How to write Statement of Purpose

Writing the Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the personal statement is to convince the Admissions Committee members that you belong at their school and, eventually, in their profession.

Things to Keep in Mind:
1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: 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, demonstrate it.
4. You don't want to make excuses, but you can talk about the mistakes you've made as a learning experience.
5. If there is something important that happened (poverty, illness, excessive work, etc.), which affected your grades go ahead and state it, but write it affirmatively, that is, in a way that shows your perseverance.
6. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.
7. The essay should be 500-600 words (1 to 1½ pages) single-space, typed, 12pt. font size.

Do's and Don'ts

Do's:
• Do start early and allow plenty of time for several drafts and multiple revisions.
• Do choose one theme/thesis that unifies your essay.
• Do think about your values and motivation before writing the essay.
• Do be as specific as possible about why you want to study for and join your chosen this profession.
• Do use the word "I" if you want to, but don't if it makes you uncomfortable.
• Do talk about how your uniqueness makes you a good candidate.
• Do use examples of personal struggle to highlight character traits or accomplishments.
• Do provide the reader with insight into what drives you.
• Do evaluate your experiences, rather than simply recounting them
• Do write in your own voice. Be yourself rather than trying to be the ideal applicant.
• Do think about the impression you are making on the reader.
• Do use active verbs. It is good to sound confident (without sounding obnoxious or pretentious).
• Do use a spell checker. Schools detest misspelled words and bad grammar.
• Do enlist others to read and proofread your essay.
• Do get feedback on your draft(s) from your advisor before your submission.
• Do take your essay to the Writing Center before you submit it to schools.

Don'ts:
• Don't use the word "dream."
• Don't write an expanded resume; avoid repeating information that you've provided elsewhere in your application.
• Don't lie, cheat or steal. Embellishing your personal stories to make them try to sound "better," having your friend the English major write your essay for you, or "borrowing" ideas from other essays you've read are obviously bad ideas. You want this to be your own work, and something you'll be able to talk about at your interviewsin an honest and detailed manner.
• Don't try to cover too much.
• Don't talk about emotionally-charged experiences if you cannot do so in a fairly professional manner at an interview.
• Don't use clichés or tired metaphors ("It was a dark and stormy night…")
• Don't talk about how bad all current health professionals are and how much better you will be.
• Don't mention "hot topics" like abortion, managed care, or assisted suicide.
• Don't talk about salary and how much money you would like to make.
• Don't talk about how wonderful you are. Let the Board take care of that.
• Don't list the qualities that you believe make you a good candidate. Rather, it should be selfevident from the essay what positive character traits you gained from your experiences.
• Don't say that you want to be a doctor because your mother/father is a doctor.

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