‘20*, I had a general research direction when applying. The programs and labs I applied to may have nuances in their research interests and strengths, but my motivation, research interests, and skillsets didn’t need to change much. I only swapped out the second half of the future work section for each program. However, someone with a broader interest and a more diverse set of programs may want to customize the SoP more and have different answers for each why depending on the program.

*Note: More on my experience at SIGMOD ‘20 .

Read each program’s prompts and formatting requirements carefully. The point above is about the content, while this one is about the format and separation of the content. Programs like Berkeley EECS require an SoP and a PS so the separation depends on the prompts. I include my final copy of SoP and PS to Berkeley to show how I did it with minimum additional effort, which also helps illustrate the point above. The formatting requirements all have slight differences (e.g., word limits, header, title) so just be aware.

Choose what feedback and advice to take in. Going back to the point of being resourceful, we may later find ourselves getting various or even conflicted advice from different sources, which can be confusing and overwhelming. My apologies if this post is making it worse. But I always ask two questions whenever I get advice from people:

• Do they know the field ?
• Do they know me ?

Although some advice is generalizable, this sanity check is a reminder to further verify if the information is credible and applicable to me, especially when I get negative (but not necessarily constructive) feedback.

An extreme example is the words from my relatives and family friends when they laughed at my school list. It still hurt at the moment, but the rational me didn’t take their comments to heart because they’re not in CS, and they don’t know my profile. More than a filter to allow in helpful advice, the questions are also shields to protect us, much needed in such a sensitive time.

Through the applying process, I had countless breakdowns moments where I felt that I had already tried everything, but my SoP just read shallow, and my writing would never be good enough.

But it’s because SoP is hard to write!! It not only demands writing techniques but also deep reflections of the why’s from our experiences. Although writing the SoP challenged me hard on both fronts, I’m glad that I took the time and saw it as an opportunity to grow: It reminded me that improving my writing is a never-ending process, and the reflection indeed made me question my life but also assured my decision to pursue graduate studies.

However, I do want to acknowledge that not everyone has the privilege to afford the time and energy. Further, if we consider our individual profile (e.g., GPA, LoRs) as a whole, pouring our limited resources into SoP alone may not be a strategic move. Nothing is perfect nor needs to be. So knowing when to say good enough is an important skill too (which is something I still need to work on).

Lastly, taking one step further, I find some of the takeaways transferable to other written pieces (e.g., papers), other forms of communication (e.g., presentations), or professional development in general.

Although I had much fun reflecting on my learning, I genuinely hope this post would be somewhat helpful to at least one other person on the planet, and very best of luck if you are applying soon!! <3

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Graduate Application Checklists

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Completed online applications must be submitted by the CS application deadlines . The online application can be found  here .

PhD and MS Application Checklist

• Application fee . The application fee of $125 is to be paid in the online application with a credit card.
• Statement of purpose . Your statement of purpose should be concise, focused, and well written. It should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The statement of purpose must be no more than two pages in length, single-spaced. It will be submitted as part of the online application.
• You must submit a minimum/maximum of three recommendation letters and they must be submitted through the online application system.  
• We recommend that at least two of these letters be from academic sources. Please have your recommender write candidly about your qualifications, potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified, intellectual independence, capacity for analytical thinking, ability to organize and express ideas clearly, and potential for teaching. In describing such attributes as motivation, intellect, and maturity, specific examples are more useful than generalizations. 
• We do not consider letters of recommendations submitted via Interfolio.
• For more information on submitting letters of recommendation visit here .
• Resume . Submit your resume in the online application and include any publications.
• Supplemental form . This form is part of the online application. List any publications and your website on this form and on your resume (CV). Upload your resume (CV) on the document uploads, confirmation and submission section (page 15). Additionally, attach a copy of your NDO transcript on the additional information's section of the online application.
• Transcripts . You are required to upload unofficial copies of your transcripts or e-transcripts onto the online application for all institutions you have attended for at least a year as a full time student. Transcripts from Stanford's Non-Degree Option (NDO) program should also be uploaded. Do not mail your official transcripts unless we contact you to do so. For more information on the minimum level of study required of applicants who wish to apply for graduate study at Stanford, please visit here .
• GRE . These are not required for PhD or MS applicants. 
• Stanford University requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from all applicants whose native language is not English. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is not required. Applicants who have completed a four-year Bachelor's degree or a two-year Master's program (or its equivalent) in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the main language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please see here . 
• The TOEFL test may be taken no earlier than 24 months (two years) prior to the application deadline. Be sure to take the test in time for your scores to be received at Stanford by the application deadline. Stanford Institution code: 4704 (no department code is required).

IMPORTANT NOTE : Do not mail any other paper documents to the admissions office such as publications, or financial statements/documents, as they will not be reviewed by the admissions committee. The committee reviews all graduate applications online and will have no access to copies of any documents sent via post. We will not upload documents to your applicant file if they are emailed to us.

Coterm Application Checklist

• CS Coterm application form . Needs to be completed and submitted online.
• Instead of turning in a preliminary program proposal, the Department requests that you write about general coursework that you are planning on taking as part of your Coterm program within the body of your statement of purpose. Your statement of purpose should be concise, focused, and well written. It should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford.
• You must submit a minimum/maximum of three recommendation letters and they must be submitted through the online application system. At least two of these letters should be from academic sources. Have your recommender write candidly about your qualifications, potential to carry on advanced study in the field specified, intellectual independence, capacity for analytical thinking, ability to organize and express ideas clearly, and potential for teaching. In describing such attributes as motivation, intellect, and maturity, specific examples are more useful than generalizations.
• Transcripts . You are required to upload copies of your unofficial transcripts into the online application. 
• GPA calculation . Most students have a maximum 4.3 GPA at Stanford. Use the GPA that is reflected in Axess for application.
• GREs . These are not required for Coterm applicants.

It will not be possible to answer inquiries regarding the status of any application. We will contact you if any component of your application is missing. If you have questions or concerns, email [email protected] .

CS PhD Statement of Purpose

Below is the culmination of information that I received from various Professors when I was trying to write my statement of purpose. Like this entire process, for every piece of advice I received someone else has an equally valid, but opposite, piece of advice. The content of this post contain only what I found useful for me and should be taken with a grain of salt.

This post is part of my series on getting into CS PhD programs from the perspective of a current (AY: 2020-2021) college senior. You can find the master post here .

Statement of Purpose (SOP) Overview

I view the SOP as three questions you’re trying to answer for the admissions committee:

Why am I doing this?

What have i already done.

• Who at school X do I want to work with?

The length of these essays should be between 1-2 pages. Anything longer than two pages no one will read. Let’s break down each of these questions:

It’s important for you to get across why you want a PhD. What you don’t want is to look like someone who likes school, doesn’t know what to do with their life and so they go and get a PhD. Undertaking a CS PhD is (typically) a 4-6 year commitment. You should have a good reason for doing it and and idea of what you want to get out of it in the long run and short run.

This is the most important section . During your PhD you will be spending most of your time working independently on long term open ended research projects. Thus, you want to demonstrate that you have done that, done that successfully , and have enjoyed it–because at its core this is what you’ll be doing for your PhD.

Additionally, this section is where you demonstrate that you can write well for technical topics. If you can signal to a potential advisor that you don’t need extensive coaching to write a technical paper this is a big plus ( i.e., write in a way which shows that it won’t take much hands on work for the advisor to edit or have to teach you how to write technical material clearly for an audience). In short, you want to come across as someone who a PhD advisor can see themselves authoring papers with.

Who at $SCHOOL do I want to work with?

This section is a bit of a balancing act. On the on hand, You don’t want to identify one sole professor because:

• That sole professor may not be taking students this year.
• That professor’s lab may be moving in a different direction and what you’re interested in doesn’t line up.
• This tactic shows that you’re inflexible and signals that your application should be rejected if that sole professor doesn’t want you because you gave the application committee no other reason to come to their school.

On the other hand, you also don’t want to say “I’ll work with anyone. I’m just happy to be here” because:

• This shows that you haven’t thought about what you want to do in grad school.
• Or, this shows that you haven’t done your research on the school and have failed to answer the question who *at this school* do you want to work with.

Now that I’ve laid out what you shouldn’t do, here is what you should do: Identify a few people in their program that you want to work with that would be good matches for you. Now the application will be routed to the professors you mentioned in your application and, if one of them latches on to your application, you have a greater chance of someone advocating for you. 1

Q: How Many Professors Should I Identify?

Many professors only take one or two new students each application cycle so identifying more professors – like three or four instead of one or two – is better. However, quality over quantity should take precedence. You should have good, narratively cogent, reasons for working with a given faculty member.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Once you’ve written your SOP a good chunk of it – the why am I doing this? and what have I already done? sections – can be reused on the SOP for the next school. Thus, reducing the amount of work that you need to do.

A word of cation, however, be sure that your recycled content is narratively consistent with why you want to go to $SCHOOL and who at $SCHOOL you want to work with. If your why am I doing this? and what have I already done? sections are focused on your interests in OS, yet you’re applying at $SCHOOL to work on PL problems then you can’t wholesale reuse what you’ve written before because the two parts don’t line up.

Note: this isn’t true of all programs  ↩

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We request that you upload your Statement of Purpose into the  Electronic Graduate School Application .

There is no word limit but it is in your best interest to be concise.

We prefer that you write a comment or short paragraph under each of the following headings and upload into the electronic application system:

• Applicant's Name:
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PhD Program Admissions

Applying to our PhD Program

We’re thrilled that you are interested in our PhD program in computer science! This page provides an overview of the application process, some guidelines, and answers to specific questions. Please check our FAQ before emailing [email protected] with any questions not answered here.

Our program accepts a large number of applicants each year from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our applicants come directly from undergraduate or master’s programs, as well as industry positions, and from within United States and numerous countries around the world.

