how to write a phd statement of interest

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Research Interest Statement Samples That Worked

A good research interest statement sample can be hard to find. Still, it can also be a beneficial tool for writing one and preparing for a grad school application or post-graduate position. Your research interest statement is one of the key components of your application to get into grad school . In a few cases, admissions committees have used it instead of an interview, so it is important to write a strong essay. We’ve provided research interest statement samples for you in this blog post. We have also included several tips that will help you write a strong statement to help improve your chances of getting accepted into your dream program. 

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Article Contents 13 min read

What is a research interest statement.

A research interest statement is essential for most graduate school, post-graduate, and academic job applications. Sometimes, it may be referred to it as a " statement of intent " or "description of research interests." While they are similar, research interest statement may require some additional information. Generally, your statement will pride a brief overview of your research background, including your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future research you'd like to complete, including any required equipment and collaborations. It is usually written in the form of a short essay. Still, of course, different graduate programs can have specific requirements, so make sure to check the program you are applying to and read the particular instructions that they give to ensure your research interest statement meets their requirements. 

Your research statement plays a big role in the committee's decision. Ultimately, they are trying to figure out if you, as a person, and your research, would be a good fit for their program. A strong statement can help you convince them of this by showing your passion for research, your research interests and experience, the connection between your interests and the program, and the extent of your writing skills which is really important for paper and grant writing, and thus for earning money for your research!

Undergraduate programs are centered around classes, but graduate and post-graduate programs are all about your research and what your research contributes to your discipline of choice. That is why a research interest statement is so important, because it is essentially a way for you to share this information with the program that you have chosen.

Writing a strong statement can be helpful to you, as well. Having to explain your research and talk about your goals coherently will give you a chance to define your future research and career plans, as well as academic interests.

What Should Your Research Interest Statement Include?

The exact requirements of the research interest statement can vary depending on where you are applying and for what position. Most faculty positions will need you to produce a separate file for your statement, and most of the time, for an academic program, you can simply include your statement within your CV for graduate school .  

Need to prepare your grad school CV? This video has helpful advice for you:

Unless otherwise stated by the program or faculty that you are applying to, your statement should be one to two pages long or between 600 and 1000 words. If you are including your description of interest statements on your resume, then it would be ideal to keep it between 400 and 600 words. Most programs will give you guidelines for the research interest statement so make sure you follow those. They rarely include a specific question or prompt but they might ask for a particular detail to be included in your interest statement. For example, a university’s requirements may look something like this: “In your statement of interest, you should detail your study and/or research interests and reasons for seeking admission. You must identify a faculty member from the Anthropology of Department with whom you are interested in being your advisor. The length of a statement of intent should be 2 pages in length (single-spaced, Times New Roman font size 12 point)”

Your statement should include a brief history of your past research. It should tell the committee what you have previously set out to answer with your research projects, what you found, and if it led to any academic publications or collaborations. It should also address your current research. What questions are you actively trying to solve? You will need to tell the committee if you’ve made any progress, what you have found, if you are connecting your research to the larger academic conversation and what the larger implications of your work actually are. Finally, you want to talk about the future of your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? What are the broader implications of your potential results, and how can the institution you are applying to help you?

Before we show you some examples, let's go over a few essential things that you need to keep in mind while writing your research interest statement to make sure it is strong. 

Preparation

Give Yourself Ample Time: Much like with other components of your application, like your CV or a graduate school interview question , preparation is the key to success. You should give yourself enough time to thoroughly research the program or faculty you are applying to, gather all the information or documents that can aid you in writing, and then write and rewrite as many times as you need to. Give yourself at least 6 weeks to draft, redraft, and finalize your statement. You may also want to consider investing in a graduate school admissions consultant as they have more experience writing these types of essays and may see things that you can’t.

Research the Program/Faculty: The purpose of your research interest statement is to tell the committee all about your research plans, how it will contribute to the field and convince them that not only is their institution is the best place for it, but that you will be an asset to them as a candidate. To do this, you need to know what kind of candidate they are looking for, what kind of research they have been interested in in the past, and if there is anything particular that they require in the research interest statement. Remember, expectations for research statements can vary among disciplines and universities, so it is essential that you write for the right audience.

The Format / Writing Style

Your research statement should be in an academic essay format. It needs to be concise, well-organized, and easy to read. For graduate school, PhD or post-doc positions, your research interest statement will usually be a part of your resume. We recommend that you stick to the following things when it comes to the format:

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The Content

Introduction: This is a functional academic document, unlike college essays or personal statements, so you want to go straight to the point and focus on the key information that needs to be conveyed. You want to use this paragraph to tell the committee why you are writing this statement. In other words, you should clearly state what kind of research you are interested in pursuing at the institution in question and explain why you are drawn to the subject. 

Body: This is your “why and how” paragraphs. In 2 or 3 paragraphs, you should expand on your interest, background, accomplishments, and plans in the field of research. Depending on your level of experience, you may use this time to talk about your previous or current research. If you do not have much experience, then you may use this paragraph to talk about any skills or academic achievements that could be relevant. 

Conclusion: To conclude, you should restate your interest and tie it back to the research you intend to continue at the university. Be specific about the direction you’d like to take the research in, who you’d like to work with, and what the institution has that would help you. We also suggest including a concise statement that reiterates your unique suitability for the program, and what you can contribute to it and your chosen field.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Being Too Personal: Often, students will confuse the statement of purpose and the research interest statement or letter of intent. It is essential to understand the difference between these two documents because some programs will ask for both of these documents. There is quite a bit of overlap between the two essays, so they are very easy to mix up. Both documents ask applicants to focus on their research interests, relevant past academic & professional experiences, and their long-term goals in the field. However, a statement of purpose is more of a personal statement that describes your journey and overall suitability for a program. In contrast, a research interest statement is a more formal academic document specific to the research you intend to pursue in a program. It will include many details such as the faculty members you want to work with, the program facilities and resources you wish to use, etc.

Not Following Guidelines: As mentioned earlier, these statements can vary depending on the discipline and the faculty. It is crucial that you review all the institution's guidelines and follow them. Some schools will have a specific word count, others may simply give you a maximum and minimum word count. Others may even have a specific prompt or question that you will need to answer with your essay. You want to make sure that you are following the instructions provided by the program. 

Using Too Much Jargon: Your statement will be read by people who are most likely knowledgeable, but they might not be from your specific field or specialty. We understand that it may not be possible to be clear about your research without using a few niche words, but try to keep them at a minimum and avoid using acronyms that are not well known outside of your specialty.

Having One Generic Statement: The requirements of your research statement are different from one school to another, and you should tailor your letter to the program you are writing to. We know that the research and experience you are talking about are still the same, but the qualities and aspects of that experience you play up should help you appeal to the school you are applying to. For example, if you are applying to a very collaborative program, you should highlight your collaborations and your experience working as part of a team.

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Research of Interest Statement Samples

Below are sample research interest statements for reference: 

Research Statement of Interest 1

Jennifer Doe

As the child of an immigrant, I have always been fascinated by the relationship between identity, geographic territory, and economic development. With the rise of globalization, there is a broader effort in the social sciences to study the link between cultural identity, human mobility, and economic development in the contemporary world. I hope that my research will contribute to this as well. I am applying to the X University Global Anthropology program, as it is the best place for me to explore my research interests and channel them towards my long-term goals. I believe that my undergraduate education and the research experience it gave me have prepared me to undertake advanced research projects, thus making me an excellent candidate for this program.

I spent the first two years of undergraduate studies taking psychology courses. I went to university knowing that I wanted to learn about human behavior and culture. I was thirsty for information, but I did not know what kind of information just yet. It wasn’t until I took an elective anthropology class in my second year and started discussing identity in anthropology that something clicked. Unlike many other social sciences, anthropology explores the different ways that cultures affect human behavior and that connected right away with my experience as an immigrant. I have been passionate about the subject ever since, and I intend on spending my career exploring this topic further.

In the long run, I am interested in understanding how geography affects the construction of one’s cultural identity, especially when it comes to immigrants. Literature already exists on the topic, but most of it examines the upper levels of this process of social reproduction, concentrating on the roles of governments and associations in promoting ties between migrants and their homelands. Prof. Jane Doe Smith is one of the anthropologists researching the transnational migration experience, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with her at X University.

I was fortunate to be part of a summer research experience as an undergraduate, which took place in several west African countries, including Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria. Dr. Sam Smith was leading the research, and my time on his team allowed me to gain hands-on experience in research while living abroad. One of the things that I did almost daily was interview the subjects in a controlled environment, and sometimes I got to be a part of traditional ceremonies. I learnt how to observe without being intrusive and how to interact with clinical subjects. The experience only strengthened my curiosity and conviction that today more than ever, we need to understand what identity is and the different factors that can affect it.

