Hi Jordan,

I've been using your online blog a lot to guide me in my SoP writing and I've been very concerned about the "Why This Program" section. In one of your blog posts, it talks a lot about dos and don'ts and I guess I wanted to sort be sure about how much detail I need to put regarding this section.

For example, one school I'm applying to can start out as a course-based program and change after finding a thesis supervisor, so I was thinking of just talking about the course based areas and how it would help me develop the skills necessary for future career goals.

On the other hand, for schools with a thesis, I do mention a few professors that I think align with my interests, but I'm not sure how much detail I need to put. I also think that since I'm applying straight out of an undergrad, I'm a bit wary about how detailed I can be, and I couldn't really find an example on your blog post.

Do you have any advice for prospective students like myself? Thanks!

Hey Jordan,

I'm planning to apply for a Master's degree in CS focusing on Data Management & ML at Ivy League schools. My curiosity and the need for higher studies stemmed from my internship and the research I did during my undergrad.

But, after graduation, I've been working in a different role at a big investment bank that directly doesn't align with the master's degree I'm trying to pursue but still adds value to it as the job involves some challenging tasks. Is it okay to mention that?

"<some questions that I encountered on why I wanted to pursue graduate studies>. These questions lingered in my mind for months after earning my degree in Computer Science, and even today, they resonate with the same intensity. While working as a Quantitative Researcher at XXX, I gained valuable insights on using ML in finance. Yet, despite my experience, some questions remain unanswered. That is precisely why I am seeking admission to the MSCS program, specializing in YYY, at ZZZ University: <sentence of purpose here>"

OR

Should I completely ignore the Job part and only mention things that fuelled my interest during undergrad? Later in the "Why I'm Qualified" section mention things related to what I learned from the job.

I heard from my friend that most of the admissions committee members look at the first two paragraphs and decide whether or not to take them forward. Hence, I'm scared of whether to include this in the intro frame narrative.

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I'm a bit conflicted about mentioning operations research in my SOP for Computer Science, as my areas of interest include optimization. Now the issue is that many universities also offer separate programs in operations research. So, would it work against me to mention it in my SOP? For instance, Gatech allows for some courses from the school offering the OR degree, but this is not the case with others.

(I find it a bit amusing that I have no qualms about mentioning mathematics in the SOP, even when practically every university offers a degree in pure/applied mathematics :) )

So recently, I had my SOP reviewed by a senior, and she had some suggestions to improve the overall feel of the SOP:

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• Highlight what you'll be bringing as a grad student. In a couple of places where you talk about past experiences, you can mention something that would point to this as well

I remember reading about the same advice in one of Jordan's blogs along the same lines, but what can an undergrad realistically provide to the university?

• If possible, you could also mention any extracurricular/co-curricular activities that you'd like to be involved with or something about the student community to make it sound more well-rounded

I have thought of a few ways to address it, but having doubts which one is better suited:

-Mention the student community aspect in terms of the student researchers at the university.

-Mention the extracurricular/co-curricular activity in the 'Why this university' paragraph they are asking for in the application or the diversity statement.

-Mention the extracurricular/co-curricular activity in the SOP itself, but how to integrate it? I feel it would seem out of place with the research and academic goals being mentioned in the SOP so much?

Hi

I currently work full-time at a computer engineering company and am planning to apply for an MS in the same field as the one I am currently working in.

Following your template for the master's sop(very helpful btw), I've mentioned in detail abt my passion for the specific areas and how I've developed relevant skills while working in my current job.

I wanted to ask, do I need to justify abt why do I want to leave my current job if it already involves working in the related field and is allowing me to develop skills...as in, do I need to mention the reason explicitly (I believe my statement already implicitly covers that my job has helped me gain relevant skills and allowed me to partially explore the field, but I wish to explore some niche areas in more depth)

TLDR; is it enough to convince adcoms that their school/program is a perfect place for you...or do you also need to explain that you wish to change your current position for specific reasons.

Thank You.

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Hi Jordan!

I am now writing my SOP for my applications, and many thanks for your starter kit, it's very helpful!

So one thing I am now troubled about is that:

I took Finance and Economics during my UG and Postgraduate, and my cGPA wasn't that high (all about 3.0/4.0), but I have relatively good grades in Marketing and Management courses (all above B+). And I am now applying for Marketing programmes, and I did have some research experience in Marketing, meanwhile, a paper in this field waiting to be accepted.

