SOP for Medicine and Medical Specialities

I firmly believe in the powerful message of Ecclesiastes 3:1, which states that every endeavor man can undertake has its own time and meaning. Looking back on my own life, I see these different seasons as stages of growth that have helped me to understand my own potential and the path that I wish to take in life. I feel that I have lived deeply and fully, and now wish to apply the valuable life lessons I have gained to what I feel is my true calling. Now is the season to explore the fascinating world of medicine, and to finally make that dream a reality.

As a child, I never believed that I could succeed. Growing up in one foster home after another, I lacked the stability that a youth needs in order to excel in classes and build a proper foundation for the future. I was pregnant by the age of eighteen, and dropped out of school to try to forge a future for my children. Life was difficult but fulfilling, and I found much joy in being the mother of two lovely children. The day my second child was diagnosed with Krabbe’s disease, however, all of my happiness seemed to vanish before my very eyes.

Krabbe’s disease is both terminal and debilitating, and the doctors gave my daughter a life expectancy of eighteen months. Swallowing my shock and sorrow, I devoted myself to making the most of the precious time I had left with my child. I researched intensively on Krabbe’s disease, learning as much as I could about its mechanisms and the course it would run. I applied these lessons to caring for my daughter, and provided her with the twenty-four hour a day care that she required. Because I was afraid she would die at any moment, I never left her side, even to go to work. In order to pay the bills, I took in outside sewing and odd jobs. But no sacrifice was too great for my daughter. She lived to the age of four, long past her expectancy, which the doctors attributed to my constant care.

Being such an intimate witness to the struggle of life and death left me with a deep sense of human fragility. I realized that the human body is so very intricate and beautiful in its complex delicacy. Working closely with doctors, studying medical texts, and nursing a very sick little girl gave me my first taste of medicine. I was too numbed with pain, however, to focus my thoughts on any plans to enter that field. I instead tried to deal with my grief while providing for my remaining child as a single mother. During the next few years, I worked as a secretary and a beautician, and eventually opened a beauty salon of my own. As a business owner, I entered a new world of innovative ideas and social responsibility. Running the salon taught me the valuable lesson of “people pleasing,” and I gained the confidence and communication skills to fight for my rights as a businesswoman. I also devoted much time and funding to my community. I knew full well the horrors of poverty, and often performed services for the local nursing home and charities. My life was finally beginning to stabilize, and I decided that the time had come to think about the dream of medicine that had grown during my daughter’s illness.

Because my days were devoted to running the beauty salon, I attended college during the nights. I was hesitant at first; although I felt drawn to medicine, I did not know if I could handle the coursework. I therefore decided to explore the field before committing myself to it. I found part-time work in the medical office of a local prison, which gave me much exposure to the rigors of health care. Working with prisoners was an amazing experience, for it taught me that all humans need compassion, no matter what their past or their crimes. Whenever a man walked into the clinic, I saw him not as a prisoner, but as a human being in need of help. I poured all of my compassion into my work, and did my best to ensure that these men were receiving the care that every human deserves.

Because I was in a prison environment, the office granted me much more opportunity for hands-on care than I could have found in a public setting. For instance, I often changed bandages and assisted in minor surgeries. On one memorable day, I helped treat a young boy who had nearly cut off his thumb while working in the kitchen. The knife had bitten deep into his palm, and his thumb seemed to be dangling by a thread. Far from feeling repulsion, I was fascinated by the sight of his hand’s internal parts. I realized that I was viewing the physiological structures that enabled movement, and found the experience to be breathtaking. My resolve snapped into place. I knew then that medicine was my true calling, and I enrolled in Georgia Southern University immediately as a full-time student.

Attending college at this point in my life has not been easy. I live seventy miles away from campus, and commute every day. The distance always seems so tiny when I think of the wealth of information I am gaining in my classes, and the many noble goals that are now within my grasp. College is certainly not the only aspect of my life right now. I revel in white water rafting, horseback riding, and cabinet making, and enjoy the challenges and hard work that fill these activities. Having been married to a farmer for the past ten years, I also know the basics of running a farm. I am an advocate for birth control, and have devoted much of my time to convincing sexually active adolescents to seek family planning services. Additionally, I have striven to prepare myself for making meaningful contributions to my community. Because I am from a region with a large Hispanic population, I spent a summer in Costa Rica strengthening my knowledge of the Spanish language, as well as broadening my cultural awareness of other peoples and customs. I believe that a physician must be attuned to all of the needs of the community, be they physical or emotional or cultural.

Now is the season for me to tackle my true goal of medicine. I believe that all of my life experiences have been necessary to bring me to this point. I am mentally prepared and persistent enough to excel at any endeavor, and have developed the compassion and commitment to medicine that will drive me through the years to come. I look forward to my future with great anticipation, and know that the time has finally come for me to realize my dreams.

SOP for Economics Graduate Studies

In this essay I am going to concentrate mostly on the incentives that stimulate me to pursue further studying, and reflect the motives for my choice of Princeton University as well as state my future career objectives.I have chosen to work in the area of international microeconomics because it has such a demand for new ideas. At the same time it requires a good mathematical background and has obvious implications in real life.
My education suits this field very well, I have Master of Science with Honors in the field of applied mathematics and physics and a Master of Arts in economics with a specialization in international economics. I already have extensive research experience both in applied sciences and economics, know basic economic models and have strong background both in abstract modeling and data manipulation. All this probably makes me an economist, but my objective is to become a good one.I have been taught by very good lecturers. After course I took with Professor Branson I decided that there is nothing more interesting than international economics. Professor A made issues of monetary economics and government policy fascinating. Lectures delivered by Professor B attracted me to labor market problems. I enjoyed listening to them and want to teach my mind to operate in a similar manner -- attention is paid to every individual fact and each formal problem solved reflects a real economic situation.


While writing my master's thesis I had a chance to see that a simple look at a graph can be more useful than application of sophisticated economic techniques. One of the reasons I want to study further is to reach at least the same level of intuitiveness and panoramic view of the subject as my teachers have.My Master of Arts degree was in the field of Health Economics, which I am very interested in. It was mostly empirical dissertation. My dissertation was titled ".." and I worked under the guidance of Professor C. The greatest part of my work was devoted to macroeconomic cross-country econometric (panel data) analysis. The task was complicated by the necessity to work with omitted variables and low quality data as well as the low reliability of data for developing countries and countries in transition.

We also made efforts to build a model that explains the impact of macroeconomic parameters on health deterioration and the probability of death. My master's thesis has been presented at the "Russian Economic And Political Institutions In Transition" conference and currently we are preparing it for publication.At this time I am also doing empirical research devoted to inflation and monetary policy. I feel cautious specifying which area of economics interests me most for further study, but I do not think that this is a drawback. I find economics particularly attractive for the fact that it is broad, and has not yet been split into a set of narrow sub-branches -- economists all speak almost the same language. I also think that in the face of complexity we face in this discipline, it would ineffective to specialize too narrowly.

This year I realized as I had not before that I wish to continue my studies. Being a teaching assistant in Professor A's Macroeconomics and Advanced Macroeconomics classes, I understood a lot of effort must be applied for a good student to turn into a good teacher. I feel that a similar gap lies between a good student and a good researcher.I am a hard-working and determined person, and I am ready for a new leap in my economics career. I will work hard in hope that the quantity of the effort I put in will result in high quality knowledge. The fact is that the best possible supervisors and a highly competitive atmosphere are necessary for this quality. The only reasonable decision for me was to aim for such a place. All this gives me the motivation to apply to Princeton University.

Biophysics program application - Sample SOP

It is noticed that science develops in splashes, each significantly advancing our understanding of the Nature. The 19th century was the time of rapid development of thermodynamics and electrodynamics; in the beginning of the 20th century quantum mechanics and relativity theory were born. In the search for secrets of nature science has reached extremely high and low energies as well as large and small length scales. Still until recently we knew very little about one of the most complex on everyday’s length and energy scales systems – life. Now we are at the dawn of efflorescence in molecular biology, which provides an excellent basis for application of modern physics, biochemistry and computational techniques. Revelations of molecular structure become extremely crucial, as they provide insights into the way molecules work.

My interest in the role of biomolecular structure in information processing and signal transduction pathways in the cell has developed during the last two years, while I have been a student of Molecular Biophysics sub-department of MIPT. Processing of biological information plays a crucial role in the existence and development of biological systems and its infringement often leads to different kinds of diseases. The structure and, consequently, the function of the involved biomolecules is an important key to the understanding of these processes. To further study processing of biological information and methods of structure determination I joined the research group of Dr. X, focusing on the structure and function of membrane proteins, lipids and lipid-protein systems.