I enrolled in several challenging research-oriented courses such as Applied Statistical Inference for the Behavioral Sciences, Principles of Measurement, and more throughout my degree. I was also able to work as a research lab assistant for one of my mentors, Mr. Jonathan Smith. I worked with him while he studied the relationship between identity, culture and “self.” My main duties were to assist in the creating of surveys and other assessment materials, administer written and verbal tests to participants, create literature reviews for potential resources, create summaries of findings for analysis and other office duties such as reserving testing rooms. This particular experience allowed me to get some hands-on experience with data collection, data analysis, report preparation and the creation of data summaries.

I know that there is a lot more that I can learn from the X University. I have seen the exemplary work in anthropology and other social studies done by the staff and alumni of this school. It has inspired and convinced me beyond the shadow of a doubt that pursuing my graduate studies in your program meets my personal, academic, and professional goals objectives.

My advanced research skills, passion for anthropology and clinical research, as well as my academic proficiency make me the ideal candidate for X University's Clinical Global Anthropology Master’s program. I believe that X University’s rigorous curriculum and facilities make it the perfect place for me, my long-term career goals and my research commitments. 

Jamie Medicine

I am applying to the brain and development master's program of X university because it is one of the few universities that not only has a program that combines the two disciplines that I majored in my undergraduate studies: Psychology and Linguistics; but also because it is a program that I know would allow me to grow as a researcher, contribute to my chosen fields and achieve my long-term career goals. My research is motivated by two of my favorite things: language and music. To be more specific, hip-hop music. In 20xx, Rollingstone magazine published an article stating that hip hop was now more popular than rock and roll. The rise in popularity of this initially very niche genre has sparked a conversation in specific academic fields such as psychology, sociology, linguistics, and English about the use of language within it but also the effects that it can have on those who listen to it. I hope to one day contribute to that conversation by studying the relationship between hip-hop music and vocabulary development, and I believe that pursuing this particular research interest at X university is the best way for me to do that.

There are many potential places this research may lead me and many potential topics I may explore. Furthermore, there are many things that it would allow us to learn about the effect that music has on our brains and society at large.

I was fortunate enough to work under Dr. Jane D. Smith at the University of X for two years while conducting her recently published study on vocabulary instruction for children with a developmental language disorder. During my time in her lab, I interviewed participants and put together evaluation materials for them. I was also responsible for data entry, analysis, and summarizing. This experience gave me the skills and the knowledge that allowed me to exceed expectations for my final research project in undergraduate school.

One of my undergraduate degree requirements was to complete a small independent study under the supervision of a professor. I chose to study music's effect on children's vocabulary development. Several studies look for ways to decrease the million-word gap, and I wanted to see if this thing that I am so passionate about, music, had any effect at all. I compiled multiple literature reviews and analyzed their results, and I found that there is indeed a correlation between the number of words that a child spoke and the amount of music that they were exposed to. 

This research is currently being explored on a larger scale by Prof. John Doe at X university and learning from him is one of the many reasons I have applied to this program. I took several research methodology courses throughout my degree, and I would love to enroll in the Applied Statistics for Psychology course he is currently teaching to build upon the foundational knowledge I already have. There are several other faculty members in the brain and language department with whom learning from would be a dream come true. In addition to that, working with them is a real possibility because the research they are currently doing and the research I hope to pursue are greatly matched.

I genuinely believe that X university has the curriculum and facilities that I need to meet my long-term goals and research commitments. I also believe that my academic achievements, eagerness to learn, and passion make me the perfect candidate for your program. 

Interested in some tips to help you manage grad school once you're there? Check out this video :

It is essentially an essay that provides a brief overview of your research experience and goals. This includes your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future research you'd like to complete. It is also sometimes referred to as a "statement of intent" or "description of research interests."

This statement tells the admissions committee more about you as an applicant. It gives you the opportunity to tell them more about your research (past, present, and future) and show them that you are a good fit for their institution.

No. Some graduate school programs might ask for a statement of purpose and a writing sample instead, or they could ask for none of the above. You should always check the requirements of the specific program that you’re applying to.

Generally, your statement should be 400 to 1000 words or about two pages long. That said, most programs will give you guidelines so make sure you check those and follow them.

You certainly can but we do not recommend it. You should always tailor your statement to the program you are applying to. Remember that the aim is to convince the admissions committee that you are a good fit for their school so make sure you highlight the qualities and values that they care about.

We recommend that you doublecheck the information provided by your chosen program as they often have specific instructions for the format of the letter. If none exist, make sure that the format of your document is pleasing to the eye. Stick to easily legible fonts, a decent font size, spacing, margins, etc.  Also, it is best to keep the content of the letter concise and professional.

We recommend giving yourself at least 6 weeks to write your statement. This will give you ample time to brainstorm, write a strong letter, read it again and edit it as many times as necessary. It also gives you enough time to get expert eyes on your letter and work with them to improve it if you wish.

No. Research interest statements are often required for post-graduate school applications and for other positions in academic faculties.

Absolutely! You can always reach out to admissions professionals, such as graduate school admissions consultants or grad school essays tutors .

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Thank you for your excellent site

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You are very welcome, Rasool!

Sadia Sultana

hello, thanks for providing guide line for Research Interest statement, the important aspect of scholarship application. Kindly guide me, What should be the title of the Research Statement. Thanks

Hi Sadia! Check the requirements of your school first. They might provide some info on whether a title is even needed. 

Sadia Tasnim Epa

I'm very pleased that you have mentioned every detail of research interest which helped me to clear all of my doubts.... Thank you very much.

Hi Sadia! Glad you found this helpful!

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How To Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Congratulations! You’ve chosen a graduate program , read up on tips for applying to grad school , and even written a focused grad school resumé . But if you’re like many students, you’ve left the most daunting part of the application process for last—writing a statement of purpose. The good news is that the task doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming, as long as you break the process down into simple, actionable steps. Below, learn how to write a strong, unique statement of purpose that will impress admissions committees and increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

What is a statement of purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate school application that tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the graduate program you’re applying to.

Jared Pierce, former associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.  

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

How long should a statement of purpose be? “A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” Pierce says, noting that it should typically not exceed a single page. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11 or 12 points) and leave enough white space in the margins to make the statement easy to read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds. 

How to write a statement of purpose: a step-by-step guide

Now that you understand how to format a statement of purpose, you can begin drafting your own. Getting started can feel daunting, but Pierce suggests making the process more manageable by breaking down the writing process into four easy steps.

1. Brainstorm your ideas.

First, he says, try to reframe the task at hand and get excited for the opportunity to write your statement of purpose. 

“Throughout the application process, you’re afforded few opportunities to address the committee directly,” he explains. “Here is your chance to truly speak directly to them. Each student arrives at this process with a unique story, including prior jobs, volunteer experience, or undergraduate studies. Think about what makes you you and start outlining.”

When writing your statement of purpose, Pierce suggests asking yourself these key questions:

• Why do I want this degree?
• What are my expectations for this degree?
• What courses or program features excite me the most?
• Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally?
• How will my unique professional and personal experiences add value to the program?

Jot these responses down to get your initial thoughts on paper. This will act as your starting point for creating an outline and writing your first draft.

2. Develop an outline.

Next, you’ll want to take the ideas that you’ve identified during the brainstorming process and plug them into an outline that will guide your writing. 

An effective outline for your statement of purpose might look something like this:

• An attention-grabbing hook
• A brief introduction of yourself and your background as it relates to your motivation behind applying to graduate school 
• Your professional goals as they relate to the program
• Why you’re interested in the specific school and what you can bring to the table
• A brief summary of the information presented in the body that emphasizes your qualifications and compatibility with the school

An outline like the one above will give you a roadmap to follow so that your statement of purpose is well organized and concise. 

3. Write the first draft.

Your statement of purpose should communicate who you are and why you are interested in a particular program, but it also needs to be positioned in a way that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Admissions professionals already have your transcripts, resumé, and test scores; the statement of purpose is your chance to tell your story in your own words.

When you begin drafting content, make sure to:

• Provide insight into what drives you , whether that’s professional advancement, personal growth, or both.
• Demonstrate your interest in the school by addressing the unique features of the program that interest you most. For Northeastern, he says, maybe it’s experiential learning; you’re excited to tackle real-world projects in your desired industry. Or perhaps it’s learning from faculty who are experts in your field of study.
• Be yourself. It helps to keep your audience in mind while writing, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. It’s important to be authentic when writing your statement to show the admissions committee who you are and why your unique perspective will add value to the program.

4. Edit and refine your work.

Before you submit your statement of purpose:

• Make sure you’ve followed all directions thoroughly , including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
• Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If you’ve written far more than this, read through your statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Less is often more; articulate your main points strongly and get rid of any “clutter.”
• Walk away and come back later with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re not sitting and staring at your computer.
• Ask someone you trust to read your statement before you submit it.