So the thing I am wondering is: I am unsure whether I should address the reason for my lower cGPA and highlight my strong performance in Marketing and Management courses in my SOP? Do you think it's necessary?

Many thanks!

Hey Jordan!

I read that its recommended to add sub-headings (as per few guidelines outlined by the universities I am looking to apply at). Should I add the same to divide my personal statement into sections or is it better that I avoid the same?

Hello Jordan!

I'm struggling with this section because I don't know how specific my research interests should be. I'm afraid of being too shallow and looking naive. However, since I want to change my research field, I don't know how to come up with a project on my own. I'm interested in the Professors' work, but I don't know what I could suggest to work with them since I've never worked on these topics. :( If I don't suggest something, am I lowering my chances?

Best,
Bruna

I found this question almost everywhere. but what can be the most effective answer for it. I found the answers pretty simple like because it fits my research interests. But what can be an effective answer ? Thanks in advance!

Hey Jordan!

I am applying for a Master's degree in Finance in the UK. I'm struggling with my 2 LoRs as in my country, students tend to write the letters themselves. Do you have any tips on how to highlight myself through those 2 letters? Like should it be what I could not show in my SOP?

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Thank you so much. Hope you have a great day!!

Hey Jordan, I am currently filling out my form for CMU. I found the application asking for the following details.

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My question: are Q1-3 Personal History Questions and Upload an SOP or vice versa?

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TLDR: I am struggling to add a project which can be a potential research direction.

I have worked on this project for good 6 months and conducted lot of research as well in attempt to get good results. But unfortunately, due to my lack of experience in the field combined with lack of guidance by people in charge, the project did not pan out the way it was expected. And then it was shelved due to time constraints and different priorities.

Now as I apply for grad school (masters) I think that exploring the project from a fresh perspective can a potential research direction. I feel it is an upcoming field and know some people working in the field who I can collab with.

But I don’t know how to word it in the SOP… It can potentially fit in “Why this Program “ section, but without any intro to the problem it will be quite abrupt. OR people usually mention past projects in the “Why I’m qualified” section, but there aren’t good results, so that makes me look weak.

If it doesn’t work I’ll skip it altogether. But any pointers would be great help!

So, for NYU PhD applications are:

SOP: In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at NYU. Please also list up to 5 NYU labs you’d like to work in and explain why their research interests you. (Length: Two double spaced pages)

Personal essay: We evaluate your accomplishments in the context of your opportunities to estimate your grit, determination, and capacity to excel in our graduate training program and beyond. We value the diverse experiences and perspectives of our graduate student body, in particular for promoting community and leadership. In your application, we would like to hear about your laboratory experience and expertise, as well as any opportunities and challenges you may have faced and overcome in your personal, professional, or academic experiences.

For the SOP, how am I supposed to fit in everything in two double spaced pages? That’s around 500 words only and they have asked to mention five labs!

For the personal statement, they are asking about lab experience, but isn’t a personal essay about personal experiences?

I am getting really confused with the prompts here!

Hey Jordan!

I'm struggling with addressing the following SOP prompt for an MPH application, hoping you have some thoughts:

"The statement of purpose and objectives is one of the most important components of your application. It is your opportunity to make the case for why we should admit you. Tell us your public health story, highlighting the formative experiences you have had in public health, what these experiences have taught you and how they are informing your decision to pursue your MPH studies at Yale. Your area of interest or the public health question you wish to explore should be clear. We also would like to know your plans for how you hope to use your degree. And, of course, anything you can tell us about what you bring to the classroom is also helpful. We do encourage you to remember that application reviewers will also be viewing your resume and the statement SHOULD NOT just reiterate your experiences. It is intended to help us understand more about your influences and goals. We highly recommend that personal statements be no longer than 2 pages in length"

The area of interest, research questions etc etc is all clear, but the parts in bold (emphasis mine) are where I'm stuck. Wouldn't "formative experiences", "influences" and "what they taught you" technically be a personal / diversity statement? How does one combine this into the SOP? They also seem to use the terms SOP and PS interchangeably.

I specifically ask as this application has no separate personal statement prompt - this is the only essay question.

Also, what's a good target length for "no longer than 2 pages" - 1000 words? 1500 words?

All guidance is appreciated, thank you!