In September 2004 I started my research in the group of xyux123, Small City, Russia. I studied the properties of xxx65432 under various conditions. Work there not only deepened my knowledge about crystallisation and lipid systems, but also gave me knowledge and experience of strengths and limitations of structure investigation by neutron scattering. I became familiar with the theoretical background of small angle neutron scattering, experimental setup and data treatment techniques.

In March 2005 I continued my research in the group of Dr. X at the Institute of XX. The ultimate goal of our research is to explain all stages of signal transduction during the chemo- and phototaxis. Currently I am involved in several projects on the structure and functioning of xxx, the specimen of microbial phototaxis system, in the complex with xxx as well as without it. My current task is to obtain crystals which xxx. During this work I acquired a broad range of experimental experience and theoretical background necessary for crystallisation and structure determination of membrane proteins. One of the most challenging tasks in my project was to find the best conditions for trapping intermediate states of xx in crystals. It was a combination of thorough theoretical analysis of spectral properties of the protein with further experimental examination and finally implementation of theoretical findings. As a result I obtained crystals of xxx which diffract to xx on a synchrotron.

Having succeeded in the current research, employing the knowledge from different fields of physics and biochemistry, I feel well prepared for the further challenging studies and research in the fields of molecular and structural biology, perhaps on very different topics, as well as on the topics I am familiar with. I regard structure investigations to be not only the method of obtaining a particular structure, but one from the collection of methods of life sciences which together advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms of life. Therefore I want to study a range of biophysical, biochemical and computational techniques that are used to reveal function of biomolecules and information processing by biological systems. Spectroscopy, quantum chemistry and computational structural biology techniques, like molecular dynamics and Brownian dynamics are of great interest to me as they are hand in hand with structure determination methods. Therefore multidisciplinary training program in Molecular, Cellular and Chemical Biology perfectly suits my scientific interests. Research in these areas is very active in Dr. X's, Dr. X’s, Dr. X’s, and Dr. X’s groups at XX University.

I want to continue my education at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of XX University. I am convinced that my participation in your Ph.D. program will give me thorough education and excellent research experience, which will advance me to my dream – discovering new secrets of Nature.

SOP for CS students

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Electronics – as we know is a dynamic field, ever developing and constantly evolving. That is what prompted me to take u this particular course with the Shah and Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, recognized as one of the best colleges in the University of Mumbai. My undergraduate course offered a vast curriculum of integrated subjects like Electrical, Computers, Telecommunications and Instrumentation. Electronics was also my subject of specialization after my secondary School Certificate exam. Two years of Higher Secondary School gave me fair idea of what to expect at the undergraduate level. My ardent interest and dedication enabled me to secure distinction at the Higher Secondary Certificate exams. Now I plan to specialize in Computer Science. Needles s to mention that the United States is the world leader in this field and your academic institutions are held in high esteem worldwide. What attract me though, are the freedom of academics and the variety of courses offered by your prestigious institute.

This undergraduate program has given me a strong foundation and has brought about considerable maturity in my outlook. Among my favorite subjects in class were Mathematics and Calculus, Numerical Methods, Programming in Pascal and C and Microprocessor Architecture. My senior year elective was an integrated course of Intel Pentium architecture and assembly language programming, WindowsNT and PCI bus architecture.

Reflecting on my undergraduate days, I wold life to emphasize on my consistent academic record. I believe that knowledge is not what one is able to retain and reproduce on a sheet of paper. It is grasping of the complexities of the subject and founding a strong technical base that matters. I love to read a lot of books and journals. Besides giving me a fair idea of the subject, this also gives me an opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments and technology. My favorites are the IEEE publications and journals, PC Quest, Electronics for You and the CHIP Magazine.

I represented the college at an all-college convention of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, an international organization). My college project titled “Back EMF Strategy used in Stepper Motor Control” did pretty well and though I did not make it among the pot three at the presentation, my seminar was well received by the audience as several people and even some senior members expressed their appreciation of my topic and the detailed information that I imparted as part of my presentation. This encouragement truly has boosted my confidence.

I carried out my senior year project titled “Professional and Management Development Cell System” at Tata Constancy Services (TCS), a premier software company in India and the Indian consultants for Microsoft Corporation. My main project involved creation of a company wide database to help train the employees using MS-Access as the underlying database. Because this project involved all the branches of the company countrywide, I also gained some working experience of the Internet, Intranets and LANs. While I had the opportunity to gain some knowledge of Visual Basic, VC++ and JAVA.

In my final year of undergraduation, I secured a job at Mahindra British Telecom, a leading IT company formed by merging Mahindra & Mahindra India Ltd. with the worked famous British Telecom Pl. Currently, I am working there as software engineer. I have come to realize that in order to keep up with the reckless pace of innovation in this field and to meet up to the standards of my counterparts from across the globe, I have to equip myself with a strong degree from Institute of International acclaim. Your college, I feel offers me the best in terms of courses, guidance, facilities and faculty. Being a hard working and committed student, I am certain that I will be able to cope with the rigors of an International curriculum with ease. My determination to succeed and do well will enable me to be among the better students of your college.

SOP for Computer Science

SOP

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

I completed my Graduation in Bachelor of Commerce (Honors Course) in 1995. It taught me how to manage financial affairs, prepare balance sheets, etc. I liked the commerce field so I decided to do masters in that field. In 1997 I completed my Masters degree in Commerce. While doing the masters degree I joined our own finance company where my work was totally related to the finance field. Along with that I did Post Graduate Diploma in Management, again specializing in Finance and completed it in 1998. While doing the job I thought about getting some acquaintance with the computers so I did Advanced PC Applications from NIIT in Dec 1998 and a training program from Indira Gandhi National Open University in C, C++ and JAVA in June 1998. After doing these courses, I got a keen interest in computers. So I decided to g n for some programming language and I did ORACLE 8 with DEVELOPER 2000 (FORMS 5.0 AND REPORTS 3.0) in 1999 from SQL Star International Ltd., New Delhi, the Institute authorized by Oracle Software India. I am an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), the certificate provided by Oracle Corporation, USA.

I did 2 projects in oracle. One was about Banking System and the second was about the Super Market. The Banking system was small software that handled all the transactions regarding bank, which provides the account holder information, and handling day to day transactions. This software automatically updates the account holder’s account mentioning the current balance in his account. The super market was sophisticated software, which stored the information regarding customer, products, vendors and credit card. This software also generated various bills like invoicing bill, receipt bill and customer payment bill.

After doing these many courses and 2 projects in computers I found that my interest towards computers has increased further. Moreover, now in every industry knowledge about IT is required. So I discovered that either I have the option to do Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) from India itself or go outside India to get a good Masters degree in computers. As in India, MCA is for three years, which I thought, is not feasible for me. So I decided for the second option i.e. doing MS in Computer Science from USA, which is a two year course. Further, MS in computer science is a professional degree worldwide and it will be easier for me to fulfill my dreams of becoming a software professional and getting a good job in India. Moreover, by doing this course from USA I will get an international l exposure and it will also enhance my overall personal development.

How to write a statement of purpose!

Writing your admissions essays or Statement of Purpose (SoP) is a long and intensive process - ten to twelve drafts over a two-month period are fairly common. It is necessary to put in this hard work to come up with an essay that is uniquely yourself, and a compelling read which convinces the admissions committee that you are right for their school. This is a great opportunity to look inside yourself and be rewarded by a better understanding of who you are and what you want.

Show your interest in the subject. Rather than saying that you find electronics interesting, it is more convincing to demonstrate your interest by talking about any projects you may have done and what you learnt from them. If you have taken the initiative to do things on your own, now is the time to talk about them.Show that you have thought carefully about further studies, know what you are getting into, and have the confidence to go through with it. Have the admissions committee like you! Avoid sounding opinionated, conceited, pedantic or patronizing. Read your essay carefully, and have others read it to find and correct this.

Demonstrate a rounded personality. Include a short paragraph near the end on what you like to do outside of your professional life. Keep the essay focussed. Each sentence you use should strengthen the admissions committee's resolve to admit you. So while you may have done several interesting things in life, avoid falling into the trap of mentioning each of them. Your essay should have depth, not breadth. The resume is where you should list achievements. Remember that you have very little space to convey who you are, so make every sentence count.
Pitfalls your essay must avoid : It is a repetition of the resume or other information available from the application form, It could have been written by just about anybody; your individuality does not come through, It is not a honest account in response to the essay question (why you want to study what you do, what you have learned from an event/person in your life and so on) It has embarrassing, highly personal and emotional content that should be avoided unless it makes a unique, creative point. The admissions committee would not appreciate reading about the pain you went through after breaking up with your boyfriend. An account of how you overcame difficult family circumstances, illness, or a handicap, would be a valid point to include in your essay. However, avoid emotional language.