Making a lasting impression

Your statement of purpose can leave a lasting impression if done well, Pierce says. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your unique background and skills so that admissions professionals understand why you’re the ideal candidate for the program that you’re applying to. If nothing else, stay focused on what you uniquely bring to the classroom, the program, and the campus community. If you do that, you’ll excel.

To learn more tricks and tips for submitting an impressive graduate school application, explore our related grad school success articles .

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Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. It has since been updated for thoroughness and accuracy.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for PhD Admission

The dreaded doctoral statement of purpose — every PhD program asks for it, but why is it so difficult to write? Writing a strong statement of purpose is essential to getting into your top PhD programs. A PhD statement of purpose gives admissions committees an introduction to your research interests and why their specific program is of interest to you.

Like a cover letter for a job application, a great statement of purpose allows you to highlight your strengths, interests and experience. If you need statement of purpose advice, keep reading for guidance on how to write a successful statement of purpose that will make your PhD application stand out.

Statement of purpose vs. personal statement

Though the two may sound similar, they’re not necessarily interchangeable. A personal statement gives insight into who you are, while a statement of purpose is meant to showcase what you want to do. Rarely will you be asked to write a personal statement for a PhD program.

As you go through the PhD application process, you will likely see schools requesting either a statement of purpose or a research statement. In most cases, they're both looking for the same thing. Admissions committees want to know about your academic background, your research goals and what you hope to accomplish as a candidate in a PhD program.

Your research goals should align with faculty research

Being admitted to a PhD program is a great feeling, but if you enroll in a program that doesn’t match your research interests or help support your career goals, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment later down the road.

Applying for admission to a program is all about fit. Faculty reviewers are looking for students who best represent the department’s mission and will help them obtain their research objectives.

By the time you apply, you should have a solid understanding of what the department’s primary research and content areas are, as well as which faculty members you’d like to work with more closely. This might mean finding information about what their labs do and reading published articles related to their work.

Be sure to include how your interests and past experiences align with the work that they do and how you would be an active contributor to those endeavors. This approach shows that you took the time to look into their program, so the committee will be more willing to invest theirs in reviewing your application.

Don’t be afraid to address your weaknesses

Many people assume they should avoid listing their shortcomings in their essays. The whole point of applying to a program is to impress the reviewers, right? But constructively addressing your weaknesses can be a great way to demonstrate how this program can help you achieve your academic goals.

Look at the catalog and read through the courses that are part of the program. If there is a particular class that fascinates you, talk about how it could help you obtain a new skill or a better understanding of a concept that you’ve struggled with before.

This demonstrates that you are actively seeking programs to help you better your education. It also exhibits that you’re mindful of what areas of your knowledge need some improvement, which shows maturity and the ability to self-assess.

Keep it succinct

If your program of interest does not specify a page word or word limit, it’s best to assume that your statement should not exceed two pages total. It should be enough to give them a glimpse of who you are and what you have to offer but not share your life story.

The aim is to communicate how and why this particular program will help you meet your academic and career goals. Limited space means you must prioritize what you include in your statement.

Create an outline before you start writing to ensure you are including points that are relevant to your application and the program to which you are applying. Your statement is also an example of how well you can write. By framing your essay before you write it, you can avoid stream-of-consciousness writing that can often come across as undefined and incoherent.

Proofread! And read it over and over

When you think you have a finished product, read your essay out loud. This makes it easier to catch typos, poor grammar, and oddly worded sentences. If you have a friend who is also applying to grad school, help each other out by editing each other’s essays.

Having someone else read your statement and ask questions can help you clarify your points and make it more compelling. Your statement is your one chance to present yourself professionally in your own words. The occasional mistake is excusable, but messy writing will make them think you lack attention to detail.

Before you hit submit on that application, be sure that you have attached the correct document for the right institution. It can be very embarrassing if your statement mentions the wrong faculty member’s name or refers to another school’s library! It could also cause the reviewers to think you are not as serious about their program.

You’ve spent a good amount of time perfecting your application, so take your time to review everything before you submit it so you can rest easy knowing you’ve presented your best.

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How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD Program Application

Personal statement guidelines, general guidelines to keep in mind:.

• One size does not fit all : Tailor your personal statement to each program and department you are applying to. Do your research to learn what is unique about each of your choices and highlight how this particular program stands out.
• Yes, it’s personal : Showcase your unique strengths and accomplishments. Explain what influenced your personal decisions to pursue the program. Ask yourself, could this be applied to your friend or neighbor? If so, you need to be more specific and provide examples. Saying that you are a “good scientist” isn’t enough. Provide examples of your previous research experience, projects you’ve completed, and what technical skills you learned. Explain how you overcame any challenges along the way.
• Set aside enough time :  Although personal statements are generally short in length (approx. 700 words; 1-2 pages), give yourself ample time to write a strong, well-written statement. It takes more time than you think to develop a final draft for submission.
• Focus on your spelling, grammar, and vocabulary :  It’s important to present a well-written statement with good grammar and vocabulary. Write concrete, succinct sentences that flow well. Avoid flowery language. Visit the  Writing Center  for additional review and feedback.
• Proofread one more time:  Check your grammar and spelling again before submitting your final draft. Ask a friend, professor, or advisor to proofread your final draft one more time before sending it in. 

YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT SHOULD ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

• Why do you want to complete further research in this field?  Write down a list of reasons as to why you are interested in pursuing further study in the field. When did you become interested in the field and what knowledge have you gained so far? Describe how your previous work provided the foundation and for further study.
• Why  have you  chosen to apply to this particular university ? Does the institution have a particular curriculum, special research facilities/equipment, or interesting research that appeal to you?
• What are your strengths ? Demonstrate how you stand out from other candidates. Highlight relevant projects, dissertations thesis or essays that demonstrate your academic skills and creativity. Include IT skills, research techniques, awards, or relevant traveling/ study abroad experience.
• What are your transferable skills?  Be sure to emphasize transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management skills. Give examples of how you have demonstrated each of these with specific examples.
• How does this program align with your career goals?  It’s okay if you don’t know the exact career path you plan to take after completing your PhD. Provide an idea of the direction you would like to take. This demonstrates commitment and dedication to the program.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For examples of successful personal statements, visit the  Online Writing Lab (OWL) .

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• Personal Statements for PhD Study

Written by Mark Bennett

Universities often ask prospective students to provide a personal statement for PhD study. This is likely to be a key part of your PhD application .

Whereas your research proposal explains the potential of your project, your personal statement (also known as a PhD statement of purpose) demonstrates your suitability for doctoral work in general.

Writing a PhD personal statement can seem challenging, but it’s also a valuable opportunity to state what you have to offer and ‘sell yourself’ as a PhD candidate.

This page explains how to write a PhD personal statement, including suggestions for an effective structure and some additional tips for success.

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What is a PhD statement for?

A personal statement provides additional information on a PhD applicant’s academic background, relevant experience and motivations for undertaking postgraduate research.

It is different from a PhD proposal, which outlines a particular research topic, explaining its aims, methodology and scholarly or scientific value.

Put simply, if a PhD is a unique individual project (and it is) then your personal statement shows that you’re the kind of unique individual who can complete one.

The form it takes can vary. Universities may include a space for a personal statement in their application materials, or they might ask you to submit it as a separate document or in place of a covering letter . Make sure you check what’s required before you start writing.

Will I have to write a personal statement for a PhD programme?

Not necessarily. Some PhD applications don’t actually ask for a separate personal statement. This may be because the admissions tutors want to focus on your research proposal instead (and leave other details for interview questions ).

A personal statement is very likely to be requested if you you’re applying to an advertised project with pre-defined aims and objectives (and aren’t submitting your own PhD proposal). If so, it will be your main chance to say why you’re the best student for this position.

Who will read it?

Your PhD statement may end up being read and considered by various people:

• Admissions tutors will check that you have relevant experience and qualifications for this programme and that these are up to the standard expected of a PhD candidate.
• Potential supervisors will be interested in your specific academic background as well as your motivations for working in their department or research group.
• Interview panellists (who may include admissions tutors and supervisors) will probably consult your personal statement when preparing questions for you .

These people will be interested in slightly different things, but don’t worry: a good statement should be able to satisfy all of them.

What is a PhD statement of purpose?

If you’re applying for a PhD programme at an American grad school , you may be asked to provide a ‘PhD statement of purpose’.

A PhD statement of purpose (SOP) is your chance to demonstrate that you’re an ideal fit for the grad school in question.

It’s essentially the equivalent of a personal statement, but you should check the application details for your preferred institution to make sure you’re covering everything you need to. Always follow the conventions of the country that your prospective programme is in.

What should my PhD personal statement include?

The exact content of your PhD statement of purpose will depend on the kind of project you’re applying for and the requirements set by your university.

You should check the latter carefully. If the admission guidelines ask for your personal statement to refer to specific details (such as motivations, career goals, your choice of university, etc) make sure it does.

In general, your PhD statement should cover the following topics:

1. What is your background?

Keep this relevant (and fairly brief). Admissions tutors and supervisors will be interested in what’s brought you to choose a PhD, but they won’t need to know your life story (and you won’t have time to tell it to them).