Visit the interactive PhD program statistics page   to view historical program data pertaining to admissions, enrollment, retention/attrition/completion, and time to degree conferral. (Select “ Computer Science” from the “Choose Program” drop-down menu.)

Ready to start your PhD application?

We’re ready for you. Click on the link below to start your application to become a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University

The Application: General Advice

The most important question we ask when reviewing applications is "Will this individual excel at research?" Every part of your application is helpful insofar as it answers this question. The three major components of an application are the statement, letters of recommendation, and grades.

This is one of the most important parts of your application; it lets us get to know you and creates a narrative of your academic career and future plans. Before you write your statement, start by thinking about what you want us to learn about you. Make a list of important achievements, perspectives, and goals. Build your statement around this list. We are looking for students who have made the most of the opportunities they have been presented with and who are smart, creative, and motivated. Keep in mind that we also have your CV and letters of recommendation, so we don’t necessarily need a list of all your accomplishments. However, your statement can fill in the narrative around what you did and, more specifically, why you did it. What motivates you? What are your research interests and why? These details aren’t found elsewhere in your application, so focus on them in your statement.

There are a few things we suggest not including in your statement. While it’s tempting to give a rationale for why you are applying to our program, don’t include it if it’s uninformed. Consider: “I want to apply to Johns Hopkins because it’s one of the premiere academic programs.” We know that already! If you do have specific reasons to be interested in our program (e.g. location, a specific project, a faculty member, etc.), be sure to mention them.

In terms of your motivation, be specific! Don’t write: “I’ve wanted to do a PhD in CS since I was six years old.” We don’t trust that six-year-olds make good career decisions. If you write “I have always found AREA X fascinating,” explain why.

Letters of Recommendation

The two most important factors of a recommendation letter are: 1) select someone who knows you well, and 2) select someone who knows how to write a letter.

First, it’s tempting to ask Professor X. to write a letter for you because they are a well-known person in the field. While we can better contextualize letters from people we know, it’s only helpful if the letter contains meaningful information. If Professor X. writes, “I’ve met the applicant a few times and they seem sharp,” that’s not useful information. It’s more important to select someone who knows you well and can discuss your achievements in detail.

Second, your letter writer should know how to write a letter. Academic research programs look for different things than a company. We often read letters from work supervisors that say nice things, but don’t speak to the qualities we find most important.

Of course, it’s a balance. You want someone who knows you well, but they still need to know how to write a good letter of recommendation.

We understand that three letters are a lot, especially for an undergraduate applying directly to a PhD program. We don’t expect each candidate to have three amazing letters. Your choices should be about balance: you want people who know you well, can write good academic letters, and know the research field. Use your choice of your three letter-writers to create this balance.

There isn’t much you can do about your grades—you have the grades you have. However, we do not use any grade cutoffs or thresholds in admissions. We want to see that you did well and excelled in whatever program you were in. Did you push yourself to take upper-level classes? Did you do well in the classes most directly related to your research area? If you have special circumstances that explain some of your grades, please include a description of them in your statement.

The Whiting School of Engineering does not require GRE General Test scores for applications to our PhD programs.

TOEFL or IELTS

Non-native English speakers must take the TOEFL or IELTS exams. Details on accepted exams, scores, and exceptions to this requirement can be found here .

Application Tips

There are many helpful guides for PhD applications. Here are a few we recommend:

• How to be a Successful PhD Student (co-authored by our own Mark Dredze )
• What Readers Look for in a Statement of Purpose
• Student Perspectives on Applying to NLP PhD Programs
• A Survival Guide to a PhD

Application Deadlines

Application Deadline:

The deadline for fall is December 15th. (No recruiting for spring admissions.)

The application will be available for submission on or around August 15.

Vivien Thomas Scholars

The Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI) is an endowed fellowship program at Johns Hopkins for PhD students in STEM fields. It provides full tuition, stipend, and benefits while also providing targeted mentoring, networking, community, and professional development opportunities. Students who have attended a historically black college and university or other minority serving institution for undergraduate study are eligible to apply. To be considered for the VTSI, all application and supplementary materials must be received by December 1, 2021.

Writing the Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should convince the admissions committee that your achievements show promise for your success in graduate study. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with four different parts.

Make sure to check on the appropriate departmental website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations

Tell them what you’re interested in, and perhaps, what sparked your desire for graduate study. This should be short and to the point; don’t spend a great deal of time on autobiography.

Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career

a) Research you conducted. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, or in the style of your discipline. Faculty are the people who read these statements.

b) Important paper or thesis project you completed, as well as anything scholarly beyond your curricular requirements.

c) Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility for testing, designing, researching or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school.

Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities

If you graduated and worked prior to returning to graduate school, indicate what you’ve been doing: company or non-profit, your work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your graduate studies.

Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

Here you indicate what you would like to study in graduate school in enough detail to convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline, and are engaged with current research themes.

a) Indicate the area of your interests. Ideally, pose a question, define a problem, or indicate a theme that you would like to address, and questions that arise from contemporary research. This should be an ample paragraph!

b) Look on the web for information about departments you’re interested in, including professors and their research. Are there professors whose research interests parallel yours? If so, indicate this. Check the specific program; many may require you to name a professor or professors with whom you might work.

c) End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.

Essential Tips

1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student.

2. Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive voice.

3. Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.

4. If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.

5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.

6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected words (1-2 single space pages in 12 point font) is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization.

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Statement of purpose.

You are required to submit a Statement of Purpose in response to the following prompt:

Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admission committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. The maximum recommended length is 1,000 words.

The exact prompt you see on the application (including recommended length) may differ depending on the graduate program you select.

Refer to your graduate program’s website to check whether it offers specific guidance on the Statement of Purpose.

Enriching the Learning Community

You may submit an optional statement in response to the following prompt:

Stanford University welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of experiences, interests, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. We invite you to share the lived experiences, demonstrated values, perspectives, and/or activities that shape you as a scholar and would help you to make a distinctive contribution to Stanford University.

Your statement should not exceed 500 words in length.

• [email protected]

The 3 Steps of Writing a Statement of Purpose with 5 Samples that Earned Places in Top Universities

• Posted on September 29, 2022

A PhD Statement of Purpose is a piece of admission document typically two or three pages in length that details one’s interest in a doctoral program. It’s regarded as one of the most important admission documents hence the need to make it vivid, individualized, and compelling. In this article, I will borrow from over a decade of editing and reviewing Ph. D Statements of Purpose to explain the step by step process of creating a doctoral SOP that will convince the admission committee that you’re deserving of a slot in the program.

We’re now offering one-on-one expert guidance on how to write a statement of purpose. This is in addition to our reviewing, editing, and standardizing services. Check out our ordering page , fill out the required details and let us help you craft a statement of purpose that will flood your email with admission offers. phdstatementsofpurpose.com

Most read articles:

• Analysis of MIT & Stanford accepted Biomedical Engineering Statement of Purpose
• Analysis of MIT and University of Washington Statement of Purpose for PhD in Computer Science

Step 1: Prepare

Whether you’re writing a SOP, Graduate CV or any other admission document, it’s always important to prepare. With your SOP, start by creating an outline of five parts as will be shown shortly.

(If you’re struggling with how to start your Statement of Purpose, you can get started by answering these 9 questions )

Part 1: Create a “hook” opene r

Admission committees receive thousands of application against limited slots. If your SOP is bland and boring, it won’t catch their attention. Therefore, start with a hook that grabs their attention and use it to explain how your interest in the field emerged and what motivates you to study it. This is not always easy to do but you can follow the following pointers:

Part 2: Note down your experience in this field

Sketch out the experiences that you’ve acquired in the course of your studies and professional practice. Start with the most recent and relevant. If you’re applying for a PhD in nursing, note down your master’s thesis and practicing experience. You don’t have to include high school experience unless you’re writing an undergraduate nursing statement of purpose . Some of the details to sketch out include:

• Master’s and undergraduate thesis
• Any other major research work
• Senior projects
• Publications and presentations
• Volunteer and professional experience

Part 3: Note in details what you want to study

     This is the stage where you discuss what you want to study and why the school you’re applying to is the best fit. The trick here is to be very specific. If you’re applying for a doctoral slot in nursing for instance, you may make it specific by describing how different facets e.g gender, social status etc interact in a complex interplay to influence nurses’ attitudes and patients’ outcome.

Part 4: Think about your dreams and future goals

Daydream about where you want to see yourself after completion of the doctoral program. Think about all the possible positions in research and practice, isolate that/those that align with your interest and discuss it/them succinctly.

Part 5: Don’t ignore specific requirements by the institution/program

Some educational institutions require that your Statement of Purpose responds to particular questions. If that’s the case, pay attention to the questions asked.

Step 2: Drafting your SOP

Having prepared an outline, it’s now time to draft your SOP. This section is divided into six parts illustrating exactly what should go where.

Part 1: Impress the admission committee with your grasp of the field

Dedicate one paragraph to wow the admission committee with your knowledge of the field. You may describe a topic, theory, or author that has triggered your interest in it. If you want to make it even more engaging, formulate a question.

Part 2: Illustrate with specificity

Your SOP should not be generic, vague, or boring . Don’t tell. Instead, show everything with specific details. Examine the following two statements for instance:

What sets apart statement 2 from 1? Obviously, while the first one is general, the second one is specific and thus likelier to “excite” the admission committee.

Part 3: Blow your own trumpet

Remember you’re competing for a few slots against people who could even be in possession of greater accomplishments than you. You don’t win against them by being modest about your own achievements. But here’s the catch-don’t be general when writing about your accolades. Nail them down as shown below.

Write as in Statement 2 not 1

Part 4: Mention who you want to work with

Mentioning the name of the professors you’d like to work with shows that you’ve done your research well and are really interested in the program and educational institution. This means that every doctoral statement of purpose should be customized and individualized as opposed to being generic and general.

When writing about the professor you’d like to work with, mention their name, credentials, and why you’d like to work under them.