Flow
While each paragraph should make a complete statement on its own, the essay should logically progress from paragraph to paragraph. Read your essay for flow, or have someone else read it, and ask yourself if there seems to be an abrupt shift between ideas in two consecutive paragraphs.

Structure
This follows naturally from flow. Do all the paragraphs mesh together to form a cogent whole? Does the essay, through a logical progression of ideas, demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and fit in the department you have applied to?

Language
Avoid slang and abbreviations. For acronyms, use the full form the first time and show the acronym in parentheses. Use grammatically correct English and ALWAYS read your essay carefully for spelling mistakes before you send it off - your computer's spellcheck may not flush out all the errors. Try to make your essay crisp, cutting out unnecessary adverbs, articles and pronouns (for instance, a careful reading may yield several "the's" that are superfluous).

Tone
Use a consistent tone throughout the essay - it will only confuse the admissions officers if you alternately sound like Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare, and is hardly likely to endear you to them! While you should avoid flowery language and cliches, there is no harm in looking for the most apt phrase or sentence. Be careful while using humor - it can misfire and harm your chances.

So now you have a coherent essay put together. You think the structure is more or less right, the ideas flow, and the language isn’t bad. What next? Put your essay away for a day or two. When you take it out, lay it face down for two minutes while you put yourself in the admissions committee’s place. Imagine yourself to be a professor or graduate student who is going through a few hundred applications and classifying them into ‘yes’, ‘maybe’ and ‘no’ piles. Think of how you would look at SoPs and try to read yours through a stranger’s eyes. What do you see?
It is essential to show your SoP to a few people whose opinion you respect – an English teacher from school, a professor, an older friend, a parent or a relative. Include among these, 2-3 people who know you well.

Top 10 Essay Clichés

According to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, a cliché is "a trite phrase or expression," "a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation," or "something that has become overly familiar or commonplace." The last thing you want in your essay is any of the above. Clichés make your writing appear lazy, your ideas ordinary, and your experiences typical. Arm yourself with the list below and eradicate these and other clichés from your writing.

1. I always learn from my mistakes
2. I know my dreams will come true
3. I can make a difference
4. _________ is my passion
5. I no longer take my loved ones for granted
6. These lessons are useful both on and off the field (or other sporting arena)
7. I realized the value of hard work and perseverance
8. _________ was the greatest lesson of all
9. I know what it is to triumph over adversity
10. _________ opened my eyes to a whole new world

SEE SAMPLE SOP

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Journalism

Personal Statement

I hope for a chance to do graduate study in the United States because it has the most independent and sophisticated mass media in the world. My ultimate goal is to apply what I learn to the industry in my own country, which is still immature but will surely become more developed. My dream of becoming a journalist dates back to my childhood. Even as a youngster, I was curious about the world around me and I like freedom. I was attracted to the idea because a journalist can talk to people in all stations of life and be exposed to many ideas. As I grew older, the work attracted me even more as I realized journalists might be the people closest to the truth and reality. They play a vital role in helping others know the world in which they live and contribute to the enlightenment of society. My dream came closer to fulfillment in 1995 when I graduated from middle school and enrolled in the Department of Journalism at Fudan University, ranked the best journalism school in China.

In the university, I accepted a Chinese-style journalism education. I was one of the school's top students in the four years I attended. I worked as an intern in five Chinese newspapers during vacations and was quite productive. China has a government controlled media and the press industry has a strict environment, but I can understand that since the government is facing a large population, it needs a unified media to make its voice clear.

After graduation, I made another step toward my dream by entering a newly launched newspaper, Shanghai Daily, which is so far the largest local English-language newspaper in China. I chose it because I wanted to polish my English, and more importantly, to practice what I had learned from reading western newspapers and magazines during my undergraduate study. I was deeply impressed by their balanced angles, their thorough research, and their courage to criticize.

During the past year I have been working as a business reporter at Shanghai Daily, covering the economic development of Pudong, a special finance and trade development area in Shanghai, and the telecom beat. The latter was fortuitous not only because China's telecom market has grown into the world's second largest, but also because it is experiencing a major reform, under which the former tightly controlled market is gradually opening to more competitors and even foreign investors. Covering this beat helped me a lot to develop the valuable skill of communicating with others.

This working experience has turned me from a shy girl into an open-minded reporter. I would even get nervous before making a telephone interview during the first months after I left campus, but now I will be the first among a group of journalists to raise my hand to ask questions during a press conference. At the same time, however, I became increasingly aware of my inadequacies. I need to further raise my English language level. I need to develop solid knowledge in a specific sector, such as finance or public affairs, so that I can become a real professional on my beat. That is why I decided to go back to school.

If I have a chance to enroll in your university, I will focus my study and research on the theories and practices of western journalism. What should be the nature of journalism? Can a news entity be totally free or is it inevitably beholden, controlled or influenced by a party, group or government. How should a news agency behave when its actions can hurt the nation's welfare? These are questions to which I will try to find answers. I will try to learn a journalist's professional skills. Western journalists' sharp news sense, strong analytical capacity and their skills of interviewing and writing are things that I will try to develop. I will also concentrate on the flourishing digital media, the Internet. The open, free and fast-refreshing Internet has become an unprecedented challenge to China's traditional media, although it's still in a fledgling stage, uncertain of its future. The Internet is obviously becoming one of the best-used news resources for the Chinese, even though the government bars non-official websites having their own reporters gathering information, thereby permitting rumors to occupy a big part of website contents.

I sincerely hope your university can provide me with the chance to study. Your sophisticated education and my own efforts will help me grow into an accomplished journalist.

SOP for LAW School

Throughout my life, I have always known that helping others would be an integral part of my career. My parents raised me with the belief that we must constantly strive to touch the lives of the people around us. In the second grade, I received the first reward of my academic career: my teacher Mrs. Horodowich presented me with the “Most Likely to be a Peace Maker” award. In later years, whenever I began wondering where my life was headed, my mother would remind me of that award. She has never questioned her conviction that I will one day “be a Peace Maker” somewhere and somehow.

During high school and college, I searched for my identity. I looked at many possible career paths, yet I always came back to law. It is the only profession that perfectly matches my personality and goals, and gives me the ability to fulfill my lifelong dream of making a significant impact on our society through civil service. A vast majority of Florida and United States congressmen are lawyers; the legal profession seems ideally suited to such a calling. I believe that God has molded me into the type of individual who cares strongly about his surroundings, and cannot be happy unless he is impacting those around him in a positive way. This conviction is deeply rooted in my everyday routine and in my overall life. I want to touch the lives of as many people as I can.

My burning desire to impact others has been with me throughout my life, but became most firm during my sophomore year in high school. I began serving in student government as the voice of my constituents. As time progressed, I grew increasingly comfortable with stepping outside of the box. I realized that God had given me a gift to speak, and that I could use that gift to benefit others. In May of my sophomore year, I attended the Hugh O’Brien Youth Seminar, which taught me how to think, not what to think. I quickly realized the impact I could have in my everyday life. After that short weekend, my life changed drastically. The leadership conference equipped me with new and unique tools that I could apply throughout my life. I grew hungry for more of these tools and ideas, and began to see law school as a place where I could acquire them.

Through high school and well into college, I continued finding myself. I participated in numerous extracurricular activities, including presiding over the Greek and American Student Association, joining the Hugh O'Brien Youth State Executive Board, and coaching various volleyball teams in the Gainesville area, all while holding down a full time job at the Home Depot and attending the University of Florida. During the 2000 Jr. Olympic Volleyball National Championships in Kentucky, I realized the fruits of my labor. Guiding the eleven fourteen-year-old girls on my team to success brought me a great sense of accomplishment. Through the year, sixteen hundred teams competed to enter this tournament, and only sixty-four were invited. Although our team was from a small town with a population of less then three hundred thousand, we somehow managed to finish ninth in the nation. When the last ball hit the floor, I looked up and thanked God for giving me such an honor. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, and taught me a lesson that I will never forget. I realized that my ability to motivate others could lead to great achievements. Law will definitely enable me to continue finding such opportunities. At first, I may be helping one person at a time. Yet as time passes and my aspirations become reality, I envision myself impacting whole cities or states.

The XXX has offered me an excellent education, and XXX has given me great opportunities to exercise my dreams. However, I believe that I would gain more from attending a smaller, more personal institution. While visiting XXX in Miami, I found the small school atmosphere very exciting. I felt comfortable with the campus, and had a feeling of welcome. Bob, the admissions counselor, gave me a tour of the impressive facility. He made me feel at home, even though I had yet to apply. I was most impressed with the openness of the faculty when Ken introduced me to XXX, who was very friendly and welcoming. I know that attending XXX will provide me with the educational foundation to fully realize my professional and personal goals. I hope to make an important difference in society; XXX will provide me the opportunity.