If your interest in your subject was inspired in childhood, feel free to say so. But focus on the interest, not the childhood.

2. Why do you want to research this topic?

Every personal statement needs to explain your motivation for taking on a PhD, but what you include here will depend on the kind of PhD you want to take on.

If you’re also submitting a separate research proposal you should probably focus more on why you want to research a PhD than the specific topic you’re proposing to research (that, after all, is what your research proposal is for).

If you’re applying for an advertised project (and not proposing your own research) you should say something about your interest in that PhD: what interests you about it and what you can bring to it.

3. What academic experience do you have?

Your personal statement isn’t a CV, so avoid simply listing qualifications you’ve detailed elsewhere in your application (on your CV , for example).

But your personal statement is a chance to comment on your CV and explain the significance of those qualifications for your PhD application. This is vital if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Most PhD applicants are academically excellent. Be proud of your own results, but explain what those degrees (including specific units and dissertation projects) taught you about the subject you now want to research.

4. What extra-curricular experience do you have?

Another way to build upon your academic qualifications is to include other experience that has also demonstrated (or developed) relevant skills for your PhD.

Again, relevance is key. You may also wish to include one or two examples of your wider experience and achievements, but the focus should be on your suitability for PhD study.

Examples of your character and qualities may be relevant for some projects – particularly those with a charitable focus, human-interest angle or clear social benefits / outcomes. Otherwise, try to stick to relevant skills such as organisation, independent project management, self-motivation, etc.

5. What are your broader goals and motivations?

It’s a good idea to say something about how this PhD fits into your wider aims and career goals.

The specifics of what you plan to do after your doctorate may not matter to your admissions tutors, but the fact that you have plans and can show that a PhD fits them demonstrates that you’ve thought seriously about a doctorate and are likely to commit to overcoming the challenges it involves.

6. Are there any other areas or issues arising from your CV?

Your personal statement is a great opportunity to expand upon your CV.

That could mean providing more detail about academic degrees (as above). But it can also mean explaining any gaps or irregularities and anticipating some of the questions they might raise.

Perhaps you didn’t do as well as you hoped on your undergraduate degree, but went on to find your niche and succeed with a more specialised Masters. It’s OK to acknowledge and explain that if so – particularly if your Masters relates closely to your PhD.

Similarly, if there’s a gap in your CV, it’s better to explain it than leave any begged questions – particularly if there’s a perfectly good reason why you weren’t working or studying at that point.

How to write a PhD personal statement

Crafting a good PhD personal statement requires discipline and planning.

Writing about yourself may not seem particularly hard, but selecting, sequencing and organising your material can be harder than it seems. You know a lot about you, after all, but you only have so much time and space. Speaking of which:

How long should a PhD personal statement be?

A PhD personal statement should be 400-500 words, fitting on one side of an A4 sheet of paper. Your university may set a specific word count or maximum length, so make sure to check the application details.

Either way, you should aim to be disciplined and concise. There are two reasons for this:

One is that the ability to think – and express yourself – clearly is a key PhD skill in all subject areas. There’s no harm in demonstrating it now.

The other is that admissions tutors and prospective supervisors are people. People who may well have a lot of personal statements and applications to assess, besides yours. If you give them a long essay to read, they might not.

How should I structure my statement?

The sequence above actually provides a good ‘spine’ for a personal statement (with roughly a paragraph or two for each section):

Start with a quick introduction, explaining who you are and what your background is. Try to have this progress naturally into your research interests and your choice of PhD and university.

From there you can move on, logically, to expanding on your skills and experience and how these make you a good fit for the PhD in question. If you wish to comment on other areas of your CV, do so at appropriate points here.

Finally, you can conclude with a section on your longer-term goals and aspirations.

What writing style should I use?

The ‘personal’ aspect of your statement should extend to its content (it’s a document about you) but not necessarily to its tone (it’s also a professional document, part of an application for a specific role).

That doesn’t mean you can’t express yourself (your reader will want to see that you’re passionate about your subject and enthusiastic about PhD research) but keep things professional and relevant.

These guidelines should also extend to way you write. Try to stick to short sentences and express yourself with clarity and precision. After all, a personal statement that’s easy to read is more likely to be read.

What extra-curricular experience do you have?

What are your broader goals and motivations, are there any other areas or issues arising from your cv, learn more about phd applications.

There are several components of a PhD application , besides your personal statement or statement of purpose. Our guides cover references , research proposals , academic CVs , cover letters and more.

Our postgrad newsletter shares courses, funding news, stories and advice

Tips for writing your phd personal statement.

Some of the ingredients for a great PhD statement vary from project to project and from student to student (it’s a personal statement, after all).

But the following general tips are still worth bearing in mind:

• Keep it relevant – Remember that this is a statement about you as a potential PhD student, not just a statement about you.
• Don’t duplicate your research proposal – A personal statement and a research proposal are two separate things. If you’re submitting both, make sure they cover different (and appropriate) ground.
• Be honest – If you’re lucky, the content of your personal statement could end up informing questions at your PhD interview . Don’t let embellishments or inaccuracies turn those into awkward questions.
• Look for guidelines – If your university asks you to cover something specific in your proposal, make sure you do so. The same applies to space limits or word counts.
• Think of the statement as a beginning, not an end – Resist the temptation to include everything, ‘just in case’. By focussing on the most important elements you’ll improve the clarity of your statement and increase your chance of covering other details at your interview.
• Address questions arising from elsewhere – If there’s a gap in your CV or an issue with one of your references, your personal statement can be an opportunity to (briefly) explain that.
• State, don’t plead - This isn’t a letter asking to be given a PhD place. It’s a statement showing why you should be given a PhD place. That’s even more important if there’s funding involved.
• Be confident – By the same token, don’t be afraid to demonstrate self-belief. Express your skills and achievements honestly, but be proud of what they represent.

Finally, before you submit your statement (and the rest of your PhD application ) ask someone who knows you to read it. They could be a friend, an employer, a current tutor or even one of your referees .

Either way, they’ll have a fresh perspective on your statement and will be able to tell you if it makes sense and comes across effectively. If they know you (and your work) well enough they may also be able to spot any details you’ve missed, or suggest ways to improve what you have included.

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Getting ready to apply for a PhD? Our guides explain research proposals, references and entry tests for doctoral programmes.

Understand what a successful PhD research proposal needs to include and how to go about writing one for your project application.

Our guide explains how to contact a potential PhD supervisor to discuss your proposal or ideas with them before applying.

A checklist of the things you'll need to do when making an international PhD application, from meeting the entry requirements to sorting out your visa.

What documents you need for a complete study abroad application, what they are and what they should and should not include.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

When writing your statement of purpose for graduate school, focus on your specific plans and how the graduate program and its faculty will help you meet these goals. Graduate study is not for slackers. It takes focus and determination to pursue an advanced degree. That's why admissions committees examine your statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or research statement) very closely—they want to see whether you have the right stuff to succeed in grad school. Follow these tips to write an effective graduate school statement of purpose.

1. Know what grad schools are really asking.

Different grad school programs have different prompts. Nonetheless, they're all asking for the same four pieces of information:

• What you want to study at graduate school?
• Why you want to study it?
• What experience you have in your field?
• What you plan to do with your degree once you have it?

Admissions committees look for candidates with clear, well-defined research interests that arise from experience. With that in mind, your statement of purpose should reveal that you care deeply about your chosen discipline and that you have the background to support your ideas and sentiments. It should also demonstrate that you're a diligent student who will remain committed for the long haul. Always answer the question asked of you. Being substantive and direct is much better than being creative or flashy.

2. Be selective about the details you include.

Grad schools don’t care that you make a great chicken casserole or play intramural bocce ball. They do care about those activities that speak to your suitability for graduate work. As a graduate student, you'll be called upon to do difficult coursework and research. You may have to teach undergraduate classes within your field and conceivably even design a course. And you'll have to get along with a diverse group of colleagues who will sometimes work very closely with you. Any experience in school, work, or your extracurricular life that speaks to those abilities is worth talking about.

Read More: 5 Tips for Choosing a Grad School

3. Make your statement of purpose unique.

While it's important to be focused, there's no need to be boring. To distinguish your essay, add unique (yet relevant) information. One of the best ways to do this is to discuss—briefly—an idea in your field that turns you on intellectually. It's an effective essay-opener, and it lets you write about something besides yourself for a bit.

Remember, the idea you choose to talk about can tell an admissions committee a lot about you. And it demonstrates your interest in your field, rather than just describing it.

4. Ask for feedback.

Be sure to show your statement of purpose to someone you respect, preferably the professors who are writing your recommendations, and get some feedback on the content before you send it in. Have someone else proofread your essay for spelling and grammar. A fresh set of eyes often picks up something you missed.