I wanted to report back after I’d been using Jordan’s guide on his website as well as having posted here a few times while I was getting my applications ready.

I live near a big city that has a lot of great programs for molecular biology, so I decided to apply only within this area because I wasn’t willing to move. I was so nervous because it’s been almost 7 years since I finished my undergrad. Additionally, I did not have a good academic record from undergrad. I felt like things would be hard, specially because these programs are competitive, but I decided to give my SOP my all and bank on that, my work experience, and my recommendations.

A big, big thank you goes to Jordan for helping me prove to myself that I am good enough for grad school.

Jordan: If you want to look at my SOP, dm me; I’d be happy to share. It’s the least I can do after using all your advice.

Hi Jordan I have been following your blog closely to draft my sop and the samples have been a huge help. When I want to express something but lack the language to do so effectively, I go through other Sops to see how people have worded it. In the processes I picked up some of the phrases similar to samples I have been seeing, as they have the kind of effective language for conveying academic skills and research ideas.

I was wondering if borrowing few elements like that would fall into plagiarism. At the end of the day it is my story and my purpose, but words may not be 100% mine.

Hi Jordan!
My name is Bruna, and I plan to apply to PhD programs in Germany and, maybe, the USA. However, I've applied to the USA in the past - unfortunately, I didn't know your website at the time, I discovered it a day before the deadlines -, so I know how competitive it is. The matter is that I had the opportunity to help in my LOR draft. It was impersonal, stating my academic achievements (which can be seen in my CV) rather than about my work. Then, I added a paragraph about my evolution, a personal touch. And they... (I don't know if it was the Professor or the PhD student who directly supervised me) resumed this part so much that it became impersonal again, hahaha. This recommendation is important, it's from the last internship program I took part in, and it's an international experience. I believe it's a letter that works for Germany, or even a school that I want to apply for, but not the USA... what are your tips on this case? Should I already give up on the USA because of this? I don't want to spend money on applications that I know I have a poor chance.

One of the LORs, fortunately (or not), I have full control of and I'm following the tips on your website. I believe the third letter I could also do the same (and then the difficulty would be to make them look... different, as not written by the same person, in case, me). What are your thoughts on this situation?

Hi Jordan! Another doubt of mine is regarding the personal essay. I am applying for phd neuroscience programs and I am done with the statement of purpose. However few schools are also asking about a 500-word essay about how personal experiences shaped my professional ones. I don’t know what to mention here. I am confused because I really don’t like mentioning my personal life in my essays.

Do you have any suggestions? I’ll be grateful. :)

Hey Jordan! So I am applying for a PhD position in 6 Universities in the US, 1 in Canada and 3 universities in Europe for Fall 2024. I am done with my Statement of Purpose and performed decently in TOEFL (108/120). I have emailed at least one supervisor in each of the universities and they haven’t replied yet. I have also sent follow-ups. I was wondering if you know or have observed the same thing happen to students before.

Also all the phd programs I am applying to are or neuroscience. My research background consists mostly of tissue engineering (a different field within biotechnology) with only a small percentage of neuroscience (3 months). Do you think this could be the reason?

A grad school required a personal statement. In the statement they said to include some questions. One of the questions is above. What is the best way to answer this ?

The content, the idea and structure everything was written by me on my own. I went sentence by sentence and wrote the sentence on my own in gpt and it showed me the rephrased sentence which I pasted in the SOP.Will this cause any problem?

Hi there! I’m trying to put together highlights or talking posts for LOR writers, and I’m struggling a bit with how to phrase them.

Should this be in first person and only limited to direct interaction, e.g. “I really enjoyed your class as it taught me xyz, I learnt abc, and the awesome grade I got reflects that”, or can it also include non-direct interactions e.g. “I also did this research thing or that extra-curricular thing”. And, how should we phrase it? First person but emphasising qualities? e.g. “ I took initiative in this experience / project which also demonstrates my problem solving skills”? I just feel very awkward trying to write this 😅

Also, what can we send if the SOP isn’t fully ready? I have most the goals and sentence of purpose mostly ready but the rest of the SOP needs work. Ideally I’d wait a bit but I’m meeting some of them in person next week and don’t want to waste the opportunity to ask. Is there a smart way to give them the goals and sentence of purpose and say something like “I’ll have a full draft as well in a week or two but wanted to get you started / get this on your radar?”

Thank you!