SOP for Business Administration

I am applying for admission to the Ph.D. program in Business Administration because I want a career in the research and teaching of management. In particular, I am interested in factors that affect the competitive performance of a business concern, and the manner in which changes in technology affect an organisation's structure, long-term business strategy, product development, manufacturing, supply chains, distribution network, information needs and standard systems. In order to gain an appreciation of these and related issues, it is essential for me to have a strong grounding in Economics, Supply Chain Management, and issues connected with Information Technology, as well as gain a General Management perspective.


I believe that the Ph.D. program in Business Administration (with concentration in Management) would be invaluable in helping me achieve these objectives. It would enable me to channel my quantitative and conceptual skills in analysing business issues and would open up new avenues in research. Subsequent to earning a Ph.D., I would like to apply for a faculty position at a leading university; and investigate issues concerned with technology as it affects organisation strategy, structure and systems. I believe that my background in engineering and management has prepared me for such a career. I have found research fascinating since my engineering days, where I received the highest marks in the Department for my final-year undergraduate dissertation; and was judged to have presented the best paper at a Departmental seminar. My four years of engineering education have provided me with a strong grounding in mathematics (I stood first in my Department for each of the four Math papers) and the theoretical aspects of technology.

I joined ABC Business School in order to broaden my perspective and to improve my career prospects. Economics and psychology - subjects new to me - were interesting, and I enjoyed applying quantitative and conceptual skills to analyze business problems. I did very well in projects, desk research, workshops and class discussion, although academically I did not perform to my satisfaction (I finished with a GPA of 2.91, partly due to health reasons). I was voted as one of the ten most promising students in my batch, and received a national-level award for the best business school project, awarded by the Institute of Management Consultants of India. This was for a summer project, entitled "Formulation and Implementation of a Marketing Strategy for HandiCrafts, a unit of the Special Person’s Association".
Upon graduating from business school I was offered a job with AZ & Co., a management consulting firm which ranks as among India’s largest. This is where I learned how to apply the principles and lessons of management to real life. It was fascinating; and transformed my interest in management research into a passion. I read extensively, trying to keep myself informed about management thinking in my areas of work - structure and systems in an industry and organisation, industrial marketing and strategy.


I have learnt a lot on my present job. With the rest of my team, I have analysed markets and examined supply and distribution networks for such diverse products and industries as bulk chemicals, fresh fruit exports, toys, packaging machinery, retailing, adhesives, diamonds and pharmaceuticals. I have helped formulate entry strategies, plans for expansion and diversification; and also company business plans. As part of a team, I have carried out preliminary feasibility studies; compared technology options; suggested to the Forex Bank of India, a plan for improving the export competitiveness of India's Chemicals Sector; and studied government schemes for their efficacy. I have studied in detail the organisation structure and systems for one of India's largest manufacturers of automobiles and helped in the restructuring of the company as well as the redesigning of their new systems. These assignments have involved interaction with people at all levels of the value chain, and at organisational levels from the Chairman of a $ 200 million firm to a packing clerk earning $1 daily. They have given me the opportunity to interview a number of policy makers, industry analysts and economists in an effort to understand the functioning of, and important issues connected with, each of these industries.


All this has given me valuable insights into the environment in which companies operate - how they affect this environment and are affected by it. It has enabled me to observe some of the better and worse ways of running a business. Certain assignments have been thought provoking; my most recent assignment, on the redesigning of a company's structure and systems, helped me understand the necessity of good organisation structures, and appreciate the significance of systems that work well. A study on the export competitiveness of India's chemicals sector brought home to me the importance of technology in determining a company's or industry's competitiveness. An assignment involving the evaluation of an air freight subsidy scheme for exporters of fresh fruits raised fundamental questions in my mind about the efficacy of subsidies in improving the competitiveness of an industrial sector, and encouraged me to look at more lasting measures instead.


The time limitation on each assignment has taught me to plan well, work systematically and keep my reports up-to-date. At the same time, having to defend my analyses and recommendations, during both internal discussions and presentations to clients, has taught me to think rigorously and creatively. Our extensive use of computers for analysis and preparation of presentations and reports has made me familiar with spreadsheet, word processing and presentation packages.


While the highly diverse nature of assignments has helped me gain a broad exposure to Indian industry, it has not been possible for me to study specific business and technology - related issues in depth. I realise that in order to be able to do so, I need a better understanding of the various facets of management; the interlinkages between different functional areas and between different business entities. Equally important, I need further training in research methodology.


I want to do a Ph.D. at the College of Business, XYZ University for many reasons. I have heard about XYZ's Ph.D. program in Business Administration from my business school professors and am impressed with the emphasis placed on technical and analytical skills, general management orientation and rigorous research methodology. The School's strengths in supply chain management and information management are commensurate with my research interests. The faculty's reputation for excellent teaching, challenging coursework and the excellent facilities are added attractions.


While the study of and research in management is my prime objective today, my interests in literature, music, travel and nature help me maintain a sense of perspective in life. I like to write and have had some articles published in Indian newspapers. I have organized and participated in a number of extra-curricular activities during my college days and have won university and national level prizes in debating, writing and quizzes. I also believe that each of us must give something back to society - to this end, I have worked on a voluntary basis for the Hunger Project for a year; as a teacher and counselor to physically and mentally handicapped children for three years; and as a reader to blind students. Today, I contribute to a local organisation that focuses on the environment of my hometown, Allahabad.

Environmental Studies - Statement of Purpose

Two scenes stand out in my mind from my visit to Brazil’s Wetland: Forests burning before seed planting and trees as hedgerows. Before the planting season, I could see the leafless remnants of burnt trees still standing. The burning of pristine forests destroys both the habitats and countless species which depend on and thrive in these habitats. The few remaining bare, scarred trees silently convey the cost to our natural resources of pursuing our economic interests. Some forests are preserved by government edict issued in response to international pressure. But most of this preservation occurs alongside major roads — not to protect the ecosystem, but to prevent disturbance to ranches and farms along the highways. The clash between economic and environmental concerns that I witnessed in Brazil fascinates me and attracts me to the Environmental Studies Program.

Two courses in my geography department increased my interest in the connection between the environment and economics: Conservation of Underdeveloped Countries and Environmental Impact Analysis. In the former, we studied the problems of natural resource management in developing countries. The balance is always tilted toward economics growth at the expense of environmental preservation. For example, because the Pantanal Wetland could become a highly productive agricultural system once it’s drained, it is drained regardless of the destruction that drainage causes to the ecosystem. Only portions of the wetland are preserved for tourist purposes.

The other course that piqued my interest is an interdisciplinary course called Environmental Impact Analysis in which we, as a group, created matrix and flow diagrams discussing the economic and environmental impact of logging and preservation of old growth forests. I was able to use tools that I acquired in my economics and environmental studies classes. In general, logging creates economic benefits at the local level. It increases employment in the timber industry and subsequently in related non-timber industries; it also benefits local government. Yet, it has great deleterious environmental effects: soil erosion, watershed destruction, and a decrease in specie diversity due to loss of habitat. The logging industry represents the classic clash between economic and environmental interests.

I also took two sequential classes in the economics department that are related to Resource Management — Theories of Growth & Development and Policies for Economic Development. Because the courses were taught by a professor who is concerned chiefly with economic growth, I learned the standard economic rationalizations for development unrestrained by environmental concerns.

In addition to my interest in resource management policies, I have a specific interest in Geographical Information System (GIS), a powerful tool for natural resource management. After taking several related classes in GIS, I began interning for the National Park Service (NPS). After I learn how to use ARC/INFO, a leading GIS package, I will assist the NPS in constructing projects. Some of my duties include spatial and non-spatial data analysis, digitizing themes such as fire locations, vegetation, wildlife habitats, etc., and tabular and graphical presentation of results. I hope to use the tools I acquire during this internship in my continuing study of our environment.

I would like to study the social and economic factors that influence environmental policy formation. For example, because people worry more about pollution than endangered species, laws and regulations concerning environmental pollution are more numerous and stricter than for bio-diversity. Within the School of Environmental Studies, I have a particular interest in the emphasis: Economics, Policy, and Management. This emphasis deals with how economic factors can create negative externalities, such as pollution, and need to be regulated. This emphasis also tries to consider non-economic values, such as aesthetic pleasure and specie diversity. It also discusses tools like GIS and system analysis that apply to environmental management. Because of my interest in GIS, economics, and environmental studies, this emphasis suits me perfectly. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary approach of the School of Environmental Studies attracts me since it combines social science’s strengths with a knowledge of the natural sciences necessary to protect and preserve the environment.