Finally, don't just reuse the same statement of purpose for each school to which you apply. You can recycle the same information, but make sure you change the presentation to fit each individual program.

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PhD Series: How to Write a Statement of Purpose

posted on July 28, 2021

What is a Statement of Purpose?

A Statement of Purpose goes beyond the traditional Personal Statement. It asks applicants to not only describe their professional journey and how that led to their research interests, but also offer additional insight into their proposed area of study. This article offers a useful framework for writing your Statement of Purpose as well as tips to get you started.

Step 1: Introduction and Outline of Goals

The first section of the Statement of Purpose should include a broad overview of your academic interests as well as a brief outline of your short term and long-term goals. Introducing your interests and goals early frames the rest of the essay for the reader, and more importantly, answers the prompt.  

Step 2: Relevant Academic History

Describe relevant academic or work experiences in detail and how they have shaped your desire to pursue a graduate degree in your proposed field. A common mistake made by applicants is providing a detailed account of every single past experience in their Statement of Purpose. While certainly comprehensive, it is not necessary, and can reflect poorly on the applicant, especially if it excludes or dilutes other essential components of the essay. Instead, consider including 3-5 of your most impactful experiences. Describe the projects in detail, skills you developed, lessons learned, and any outcomes. For example, for a research project involving human subjects, you could describe the process of obtaining IRB approval, developing and validating a survey, or mixed methods data analysis. PhD programs are rigorous. Convince the selection committee that you “know what you are getting into,” that you have the knowledge and resilience to be successful in their PhD program.

Step 3: Next Steps and “Why X” Program

Here, describe your research interests, detailing potential projects, research aims and methodologies. Discuss potential mentors at the institution you would like to work with (the buzzword here is “mentoring team”), and the specific skills you will learn from each of them. If done correctly, this section has the most potential to set you apart from other applicants.

Writing a Statement of Purpose that is both comprehensive and concise can be challenging. Before you begin, outline your essay using the above sections, paying close attention to your overarching goals. Do your past experiences clearly explain what brought you to your proposed field of interest? How will pursuing a PhD help you achieve your future goals? Connect the dots for your readers.   

Need more guidance with your Statement of Purpose essay?  The Art of Applying® is here to help. Our experienced team of consultants have trained at the top academic institutions in the world and more importantly, are dedicated to your success. To learn more about how we can help, click here to schedule your 15-minute Quick Call .

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8 Tips for Writing a Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose, sometimes called a personal statement, is an essential part of PhD applications. It functions similarly to a cover letter; it should convince the reader (in this case the selection committee) that you have the right qualifications, motivation and professional goals to pursue graduate studies in their program. Use the tips below to write a statement of purpose that stands out.

This first tip is the most important. It is essential that you customize your statement of purpose to every school, program, or project that you apply to. You don't have to start from scratch for each statement of purpose, but you should make sure that significant portions of the document are school-specific. Your statement of purpose should tell the committee why you chose to apply to their school over other options.

Show Your Qualifications

Explain why you are qualified for this PhD program. Include a brief summary of your undergraduate and previous graduate career (if applicable). Talk about the research projects you conducted and your thesis or any resulting publications. Mention any relevant scholarly extracurricular activities you were involved in. If there are special requirements for the program, such as foreign language proficiency or prerequisite courses, you should explain how you fulfilled them in your statement of purpose.

Explain Your Interests

Your research interests should be a major part of your statement of purpose. Set up the topic you want to research by indicating a theme, defining a problem, or posing a question. Talk about what inspired your interest in this topic and how it will contribute to the field and the current state of scholarship.

Show Them You Belong

Your statement of purpose should connect your research interests to the school you are applying to. You should name professors with parallel interests who you would like to work with and use specific examples of their work to explain why. Be explicit about how this school will help you succeed in your research goals. Is the department known for taking a unique approach or having a strong focus in a particular area? Do they have special access to resources that will help you research? This paragraph will have to be tailored to each school you apply to.

Unless a specific word count is mentioned in the application, the statement of purpose should not be longer than one to two pages. Make every word count. 

Don’t Tell Your Life Story

On a similar note, avoid excess storytelling in your statement of purpose. Don’t waste your limited space telling the committee how you’ve always wanted to be a physicist or about the moment that sparked your passion for history. They already know you’re passionate about the subject—you wouldn’t be applying for a PhD if you weren’t! While your past achievement have prepared for this PhD program, the statement of purpose should focus on your future as a scholar.

Ask For Feedback

When you have written a draft you are satisfied with, ask one of a professor in your field who knows you and your interests to read it over. They can help you see your statement of purpose from the perspective of someone with experience on admissions committees.  

This is the crucial last step for any application. Read your statement of purpose over several times to make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors. It can be hard to spot errors on the screen, so print out your statement and read it over. Double check that you have spelled the professors’ names and titles of their work correctly. If grammar isn’t your strong suit (or even if it is) it’s a good idea to ask someone else to proofread your statement of purpose as well.

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Stanford Online

How to write a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school.

A statement of purpose (SOP) is a critical component of most graduate school applications, and are often required for various types of graduate level programs, including Graduate Certificates and Master’s Degrees .

An SOP offers you the opportunity to showcase your motivations, qualifications, and aspirations to a school’s Office of Admissions. Crafting an effective SOP requires careful planning and attention to detail. Whether you're applying to Stanford or any other institution, here's a guide on how to write a standout statement of purpose that shows how your goals align with the program's expectations.

Understanding the Prompt

A prompt's comprehensive nature offers you the chance to provide a holistic view of your journey, motivations, and aspirations. Be sure to check the websites of any programs you’re applying to, as they often have additional information or suggested frameworks to get you started.

Stanford Master’s Degree

If you are applying to a Stanford master’s degree program , the recommended maximum length for your SOP is 1,000 words and the prompt for the statement of purpose emphasizes several key elements:

• Reasons for applying
• Preparation for the field of study
• Research interests
• Future career plans
• Relevant aspects of your background

Stanford Graduate Certificate

If you are applying to take individual graduate courses or pursue a graduate certificate through Stanford Online, the prompt contains less elements than for the master’s program. This statement of purpose should be brief, as you’re limited to 4000 characters. You should summarize:

• Specific course work on your transcript that meets the course and or certificate prerequisites
• Relevant aspects of your professional experience

Tips for Writing your Statement of Purpose

After you fully understand the prompt for the program you’re applying to, use these tips to guide your writing:

• Be Concise and Focused Most institutions have maximum lengths for words or characters. With limited space, it's important to be concise and focused. Use each word purposefully to convey your message. Ensure that every paragraph adds value and contributes to your overall narrative.
• Start Strong Your opening should be attention-grabbing. Consider sharing a personal anecdote, a relevant quote, or a thought-provoking question that sets the tone for your SOP. Engaging the reader from the beginning can make your statement more memorable.
• Address the Prompt Thoroughly Cover each aspect of the prompt thoroughly, addressing your reasons for applying, your background preparation, your research interests, and your future career plans. Use specific examples to illustrate your points. For instance, if you're applying to a computer science program, discuss projects, coursework, or experiences that highlight your passion and readiness for further study in this field.
• Showcase Fit with the Program Demonstrate a clear understanding of the program you're applying to and explain why it's an ideal fit for your academic and career goals. Highlight specific courses, professors, research opportunities, or unique features of the program that attracted you. This showcases your commitment to the program and demonstrates that you've done your research. You may consider including reasons your presence will benefit the program as your uniqueness may help set you apart from other applicants.
• Highlight Research Interests Discuss your research interests in detail. Explain how your past experiences have shaped your interests and how the program's resources can help you further develop them. Share any relevant research projects you've been a part of and explain their impact on your academic journey. If your program includes a capstone, you may want to include more actionable, compelling examples.
• Connect to Your Future Career Articulate your future career plans and explain how the program will prepare you for success. Whether you plan to pursue academia, industry, or another path, convey how the skills and knowledge gained from the program will contribute to your career trajectory.
• Weave in Personal Background Share aspects of your personal background that are relevant to your journey. This could include challenges you've overcome, experiences that have shaped your perspective, or unique qualities that set you apart. Ensure that these details contribute to your overall narrative and that adding them showcases your qualifications.
• Edit and Proofread After writing your SOP, review it meticulously for grammar, punctuation, and clarity. Typos and errors can detract from the impact of your statement. Consider seeking feedback from mentors, professors, or peers to ensure your SOP effectively conveys your message.
• Tailor for Specific Programs If you're applying to multiple programs, make sure to customize each SOP to align with the specific program's offerings and requirements. Avoid using a generic SOP for all applications, this tends to be very noticeable to admissions.
• Seek Inspiration from Examples If you’re applying to a Stanford Master’s program, the Stanford Graduate Admissions website provides specific guidance on the statement of purpose. Review your program’s recommendations and, if available, consider reading sample SOPs from successful applicants to gather inspiration and insights.

