How to Write a Statement of Purpose
Introduction: What is a statement of purpose and why is it important?
When you are applying to study at a university, for a scholarship or an exchange program, or even for a
job, usually you are required to send with your application a statement of purpose. At a glance, the main
objective of a statement of purpose seems to be telling the reader the purpose of your application. Indeed,
why else would it be called as such? However, it does not simply stop there. In the UK, a statement of
purpose is often called a personal statement, and it is in the word ‘personal’ that we can see the real
extent of its importance. The statement does not simply show the purpose of the application in a general
sense; it specifically shows your purpose. In other words, the statement will tell the reader the reason for
your application and at the same time show them who you really are and why you are suitable for the
course/exchange program/scholarship/job. It is very important to keep in mind that you are writing about
yourself, and not some other people!
Examples of the questions that you might want to keep in mind as you are writing your statement are as
follows:
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Why are you applying? How would the course/exchange program/scholarship/job benefit you
personally? Why do you really want it? What is your motivation?
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Who are you and what is unique about you? Why do you think the reader will be convinced that
you, as a person, are the right one? What characteristics and attitudes of you will convince the
reader that you will prosper in the course/job?
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What do you bring with you? Do you have the skills and the experience necessary for the
course/job? Do you excel in anything that would help with your study/work? Are you recognised
as particularly good at anything?
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Why are you important? What contribution can you make in the future? What are your expectations
and goals? What can you achieve, not only for yourself alone, but for others?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Start: Planning your statement
It is very important to plan your statement before you start writing. Some of the aforementioned questions
should already help you with the content of your statement. Try to list out, for example:
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Your background
Who you are
Your education
What you are currently doing/have been doing
What you did in the past
What you like and what you enjoy doing
Your interest and your hobbies
Your strengths
Hard-working; Determined; Friendly; Adaptable; Quick to learn; Responsible
Your skills
Computational; Writing; Proofreading and editing; Proficiency in foreign languages
Your past experience
Volunteering; Training; Conference; Teaching; Research
Your achievement
Publication; Presentation; Awards
Your expectations and goals
What you would like to do/achieve in the future; Career goal
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A good way of approaching this is to write down everything you can think of first, then choose only what
you think is the most relevant to your application. These materials will help you to build up the structure
and, in turn, to write out the plan of your statement.
An example of a plan could be:
Paragraph 1: Introduction; Name and educational background; Main reason for applying
Paragraph 2: Subjects currently studied; Favourite subjects; Experience and training related to the
subjects; Any project that shows your passion and confirms that you are on the right track
Paragraph 3: Other interests, including areas of study that you wish to explore further; Hobbies that help
you with your main interest in one way or another
Paragraph 4: Skills and strong attributes; Evidence to prove your capability
Paragraph 5: Conclusion; Why you think you are suitable; What you expect to achieve; Career Goal
One thing to note is that there is no definite form or structure of writing as long as you make sure that
you organise your paragraphs to explain your point in a logical manner. The example serves only as a
guideline and not a definite rule to follow!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Specifics: Writing your statement
The following section will deal with some of the more specific issues on writing, both language-wise and
content-wise.
Language
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Know your register
Simply put, know who you are writing to. As personal as a statement can be, it is still written as
part of an application process and therefore is a rather formal piece of writing. You do not want
be too colloquial and write, for example, that you have ‘completely screwed up your final project’
or that you have ‘nailed the competition’. Having said that, do not go from one extreme to the
other and try as if you were writing a legal document.
Contraction (for example can’t or don’t) is more problematic. Normally you would not want to
use contraction in any formal writing (such as your academic essays) but as a statement of purpose
is still a personal piece of writing contraction may help to convey sincerity and approachability on
your side if used properly. Personally I would advise against using contraction but do feel free to
use it at your own discretion.
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Be wise with your choice of words and expressions
Make sure that you use the right word in the right context. Sometimes it might seem like some
words have the same meaning, but oftentimes the meaning of each word is not interchangeable.
Take, for example, ‘old’ and ‘ancient’. The two words convey the meaning of having lasted for a
long period of time, but you would not want to say in your statement that ‘I have been studying
hard so that I could get a good job and take a good care of my ancient parents’.
Also, do make sure what you have written really conveys what you want to say to your reader. Try
not to say, for example, that ‘I was literally dying the moment I saw the range of amazing
modules offered at your department’ unless you mean it. For that matter, avoid too extreme
expressions if you could. ‘The university is great’ is perfectly fine, but ‘the university is the best I
have ever known in my life’ will probably sound too extreme and, as a result, a bit pretentious.