After completing my masters program, I would like to continue my education and obtain a Ph.D. in natural resource management. This degree would enable me to combine a teaching career with advising business and government on natural resource management issues. Teaching college students is more than a one-way channel; I would also learn from their questions like my professors have from mine. In advising business and government, I can help them strike a balance between economic and environmental concerns. GIS will be a useful tool in helping me give them crucial information.

I have enjoyed an interdisciplinary approach in my environmental studies major and become fascinated by the clash between social interests, especially economics, and environmental needs. I pursued an additional major in economics to better understand this conflict. Furthermore, my work for the NPS will train me in the latest techniques in natural resource management. I would like to continue exploring this clash and resource management in the School of Environmental Studies. Ultimately, I would like to teach and work in natural resource management. Ideally, I would like to find ways for allowing development while preventing the burning of beautiful and valuable eco-systems like the Pantanal Wetland.

Sample Statement of Purpose- Mathematics

This application is very important to me because completion of a PhD degree in Mathematics will be the best chance for a unifying career development with my labor of love - mathematics. I am confident that when I become a serious and mature researcher my desire to make a contribution to mathematics and to our understanding of this world will remain my main driving force.
I don't remember when I became keen on mathematics. At first it was only entrainment as I found it exciting to solve intricate problems. Later it became something more than a mere hobby. I particularly enjoyed the ineffable feeling of triumph when you realize that the problem is solved; that you have got the idea. I think it is the profundity of this feeling that made mathematics my chief enthusiasm. I have taken part in Olympiads and Conferences. The most valuable contribution of these competitions was a possibility to meet the same enthusiasts in mathematics. I was particularly impressed when I was invited to participate in an International Summer School and Conference in the ancient town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. There I had an opportunity not only to work on appealing research problems but also to interact closely with working mathematicians such as X and Y. It is difficult to describe the feelings that overwhelmed me but they did incite me to further progress.

Being a high school student I was doing a course on inequalities at Kiev State University where I conducted my first research work. It was essentially proof of Karamat inequality that utilized properties of convex functions and Murhead inequality. It was unforgettable, how the main idea of my central proof dawned upon me. That evening I went to sleep the happiest boy in the world. Although, relatively simple, I did something really innovative, something that no one had ever done before with elementary methods. That was my first moderate contribution to mathematics.Later, while being a freshman at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), I refined the proof and presented it at the 52nd MIPT Scientific Conference where it was honored the first prize.

In my fourth year when students of our University get involved in research activity, Professor X suggested to be my supervisor. Under his guidance I wrote my thesis ”Integration of Multivalued Mappings“ and defended it with Honors. Essentially it consisted in a study of necessary and sufficient conditions under which there exists Riemann integral of multivalued maps. My task was to find some classes of sets of attainability and to investigate relation between Lebesgue and Riemann integral for Multivalued Maps. In this work I analyzed properties of spaces of compacts with Housdorff metric and properties of support functions of convex compacts and applied these theoretical findings to several problems of theoretical mechanics. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and background necessary for further research in convex analysis.

My current research work is devoted to differentiating of multivalued mappings and differential inclusions. The main task is to become familiar with ideas and approaches introduced in the Sci. D. thesis of Professor X and to improve the results that are obtained in it. One of the most challenging tasks in the project is to obtain Pontryagin maximum principle in Hamiltonian form from Lagrange form (in terms of tangent cones).

After graduation I plan to continue my scientific career in mathematics. Differential games, convex analysis and Optimization theory are of particular interest to me. I have the strongest incentive to advance as far as I can in this captivating science and feel confident that application to the University of Chicago is the best possible step to accomplish it. I would regard my admission to your University not only as a great honor but also as a great responsibility and an obligation to work hard.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE- Mechanical Engineering

One evening in xxxx, as I was strolling on the deck of the Motor Tanker X, where I was serving as Chief Engineer, I came upon the anchor which had been heaved up the day before, when we set sail the across the Atlantic. A thrill ran through me, as the anchor had brought up with it loamy clay of the finest quality. I picked up a bucket load of this clay and hauled it off to my cabin to model into a sculpture, a favorite hobby of mine when I was ashore on leave. I enjoyed making that particular sculpture so much, first building a metal skeleton using various tools from the engineer’s workshop, I decided that if there was a career which could integrate engineering acumen and artistic creativity together, that would be the career I would be most happy pursuing. But over the years, I had come to believe that these two were disparate and irreconcilable interests and that one could only be pursued at the expense of the other, at least as far as a career was concerned. It was only when I came across the Product Design course description as offered at Stanford University, that it became evident to me this need not be necessarily so.

I always had a keen interest in the study of Mathematics & the Engineering Sciences, and was always among the top three students in class. On passing out of Higher Secondary School, I was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Government of India for achieving a score within the top one percent of students all over India that year in Physics. This predilection for Applied Science & Engineering led me to the study Marine Engineering for my Bachelor’s degree, so that I could work with large, powerful and varied machinery in a single capsule unit, aboard a ship. At engineering college, I secured the first rank in Academics during the final two years of study. I was also awarded the Gold Medal from the Office of the President of India for all-round excellence and possessing qualities likely to make the Finest Marine Engineer from my batch.

Having completed 10 years of active service last year as a Marine Engineer aboard X ocean-going tanker vessels, with about 2 years in the capacity of Chief Engineer, I had gained a large amount of hands-on, practical knowledge of marine & mechanical engineering systems, such as IC engines, steam & gas turbine machinery, cargo handling hydraulic systems, centrifugal pumping and purifying systems, advanced unmanned automation & control systems, etc. But I aspired to go beyond being a maintenance engineer to a design engineer, and realized I needed to gain a more research-based, theoretical foundation to complement my practical experience. I applied to and was admitted into the Master of Science degree program in Ocean Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, I was introduced to modern theory and practice of ship design and was specially fascinated by the field of Structural Reliability as applied to ship design. My final research project was the preparation of a report for a Reliability-based guideline, converting the deterministic Rules for determining structural scantlings for steel ships currently being applied by the American Bureau of Shipping, City, State. XX is a leading Ship Classification Society, a governing body that establishes and administers standards for the design, construction, and operational maintenance of marine vessels and structures. I am currently employed as a Ship Structural Engineer at XX, working on structural plan reviews for new buildings and creating Finite Element Models for analyzing dynamic and static loads on ships.

Yet, all through these years as a professional engineer, I fueled my passion for Art by devoting almost every moment of my leisure, at home and on board ship, to painting or sculpture or to the study of fine art. I created numerous paintings in oil and gouache, and many sculptures in clay, continually honing my creativity and artistic skill. I won many awards and prizes for painting and sketching at the school and inter-collegiate level. Although I could not find the time to learn painting in a formal art course, I have read extensively on various subjects in art and learned further by copying many works of great Masters such as Michelangelo, the pre-Raphaelite painters, and some ancient Indian Masters in Sculpture. I did finally realize a long-standing desire to study art formally when I did an intensive summer course in drawing at Berkeley.

The Product Design Course, especially in the form it is being offered at Stanford University, jointly by the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Art, seems to me to be the most perfectly suited to my dream of forging these two diverse interests of mine into a fulfilling new career. Though I have had no formal training in design, I have found that I could come up with innovative and original ideas for solutions to various problems faced during my career at sea, such as designing new types of tools for machinery maintenance, more efficient methods of overhaul or more effective automation systems. At leisure too, I have always enjoyed designing and building models, be they a set of rotating water fountains for ship-board decoration or a stable painting easel from the limited material available on board or architectural sketches for my future home.

I have also worked with keen interest in computer-based simulation models and training aids my father is currently involved in developing. I have designed numerous models for his company demonstrating lesson plans for the functioning of various mechanical systems such as principles of IC engines, fuel injection and fire detection systems etc., using software such as 3D Studio and Macromedia Director. I am currently engaged in developing a web-site for showcasing an exquisitely beautiful temple complex in Southern India, called X.

While I was studying at UC Berkeley, I had the opportunity of visiting the Stanford University campus and meeting with Professor Y of Design Division. He was very appreciative of my art portfolio and on his advice I visited the Design Loft on campus, which has left a lasting impression on me. There was a charged atmosphere of creativity in that room and it seemed ideas would almost shape themselves out in that melee of materials and tools and half-built models.

I am sure that formally studying Product Design can channelize my capabilities and enable me to come up with functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing designs especially in the field of household consumer products and electronics. I would consider it an honor if I could study at Stanford University and assure you that I will put in my utmost effort into this domain.

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SOP for Public Administration and Public Relations

The future probably belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious. It belongs to those very travelers who pierce through the clouds of oblivion with the force of their determination. I've always believed that the answer to my destiny lies in creating the results that I desire. To tread upon the hallowed grounds of a successful and fruitful career, I must determine the shape that my actions will take, and trust in their finality. This, I am confident will lead me on to the roads of my destiny.

