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/ STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: GENERAL OVERVIEW
One of the most important parts of applications for scholarships and academic programs is the statement of purpose. In a statement of purpose, applicants explain in a short space, usually one page in length, why they should be selected for a program. These simple, short and direct essays can be very difficult to write. This difficulty is often a result of not being able to organize ideas, not being able to evaluate what information is important, or using a wordy, rather than a direct, writing style.
The first thing to consider when thinking about how to write a statement of purpose is a structurefor the statement. A statement of purpose is an argument for why a person should be selected to participate in a program, and, for this reason, a statement needs structure. A good structure should organize information to answer the possible question a committee evaluating applications might have of the applicants. A typical committee is interested in learning about thequalifications of applicants, why applicants are interested in a program, and how participating in a program will benefit both the applicant and the program. A paragraph should be used to answer each of these questions.
A common problem in writing statements of purpose is deciding what information is important. Because of the limited space, not everything an applicant wants to say can be included in the statement. When evaluating the possible information, it is important to let the structure of an application determine what information should be included. Information that does not support the structure of an argument serves no purpose, and detracts from the effectiveness of their statement. If something is too important to omit, but does not fit into the existing structure, reorganize the structure to include it.
The limitations of space available for statements of purpose mean that applicants have to be careful withy the words that they choose. Clear specific sentences without unnecessary words, thatsave space, will let the applicant say more. A statement does not need to be dramatic, it needs to be effective. Words and phrases used to make a statement dramatic and interesting usually have the opposite effect. It s important to remember that readers evaluating statements of purpose are interested in the applicants’ reasons for participating in a program, not in being entertained by the applicant. Readers have to evaluate hundreds of statements and clear understandable writing is important. A reader will not spend time trying to decipher writing, even if the ideas are good, simply because there are many statements to evaluate. The best method fortesting for the clarity of writing is to have somebody else proofread a statement. A good statement is always the result of careful editing and re-writing.
Remember, committees that evaluate statements of purpose know nothing about the applicantexcept for what is presented in the application. The application is designed to get certain information about the applicant. They do not need to know everything about the applicants, just enough to evaluate them. Write to answer the questions they have, or that you expect they have, do not write about things that are irrelevant to the issue involved. If an applicant and other materials supplied by a program are not clear enough, ask the program for clarification. Usually, they will give you an idea of what they are looking for in a successful candidate.
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