Writing a compelling statement of purpose for graduate school requires thoughtful reflection, careful planning, and clear communication. By addressing the prompt comprehensively, showcasing your fit with the program, and demonstrating your passion and readiness, you can craft an SOP that stands out and may even increase your chances of admission to your desired program. Although it’s far from the only criteria that will be considered in the admissions process, your SOP is your chance to tell your unique story and show why you are a perfect candidate for graduate study. We hope you find this guide useful as you write your statement of purpose, please know that following this guide does not guarantee your admission to any program.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose | Example

Published on February 13, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 1, 2023.

When you apply for graduate programs or scholarships, the admissions committee is looking for more than just a list of grades. The statement of purpose (also known as a statement of intent or motivation letter) is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your motivation, skills and potential. It should:

• Outline your academic or professional interests and goals
• Discuss relevant skills, experience and achievements
• Demonstrate why you’d be a good fit for the program

Table of contents

Successful statement of purpose example, requirements and prompts, personal introduction, experience and achievements, goals and motivations, fit with the program, tips for an effective statement of purpose, other interesting articles.

The torment of the Founding Fathers is responsible for my interest in Classics. My desire to learn Latin stemmed from reading American Revolutionary-era history during junior high and high school, and particularly from the countless Latin quotations I found in John Adams’ writings. Always eager for a challenge, I was intrigued by the American founders’ accounts of the torture of learning such a difficult language. In my first semester at university, I started learning Latin and thoroughly loved it. As I learned more and more about classical civilization through the language, I realized that I was passionately interested in many aspects of the field of Classics. I have since taken courses on mythology, art and archaeology, and religion, on ancient history, and on the classical tradition. I have also learned Greek, of course, starting with an intensive two-semester course at the university’s summer school. My experience studying abroad in Florence and traveling through Italy and Greece intensified my zeal for the field and, in particular, fueled my ambition to specialize in classical archaeology.

My personal philosophy of life is that everything is connected, and this conviction drives my desire to study Classics. The most rewarding moments for me are discovering and investigating connections – both broad ones, between fields and disciplines, and more specific ones, like the relationship between a piece of literature and an object of material culture. My liberal arts education has equipped me with a broad base of knowledge in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, and in the honors program I pursued independent projects exploring academic and personal connections, including a paper on ancient Mayan astronomy, a self-observation study on the effects of nutrition and hydration on exercise performance, and a paper on the influence of political context on the changing artistic representations of John Adams. By seeking out connections between seemingly unrelated areas of academia, I have acquired a well-rounded outlook which helps me approach new ideas with both a range of prior experiences and a mind always open to different interpretations.

In accordance with my personal philosophy, I have also continued to explore connections within Classics and between Classics and other fields. In 2007, I published an article in my university’s undergraduate humanities journal; inspired by my studies in Florence, I compared representations of the birth of Venus in ancient and Renaissance literature and art. My major academic achievement to date, however, has been my senior honor thesis on John Adams’ connection to the Classics. Funded by a Hilldale Research Fellowship, I conducted research in the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society and in John Adams’ personal library at the Boston Public Library on the influence of the classical tradition on Adams’ worldview and how he consciously modeled himself on classical ideals. It was particularly fulfilling to connect historical and classical research in writing about the figure most responsible for instigating my study of the Classics.

As well as my research skills, I have demonstrated proficiency in the classical languages, winning prizes for both Latin and Greek translation from the Classics Department, as well as receiving an enthusiastic nomination from the department for the Pearson Fellowship from the American Philological Association. I am also the president of the undergraduate Classics Society, which allows me to share my enthusiasm for Classics with other students and the larger community.

One of the most appealing aspects of studying Classics is the vast range of topics encompassed by the field. Because my interests are broad and I value an interdisciplinary approach, I would like to pursue graduate study ultimately leading to a PhD in Classical Archaeology. Archaeology in itself is, of course, a multi-faceted field, requiring knowledge of history, language, anthropology, and various scientific and technological methods. I have already started building my skills in this area: I participated in a microartifact analysis from the excavation of a Maya site in Belize as part of an honors project, and this summer I will take part in two archaeological projects in Turkey after working as a research assistant on related material in the spring semester. This PhD program includes many other opportunities I am eager to explore, such as palaeography and papyrology courses, and especially the variety of fieldwork and museum experiences available. I believe that my strong background in the classical languages and wide range of courses on classical civilization and archaeological methods have prepared me well for this program, and I am convinced that, guided by my philosophy of interconnectedness, I will flourish in this program.

The first step is to read the application instructions. These should include the length of the document (usually 1-2 pages), any formatting requirements, and often a question or prompt that indicates what you should focus on.

In some cases, you might also be asked to submit a personal statement . Similar advice applies to both of these documents—both should give a sense of who you are, what you’ve done and what you want to do. But a statement of purpose is often more formal, tightly focused on your academic background and your suitability for the program.

If you are working on multiple applications, don’t try to write a one-size-fits-all text—tailor your statement of purpose to each program. Make sure to respond to the prompt and include all the information you’re asked for. A typical statement of purpose prompt looks like this:

Your focus will be slightly different depending on whether you’re applying for research-based academic programs (such as a PhD ) or professional qualifications (such as an MBA). But all statements of purpose should contain the following elements.

This is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and let them hear your voice. The statement of purpose shouldn’t tell your life story, but it should give a glimpse into who you are.

Academic and personal background

Give an overview of your academic background, and show what drives your interest in this field or profession. You might want to include some personal background too—your family history, social circumstances, personal relationships and life experiences have all shaped your trajectory and perspective. What unique insights will you bring with you?

Characteristics and personality

Think about aspects of your character that make you well-suited for graduate school. Don’t just list generic adjectives—give examples that demonstrate your strengths and show why they’re relevant.

• Are you organized enough to handle a high-pressure workload?
• Do you have the creativity needed to develop original ideas, or a systematic mindset perfect for problem-solving?
• Do you have strong leadership skills, or are you great at working collaboratively?

Avoid including irrelevant autobiographical detail in the statement of purpose. Everything you include should be aimed at showing why you’d be a strong candidate for the program.

Your experience shows that you have the necessary skills to succeed in graduate school. Don’t just summarize everything you’ve done—pick out some highlights to build a clear picture of your strengths and priorities, illustrating how you’ve learned and developed along the way.

Academic experience

If you’re applying for a research-focused program, such as a PhD, show your knowledge of the field and outline your research experience. This might include:

• A brief summary of your thesis or final project
• Courses that you found particularly valuable
• Projects you contributed to
• Publications
• Presentations
• Extracurriculars that gave you relevant skills or experience

Professional experience

If you’re applying for a professional program, such as an MBA, outline your experience so far and show how it relates to your career plans. This might include:

• Past or current job roles
• Projects you led or participated in
• Internships
• Voluntary work
• Training courses

In all cases, give specific examples with details of what you worked on, what you achieved, and what you got out of the experience.

As well as showing that you’re prepared for the program, explain what you expect to get out of it. What are your motivations for applying? How do you plan to make the most of its opportunities, and how will it help you achieve your goals?

Academic motivations

For academic programs, indicate your research interests, showing how they follow from and build upon what you have studied so far. This might include:

• A subfield that you want to strengthen your expertise in
• A specific problem or question that you’d like to address
• An initial idea for a research project
• A theoretical or methodological approach that you want to develop

This isn’t the place for an in-depth research plan, but it’s a chance to show your enthusiasm and knowledge of your field.

Professional motivations

For professional programs, outline your career aspirations and show how your experience informs your goals. This might include:

• The next step you want to take in your career. What position are you aiming for and how will the program help you achieve it?
• Your motivations for a career change. Can you make a link between your previous experience and your new direction?
• Your long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five or ten years, and how do you see yourself getting there?

The admissions committee wants to know that you’re genuinely motivated to complete the program, and the clearer your plans, the more convincing your commitment.

It’s important to show not only why you want to study this subject, but also why you want to do it in this particular institution and department.

• Do your research, and mention particular classes, specialisms or faculty that attracted you.
• Show why you’re a good fit. Do your priorities align with the values and culture of the institution? What will you contribute to the department?
• Discuss the specific skills, knowledge and experience you expect to get from the program.

The statement of purpose isn’t only about selling yourself—it’s about illustrating an ideal match between you and the program.

Once you’ve made sure to cover all the key elements, you can work on strengthening and polishing the text. Follow these tips to make your application the best it can be.

Stay focused

It can be tempting to try to cram in everything you’ve done, but a good statement of purpose requires careful selection to craft a focused narrative. One way to do this is by building your text around a central theme—for example, a character trait, an intellectual interest, or a career goal.

This strategy helps structure your text and puts your priorities centre stage. Link each paragraph back to the central idea, making it clear how everything fits together.

Think about your structure

The structure of a statement of purpose is somewhat flexible, as long as you include all the relevant information in an order that makes sense.