If you can’t find a professor who appeals to you, you can instead write about other things that attract you to the school or program. Mention the school/program’s strengths as well as what you bring to them.

Part 5: Explain any academic anomalies, gaps, and issues

If you’ve a failed grade, gaps, or any other pertinent issue you’d like to bring the attention of the admission committee, a SOP is a chance to explain it. A failed grade may for instance be explained as academic setback. Be creative and show how you bounced back.

If you changed career and now want to pursue graduate studies in the new career, your SOP should emphasize that you’ve transferable research and professional experience, and that you’ve the mental acuity to ace the program. We’ve written in details how to write this kind of SOP in this article .

Part 6: Brevity

Be concise and stick within the given word limit, typically 650-1000 words.

Step 3: Review your SOP

• Ensure that it flows well
• Remove typos and grammatical errors
• Ensure you’ve met all the requirements
• Edit and review your SOP by following these steps
• You may consider having a professional editor who is also an expert in your field edit and review your Ph. D statement of purpose by CLICKING HERE

Five Examples of Successful SOPs that Earned Admission to Top School

We’ve drawn from our decade of successful experience in editing and reviewing of admission documents to prepare these successful SOPS. They cover a wide range of subjects and levels. To recap, they have been written using the format and strategies described earlier. The table below recaps the structure of a standard SOP. (A more detailed description can be found in this link )

We reckon that the structure above was employed to great effect in this Biomedical engineering SoP that won acceptance at MIT and Stanford: MIT & Stanford Accepted SoP and the Simple Formula used to Write it

This first sample is a Ph. D statement of purpose for nursing, a course that’s highly regarded. To gain an admission into a top nursing school, one must have good grades and needless to say, the admission documents such as CV , SOP, and recommendation letters must be good enough.

A case in point is the John Hopkins Nursing School . Ranked the third best in the world, its acceptance rate is low. According to Find Nursing Schools, a website that collates data about nursing schools and their programs, John Hopkins is hard to get into with a paltry 11% acceptance rate.

To study at the equally prestigious Yale University Nursing School where the acceptance rate is also very low, you’ll need a well written customized SOP. Look at the screenshot below for instance:

With those requirements in mind, follow the tips provided in depth at Everything about a PhD Statement of Purpose and How to Write it , which can be summarized as follows:

• Explain your interest in the field and how a PhD program at the school will help you
• Explain your past academic, research, and professional experience and link it to your intended area of interest
• Describe your research interest/gap
• Explain how you fit into the university’s mission, vision, and philosophy

PhD STATEMENT OF PURPOSE SAMPLE FOR NURSING (780 words)

“Does the color of the skin of a nurse matter and what influence does it have on health outcomes? Are patients more likely to be receptive of care offered by a nurse with the same skin color as theirs? Are health disparities in diverse societies a consequence of lack of representation in the nursing profession? Those are difficult questions for an adolescent to ponder on but as a result of a nasty collision during a soccer match, I found myself thinking them over when I was admitted in a care ward where a majority of the patients were from minority communities and the nurses and other healthcare professionals mainly white. I recognized a pattern in which patients would open up more to a young, black nurse who was probably interning at the facility. Her shifts were eagerly anticipated and she would warm up the otherwise gloomy surrounding with her sense of care and empathy. I felt great connection with her and when it was finally time to go home, I cried on her shoulders as I said my goodbyes.

Years later when it was time to choose my undergraduate course, I found myself thinking about the lady nurse and what she represented. I wanted to make a real difference by becoming what she was to the family in the care ward. As my studies unfolded, I found myself gravitating to issues of cultural and racial diversity and how they affected health and patients’ outcome. My undergraduate project on the subject was lauded as seminal and I was selected to present on the same in the prestigious Health, Nursing and Diversity Conference held in Japan. While still an undergraduate I published two more articles on inclusion and nursing with a focus on minority health outcomes. I was consequently awarded two full paid scholarships to pursue my master’s in nursing at Scatenberg University where I worked under the inimitable professor of nursing Jalen White. White’s work had a profound influence on my research work and I was particularly privileged to have her write a foreword to my book on Nursing and Minorities. We co-presented at the annual Stanford Health Disparities Seminar and her work and brilliance remain an inspiration. Despite the depth of my scholarly work and the accolades they have attracted, I know I have barely scratched the surface of what is waiting to be discovered in this area.

My research interests and teaching experience are primarily in nursing, inclusion, and health outcomes among the minorities. An article published In the British Nursing and Health Journal laid bare the extent to which the minorities in the UK were inordinately ravaged by Covid-19 with lack of diversity in the nursing and healthcare field found to be a leading determinant of this disparity. It’s an area where I have practical experience having volunteered as a nurse in the Boston Clinic during the peak of the pandemic. I was one of the three nurses from minority community and I saw how the eyes of patients from these communities shone when they saw one of us. I also served as teaching assistant at Boston Clinic Nursing School where I deepened my understanding of inclusivity and nursing. I collected data for my thesis at the facility and ended up with a project that won the master’s thesis of the year. From my research in the area during my undergraduate and master’s studies, I see a rich area for scholarly exploration to understand the link between exclusion and health disparities.

Sommerwalt University represents the golden standards in relation to nursing doctoral programs because they are rich, invigorating and rendered by a world class faculty. I am particularly drawn to the prospect of working with Dr. Ian Rash, whose work in nursing psychiatry has attracted heated scholarly debate, some of which I have commented on in a Scola, a weekly nursing blog by Boston Nursing Association. Besides that, I have championed for nursing diversity, an aspect that aligns with the university’s philosophy and vision, making me a good fit for the program.

My nursing experience as a teenager, combined with my academic and professional experience, make an exceptional combination that will help me thrive under this program and actualize my personal and research goals. This program is not just an end but also a means to lend my contribution to research and scholarship on how to improve the health outcomes of a section of the population who feel left out of the health system. I see myself teaching at a nursing school while also rendering my nursing services to the less privileged, especially racial minorities. An admission in this program will therefore be a win at both personal and community level.”

This second sample is for cognitive science. It is an undergraduate level SOP hence the language and brevity. As you’ll notice, it doesn’t have the research, academic, or professional experience section as the learner is fresh from high school. Instead, much of the focus is on how the interest in the topic emerged, future plans, and suitability for the program and university.

Statement of Purpose Sample for Cognitive Science (658 words)

 “Since I was a child, I have always endeavored to understand why people think and behave the way that they do. This tendency may have emanated from my own struggles with dyslexia. I had difficulty memorizing and spelling words and my speech was delayed. Many would laugh at me whenever I tried to speak, something that hurt my feelings and self-esteem. At this tender age, I was thrust into the deep world of trying to understand human actions and their motivation. With time, I stopped feeling bad about people who mocked me and started pondering about the mental processes that give rise to such behavior. Fortunately, I overcame dyslexia and excelled in my studies but this personal tribulation had a lasting impression on my thinking and character.

 While my interest in the human brain may have thawed with my own personal triumph, it received a timely awakening two years ago when I watched Akeelah and the Bee, a film about a girl who overcame great odds to win the highly coveted National Spelling Bee competition. Like me, Akeelah did not have a photographic memory. She was a “misfit” who was harshly judged for her unconventional interests. Being black and a girl, she was subjected to prejudicial treatment. Eventually, she summoned all her mental strength to win the competition. Her victory opened floodgates of questions that left me thinking deep into many nights. What effect does prejudice and negative labeling have on our sense of self and how does this play into our success? Do we have the capacity to overcome these societal and self-imposed limitations? To paraphrase Nelson Mandela, is it our fear that we are inadequate or that we are powerful beyond measure? These questions would spiral out of the personal domain into international scene and I would ponder the stereotyping of African by the west as being poor and backward. Coming from Africa, I wondered the effect these kinds of labels have on the continental psyche. Immediately, I realized that I wanted to study the science behind the brain and the thinking process.

  A degree in cognitive science represents the most logical choice for university education for various reasons. I am interested in understanding how the brain works and its relationship with mind. I also want to know how we think and whether our perception and knowledge are objective. I am also interested in learning how we use language. Lastly, I am fascinated with artificial intelligence and would love to learn how we can tap it to build intelligent robots.

   Pursing the degree at XXX College is an irresistibly attractive proposition because the program is offered in an interdisciplinary approach that recognizes the brain is complex biological computing machine. Through the program, I will learn about six disciplines namely cognitive psychology, computer science, neuroscience, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science, and the complex intersection between all of them to give rise to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive science. I am also drawn to the college’s world-class faculty, diverse student population, and the location in a hospitable, friendly city. I cannot wait to meet top researchers that are hosted in the school in the annual colloquia and interact with them.

 Without doubt, I have all it takes to excel in the program. I completed my high school studies in 2021 and attained an A in the rigorous and competitive XXX exams. To overcome dyslexia and attain such a creditable score is testament to my resilience and mental acuity, which will be handy in a more demanding program in cognitive science.

                After completion of my studies, I intend to work as a researcher and cognitive scientist. I intend to use the education gained to create computer models that explain human behavior and how the brain can be trained to overcome difficulties. I am also interested in use of computer models and artificial intelligence can be harnessed to modify social behaviors and help confront prejudice and undesirable social behaviors.

                The third sample is an MBA Statement of Purpose. MBA is one of the most sought after course. The top universities such as Harvard Business School , Stanford Business School , MIT business school and Columbia University business school having some of the most highly coveted slots for an MBA program. The acceptance rates in these top universities are very low, underscoring the need to prepare well and have all your admission documents including CV and SOPs written at the highest level. According to Forbes, Stanford Business School is the hardest to gain admission into in the world with only 6% of applicants annually being accepted.

                Therefore, to stand a chance to get a prestigious MBA in any of those top universities, your SOP must stand out.

• Visit the university website to check if they’ve specific requirements

The Columbia Business School for instance has specific requirements

As you’ll notice, what’s required is not a standard SOP but a series of essays. However, you’ll still be required to write about your future goals, reasons the program and university are a good fit for you, and your area of research interest.