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Avoid ‘direct’ translation and try to write ‘naturally’
Writing naturally means writing the way people commonly write. Try not to be too literary and
write ‘I believe I shall effloresce at thy university’ for example. On this matter there are probably
two important things to keep in mind. Firstly, learn English collocations, or words that usually go
together. An obvious example would be ‘fish and chips’; you could say chips and fish and the
meaning would be the same, but it will sound very wrong to the native ear. Secondly, avoid direct
translation from Thai to English, either structurally or meaning-wise. For example, you can
sometimes omit the subject of a sentence in Thai, but in English each and every sentence needs
one. Just for a laugh, do you know what ‘car garden come’ means?
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Be logical, precise, and concise
After you have written to the point where you feel that it starts to get messy or out of hand, stop
and reread what you have written. At times your sentences will feel too long and you can break
them down into several shorter and more clearly expressed sentences. At times you will realise
that you have used too many unnecessary words that can be cut out. At times, you will find out
that the way you write does not make sense logically and that you need to restructure it. Keep
your statement clean and easy to read! Writing in long sentences or using lots of difficult
words do not necessarily make your statement better.
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Grammar and spelling error
Write carefully and reread what you have written carefully several times. Sometimes the
mistakes will not be too bad, but they can potentially give a rather not too impressive first
impression to the reader. Think about a statement full of spelling and grammatical errors; it
certainly would not be an easy read for the reader.
However, sometimes the mistakes will be grave in the sense that they can completely change the
meaning or, worse yet, make the sentence incomprehensible. Just to give you an idea: ‘illegal parking
will be fine’ and ‘illegal parking will be fined’ convey two opposite meanings, as with ‘my wife Susan
has a dog’ and ‘my wife, Susan, has a dog’.
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Consistency
This is a minor but still important point. Choose to write in either American or British English
then stick with it throughout your statement. A sentence like ‘I have realized since I was young
that I would like to be an anaesthetist’ may look fine at a glance, but believe me the sentence will
look pretty clumsy to those with sharp eyes.
Content
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Be specific and selective with your writing
You probably have a lot to say about yourself and your passion, but try to be specific and selective
with the materials you have in order that the reader can see who you really are and what you
really like. Imagine listing all the subjects you have studied in your undergraduate years. Of
course the reader will see a full range of knowledge you have attained, but do not forget that it is
also such a range that will keep your real interest or specialisation out of view. Instead of simply
saying that you enjoy studying physics, say you enjoy astrophysics. Instead of saying you want to
be an accountant because you like numbers, say you are an attentive person who likes to solve
number problems.
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Be personal and avoid clichés
This is a personal statement. Try to stand out from the crowd. How do you stand out from the
crowd? Talk about yourself, though wisely. You are applying to study medicine. Avoid saying ‘I
want to be a doctor because I want to help other people’. Surely admissions tutors have read that
for probably a million times already. Say instead that you want to study medicine because you
have a background in first-aid, having grown up with your mother as a head nurse in a hospital,
and that this background later led you to participate in an educational camp that made you realise
you have not only a background on, but also a passion for medical practices.
Another way of standing out is to be original and creative. You could even say that you want to
study medicine mainly due to its challenging factors – that it forces you to strive to become a
better person. It is not a cookie-cutter philanthropic answer, but it surely gives a fresh perspective
on why a person would want to study medicine.
Also, do not be afraid to use the personal pronoun ‘I’. It is certainly a myth that you cannot use ‘I’
in a formal writing!
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Avoid giving unnecessary details
A statement of purpose is indeed a personal piece of writing, but do not forget the word ‘purpose’
there. It still needs to have unity with a clear purpose. A statement of purpose is, simply put, not
an autobiography. You want to apply to study chemistry. You can say that you used to experiment
with different solutions as a child, since it gives an idea why you would come to like chemistry
when you grow up. On the contrary, you might want to avoid saying that your favourite food is
hamburger since it does not contribute to what you are writing for in anyway.