For example, you might start with a chronological story of where your interests began, or you might open with your goals and then select a series of examples that show your capacity to achieve them. If you’re desperate to study in this specific program, you could lead with a summary of why it’s your ideal choice, and then elaborate on each aspect to show why you’re a perfect fit.

The important thing is that the text showcases your strengths and motivations in a compelling, coherent way. As in any other piece of academic writing, make sure each paragraph communicates one main idea, and that each sentence flows smoothly and logically from the last. Use transition words and topic sentences to move between paragraphs.

Add meaning to your resume

The bare facts of your achievements—grades, prizes, work experience—are already included in your graduate school resume and transcripts. Use the statement of purpose not to repeat yourself, but to add personal meaning and texture to these facts.

If you got top marks for your thesis, describe the research process and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the topic. If you completed an internship or participated in a project, explain what new skills you learned and which aspects you found most valuable. If you already have lots of experience in the field, show how each step developed your skills and shaped your current plans.

Revise, edit, proofread

Your statement of purpose isn’t only about the content—it’s also a chance to show that you can express yourself fluently, confidently and coherently in writing. Spend plenty of time revising, editing and proofreading your text before you submit.

Make sure you stay within the recommended length, and check if there are any specific formatting requirements. If not, use a standard 12pt font, 1-inch margins and 1.5 line spacing.

When you have a final draft, our professional statement of purpose proofreading service can offer an extra pair of eyes to make sure every sentence is perfect.

Proofread my statement of purpose

Checklist: Statement of purpose

My statement of purpose clearly responds to the prompt.

I have introduced my academic, professional and/or personal background.

I have described any relevant experience and shown my development over time.

I have highlighted key achievements that demonstrate my talents.

There is a clear connection between my previous experience and my future plans.

I have explained how the program will help me achieve my goals.

I have mentioned specific aspects of the program, department and institution that appeal to me.

Every paragraph focuses on one central idea.

The paragraphs are organized in a logical order and tell a clear, coherent story.

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How to Write a Killer Research Interest Statement

A strong research interest statement can be the difference between being considered for a position and your application ending up in the bin. Check out these tips on how to make your statement stand out from the crowd.

Published December 6, 2023

Serena obtained her PhD in Neuroscience/Human Medicine from the MUI in 2013, for which she was awarded the Wilhelm-Auerswald-Prize from Bayer . She is a Freelance Scientific Writer and Medical Affairs Manager for Denk Pharma GmbH & Co. KG .

Listen to one of our scientific editorial team members read this article. Click  here  to access more audio articles or subscribe.

A research interest statement, essential for academic job applications, should concisely outline past, current, and future research within 1–3 pages. It must include a compelling introduction, detailed research plans, alignment with the targeted lab or department, and a strong conclusion. Personalization for each application, clear and concise writing, and incorporating feedback are key. For faculty roles, emphasize long-term goals and potential research contributions.

The day will come when your job contract ends or you feel like applying for a new and exciting position. You may feel a bit lost preparing all the documents you need for that new job post but don’t worry, help is out there!

When applying for a PhD, post-doc , or faculty position, you will need to provide your curriculum vitae (CV), including the contact information of two or more references, sometimes specific certificates (e.g., language certificate), and a research interest statement. A statement of research interests is a 1–3 page document (if the required length is not clearly stated) that describes your research until now, your interests, and your future plans.

Why Do You Need a Research Interest Statement?

This document is helpful for the lab/department that wants to hire you, as well as for yourself. A potential employer will learn about:

• your interests and experience;
• your passion for research;
• the match between your interests and the employer’s research;
• your ability to think logically;
• your independence from your supervisor;
• the extent of your writing skills (important for paper and grant writing) .

You will have the chance to:

• think about and define your future plans and research interests;
• gain confidence, and visualize your future career path.

Depending on where you are applying and for what position, there will be some differences in the requirements for the research interest statement. Sometimes you’ll need to produce a separate file, which is often required for faculty positions, and other times you can simply include your statement within your CV. Let’s start by defining what to do when applying for a PhD or post-doc position.

Research Interest Statement for PhD or Post-doc Positions

When the research interest statement is part of your CV, aim for one page or around 400 words. Pay attention: do not rewrite your CV—instead, clearly define your research interests. Highlight your scientific skills, your passion, and your ideas!

How to Write a Statement of Research Interests

How should you structure it? Think about how you would tell a story or write your thesis. You need an introduction, a main paragraph, future research ideas, and a conclusion.

Introduction

This summarizes the contents and guides the reader through your application.

Main Paragraph

This is the core of your statement. It contains your recent and current research, as well as your planned future research. If you have worked on several projects, make the connection between them. Write about how you became interested in what you have done and why it still interests you.

Capture your reader’s attention by telling a story, and your statement will be easy to remember. In this section, you can briefly describe any important recognition, such as papers, presentations, awards, and grants.

An important tip: your statement will be more powerful if you place your work in a broader context. Let your reader visualize the ‘big picture’.

Future Prospective Research

This describes your short-term goals (2–5 years). This section will differ depending on whether you’re applying for a PhD or post-doc position. For the former, write about additional technical skills you are planning to learn or how you want to broaden your knowledge in a certain field.

For the latter, try to be a bit more detailed and include how you plan to develop as an independent scientist. State how your research goals will align with the employer’s research, which collaborations you could bring to the department, and which departments on campus you could benefit from working with.

Use one sentence that essentially says why you deserve the job.

Research Interest Statement for Faculty Positions

Applying for faculty positions requires a bit more detail, and sometimes the research interest statement has a precise length (2–5 pages). The structure above is still valid; however, you will need to add long-term goals (5+ years).

You can think of it as comparable to writing a grant application . Include some preliminary data, if you can, and be detailed and precise. It’s crucial, in this case, to be able to visualize the ‘big picture’ without being too vague!

How will your research bring innovation into the field? Make sure you mention any potential funding your research could bring to the department and which laboratory equipment and space the department should provide you with.

You can mention any common campus facilities you plan to use. Include the potential applications of your research; collaborations with industrial partners can strengthen your application.

Important Reminders

Customize your statement.

A very common mistake is to use a basic template for each application. Your application will be better if you customize your statement.

Highlight Why You Are a Good Match for the Lab

Describe the match between your experience and interests and the lab/department you are applying for.

Sometimes it can seem really difficult to find a suitable match, but don’t despair; you need just one or two points of contact between your research/interests and the employer’s research.

Focus on Format

Write clearly, and be concise. Use single or 1.5 line spacing, short bullet lists, and clear subject headings. The clearer your statement, the more powerful your application!

Give it Time

One last tip: give yourself time to write. Leave the statement in your drawer for a few days and come back to it. This will help you obtain a different perspective on what you wrote. If you can, send your statement to friends and colleagues to get suggestions. Someone who isn’t from your field can also bring helpful insights.

Crafting Your Research Interest Statement Summarized

Creating an effective research interest statement for academic positions demands a well-structured approach, showcasing your research journey from past accomplishments to future goals.

This crucial document must be tailored for each application to demonstrate a clear alignment with the intended department or lab. Emphasizing clarity, conciseness, and compelling storytelling, with a strong opening and conclusion is vital.

For faculty roles, detailing long-term ambitions and potential contributions is key. A meticulously crafted research interest statement serves as a powerful tool in your academic career progression.

I hope this article will help you with your applications. Remember: stay calm and keep writing!

Additional Resources

Writing A Research Statement . Carnegie Mellon University Global Communication Center.

Originally published June 21, 2017. Reviewed and updated January 2021. Reviewed and updated November 2023.

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Phd applicants: writing your statement of purpose.

• January 11, 2022

I’ve read a lot of personal statements for PhD applications. I sat on admissions at UChicago, Columbia, and Yale, mostly in economics, political science, and public policy. Here’s the advice I’ve given my own students and research assistants to craft their statements. I give it because, sadly, I don’t find most statements helpful. This means they are not helping you, the applicant.

As with all my advice posts, it’s important that students outside elite colleges get this information, so here are some personal thoughts.

[Note: You can now subscribe by email to receive posts to your inbox.]

First, let’s clarify your number one job as an applicant: Send the best, clearest signal of your abilities as a future researcher, and minimize the noise around that signal. I explain why in a longer post on whether and how you should apply to PhD programs (including the other elements of an application packet):

the fundamental problems in graduate admissions are “information overload” and “noise”. For every slot in a PhD program, there are probably 30 to 50 applicants. A department that plans to have a class of 20 students may receive 1000 applications. Meanwhile, most departments delegate admissions to a small committee of two to six faculty. They don’t have time to read 1000 applications in detail. And the committee may change every year. Thus, their experience may be limited. And you never know who will be on the committee or what they care about. This adds further randomness. These faculty want to admit the most talented and creative young researchers who will push the field ahead. And they also want you to pass all the most technical classes, because they hate kicking students out. So the admissions committee are looking for strong signals of intelligence, creativity, determination, and other proclivities for research. But this is hard . There are too many applications. Applicants don’t have many good ways to signal quality. All applicants are trying to send the same signals. And there is a ton of uncertainty around each signal. Hence: Information overload and noise.