By the time I was 10, I realized that the only thing I could do really well was write. When I recall my days at 'Haribhai', (my school till grade 10), I discover that the one subject I performed particularly well in was English. Excellent grades in English in school helped me gain admission to one of the best Liberal Arts colleges in my country; St. Joseph's. My love for the language also encouraged me to take up higher studies in British, American and Indian Literature and today, I am confident enough to express myself in a language, which (although not my mother tongue), is no longer alien to me. Starting with summer training at high school at Red, an advertising multinational firm, I can trace my fascination for Advertising and Public Relations (PR) influence my interest in the same, which developed slowly and steadily into a career option.

During the latter half of my graduation years, I was introduced to the dynamic and metamorphic consumer market as well as the Advertising and PR scenario in India. I realized the need to adapt my career angle to suit its ever-changing needs. For the same reason, I took up a distance learning program in Marketing and Advertising Management from MCI University, Bangalore.

Fuelled by the desire to delve further into the field of media management, I took up post-graduate studies in 'Social Communications' at the Loren Polytechnic, New Delhi. I also attended many workshops, including a well-recognized and reputed 4-month workshop on Copy-writing conducted by the Advertising Agencies Association Of India (AAAI) to gain expertise in the field of creative copy writing.

Introspecting today, I believe that my study in the field of Literature, Copy-writing, Advertising Management and 'Social Communications Media' has provided me with a good base for further study in Public Relations. A true picture of the corporate world and an exposure to the media environment in India push me into thinking about the interaction between business houses and professional advertising and public relations agencies for commercial success.

Today, since the need for corporate communication is inherent in the very nature of present day industry and the government, the many 'publics' with their conflicting interests need to be managed by professionals with result-oriented communication in different media. The Indian PR scene is fast starting to resemble the PR scenario in the developed world. There is a growing recognition of the need to co-relate the traditional outlook towards public management with the systematic organization and execution of effective communication programs to keep in lieu with present trends.


Advertising agencies such as Enterprise, DY&R, MAA Bozell and Mudra have specialized PR divisions to offer diverse communication services to their clients. Over the years, several PR agencies have also been set up in India. Many PR agencies such as BM Roger Periera, CV Shandwick and Genesis PR have opted for tie-ups with foreign companies to globalize their operations, increasing the demand for a wholesome communication package other than just advertising. To my mind, a real career in Public Relations cannot be made until one studies it, not purely for its academic appeal but in the hope that it will shed light on the best road ahead. Since the excellence of corporate communications lies in its effectiveness, there is certainly a need for academically trained professionals who are taught to be more strategic and technologically competent.

However, Public relations in India is only 25 years old and is still struggling with a growing demand for its transition into a more professional and desired discipline of business. Except for a few part-time study programs, offered by median private institutions, there is very little development of PR as a separate and specialized academic and practical field of study in India.
Since the United States of America is a country known for its schools and advanced media systems, I find the need to train myself in a specialized institute in the U.S.A- one that will consider my knowledge as a stepping-stone to higher education, and help me expand my horizon. An advanced skill in communication in close co-ordination with the roots of management is what I believe is essentially something I will gain, when I acquire a master's degree in Public Relations. As I browsed through the list of schools, I narrowed down a few selected ones according to their course structures. Your university fulfils all my requirements of a well-designed course: adequate facilities, broad curricula, flexible course structures and practical training opportunities.

I am aware that intensive study in a specialized field is a difficult task to achieve and excel at. But I strongly believe that what we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not because the nature of the thing has changed, but because the power to do it has increased.
I know where to direct the force of my will, to ensure that my career doesn't lay within the ruins of indecisiveness. In this decision alone, I choose the only path that shall lead me to certain success in your program.

SOP for Psychology

Ever since my first psychology lecture, I have been fascinated by the nature of human memory. Indeed, human memory is one of the most tenacious and enigmatic problems ever faced by philosophers and psychologists. The discussion of memory dates back to the early Greeks when Plato and Aristotle originally likened it to a "wax tablet." In 1890, pioneer William James adopted the metaphorical framework and equated memory to a "house" to which thirty years later Sigmund Freud chimed that memory was closer to "rooms in a house." In 1968, Atkinson and Shrifren retained the metaphorical framework but referred to memory as "stores". The fact that the controversy surrounding human memory has been marked more by analogy than definition suggests, however, that memory is a far more complex phenomenon than has been uncovered thus far. I intend to spend the rest of my professional life researching the nature of human memory and solving the riddle posed yet cunningly dodged by generations of philosophers and psychologists.

When I first came to psychology, however, I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Only upon enrolling in Dr. Helga Noice's Cognitive Psychology course, did I discover the excitement of doing research. The course required us to test our own autobiographical memory by conducting an experiment similar to the one run in 1986 by W. Wagenaar. Over the course of the term, I recorded events from my personal life on event cards and set them aside without reviewing them. After studying the effect serial position on the recollection of autobiographical memories, I hypothesized that events that, when I sat down at the end of therm to recall those same events I had described on the event cards, that events that had occurred later in the term would be recalled with greater frequency than events that had occurred earlier. Although the experiment was of simple design and predictable results, I found the processes incredibly exciting. Autobiographical memory in particular fascinated me because I realized how crucial, yet fragile, memory is. Why was my memory of even ten weeks so imperfect? What factors contributed to that imperfection? Could such factors be controlled?

I had ignited my passion for experimental psychology. Suddenly, I had many pressing questions about memory that I wanted to research. Under the guidance of Dr. Noice, I continued to study human memory. I worked closely with Dr. Noice on several research experiments involving expert memory, specifically the memory of professional actors. Dr. Noice would select a scene from a play and then a professional actor would score it for beats, that is, go through the scene grouping sections of dialogue together according to the intent of the character. Some actors use this method to learn dialogue rather than rote memorization. After they were finished, I would type up the scene and the cued recall test. Next, I would moderate the experimental sessions by scoring the actor's cued recall for accuracy and then helping with the statistical analysis. My work culminated with my paper, "Teaching Students to Remember Complex Material Through the Use of Professional Actors' Learning Strategies." My paper accompanied a poster presentation at the Third Annual Tri-State Undergraduate Psychology Conference. In addition, I presented a related paper entitled "Type of Learning Strategy and Verbatim Retention of Complex Material" at the ILLOWA (Illinois-Iowa) Conference the following year. Again, I was involved in all aspects of the experiment, from typing the protocol and administering it to the subjects to analyzing the data and finally presenting my results.


The opportunity to perform this research was invaluable, particularly as I began taking independent research seminars in my senior year. For the seminars, I was required to write an extensive review of the literature and then design a research proposal on any topic of my choice. Although I had participated in all aspects of research previously, this was my first opportunity to select my own topic. I was immediately certain that I wanted to explore at human memory. But I spent a long time considering what aspect of memory I found most intriguing and possible to tackle within the confines of the research seminar. I had always been interested in the legal implications of memory, so I to investigate eyewitness memory.

In retrospect, my choice was also informed by my recollection about an experiment I had read about several years earlier. In the experiment, subjects read about Helen Keller. Later they were given a recall test. Still later they were given an additional test to determine the source of their knowledge about Helen Keller. The authors discovered that subjects could not determine the source of their knowledge, that is, they could not distinguish whether specific details of their knowledge about Helen Keller came from the information provided by the experimenters or if the details came from another source at an earlier time. Once their new knowledge about Helen Keller had been assimilated into their previous knowledge about Helen Keller, there was no way to separate the information according to the source it came from.

I wondered what the implications of that conclusion would be for eyewitnesses. I wondered if an eyewitness account could be corrupted by misleading post-event information. My research proposal was entitled "The Rate of Memory Trace Decay and its Effect on Eyewitness Accuracy." While I was not able to complete the experiment in its entirety, I was excited by the fact that I created a possible research protocol. Immediately, I knew I wanted to pursue the field of experimental psychology. My success in course work and my passion for research demonstrated to me that I had both the interest and ability to enter this challenging and rewording field.

I have dedicated my undergraduate years to preparing myself for graduate work in experimental psychology. Once receive my doctorate, I intend to pursue research on human memory while teaching psychology to undergraduates at a small, liberal arts college, similar to the one I attended. It was, after all, my undergraduate research experience that gave me the opportunity to come to psychology with an interest in counseling people, but to leave with a passion for investigating the nature of human thinking. Undergraduates at smaller liberal arts colleges are often left out of research, which makes my desire to provide such experiences that much stronger. In the years ahead, I look forward to teaching as well as continuing my research. In the company of such greats as Aristotle, James, and Freud, I endeavor to leave behind my own contribution on the nature of human memory.