• Be specific in your answer. Avoid generalities.
• Illustrate your response.
• Be concise. Follow the allocated word limit.

Generally, an MBA program is for business training hence the need to accentuate your practical experience in business, leadership, innovation, and related areas.

MBA Statement of Purpose Sample (812 words)

                “I inherited a rich business heritage that spanned two generations. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents arrived in the US as immigrants and started off as small business owners in dry cleaning and retail store. My mum and my father were the only children so when their parents died, they inherited and merged the two businesses. For more than two decades, the two businesses were my home, nurturing my sales, negotiation, and stock keeping skills. The desire to perpetuate this rich family legacy was so strong that I could not resist the allure of business school when I finished high school. My plan was simple: go to school and gain the necessary skills to take the family business global. I remember watching with glee innovators and entrepreneurs pitching their businesses at the famous Shark Tank and picturing myself doing the same. For me, it was only a matter of time before I could capture one of the sharks and conquer the world. Not to be though as my dreams and those of my family would soon be devoured to shreds, the premises left standing like a vanquished and deserted town.

                The Covid-19 pandemic broke out and when we were sent home as one of the containment measures, I was not surprised to see the premises that housed our business locked down. As each day passed, we hoped that the lock-down would end and everything would go back to normal. Banks started calling and soon, the house that we had owned for nearly a century was auctioned to recover an accumulated debt. I tried to redeem whatever little remained by setting up an online business to keep the retail business alive. With rent to pay and elderly, now sick parents to look after, the business never took off. My parents paid the ultimate price with their lives as did many of their friends who had spent their lives building businesses and enterprises that could not survive the vagaries of the pandemic. A town hitherto booming with businesses was reduced to putrid smell of death, grief, and devastation. I was overcome with a sickening sense of helplessness at my inability to save my family and business and had made up my mind not to go back to school when they reopened as I could not see the point.

                A year later, schools reopened and after counseling sessions provided by my school, I resumed classes. I studied hard and graduated top of my class with my undergraduate thesis on business resilience, inspired by the family’s own failed venture, winning the research paper of the year. Despite its depth and breadth however, I felt that there was still more that needed to be studied in this area. My parents’ and their friends’ business would have survived if they had the necessary financial and business literacy to navigate through sustained, turbulent times. The lack of training on business sustainability and the attendant lack of literacy on online business anchoring was a costly deficit that was paid with hopes and lives. Looking at the many universities globally, I could not see any that emphasized this aspect of community literacy on small and medium businesses sustainability as you do. I have particularly followed the work of Professor Ian Keith and I am inspired by the work he is doing on helping SMEs rebound from the Covid-pandemic. I look forward to working with him as my research interest is centered on his publications and practical work with SMEs sustainability and management.

                For the last one year, I have worked for a local consultancy helping businesses recover from the pandemic. I advise business owners on how to anchor their businesses on online platforms to take advantage of the opportunities availed by the internet. I also advise them on loans and how to structure and restructure them to minimize and manage risks. While my BBA and practical experience have been helpful in this regard, I am sure that an MBA would elevate me to a more superior position to help more people. The prospect of working with mathematical models to help launch as sustain business is a needful innovation that should be mainstreamed through business education.

                In future, I see myself working as a consultant for SMEs with a focus on sustainability and business literacy. I intend to advise small and medium business owners on how they can prepare for turbulent times. I also want to spread financial and business literacy on holistic approaches to business management and scaling up small businesses. I believe XXX rich curriculum that is community focused with provide me with the skills needed to achieve these dreams. My passion and commitment to working with the community are well aligned with the program and university mission. I find great synergy in what we do and I hope you will give me the opportunity to further this end more.

                The fourth sample is for psychology graduate school. Like with other programs, the starting point is always the university requirements. As seen below, Berkeley University of California for instance has specific requirements for its doctoral SOPs.

The trick here is to be specific in your response and show rather than state your answers. Do not be generic or vague.

Statement of Purpose Sample for Psychology Graduate School (910 words)

                “Growing up in the crime infested, dirty, and poor neighborhoods of India’s biggest slum, I became acutely aware of child crime as a kid. My father, a police officer, would be marked man because of his attempts to fight this vice. My siblings and I would be roped in this vicious cycle of revenge by a ballooning gang of adolescent criminals and more than once our family contemplated moving us to the village where we would live and study without fear of reprisal arising from my dad’s work. As a started becoming conscious of the work my father was doing, I recognized a pattern. Most of the youth criminals were drug addicts who were abandoned as children and grew up in foster cares where they did not receive significant education or provisions. As a 12 year old, I once argued with my father than kids he arrested would receive better help through counseling and therapy than in the criminal justice system. A dyed-in-the-wool police officer who believed in the power of the rod, my father dismissed my idea as childish naivety. However, a seed had landed on the fertile soils of my soul and nothing would stop it from sprouting.

                I would soon join a mixed high school in our neighborhood where I continued to observe the pattern I had established earlier. Most of the bullies in the school were children who had grown in foster homes. They were also more likely to bring to school hard and soft drugs. I keenly observed that their performance was poor and often, they did not complete their studies. When an opportunity arose in the school’s counseling and guidance department for a volunteer, I promptly put my name forward. My curiosity and research led me to discover that most of the children under the school’s counseling had difficult childhood. I discovered early on that childhood experiences were a powerful predictor of one’s behavior way into their adolescent and adulthood. This belief was buttressed by the observation of the after-school rehabilitation program where I again volunteered during the holidays. Childhood trauma, I observed, was linked to higher instances of truancy, anxiety, depression, and risky and suicidal behavior.

                These early experiences with children and young adults who have had traumatic experiences stimulated my interest in studying psychology. In high school, I took up guidance and counseling courses and supplemented them with drug therapy during my stint as a volunteer in the after school care program. In school, I took up psychology lessons and was fascinated by how the discipline helps to describe, understand, and predict not just human behavior but that of other living organisms. My biology lessons also helped to understand how our behavior is shaped via a complex interplay of hormones, brain chemicals, and genetics in ways that we have very little understanding about. I took particular interest in the physiology, neuroscience, and behavioral science and realized just how psychology cuts across many and complex disciplines just to explain and predict how we behave. By now, my path for undergraduate studies had been cast in stone.

                At XXX University where I undertook my undergraduate studies, I fully immersed myself into clinical psychology with the singular objective of understanding the peculiarities that shape the future behavior of children who had been exposed to trauma and other unpleasant early experiences. I was privileged to work with Dr. YYY and Dr. PPP, two of the leading researchers on childhood traumatic experiences and their influence on future behavior. The two noticed my interest and passion in the subject and assigned me to conduct literature review, collect, analyze, and interpret data for the biggest PTSD project in the university. While working on this project, I developed the observational and analytical skills needed to conduct research in clinical psychology. I deployed this experience in my undergraduate thesis which won me a full scholarship for a master’s degree at the same university. However, while appreciative of the opportunity, I realize that the university does not cover the specific area that I am interested in namely the endocrinological and neuro-scientific predictors of latter day behavior in children with traumatic experiences and how to reverse them. My research interest is focused on abnormal psychology and I intend to develop further my understanding of pathological effects of early experiences on future behavior.

                The master’s program in XXX University is particularly appealing to me because it is not just heavy on research but recognizes the influence of other fields on clinical psychology. The focus on clinical science, cognition and neuroscience, social-personality psychology, and behavioral systems is a testament to recognition that we cannot understand or predict human behavior from a single perspective. I am also drawn to the university by the prospect of working with prof. XXX, whose work on simulating behavior using computer models hold great promise in changing the way we approach psychology, crime, and human relations.

                My future plans revolve around going back to the community to make a positive contribution. Every day, I think of my dad and the difficult work he has done all years policing young people all without a deeper understanding of human behavior. I intend to develop my country’s comprehensive childhood trauma response and behavior change program that will target young people in crime. I also intend to continue with my research work in clinical psychology to inform public policy. A master’s program at the XXX University will offer me the opportunity to achieve these goals.”

                The fifth sample is for a statement of purpose for computer science degree. The course is highly coveted and admission to top universities such as MIT and Stanford is highly competitive. Therefore, in addition to good grades, your statement of purpose needs to tell your story in such a unique way that the admission committee will consider you. Below, we present a standard SOP for Computer Science for college/university.

Statement of Purpose Sample for Computer Science

                “I grew up in a part of Africa where most Africans consider remote. Mobile network was hardly steady and we had to walk a long distance to find coverage for a minute or so chat with our relatives in the city. My grandfather’s phone, the only one in the locality was an object of wonder and fascination. When an uncle visited with what I learned to be smartphone, I talked about it over the next few days in school. He would occasionally send money to his father, who would travel 100 miles or so to get an agent to withdraw the money. How could money fly from one phone to another over long distances? Such questions disturbed my young mind a great deal. I started making phone toys from mud and would mimic my grandfather, quite to the amusement of everyone. My ‘wakie Takie’ was displayed in the school’s innovation week and my obsession with communication gadgets was set aflame.

                After completing and excelling in my elementary school, my grandfather got a call that a school in the city had followed my journey and I had been shortlisted for a scholarship interview. The school was a brainchild of the CEO of the top telecom whose gadgets I had created and displayed in my school. They noticed my innovation and when I passed my exams well, they made a move and offered me a place in their prestigious academy. Upon admission, I was given a tablet and a laptop and for the next few weeks, I could not take my eyes or mind off the gadgets. I was perplexed at how they worked and despite seeing them for the first time in the school, I was showing others how to use them having learned so fast because of my interest.