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Give concrete examples to support your claims
Always support your claim with concrete examples or else those claims will lose their
convincing power. It is easy for anyone to say that he/she is hard-working, but these are just
words. It is much more convincing to say, for example, that you are a hard-working person who
has taken extra credits in all your four years of undergraduate studies. Want to show that you
really do have passion in your subject? Name some conferences you have attended or some
presentations you have given. Want to show how brilliant you are in what you do? Do not just say
‘I am a smart person accept me please’ but say ‘I have represented Thailand in the 2015
Chemistry Olympiad and gotten a gold medal with the highest score in the theory part’.
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Do not be afraid to admit your weaknesses, but show that you are a proactive person who is
willing to improve
No one is perfect, and one beauty of humans is their perfectability. If you still lack knowledge of
certain areas of your subject, do not be afraid to say it. However, show the reader that you are
interested in them and are more than willing to explore them in the future. Sometimes admissions
tutors are not looking for a perfect specimen, but for someone who is willing to learn and will get
the most out of the study. Why applying if you are already the best and know everything?
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Try not to lie and do not plagiarise, ever
This one is pretty self-demonstrating. Do not lie and do not plagiarise. You will get yourself into
a far more serious trouble than you would ever imagine.
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Last words: Mandatory tips and tricks
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Do several drafts and revision
Planning and writing a statement of purpose is something you do not want to do overnight.
Start early and take your time to plan it out, then start writing carefully. After you finish a draft,
leave it alone for a while in order that you can have a break and also reflect upon what you have
written. Come back to the statement later and with a fresh perspective you will see how you can
improve it further.
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Dictionary, thesaurus, and most importantly Google are your friends
Not sure if you are using the right word? Cannot think of a word to use? Want to see some examples
of how a word is used in a particular context? Consult your friends. Google, especially, is very
helpful since you can simply type in a word or a sentence you are not sure of and see how people
commonly write. Use these friends in a correct manner though!
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Difference between US and UK statement
US statements tend to be more ‘sugar-coated’ and sentimental – more attention is paid to how to
craft the statement ‘beautifully’ – while UK statements do not seem to care as much about this. US
statements also highly value ‘personality’, while UK statements may focus more on the academic
side. Having said that, this is from personal observation and, therefore, far from being
authoritative, but it will give you a general idea of how you may need to be able to adapt the way
you write. This applies not only to the case of applying to different countries, but also to different
institutions as well.
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Read and write a lot
This cannot be stressed enough. Language is a skill which you cannot develop in a short period of
time. To be able to use English (or for that matter other foreign languages) proficiently, you need
to practice, a lot. Start reading and writing in English as a routine now and you will wonder how
your usage has improved over time. It does not have to be something academic; even reading
newspapers (or even novels) and keeping a diary will already help immensely!
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Recommended books
Among others, Michael Swan’s Practical English Usage and Longman Language Activator are
very useful not only for writing, but for usage of English as a second language in general.
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Appendix: Example of a successful statement with comments
Applying to read botany at the postgraduate level,
Taken and adapted from a successful statement published on www.thestudentroom.co.uk
I first discovered an affinity for science through high school biology and chemistry courses,
which in turn led me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Originally a premedical
student, I cultivated a passion for plants only upon completion of an entry-level botany
course. I then enrolled in additional courses in order to further focus on this botanical interest
(1). One such course was Vascular Plant Taxonomy. (2) I excelled in the classroom, and
soon found myself applying material taught in lecture to my everyday life. The taxonomic
key of local flora became one of my most-used resources, and leisurely strolls turned into
opportunities to identify and collect plant specimens (3). By the end of the course, I had
developed the desire to seek a career in the field of plant taxonomy (4).
The first paragraph lays out the background of the applicant: what leads him/her to choosing to study
botany at the postgraduate level. The admittance that the applicant did not hold any prior interest in plants
until he/she had a chance to take an entry-level botany course and how the passion started to develop from
there (1) are both personal and grounded in evidence (note the particular name of the course given) (2).
This, for a start, helps to distinguish him/her from the mass students who claim to be ‘in love with plants
for as long as I can remember’ and also allows the reader to see concretely the development of the
passion for the subject. The applicant then goes on to specify the area that is the most interesting and most
relevant to him/her (3), finally claiming that the passion had turned into a desire for a career (4).
I am confident that I possess the necessary passion, background, and drive to succeed in
graduate school. I enrolled in a course concerning plant taxonomy as an undergraduate
student (as I previously stated). This course equipped me with skills and knowledge that are
directly relevant to this Master's program, including: a general understanding of plant
systematics, a familiarity with ICBN nomenclature, the ability to efficiently use a taxonomic
key, and the ability to understand floral formulae and diagrams (5). Furthermore, I have
gained practical experience in taxonomy; I identified, collected, pressed, and mounted fifteen
specimens of native flora to create a personal herbarium, then wrote a dichotomous key to
accompany the specimens (6). The herbarium and key were submitted for a grade, and both
received high marks (7).
