When writing my graduate school statement of purpose, what two things must I include?
Every graduate school statement of purpose must include two things: your purpose for applying and your preparation for attending. Instead of describing one incident, you craft a narrative covering years of experience in your field, showing why you want to do this work and why you can.
Your graduate school statement of purpose must cover two essentials: why you are applying and how prepared you are to attend. It is a narrative across your years of experience, not a single incident. Check each university's official instructions for its specific requirements.
The Two Essentials
| Essential | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Your purpose | Why you want to apply to graduate school and do this work |
| Your preparation | Why you can do this work, based on years of experience in your field |
Three Steps to Write It
- Step One: Come up with content.
- Step Two: Structure your story.
- Step Three: Make it perfect.
My Advice
Before drafting, write one paragraph for purpose and one for preparation. Once both are clear, shape them into a single story and refine it until every sentence supports one of the two.
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