                Naturally, I took up computer and mathematics classes and was amazed how the two subjects applied logic to solve common problems. During my third year in high school, I created a mobile application that connected farmers in my rural area to milk consumers in the city and in the process boasted the income of the local population. For my work, I was awarded a $500 grant to come up with more app-based solutions to local problems that affect my community. I also got to meet the company’s top computer brains and interact with programmers from all over the country. I graduated high school as the top student and was offered a role as a computer laboratory assistant where I mentor high school students on mobile application development.

                While there are many universities in my country offering university courses in Computer Science, XXX University towers above them because of its global reputation and world class faculty that I cannot find in my country. Besides, a perusal of your syllabus reveals that cover the areas that I am most interested in namely mobile and sensor computing and artificial intelligence. The university brings together the best brains from all over the world and I am confident that I can fit there. The university’s mission and philosophy to uplift the community is aligned with my personal ambition and ethos and this makes certain that we will be a good match.

                Upon graduating, I intend to come back to my country and contribute to the mobile and digital revolution that is currently unfolding. I plan to employ the high quality education that I will receive to uplift my community through providing easy to use mobile and technological solutions to ease the challenges of water shortage, insecurity, and poverty.

                Everything that I have done in my whole life has prepared me for this opportunity. Coming from a poor, rural community to attend a top academy and graduate top of my class was testament to my mental acuity and resilience. I intend to bring the same dedication and commitment that has brought me this far and with the support of the wonderful faculty and community at XXX, I am sure that I will excel.”

It’s always recommendable to have someone go through your SoP before you submit it.

A friend or a family member can help to tell whether you’ve represented yourself credibly and compellingly enough.

A professor or a faculty member may also help to tell whether you’ve captured your academic and research background well enough and connected them to your research interests and suitability for the program.

At phdstatementsofpurpose.com , we are that friend and faculty member.

After reviewing thousands of SoPs and personal statements, we can tell a good from a not so good SoP, and a good one from a great one.

We’ve internalized the structure and language of writing SoPs and with our team of experts; we’ll sit down and dissect your draft.

We’ll point out areas of strengths and weaknesses and propose how to structure and express your SoP better.

We’ll give intense and detailed feedback so that you express your thoughts with clarity and bring out your uniqueness.

We’ll ensure that the final product is delivered in time, is logical and coherent, intellectual, and polished.

Tell us which aspect of your SoP writing you’re struggling with:

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Other Highly rated Samples

You can sample some of the samples that gained multiple acceptance in top universities.

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• SOP for Social Work

sop for PhD IN computer science

Do you wish to join a reputed foreign university for a PhD in Computer Science? But you are probably worried about how best to draft your Statement of Purpose. Contact us right now and get your admission-winning SOP for PhD in Computer Science.

A statement of purpose for a Ph.D. in computer science should be a bit different from those for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Up until post-graduation, you can focus on a lot of things such as extracurricular and non-academic activities. It is also possible to join such programs from different academic or professional backgrounds. However when it comes to a research-based program like Ph.D., the focus of the essay should be on the subject expertise of the candidate. You should also be specific about your areas of interest and have a clear goal for your research. Your SOP will make a strong impact on the reader when you seamlessly interconnect these factors concisely and clearly.

A mistake that we see over and over in motivation letters written by beginners is trying hard to impress. Do not get experimental with your writing style. Using highly complex sentence structures will make it hard for the reader and create a negative impression.

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Read Our Sample SOP For PhD in Computer Science

The best way to illustrate a concept is through examples. Rather than describing the format for the motivation letter for Ph.D. in Computer Science, it is better to demonstrate it with a document that we have prepared.  Given below is an extract from a sample SOP for Computer Science PhD. Please contact us to get access to the full document and our writing services

Sample sop for PhD

we’ve included a few SOP samples that have been approved by experts. To download free samples, click on the links in the attachments given below

Of course, in the sample SOP format for PhD given above, the student has a clear goal of where she wants to be after the doctorate program. However, this might not be the case with everyone. The course of your journey may change as years pass by, but you should at least have a general idea about the shore towards which you want to steer your career. Our expert writers will tactfully address every concern that you may have regarding effectively explaining your course motivation, end goals, and career gaps. Kindly get in touch with us to know more about our writing services.

SOP Samples For Masters

Are you Searching for the perfect SOP Samples for MS ? Here we have attached a few SOP samples to make your understanding clear. Click on the below-attached links to download free samples.

Get Best SOP Writers For PhD In Computer Science

As illustrated in the statement of purpose for a Ph.D. in computer science pdf, you should write in crisp language and focus on your subject expertise. Along with the reasons you chose to research in programming, add your formative experiences and exposure to research-based studies.

Another important thing to keep in mind when drafting the document is to use good quality language. This is not limited to grammar, spelling, and other aspects. Prospective researchers are expected to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject in their statement of purpose for Ph.D. in computer science doc file they submit. As professors will be evaluating your document, it is appropriate to include jargons and subject-relevant keywords moderately. 

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It is always better to keep your SOP for Ph.D. in Computer Science short and sweet. Do not exaggerate your credentials or the essay in general.  Do not feel compelled to reach the top end of the word limit. Even if you have just a few things to list out, do it with confidence and assuredness. Read as many times as possible and remove any mistakes, and you are good to go.

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Sample SOP for MS in CS

• Updated on  
• Jul 27, 2023

How to write SOP for MS in Computer Science? There are certain rules, formatting as well as writing tone and style you should follow while writing your SOP for Computer Science. As it is one of the sought-after courses around the world, universities get an array of applications for MS in CS and it is essential that you write an impressive and well-structured SOP for successful selection. For a Statement of Purpose for MS in Computer Science, you must include your interests, achievements, previous internships or any projects along with your future aspirations, short-term and long-term goals and any research projects that you worked on. Read this blog to find the best sample SOP for MS in CS (Computer Science), important rules, format, PDFs, what to include and more!

Sample SOP for MS in Computer Science

Looking for SOP samples for MS in CS? To help you find the best SOP sample for MS, here are some SOP examples for MS in CS you can use for your MS application:

Sample 2 SOP for MS in CS

Sample SOP for MS in CS without Work Experience

To write an impressive SOP for MS in CS without work experience, you must emphasis on your passion to explore the world of Computer Science as well as your academic credentials and achievements that set you apart from the crowd.

Here is a sample SOP for MS in CS without work experience:

The ever-evolving field of Computer Science has always intrigued me and I learned coding first during seventh grade and leapt into the world of computer programming when I was just 13 years old. There has been no looking back since then as I decided to pursue BTech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE) after graduating from high school. I took part in many data science competitions at the university as well as online and pursued a wide range of online certifications in Machine Learning, Python and Artificial Intelligence to satiate my growing knowledge to learn about the world of computer science.

I was extensively involved in data science seminars and events at the university and decided to apply for a masters in Computer Science directly after graduating. Though I don’t have any professional work experience in this field, I have been in the top 5% of my class during my undergraduate degree and also served as the president of my university’s Robotics society, RoboGyaan and further pursued various internships during the final two years of my bachelor’s degree.

I have always envisioned the world of computer science as a powerful blend of well-known subsets as well as untapped areas filled with humongous potential to change the world. I also assisted one of my seniors during her project focused on how Artificial Intelligence is changing the world which gave me many valuable insights into this domain. My passion to explore the field of computer science can be seen from my academic achievements, online certifications as well as internships that pursued.

Studying an MS in Computer Science, I would like to further delve deeper into this specialisation and gather advanced-level knowledge as well as incremental research skills that can help me thrive in my career. My core aim is to become a Data Scientist and this master’s degree at your university can equip me with the knowledge and skills I need to fulfil my career aspirations .

Sample SOP for MS in CS For ECE Background

Here is a sample you can use for SOP for MS in CS with work experience for ECE graduates:

In the present world that focuses on innovation and computing applications, there is hardly any field that has been untouched by the all-encompassing facets of technology. As a kid, I was always mesmerized by how simple hi-tech appliances made our daily activities smoother and efficient to carry on. As an ardent gaming fan and tech geek, I was always curious in exploring the inner-workings of the daily appliances we use and I would always have a screwdriver box ready to get to the bottom of everything. While I was passionate about the hardware aspects, I got inclined towards programming and coding when I studied computer science as an elective in 12th grade.

Python was the first programming language I learned while I was in school and then went on work on coding and building new data networks from scratch. I decided to pursue BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering because my passion for electronics was abundant and I couldn’t resist pursuing this specialisation for my bachelor’s degree. I worked on different projects during my internships while I pursued undergraduate studies and these helped me figure out my inclination towards computing technologies.

Before opting for a master’s degree, I wanted to gain prior work experience in this field so I worked as a Junior Data Scientist at FinCorp, which aimed to build a hi-tech AI-blended Finance technology that can automate financial services. After working at FinCorp for over two years, I realised that Computer Science is the core specialisation I want to pursue for MS. That’s when I came across the meticulously structured MS in CS program at your university and decided that it is the right one for an experienced data science professional like me.

An MS in CS will help me get valuable insights into the world of Computer Science, Data Analytics, Network Programming, Algorithms and Operating Systems and much more. I aim to establish a career in research after completing this degree and studying under the guidance of a highly-qualified faculty at your university can equip me with the mentorship as well as knowledge I need to become a successful research scientist.

Sample SOP for MS in Data Science

Sample SOP for MS in Artificial Intelligence

As a kid, I was mesmerized by robots and how they actualised the simulation of the human mind. I opted for Computer Science as an elective subject in my higher secondary which increased my interest in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and its massive potential in every sector and area of study. Artificial Intelligence can transform everything from medical science and healthcare to mobile technology and education. This is what sparked my interest in AI and its universal applications.

I pursued my undergraduate program in Computer Science to know more about data science and technology and afterwards, when I was wondering about the best specialisation for masters, I picked Artificial Intelligence.

During my bachelor’s studies, I was the head of my college’s Data Science and AI Society where we represented our institution at several intra-college and inter-college competitions. I also build various AI devices from scratch for various college projects as well as won several prizes during data science competitions online and at the university level.