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in History

Why in the world do you want to become a historian? Heaven knows Russia doesn’t need professional historians! » Having studied for five years at the department of history at Moscow State University, I was constantly surprised by how frequently I have been asked that particular question. Many have urged me over the years to make a change, to align my career with more basic interests. Unlike these people I have a firm believe that every person can create his happiness with his own hands, and my happiness is in history.
An intense interest in history has always been a trademark of mine. I grew up in a family of historians, so since early childhood I got used to the sounds of disputes in history, in which later I took part myself: Some day I grew to challenge my parents and win, using my own rules of logic and argument, in spite of their influence on my theories about history.

It was time when the USSR began its painful transformation into the new Russia; the time, full of revolutionary events and ideas, hopes and expectations for a new life after crush of communism. Conceptions, opinions and ideas, freedom of speech and opening of archives created favorable mental atmosphere, which inevitably stimulated my interest in history and aspiration for cognition. When I read books of Walter Scott, I was fascinated by Scotland. Soon my interest of Scotland became more concrete — I tried to examine actual resources of economic growth and rapid formation of capitalist system in XVIII century Scotland in order to find «remedies» for the diseases of Russian economy. My decision to become a historian followed logically the desire to grasp the meaning of the present and the perspectives of the future through understanding of the past.

Entering the department of history at Rostov State University (in my native city) was the first important step in my life. But after the first year of studies I realized that Russian «wind of change» didn’t influence «soviet» ideological approach to history, at least in the Russian province. At this time I have chosen the opinion of English philosopher Joseph Priestly as my motto: «We have to make our lives ourselves.» Inspired by the idea, I decided to do the next important step in my career: to change the kind of education and the way of life. I transferred to Moscow State University, the best institution for getting education in history in Russian Federation.This year I graduated from Moscow State University and faced the dilemma of choosing the best way to continue my education. Today, standing on the threshold of the next vitally important period in my life, I am going to follow my principle in shaping my own life.

To help you understand my current goals better, I would like to explain my educational experience up to this point. While studying I was interested in modern British history, my research work was devoted to the British Enlightenment. The first course paper with the title «Political ideal of Joseph Priestly» had won recognition as one of the three best student’s works of the year at the department. Later I narrowed my focus to a particular problem of the Scottish Enlightenment, because my early interest to the Scottish Enlightenment was born of passion for Scotland. So in my next written works I investigated a contribution of Adam Ferguson, a famous Scottish philosopher, to development of political economy. The graduation paper had the title: «Social and economic thoughts of Adam Ferguson» and it took its place in the department’s library of the best graduation papers.During educational process I had different experiences connected to history. For some time I was lucky enough to teach at school and work in archives and libraries (see attached Student report summary of academic records). Also my educational background and scientific importance of the theme helped me publish articles in historical magazines and to take part in conferences.

In terms of career, my goals are to teach history, conduct research projects, and publish results of the projects. To achieve my aims means to become a specialist with high qualifications. Unfortunately, the latest changes in Russia brought about not only positive democratic reforms and political freedom but also reduction of employment possibilities for scientists and curtailment of stable government subsidies for scientific projects. As a result, history suffers from this situation as all other fields of science do.To my mind it is of key importance to have possibilities to obtain excellent education and to conduct certain research projects independently that is why I consider doctoral studies at Princeton University as the next professional stepping stone in my career. First of all, teaching assistantship program could provide me with the practical teaching experience. My desire is to learn in practice how to guide others in their explorations of the world through history, to encourage them to see in history all I see in it: the whole of human experience and the power of human intellect and imagination.

Further, earning a Ph.D. in history would advance my other goals by adding to my creative and analytical skills in history as well as in working with language. Development of history as a science in Russia depended on ideological strategy of the only ruling political party for the last seventy years. Inevitably it left traces on the main approach to history. With certainty I can assert, that manifestations of such approach are still very powerful in historical education in Russia. Apparently, we should take not only external democratic institutions, but rather change our approach to life, which can affect our approach to history. However it may be, Russian historians should use experience of colleagues from the countries with democratic traditions. I still feel I have so much more to learn about different approaches to history.Taking all the circumstances into consideration, I came to the conclusion, that the best opportunity to pursue my «chosen path» would be to continue my education as a graduate student at Princeton University. The facilities, scholarship, and traditions of your university, combined with the caliber of the student’s body, make me confident that I will be stimulated throughout the course of my studies. Upon graduating from your program, a variety of options are available for pursuing my objectives.

In conclusion I must say that I would regard my being admitted to the graduate program not only as a great honor but more as a high responsibility and obligation of hard work.

Sample SOP for pursuing higher studies in CHEMISTRY

As the science of theoretical chemistry has matured, its focus has shifted from analytically solvable problems, such as the atomic structure of hydrogen, to more complex problems for which analytical solutions are difficult or impossible to specify. Important questions about the behavior of condensed phases of matter, the electronic structure of heavy atoms and the _in vivo_ conformation of biological macromolecules fall into this class. The powerful, highly-parallel supercomputers that have evolved from recent advances in computing technology are ideally suited to the mathematical modeling of these complex chemical phenomena. Simulations in which the trajectories of a large number of interacting bodies must be computed simultaneously, such as statistical-mechanical Monte Carlo studies or molecular dynamics simulations are particularly appropriate for implementation on parallel machines. I plan to devote my graduate and postgraduate work to the theoretical study and computational modeling of these many-body systems.

In preparation for this work, I have developed a strong background in mathematics and computer science in addition to my coursework in chemistry. Given the current demand for increased computing capacity, this background should prove beneficial. For example, while recent advances in computer hardware alone promise potential tenfold increase in speed, truly significant jumps in computing power (speedups of, say, a thousand fold) will require changes in currently available programming environments and the reformulation of popular simulation algorithms. Furthermore, until highly-parallel machines become widely available, even modest increases in capacity will depend in part upon the innovative use of existing hardware through the continued modification of available software and the development of new algorithms. My elective work in computer science and mathematics should prove useful for both the revision of existing programs and the eventual development of new programs and languages specifically designed for the parallel architecture of tomorrow's supercomputers.

After completing my doctoral work, I plan to seek employment as a university professor. I believe the rewards of such a position far outweigh the greater monetary compensation available in industry. For example, academic scientists are generally allowed a greater degree of freedom in their choice of research areas. They also benefit from exposure to co-workers who have a broad range of experiences. Finally, the satisfaction I have derived from my undergraduate tutoring and consulting experience has convinced me that I would enjoy a career in teaching.

SOP for Public Health

What if people lived healthier lives, practiced preventive medicine, and took precautions against illness and disease? My days in the physical therapy department often made me think about the prevention of injuries as well as the injuries themselves. I was already doubting my future career choice as a physical therapist. Although I loved the science of it and helping people, the lack of variety within the field and its limited options for growth bothered me. I needed a career that helped a large number of people, emphasized prevention and primary care rather than tertiary care, and would continually challenge and motivate me to improve. Knowing that I really did not want to pursue physical therapy as I had originally planned, my thoughts wandered to the area of public health, particularly health management.


My first true introduction to the public health arena came in a class offered through the Big U School of Public Health. As I listened to experts speak about contemporary health issues, I was intrigued. The world of "capitation," "rationing of care," and Medicaid fascinated me as I saw the range of problems that public health professionals were trying to solve in innovative ways. This one semester class provided me with a basic but thorough understanding of the issues faced in health care today. In the last two years I have continued to learn about public health both through coursework and work in the field.


Because field experience is such a valuable learning tool, I searched for a research assistant position that would allow me to view public health at a different level. I worked on a project at a county health clinic in Englewood, a low-income, minority community. The program attempted to increase treatment compliance rates for adolescents diagnosed with tuberculosis who must complete a six-month medical program. Working for the county exposed me to a different side of health care that I had previously seen. Service and organization were not assets of the county and yet its role in the public health "ecosystem" was and is critical. Its job of immunizing thousands and interacting with all members of the community is often forgotten, but is important for keeping an entire community healthy.

My work at the county health clinic as well as my knowledge of some areas of public health led me to accept an internship in Washington D.C. this past summer. The internship provided me with a greater understanding of a federal public health agency’s operations and allowed me to contribute in a variety of ways to the XYZ Department in which I worked. Most importantly I worked on "policy issues" which involved identifying and summarizing problems that were out of the ordinary as well as documenting resolved issues in order to establish protocols to increase the department’s efficiency. In addition I served on a scientific review panel which was responsible for editing a seventy-page proposed regulation before its submission.
Along with my duties at XYZ, I attended seminars and met with public health leaders at different functions and events. All these activities confirmed my growing interest in preventive medicine, outcomes and effectiveness, and quality of care, particularly within the private/managed care sector. These are my strongest interests because I believe they are fundamental to our nation’s health. We must achieve efficiency and access without sacrificing quality.