The applicant starts a new paragraph, elaborating on his/her passion and at the same time showing that
he/she has the necessary skills to do well in the course. An interesting point is that the applicant moves
from the general (5) – the knowledge and the skills that are the bare minimum to study at the postgraduate
level – to the more specific and personal experience (6). The paragraph is wrapped up with solid
evidence that the applicant, indeed, has been doing well with his study (7). (The reader can obviously see
the transcript that goes with the statement.)
I have also taken courses in other botanical subdisciplines (8). My education in plant
taxonomy, ecology and ethnobotany influenced my approach to my senior project (9) (a
detailed essay and presentation). Using information from academic literature, I discussed
many aspects of secondary plant metabolites: their classifications and chemistry, prevalence
in different plant families, roles in plant defense, and ethnobotanical significance. The project
was deemed well-structured and very thorough, and I was awarded a perfect score (10).
The applicant now tells the reader what other academic interests/specialism he/she has other than the
aforementioned focus on taxonomy (8). Not only does it show that the applicant has a broad range of
knowledge, but it also allows for an opportunity to show that he/she can integrate each one of them in an
extended work (9). Again, a solid piece of evidence – this time an indirect show-off even – is given to
support the claim (10).
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In addition to performing well in botany courses (as my transcript shows), I achieved
academic success in multiple areas of biology. The love I developed for the life sciences and
my strong work ethic allowed me to perform exceptionally well in upper division biology
courses, many of which had a very demanding workload and strict deadlines (11).
Furthermore, taking the maximum number of credit hours allowed during shortened summer
semesters strengthened my ability to perform well under pressure (12).
The applicant, in this new paragraph, connects his/her study with work ethic and attitudes. The focus
now has shifted from talking mainly about academic brilliance to showing that the applicant is capable as a
person as well (11). You can see again that the applicant backs his/her claim up with another concrete
piece of supporting evidence (12).
Finally, I am passionate about plants. Since receiving my Bachelor degree, much of my time
has been spent working in a field unrelated to science. However, I have made a conscious
effort to further my education and experience in botany: I continue to expand my personal
herbarium, hold memberships in both the Society for Economic Botany and the American
Society of Plant Taxonomists, and am currently being considered for a volunteer position at
my local Botanic Gardens (13).
After the shift has occurred last paragraph, the applicant now expands on how his study has affected him
on a personal level and what he has done/is doing in response to his passion. By doing so, the applicant can
convince the reader that his/her learning does not simply stop ‘in the classroom’ – a good sign that shows
real passion and commitment. Mentioning a volunteer position, in particular, is very relevant, as it suggests
the applicant is doing something for the community/society as well. There is always a concern that a
student (especially on a higher level of study) will eventually get detached from the world around him/her
and live in ‘the ivory tower’. This part of the statement strongly proves that such is not the case.
A postgraduate education is my next step toward achieving my career goal, and studying at
[the name of the university] appeals to me for a number of reasons. First, in contrast to the
two-year masters programs offered by most American universities, studying in the United
Kingdom would enable me to obtain a Master’s degree in one year (14). Furthermore,
attending a research-intensive institution like [the name of the university] would provide a
solid foundation should I choose to pursue a doctoral degree (15). Most appealing to me is
the degree program itself. By combining practical experience with interdisciplinary
coursework, this program appears to take a more thorough approach to plant systematics than
degree courses offered by other universities (16). As such, I am sure that by enrolling in the
[the name of the program] at [the name of the university], I will obtain the skills and
knowledge I need to progress in the field of plant taxonomy.
The last paragraph is, as per decorum, the conclusion. The applicant ends the statement by giving the
reason he/she chooses to study at a university in the UK instead of in the USA (he/she is originally from
there) (14) and also tells the reader that there is a strong possibility that he/she will continue to the doctoral
level (15). The applicant, in addition, specifies why he/she decides to apply for this particular course at this
particular university in the first place. Not only does this make the rationale behind the choice clear, but it
also gives the applicant an opportunity to compliment the department/faculty/university (16). A little bit of
sugar in your approach would not hurt, right?
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