Studying MS in Artificial Intelligence, I want to further gain specialized knowledge of this area of study along with contributing to research at your renowned university. My long-term goal is to establish a successful career in research in AI and utilise its key potential across various areas. This program in Artificial Intelligence will also help me gain useful knowledge and skills to steer towards a successful career and fulfil my research aspirations.

To know more, check out our blog on SOP for MS in Data Science !

Want to find the best SOP for Computer Science or MS in CS? Here is the SOP format you can follow to draft a winning SOP:

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How to Write an SOP for MS in CS? 

There are a few things that need to be kept in mind when writing an SOP for MS in CS. First of all, organize your thoughts and make pointers before sitting down to write the same. A disorganized mind does not yield a good Statement of Purpose. Always remember, the institutes are looking out for candidates who are passionate about the course they are pursuing. Ensure that you refer to sample SOP for MS in CS before writing your own. A perfect SOP should have 4 key sections which we have elaborated below:

How to Start SOP for MS in CS?

The first paragraph should be smart and creative. Here are the major elements you should definitely consider while writing your SOP for MS in CS:

• Start with an opening line that catches the eye of the admissions committee.
• Add any thoughtful quotation that you have always found inspiring.
• If you have noticed the sample SOP for MS in CS, we have begun with an interesting introductory line and then connected it to the aspirations of the candidate.
• Highlight the most prominent reason why you have chosen to pursue MS in CS in particular.
• Mention what you aspire or aim to achieve through the program.

Second Paragraph for SOP for MS in CS

For the second part of the SOP for MS in CS should talk about your academic milestones and achievements. It’s just a matter of finding the right to glorify the details without sounding arrogant. However, scoring fewer marks and just making the cut is also something you can write about. Take a look at the following things you must add to this section:

• A brief and concise representation of your academic quest.
• Ensure that you are elucidating awareness about your weakness and the lessons you learnt to move towards making better choices.
• Mention that through your previous academic degree you have learnt how to apply knowledge to practical situations that aren’t restricted to written examinations and the marks that go with them.
• Talk about their projects and work experience to highlight what they have learned during the four years in their respective colleges.

Third Paragraph of SOP for MS in CS

If you see our sample SOP for MS in CS, the third paragraph talks about the extracurricular activities of the student. The elements of this section are as follows:

• Understand that institutes prefer students who are all-rounders or have some interests other than their immediate academic work.
• Any kind of volunteer work, internship, research activities or training programs the student was involved in should be mentioned.
• Even with students who have tons of extracurricular activities to write about, they need to be precise about all their achievements, so that they can give a summary of their work without missing any of it.

Fourth Paragraph of SOP for MS in CS

For the fourth paragraph of your SOP for MS in CS, you must start focusing on what you are aiming to fulfil in your career journey.

• It must mention the goals and aspirations of the student.
• Making an effort to understand the university or college and mentioning the core subjects is a good way to show the institute how interested you are in attending their course.
• Research about the professors of CS in the university and their projects for additional references as adding your knowledge about the institution is another good idea since the admissions committee will appreciate your enthusiasm and see how their teachers and the overall program inspire you.
• Be careful not to overstep the line between inspired and desperate creates the wrong impression.

The last and concluding paragraph of an SOP for MS in CS should be just as impressive as the first one. In this paragraph of the SOP for MS in CS, you can talk about how the institute will gain a capable and outstanding student, who will give their all to maintain the stature of the university and succeed.

Quotes for SOP for MS in Computer Science

Here are the best inspiring quotes you can add to your SOP for MS in Compute Science:

• “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” –Lao Tzu
• “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
• “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” — Les Brown
• “The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” -Henry Ford
• “Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” —Dalai Lama
• “Knowledge is being aware of what you can do. Wisdom is knowing when not to do it.”
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

See more at Motivational Science Quotes !

What to Include in an SOP for MS in CS?

With the above-given sample SOP for MS in CS, you might be well aware of the tone and style of how an SOP for MS in CS can be written. Now, take a look at the integral elements that you must add to your SOP for MS in CS.

• Elaborate briefly upon academic achievements and milestones .
• Mention why you pursued your undergraduate degree in a certain field and the knowledge and skills you earned from it.
• Talk about extracurricular activities and any leadership experiences .
• Reasons why you chose MS in CS (put the essential focus on Computer Science as the specialisation) and what you aim to gain from it.
• Why you selected the particular university (talk about their faculty as well as any unique feature of the program)
• Write about your career aspirations that you want to fulfil through an MS in CS.
• Previous work experience (if any) or internship or training experience .
• Reflect upon where you see yourself after finishing this course .

Things to Keep in Mind for SOP for Computer Science

Before you set out to draft your SOP for MS in CS or SOP for Computer Science, there are certain elements that you should definitely consider to ensure that it is well-written and detailed enough to inform the admission committee about your interests and objectives behind choosing a masters in Computer Science. Let’s take a look at the essentials you must add in your statement of purpose:

• The SOP for Computer Science should be somewhere around one to one and half a page long . Use a simpler font style such as Times New Roman with no more than 12-point size and 1.5 line spacing . The font size should not be too big or too small because that can make your SOP difficult to read. Remember that the admission committee has to read many SOPs and making sure that your SOP is a simpler read can create a great impression.
• Make sure that the career goals you are describing in your SOP for MS in CS align with the degree program as well as the university’s expertise areas which you can find from their online website.
• Maintain a formal tone throughout the statement of purpose. Avoid using any slangs or humour in your SOP for Computer Science.
• While drafting your SOP for MS in CS, if you are mentioning your prior work experience , you also need to elaborate upon how it will help in the degree you are opting for . Strongly highlight the reasons to explain why your professional experience makes you unique . For this, use storytelling to describe your interests and exposure you got and how it will help you further through your chosen course.
• If you are someone who took some time away in your career for some reasons, the reasons why you took that gap needs a crucial mention in the SOP for Computer Science. Connect it with how an MS in Computer Science will assist you in kickstarting your career after the break.
• While writing about your skills and expertise in your SOP for Computer Science, elucidate them by using examples from your everyday life . Add interesting anecdotes to gather the reader’s and keep it hooked till the end.

The first thing to do before writing the SOP is the collection of points that are to be mentioned. Here are some steps that can help you with the same: Step 1: List all your accomplishments Step 2: Write down your goals Step 3: Make a comparison, classify the data and make changes Step 4: Know all about the university that you plan to join. Step 5: You are now ready to write the SOP for MS in CS.

1. State the reason why you want to pursue this course 2. Make sure you know all about the university and the course you want to join. 3. List your academic performance 4. Write about your previous experiences

Always start your SOP by introducing yourself. Give your academic background and mention how you decided to pursue a particular course.

SOP or Statement of Purpose is an admission essay that is to be submitted while applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme in universities abroad. Therefore, candidates aiming to study Computer Science also need to write an SOP.

These are a few tricks that can help you write a sample SOP for MS in CS or an SOP for Computer Science. To get more details and assistance in writing the sample as well as the final draft of your statement of purpose, get in touch with Leverage Edu today. After all, the best students deserve help from the best of experts!

Team Leverage Edu

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SOP for MS in Computer Science – How to Write with Samples

• What is SOP
• SOP Writing Tips
• Statement of Purpose for Masters
• SOP for MBA
• Statement of Purpose for Phd

Updated on 31 July, 2024

Akansha Semwal

Study abroad expert.

The statement of purpose is an important document that acts as a pathway for a student to get admission into the computer science program of a certain college or university. 

An ideal SOP for an MS in Computer Science should include details of the candidate's past academic and professional experiences. It is an opportunity to present the long-term educational goals and motives behind choosing a particular degree or university. 

Ensure the SOP is impressive, well-written, and has a structure, format, and rules. Refer to the format and samples below to make your SOP create a positive impact in front of the admission committee.  

What is SOP for MS in Computer Science

While preparing an MS Computer Science Statement of Purpose, you should highlight how you got interested in the subject, what course of study or internships you have pursued in the past, what are your goals and career aspirations, and how studying that at that particular university can help you achieve them. 

SOPs for MS

SOP for MS in Electrical Engineering

SOP for MS in Mechanical Engineering

SOP for MS in MIS

SOP for MS in Biotechnology

SOP for MS in Civil Engineering

SOP for MS in Information Technology

The Importance of SOP

A good SOP makes it easy for students to enroll in international colleges and universities. With an increasing number of applicants for overseas education destinations, the only thing that differentiates one international student from another is a unique SOP.

States Your Goals: It is very important to write a good statement of purpose, interweaving the long-term and short-term goals. A statement of purpose offers insight into the student’s career aspirations and dedication to studying a particular course.

Chance to Advocate Your Candidature: A well-crafted SOP reflects your holistic personality. Through an SOP, you can convey your rationale for being the right fit for the program by integrating your interests and past experiences to future career objectives.

Articulates Your Previous Academic and Professional Endeavors: Applicants can showcase their experience, internships, projects, educational qualifications, and training taken in the past.

Demonstrates Your Communication Skills: By using their writing prowess, students can showcase how well they can articulate their thoughts and pen down all the little details about them. 

Add a Personal Touch to Your Application: While your academic transcripts, letters of recommendation(s), and English proficiency test scores are all about your language, educational, or successful professional capabilities, your SOP is the sole personal factor, beyond just numerical data.   

What to Include in SOP for MS in CS

Here are a few things that you should necessarily include in your MS Computer Science SOP:

• Start with a brief introduction where you talk about what got you interested in the field.
• Mention your academic accomplishments and milestones and which subject you pursued in your undergraduate degree.
• List the extracurricular activities you were a part of.
• Talk about any work experience, internships, or training that you have. 
• Justify the reason behind choosing that particular university, mention the expertise of the professors, or any particular aspect of the course that caught your interest.
• Talk about your short-term and long-term career goals, and state how obtaining an MS degree in Computer Science would help you to achieve the same.