The University of ____ would help me achieve my goals of furthering my public health education through the specialize coursework offered as part of its health administration program. [The client provides specifics here about the program’s specific appeal and strengths]
Since rejecting physical therapy as a career possibility my interest in public health has only grown. I welcome the challenge of serving a large community and participating in such a dynamic and challenging field. What if an aspirin a day could prevent heart attacks? What if abandoning unnecessary procedures saved thousands of dollars, which then allowed a hospital to treat other patients needing care? What if every person was guaranteed care and that care was good? I would like to find answers for these questions during my career as a public health graduate student and professional.

SOP for Biology and Human Sciences

The working of the brain (like most of nature) is all about synchrony. My interest in the brain and biology of behavior gained fresh impetus during my undergraduate studies at St. Paul's. As a volunteer at the Social Involvement Program in my college, I helped with children who had cerebral palsy, attention deficit and learning disorders and were autistic. Each of them had special needs. Their individual personalities complete with likes and dislikes shone through their disorders. However it soon became clear that in spite of all their differences, what lay at the crux of their problems was asynchrony. They lacked the correct interplay of physical and chemical signals between their brains and their bodies.

I want to know why these "crossed" signals make their learning and memory processes different from mine. Is it possible for us to remedy the altered perspective they have of life? My brain communicates in synch with my body. But who is waving the baton that conducts this perfect symphony? How would it be any different if I had a glass of champagne, a snort of cocaine or was 60 years older?

As my undergraduate studies at St. Paul's progressed, I was introduced to many more players that eventually chisel out a unique brain. Aging and neuro degenerative disorders raised a few questions in my mind. In what way are the two related to each other? What effect do they have on our brain and behavior? How do the same molecules (whether hormones, alcohol, drugs or neurotransmitters) elicit a confluence of physical and emotional experiences in us?


While reading about the research being done in the Behavioral Neuroscience program at Binghamton, I have come across work that can provide answers to my questions about the brain and its link with behavior. When I graduated, I knew how the brain looked and worked. I want to continue my education with a study that will help me gain a deeper understanding of communication within the brain.

I am looking forward to being a part of the work being done in the labs of Dr. Paul Silver and Linda Steele. Like most of us, I started out with the same sheet of epithelial cells that developed into a perfect little brain. However, I think the power of this brain lies in the way it has changed with experiences, environment and me to become a structure that is uniquely mine. Aging, chemicals and disease are just a few of the many tools that chisel out an individual brain. Their mechanisms of action have been a source of interest to me ever since my first encounter with them. I hope to turn this interest into a learning experience at Binghamton.

The highlight of my undergraduate years was the Honors Program, which taught me to apply the knowledge I had gained, to achieve a particular aim. One of my projects was as a teacher at the Open Ended Experiments (OEE). I helped my juniors understand vital theories, which they could apply to perform simple experiments. Sometimes one of the best ways to learn is by teaching someone else and thanks to the OEE I have gained new insight into many aspects of my subject. I enjoyed watching the way my questions made someone think and finally learn. I see teaching as an important part of my future.

The sharing of ideas and new findings has always been a vital part of my undergraduate life. Presentations were a perfect opportunity for me to explore beyond the syllabus and were instrumental in giving me a competitive edge over my peers. I relish a chance to indulge my creative side and gaining a deeper understanding of my work in the process make presentations a good bargain! I enjoy diving into a flood of data, picking out relevant information and delivering it all to an appreciative audience! The dynamic nature of scientific research was revealed to me as I worked on my presentations. Often new theories replaced old ones so fast that I was updating my work right up till the morning I had to present.

Once out of college, I was thirsting to put into practice all my undergraduate education. Interning at Wellcome Institute of Fundamental Research (WIFR) under Dr. Ray has given me the perfect opportunity to glimpse at the career I am entering. As my education has progressed, my resolve to have a career in research has strengthened.

At WIFR I saw first hand, the effect that improper communication between the brain and body had on behavior. A defect in a transporter for cholineacetyltransferase results in a lack of acetylcholine at the synapses, which among other things gives rise to an uncoordinated fly. Besides opening up the world of scientific research to me, my experiences here have taught me that mistakes do not always have to hold you back, and often take you closer to your goal. Things often look easy to do at first glance, but a lot of hard work is involved in making them seem that way. After standardizing some protocols myself, I now understand the kind of effort that goes into developing the techniques that make my work so much easier. I have expanded on my work and my motivation to join WIFR in an attachment to this essay.

I am interested in the study of behavioral and cognitive processes because they play an important role in defining us as a species. The study of organisms as diverse as humans, birds, mice and flies brings us closer everyday to the answers we seek. Perhaps there will come a time when research about the brain will eventually culminate in an understanding so profound that it will allow us to tell just from a simple MRI, the kind of life an individual has led. Right from the substances he has abused to the molecules that make him the person he is.

My life experiences have moulded me in to a hardworking and what I would call an "unflappable" person. I have learnt that in science (and life) it doesn't hurt to have a healthy sense of humor. My future goals include establishing a career in research and educating people about science. Scientific research has its origins in a very fundamental human character -- curiosity. It is very important though, to ask the right question. Research in Behavioral Neuroscience at Binghamton has raised many relevant questions and I would like to be one of the people working towards the answers.

SOP for BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

I am interested in Biomedical Engineering as a field to pursue my career in. I find its unique mix of Engineering, Medicine and Life Sciences very exciting. It is a fast growing area with tremendous potential for research and also an increasing number of applications in today's world of medicine and technology. I am paricularly interested in the application of microsystems technology and the latest microelectronics technology in developing implanted biomedical devices and other medical products. My research interests lie primarily in the areas of Smart Sensors and Integrated Microsystems. My parallel areas of interest are the design and fabrication of Biomaterials and determining the mechanical, transport and biocompatability properties of implantable artificial materials and the applications of Biomedical Instrumentation. To help you understand my current professional goals and research interests better, I would like to first explain my educational experience up to this point.

I have recently graduated from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at XX University where I completed a non-thesis Masters program in Computer Engineering. My decision to pursue graduate studies in Computer Engineering was the natural culmination of my undergraduate coursework in Electrical and Electronics Engineering where I majored in Computer Organization and Microcomputer Systems. Also, I wanted to broaden my horizons and gain relevant exposure in the field of Computer Hardware.

During the one and a half years of my graduate studies I gained a deep understanding of various fields in Computer Engineering mainly microarchitecture, VLSI System Design ,Analog Electronics and the fundamentals of computer networking and communication. As part of my graduate coursework, I received a number of opportunities to work closely with semiconductor technology through various design, implementation and research projects. Working on key projects like the design of a 4-bit slice microprocessor, 6-bit FLASH Analog-to-Digtal Converters and a number of simulations and experiments to design and determine the performance of computers at the microarchitecture level, I got the opportunities to use state-of-the-art hardware design and simulation tools like the Cadence , Synopsys, Hspice and Verilog.

It was during this phase that I developed an interest in exploring the areas of application of semiconductor and microsystems technology in non traditional fields like the Medicine and life sciences. My studies revealed to me both a high research potential and a significant growth in the application of microelectronics and microsystems in the field of Biomedical Engineering. What I discovered significantly improved my understanding of the subject and further enhanced my fascination for it.[Have you worked on any particular research projects? If yes, definitely elaborate on this. Are you interested in any particular faculty at W.University? If yes, definitely mention it.]

I look forward to a career in committed research where I can not only use my academic background to achieve my research goals but also make original scientific contributions to my field of interest and to mankind in general. I believe that graduate studies would provide me with the opportunities to attend advanced courses and be the stepping stone to my career in research. Graduate study at Wayne State University holds this promise for me. The quality of the faculty, flexibility of the graduate program, the diverse areas of ongoing research, the carefully designed depth and breadth of courses, cultural diversity in the graduate school, seem to me as the right ambience to nurture my research interests and work towards my goal. It would be a matter of great pride for me to be a part of this rich interdisciplinary interface [This is all very general ideas and your statement needs to be personal, about you. Plus next paragraph gives praise to the university and one paragraph is plenty, so I would suggest eliminating this paragraph altogether or partially adding it to the last one]

My strengths are a strong academic background, sense of teamwork, integrity and ability to put in sustained quality effort consistently . It is my desire to have a mutually beneficial association with your University and to contribute my best to the field of Biomedical Engineering .I am aware that X University has high standards for admitting students to its graduate programs. I believe that my academic credentials together with my research interests and potential would help me gain admission to the esteemed Department of Biomedical Engineering at X Universuty. I hope that on reviewing my application package, the University would be convinced of the same. [You might want to change your last paragraph, especially last two sentences. It needs to be more powerful, not hopefull. See examples on my website. I would rewrite this paragraph altogether.]

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