7 Things to Focus on While Writing SOP for MS in Computer Science

• Avoid using an informal tone while writing your SOP.
• Think about how you can keep the admission committee hooked on your essay with relevant and engaging anecdotes in the introduction.
• If there is any career gap, you must justify why you took that break and how pursuing the course would help you achieve your goals.
• If you have relevant work experience, emphasize how your previous expertise would make you the right fit for the selected course of study.
• Research the university’s specialties and focus areas of the course you’re drawn towards, and justify how they align with your areas of interest.
• Generally, an SOP should ot exceed 1000 words, but every university has its own world limit requirement, so check the same before drafting your SOP.
• Do not make grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in your SOP.

Format of SOP

An SOP needs to be written in crisp paragraphs with the general rules of essay writing. Bullet points can be used but minimally. It is a two-page-long document with a 12-point font size and double-space margins. The length of the SOP should not exceed 1,000 words. The text should be plain black. The format of each paragraph is discussed below:

Introduction

To begin with, use creative analogies or quotations to connect your interests with the course of study. Sharing a brief overview and outlining your objectives can make your SOP more intriguing and lay a foundation for your next discussion.

Academic Records & Work Experience

Talk about what you have studied in school or college and give a detailed account of every subject you have pursued. If there are any projects you have undertaken, research conducted, paper or thesis published, then mention them. You can include your internships and work experience, if any.

Reasons for Course Selection

Here begins the most important part of your SOP for MS in CS. You must convince the admissions committee with your ideas and plans and indicate what made you choose this particular course or program. You might also entice your SOP by recalling an event that prompted your choice or acted as a turning point in your life. 

Why This University & Country

Beyond the course, justify your university and country selection by demonstrating how it will enrich your future. To do so, highlight how your skills and background would contribute to the department's focus. Mention the names of the professors whose expertise would be helpful for you, and connect the curriculum to your goals.

Future Plans

Be very smart and clear when explaining your long-term and short-term career goals. Whether you want to work in a top MNC company, kickstart a business, or go for research, state the same and emphasize the emerging opportunities you wish to bag. Avoid mentioning your intent to settle in the country, as it reduces your chances of acceptance.

End your SOP positively so the admission panel thinks you are a confident, open-minded individual with an immense passion for the discipline. Express your willingness to learn and take over the challenging opportunities that lie ahead. Also, add how your focus and determination would help you add value to the institution.

Sample SOP for MS in Computer Science

Sample #1 sop for ms in computer science.

My inclination toward computer science began during my school days when I learned the basics of programming. I was amazed that machines could work with instructions and conduct functions that can reduce human workload. I took up computer science and enrolled in the department of _________ at ________ in __________.

During my graduation, I focused on both practical and theoretical knowledge. I gained an understanding of programming languages and various algorithms during the course. I went through journals, research papers, and various references to understand the subject from every aspect.

I started my internship with ___________, for a tenure of ___________. I got to implement a lot of the knowledge gathered during my bachelor’s degree. During this internship, I learned about standard mail delivery protocols such as POP3, SMTP, and IMAP.

It also helped me gain insights into the processes and tools (like Version Control, Static Code Analysis) used in the industry to build robust software solutions. I was inclined to take up computer science and explore a career in this field, and that is why I want to pursue an MS in Computer Science from ___________. The university's state-of-the-art facilities, curriculum and the expertise of the faculty makes me look forward to being a part of the institution.

After completing my MS in Computer Science, I wish to work as a Software Engineer. Having read the positive recommendations of the alumni, I am sure that the program would help me attain my goal. My academic endeavors and professional skills make me believe that the admission committee will consider my candidature favorably.

Sample #2 SOP for MS in Computer Science

As a child, I was always fascinated by machines and computers. I was mesmerized when I was introduced to this supremely powerful machine, computer, at the age of 10 by my parents. Since then, my world has changed completely. I spent hours glued to the screen learning things related to programming and C++ language. My passion grew to such an extent that I decided to take up computer science as a subject for my 10+2. 

I graduated from one of the top colleges ,____________ in BSc. Computer science. During my graduation years, I actively participated in many intercollege tech fests and acquired the first position. I was so engrossed in learning about new technologies and using those technologies to my support in devising new applications. I had devised many applications with the knowledge I had. 

In my last year of college, I was placed in one of the top firms of Silicon Valley of India,__________ where I spent around 2 years working on __________________. During my two years at the firm, I did some certifications in __________ that led me to joining another tech giant _________  where my work role include___________, __________ & __________. Now after attaining the technical skills, I strive to expand my knowledge of the domain and become a data scientist after completing MS in Computer science from your esteemed university.

I believe my career will grow by leaps and bounds, and I will be able to add value to the world after learning from the reputed faculties of your esteemed university, and the admission committee would consider me a suitable candidate for this program.

Sample SOP for MS in Artificial Intelligence

The rapidly evolving field of AI has captivated me for quite some time now since I  learned how it will lead every activity in the years to come. I am eager to delve deeper into its complexities and applications through your esteemed program.

I was always fascinated by how the field of technology is making rapid advancements, which led me to pursue an undergraduate study in the computer science honors program at ____________. During my bachelor’s, the topics – Machine Learning, Big Data Computation, Discrete Logic, Network Optimization, and Numerical Applications interested me the most. I also undertook a number of lab-oriented projects on multi-format image processing and demonstrated a stellar record in the same. I also worked on an extra-curricular automated systems research project where I had the opportunity to investigate how node specialization can reduce the computation time and program workload as well as boost overall system performance at the same time.

Currently, I am working at ___________ as a ___________. My work experience has given me the exposure to acquire a pragmatic view of the field, which has been further instrumental in driving me towards applying for an MS degree in Artificial Intelligence.

My enthusiasm in knowing more about artificial intelligence makes me keep looking out for opportunities to advance my understanding and grasp on the field, and what better way than going for an MS in Artificial Intelligence where I get to combine theory with its practical applications. I am interested in honing my skills in the evolutionary methods for developing intelligent recognition and want to learn more about the interaction of multi-factor systems and their behavior. 

I am confident that the Master of Science program in Artificial Intelligence offered at ________ will allow me to enhance my understanding of the field to a greater extent. Professors like ________ and _______ have some phenomenal expertise in the domain, and it will be a great opportunity to be guided by them. I believe being a part of your esteemed institution will allow me to soak in and contribute to the broad spectrum of applications that exist within the realm of artificial intelligence. I also intend to be a part of the wide body of research at the university, where I get to go in-depth into the intricacies of the subject.

After completing my master’s degree, I plan to join the rapidly flourishing job market where I get to showcase my expertise in advanced concepts related to artificial intelligence and help the business of the organization grow. I might also end up deploying my skill sets to new and innovative areas and probably set my foot on the entrepreneurial path.

My experiences and interests have molded me into the individual that I am today. My belief is that this master's program will help me shape myself into the professional I envision myself to become. I hope that the admissions committee would consider me eligible to be a part of its esteemed institution.

Sample SOP for MS in Data Science

I have always noticed one thing in my quest to learn about how businesses and industries grow. That is the role data plays in shaping important business decisions, from large-scale to small-scale firms. Whether understanding consumer preferences or analyzing the competitors’ performance, data plays a pivotal role in shaping important business decisions. Hence, I believe that data science is the future, and I aim to use the knowledge gained from this master's degree to perform meaningful analysis of large sets of data.

My keen interest in computers since childhood made me develop an interest in learning about search engines. Hence, I pursued my B.Tech in Computer Science from ____________________ and scored ____. To further my technical skills, I have also undertaken certifications in programming and data structures from ____________. 

Apart from this, I interned at two organizations that specialized in performing data analytics. My first internship was at _________, where I got an insight into how data plays a vital role in shaping companies. After that, I interned at a _______, where I got to work on a project on ______________________. This experience provided me with a hands-on learning experience in the field of data science, as I would have to find solutions to complex problems. 

Throughout the course of my studies and professional experience, I was fortunate enough to meet inspiring people, learn from them, and gain some invaluable knowledge related to data science. However, that curiosity and eagerness to delve deeper into the subject still persists, and hence the decision to take things to the next level, which, for me, is to pursue a master’s program. 

While researching the right place to spearhead my career, I came across _____________’s (university name) curriculum, infrastructure, education standards, training, and other areas. The curriculum is tailored according to my needs, and undertaking a few optional modules would perfectly complement my degree. Additionally, I am certain that the opportunity to study under the expertise of Profs. ________ and _______ would help me to direct my career on the right path. 

After completing my course, I intend to work as a data scientist at _______________ company and gain further professional expertise in the domain. From my knowledge and skill set, I will come up with new innovative ideas and support the business with unique projects. Having done that, I intend to climb the corporate ladder and lead the tech teams of my dream company, _________. 

In conclusion, I believe that pursuing my master’s in Data Science from ____________ would be the right step as the right technical knowledge imbibed from the institution would help me to attain professional growth. I eagerly look forward to being a part of the university and joining my classmates from all over the world so that I can expand my horizons by learning about different cultures. 

Sample SOP for MS in CS For ECE Background

There is no denying the fact that almost every industry in the world is extremely dependent on technological advancements, and the very core of technological development is computer science. The contemporary world is continuing to expand and advance on the pillars of computer science and technology, as a result of which businesses across all sectors of the globe have achieved extraordinary growth. The fact that computers have made work so much easier, which was previously thought to be tough, is why I find this field to be so intriguing. What began with browsing the desktop at my home, led to constantly researching about the most recent developments in various technological fields, as my interest in the domain ushered.   

After consistently demonstrating high academic performance and bagging the first school rank, I scored ____ in my board exams. After spending some time cracking the highly competitive entrance examinations, I got admission at _______________ in Electronics and Communication Engineering for my undergraduate studies. My bachelor’s degree helped me explore different aspects of technology, and I gradually realized that I was deeply interested in the elective subjects on the basics of programming and artificial intelligence. Thus, my unwavering attention to the field of computer science made me realize that pursuing a master’s degree in the domain would be the right course of action. 

Since my core subjects were mostly based on electronics and communication, my knowledge of computer science could have been improved. This made me keen on pursuing my postgraduate studies as I hope to gather focused knowledge of different aspects of programming, software engineering, computer architecture, artificial intelligence, data mining, high-performance computing, advanced communication networks, etc. 

While choosing the right university for me, ____________ seemed to be the best option

because of the wonderful curriculum of the program, and the level of emphasis on practical knowledge so that students are equipped with the right level of knowledge and skill sets to kickstart their professional careers. The opportunity to exercise my theoretical learnings into practice at the excellent laboratories present at the campus makes me look forward to being a part of your institution. In addition, the strategic location of the campus, and the opportunity to study in a country like ______, which is one of the best in the world, make the experience overall worth it. 

For my short-term career goals, I intend to explore my career as a software test engineer or a software developer. After working for some time and gathering enough expertise, I wish to return to my home country and set foot on my entrepreneurial journey. 

Pursuing an MS in Computer Science at your esteemed university would help me increase my knowledge and establish a successful career in the field of computer science. I sincerely wish that the admission committee would consider my application favorably for this seat.  

Important Guidelines for Writing a Computer Science Statement of Purpose

Start early.

Start drafting your SOP much earlier before the deadline. This is because you might need several edits before curating the final draft. The earlier you start, the more you can rework on your SOP and refine it.

Research the University

While writing your SOP, research the university and make sure to include information about the faculties, research opportunities, course structure, placement, and internships offered by the university in the past years. This would make the admission committee think that you are genuinely interested in being a part of the institution, and are well aware of its intricacies. 

Highlight Your Motivation

It is imperative to highlight what motivated you to pursue the course of study as that would give the admission committee an idea of why you should be offered a seat at the college or university. The more synced your motivation is to the course you are applying for, the higher your chances of getting accepted. 

Emphasize on Your Skills

Your skills make you stand out from the crowd. The more relevant skills you possess to undertake the master’s in Computer Science, the more you will be able to grab the concepts and theories. 

Include Your Professional Background

If you have any prior work experience, be sure to include it in your SOP. Talk about what work you used to do, and also state what you learned from that experience that would be relevant to this course.  

Be Coherent About Your Future Goals

Once you have summed up the reason for applying for the course and choosing the university, talk about your short-term and long-term career goals. Make sure that they align with the program, and be coherent about how the university’s course of study would help you achieve it.  

Be Specific & Concise

While drafting your SOP, make sure to keep it concise and to the point instead of eating around the bush. It is not necessary to add details that are not relevant or specific to the course.

Once you have made all your edits, make sure that you proofread your SOP before sending it to the university. If possible, get it reviewed by someone who might help you spot loopholes or provide a fresh perspective on improving it. 

Quotes for SOP for MS in Computer Science

Here are a few quotes you can use in your Statement of Purpose for a master’s in Computer Science, which can positively impact the people on the admission committee.

• “A program is never less than 90% complete, and never more than 95% complete.”— Terry Baker, coder
• “Everybody should learn to program a computer because it teaches you how to think.” - Steve Jobs, former CEO and creator of Apple
• “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.” – Martin Fowler, software engineer, object-oriented programming pioneer
• “Coding is today's language of creativity. All our children deserve a chance to become creators instead of consumers of computer science.” - Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College
• “Computer science empowers students to create the world of tomorrow.” - Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
• “Coding, it's an endless process of trial and error, of trying to get the right command in the right place, with sometimes just a semicolon making the difference between success and failure. Code breaks, and then it falls apart, and it often takes many, many try until that magical moment when what you're trying to build comes to life.” - Reshma Saujani, Entrepreneur and founder of Girls Who Code

9 Things to Keep in Mind for SOP for Computer Science

An SOP is an indispensable document that has to be submitted when applying to universities abroad. Universities use these SOPs to appraise and inspect your eagerness and suitability to pursue a particular course at the university. Therefore, it is imperative that it creates a positive impact on the admission panel. Let us now look at some things that a candidate needs to keep in mind before writing an SOP for an MS in Computer Science:

a) Your co-curricular activities and academic accomplishments must be mentioned.

b) Evaluate your goals and mention how pursuing an MS will help you achieve them.

c) Discuss your areas of interest and explain how an MS from that particular university will help you advance in your professional career.

d) Emphasize why you wish to apply to that particular university and what attracts you to the faculty and facilities.

e) Always proofread your SOP before sending it.

f) Clarify and point out the parts of your past work experience that you feel are pertinent to an MS program.

g) Keeping in mind your work experience, you should accentuate your leadership qualities.

h) Discuss specific incidents or projects that you may have worked on during your work experience which correlate to an MS program.

i) If your resume has a gap year, you should justify the reason for the same, and highlight the skills developed during this time frame.

5 Mistakes to Avoid in SOPs:

Considering the paramount significance of an SOP or Statement of Purpose in your admission process, you must handle the scenario responsibly and avoid any mistakes:

Here are a few commonly made mistakes in SOPs that you must avoid:

1. Not preparing early on-

You must remember to start preparing your SOP early on, not at the eleventh hour.

2. Not putting forth a strong introduction and conclusion-

“The first impression is the last impression.” Keeping this popular phrase in mind, you should pay attention to a strong introduction as well as a solid conclusion.

3. Using unprofessional language-

Using informal language, slangs, and abbreviations is one of the most commonly made mistakes. You must maintain a polite and respectful tone when writing your SOP.

4. Not sticking to the word limit-

You should remember to stay within the word limit given to you. Writing unnecessarily long SOPs will lead to the admissions staff not focusing on your achievements.

5. Dwelling on your weakness-

You must not emphasize your weakness or show any insecurity because of them. You must illustrate how your mistakes helped you learn and advance in your affairs.

You should also keep in mind not to make your statement of purpose too gaudy or ostentatious. Exaggerated flattery in SOPs helps it in no way. You should do your best to avoid entering irrelevant information in your SOP for MS.

Universities treat SOPs very seriously at the time of granting admission. The SOP for MS in Computer Science should be a well-drafted document that helps a computer science student to get admission to any international university that offers specializations in computer science. Students can seek help from counselors of upGrad Abroad and learn how to write an SOP for MS in Computer Science.

6 Pro Tips to Make Your SOP for MS In CS Powerful

It is important to create an action before you start drafting your statement of purpose rather than writing whatever comes to your mind. Your SOP should be brilliant and original, and here are some tips on how to make it powerful.

• Don’t just say something randomly to impress the admissions committee. Be introspective and specific so that next when you appear for the interview, you can justify them. 
• Don’t blindly follow any template you find on the internet; customize it to add a personal touch. 
• It is important to avoid creating fake narratives; just be yourself. 
• Keep a formal but conversational tone; on the other hand, avoid being too casual in your approach. 
• Getting advice from your professors and peers who have applied earlier and are studying at universities abroad is a good way to improve your SOP.
• Lastly, proofread, edit, and re-edit until satisfied that you gave your best. 

SOP Essentials for Top Countries to Pursue MS in CS

The sample SOPs above can be referred to before drafting an SOP for computer science. However, adding country-specific paragraphs to them might make your SOP stand out. Here is a guide on what details you can add to your SOP while applying to each one of them. 

SOP for Masters in Computer Science in USA

• State facts like the USA is a technological hub and how pursuing your degree from the country would be beneficial to understanding advanced aspects of computer science.
• Mention numbers for the number of top universities and colleges present in the US for STEM courses.
• Research the lucrative and rewarding internship opportunities you can grab to leverage your career while studying in the USA.

SOP for Masters in Computer Science in UK

• Talk about the exceptional education and research opportunities
• Share how there is diversity in the course curriculum offered at universities in the UK
• Highlight the presence of tech giants, and how pursuing the discipline can help you to connect with industry professionals and build your network.

SOP for Masters in Computer Science in Canada

• Research about the world-class facilities and resources offered at Canadian universities. 
• State how many universities in the country are recognized globally for their computer science program (you can take numbers from QS ranking).

SOP for Masters in Computer Science in Australia

• Mention the global recognition and accreditation received by universities in Australia.
• State how Australia is emerging as a tech hub, and how the facilities present at the universities in the country would help you gain practical exposure in the domain.

SOP for Masters in Computer Science in Germany

• One of the most affordable study-abroad destinations and has comparatively lower living costs.
• Highlight the varied specializations offered at universities in Germany.
• Great place to gain global exposure as many companies invest in development and research.

SOP vs Personal Statement

SOP for internship

Masters in Abroad

Bachelors in Abroad

How do I start an SOP for MS in the USA?

To start an SOP for MS in the USA, quote a well-known expert related to the domain or state an incident from your life that made you interested in the subject. You can also talk about your tenure while working on a project that turned out to be instrumental in shaping your interest and decision to pursue an MS in Computer Science.

How to write a perfect SOP?

To write a perfect SOP, follow the right format and structure, and begin with an interesting introduction to intrigue the admission to read further. Maintain proper synchronicity throughout your SOP, adhere to the word limit, avoid grammatical mistakes, and narrate your unique story to stand apart from the others. 

Is 500 words enough for SOP?

There is no hard-and-fast rule regarding the SOP word limit. It depends on the university you are applying to and varies accordingly. There are some institutions that want a crisp and concise SOP. In that scenario, it should be summed up with 500 words. However, if the institution you are applying to does not have a word limit, then usually, the SOP can extend up to 800 words if you follow the format and elaborate on each of the points mentioned above.

Akansha Semwal is a content marketer at upGrad and has also worked as a social media marketer & sub-editor. Experienced in creating impressive Statement of Purpose, Essays, and LOR, she knows how to captivate the attention of Admissions Committee. Her research-driven;study-abroad articles helps aspirants to make the prudent decision. She holds a bachelor's & master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi.

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