Yet most schools as for a written statement of some kind. Sometimes they ask for both a biographical statement and a research statement. What do they want and what should you write?

• Don’t tell your life story. This statement is not an undergrad entry essay where you describe your life’s trials and tribulations, or your journey to wanting to do a PhD. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s just that it’s probably not relevant to judging your ability as a researcher. If it is, then weave that into the narrative around your research interests and plans. We have hundreds of these things to read and so you only want to focus on the most important information.
• Don’t be cliché. Do not start your with your epiphany—the day the scales fell from your eyes and you realized you wanted to be a professor, or were inspired tackle big questions and social issues. Especially if it involves a child in a poor country. This approach is overused and unoriginal, and the information does not help us judge whether you will be a great researcher (see point 1).
• Platitudes about wanting to be a professor or researcher
• Generic or flattering statements about being excited to join a program, your admiration for the faculty, etc.
• Unspecific interests in a research subject or field
• Routine information such as “I am graduating in May…”
• Filler sentences like “Please find enclosed…”
• Start with your broad fields of interest (e.g. “I am principally interested in labor and development economics” or “I want to work at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations”)
• Then give 2-3 examples of broad topics and questions that interest you. (“I’m interested in studying inefficiencies in labor markets, especially market power and monopsony. I’m also interested in…”)
• Are tenure or tenure-track faculty
• Have their primary appointment in the department you are applying to
• Are actually there and take students (i.e. they didn’t retire last year, etc.)
• You could discuss two ideas in moderate depth, or one idea in greater depth. Either way, I recommend this research discussion be 40-60% of your entire statement.
• Ideally this is a question or topic of current interest in the field. One thing I often see is that students are focussed on the research frontier 10 years ago (because those are the papers they read in their classes) and are not clued in to some of the current puzzled and priorities. This is hard to avoid, but some reading and your advisors should be able to help you avoid this.
• The best discussions will (if empirical) identify interesting data and discuss plausible empirical strategies. This is difficult, which is why it is a good signal if you do it well.
• It’s important to locate your question in the literature without overdoing that discussion. Try to motivate the question with reference to recent and recognizable research papers and agendas. If you are mainly citing articles with few citations, in lower-ranked journals, this is a sign that you need to link your idea to bigger debates in the field, or perhaps rethink the question you are proposing.
• This is (in my experience) the most crucial section for most social science departments. Except possibly economics. It’s not clear how seriously many departments take your statement in economics, and some of my colleagues profess to never look at the statement. That may be true, but some will look, and you have to have a statement, so I suggest following this advice to make it a research proposal.
• Why you studied physics but now are doing political science
• What happened in that single bad semester on your transcript
• How to interpret your foreign GPA, and where you ranked in your class
• Clarify your classes if they have off names (e.g. “My class called XX was a Real Analysis class using textbook X, and so I have all the mathematical requirements for entry.”
• Get help. Your letter writers, professors you work for, or PhD student you know can read and give feedback on your statements. Ask them for their advice. Do this early–a couple months before the application, ideally. they can help you frame your question in a more interesting way, decide what papers to mention, or what is or is not frontier.
• Don’t be repetitive. This is not the place to restate your CV (“First I worked for Professor… and then I worked for…”). They have your CV. Use this document to do something no other in your application can do. Only mention work or other experience if you can add essential, high-density information the reader cannot get elsewhere in the application packet. Maybe you picked up specific technical skills working on a project that relate to the research proposal you just described? If not, you don’t have to say anything at all about your past. Just let the research proposal speak for itself.
• I recommend using the Hemingway Editor as a tool to write more clearly. Some long and complex sentences are ok, but sparingly. And they can often be improved. Aim for a grade 10 reading level.
• Use active voice
• Omit needless material and words (see points 3 and 9)
• Limit jargon
• Each paragraph should be a distinct idea
• Paragraphs should have a hierarchical structure, with the big idea or general point as the first topic sentence, and the rest of the paragraph elaborates. Someone should be able to get an “executive summary” but simply reading the first line in every paragraph. they should make sense as a story/summary.
• Use subheadings if possible, to delineate sections such as your broad fields of interest (point 4), your research proposal (point 5), and other key information (point 6)

This is just my view. Other professors will have different preferences and advice here. So ask them. Get more opinions. Or put your advice in the comments below.

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Graduate School Applications: Writing a Research Statement

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What is a Research Statement?

A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.

The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate’s application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate’s interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

What Should It Look Like?

Research statements are generally one to two single-spaced pages. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application.

Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contributes to, complicates, or counters other work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.

What Should It Include?

Your statement should start by articulating the broader field that you are working within and the larger question or questions that you are interested in answering. It should then move to articulate your specific interest.

The body of your statement should include a brief history of your past research . What questions did you initially set out to answer in your research project? What did you find? How did it contribute to your field? (i.e. did it lead to academic publications, conferences, or collaborations?). How did your past research propel you forward?

It should also address your present research . What questions are you actively trying to solve? What have you found so far? How are you connecting your research to the larger academic conversation? (i.e. do you have any publications under review, upcoming conferences, or other professional engagements?) What are the larger implications of your work?

Finally, it should describe the future trajectory on which you intend to take your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? How can the institution to which you are applying help you in that process? What are the broader implications of your potential results?

Note: Make sure that the research project that you propose can be completed at the institution to which you are applying.

Other Considerations:

• What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
• Include a few specific examples that show your success. What tangible solutions have you found to the question that you were trying to answer? How have your solutions impacted the larger field? Examples can include references to published findings, conference presentations, or other professional involvement.
• Be confident about your skills and abilities. The research statement is your opportunity to sell yourself to an institution. Show that you are self-motivated and passionate about your project.

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Statement of Purpose for PhDs: A Universal Formula

Hi guys, I'm Jordan, author of the " Structure is Magic " essay guide which so many Redditors have used beautifully in their applications.

Lately, I've received a lot questions from PhD applicants about whether, and how, they should tailor their SOPs for their research focus. These are great questions because, yes, PhDs do have very unique concerns in their writing. Hopefully, this new guide will explain those concerns and give you actionable steps you can take to write a high-impact statement of purpose that doesn't get bogged down in minutiae and actually enhances your chance of admission.

Formulas are beautiful, aren’t they? Whether the elegance of a binary logarithm or the universe contained within the laws of thermodynamics, it’s wondrous to see how much we can explain through gracefully arranged information. Prose writing is no different. Even with the statement of purpose for PhD admissions, when we filter our thoughts through an elegant formula, the reactive power can be amazing.

Of course, the opposite is true as well.

If our writing doesn’t conform to the timeless formulas of narrative structure, our words fall flat. We don’t overcome the activation energy requirement. Our code doesn’t compile. We submit an essay hoping it convinces some erudite professor that we’re a worthy student, but it only makes them scratch their chin and flip to the next essay in the pile.

This isn’t good, friend. Especially considering that for PhDs, writing well is part of the job.

Luckily, we don’t need to be literary scholars to utilize the eternally elegant formulas of writing. (I’ve already done that hard work for you.)

Instead, we only need the formula itself, and specific instructions about which information to plug in. Then we can fully ignite the minds and hearts of PhD advisors.

Sound good to you? If so, keep reading.

It’s time to cause a life-changing reaction.

THE STATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR PHD FORMULA

You may have already read “Structure is Magic,” which illustrates how successful SOPs adhere to the classic “hero’s journey.” You may also have read my SOP Starter Kit , which describes the 4 questions that every successful statement of purpose must answer to be effective. Both present the same structural formula for your SOP:

Section 1 – Introductory Frame Narrative & Academic Goal (1-2 paragraphs)

Section 2 – Why This Program (1-2 paragraphs)

Section 3 – Why You’re (Overly) Qualified (1-3 paragraphs)

Section 4 – Closing Frame Narrative (1 brief paragraph)

Today, however, let’s visualize this formula in a new way. You might like to see it in this nifty graphic , or simply enough like this:

The Formula

* Percentages reflect proportion of word count

20-25%: Frame Narrative (concluding with your Research Goal)

30%: Why This Program (is the right place to pursue my research)

30%: Why I'm Qualified (to pursue this research)

15-20%: Close Frame Narrative (and restate Research Goal)

1. Introductory Frame Narrative & Academic/Research Goal

In this introduction, you use a tiny bit of storytelling to make yourself memorable. You won’t use too much, and everything you write will build toward expressing your hyper-focused academic goal – your research proposal. It’s not a story of your childhood. In fact, it won’t mention anything prior to the last few years when you truly became a researcher. Because that is the story we’re telling – how you realized that you want to become a professional researcher .

Now, what problems do you want to solve in grad school? How did you discover these problems? Were you working 20 hours per week in the Xavier Lab at Marvel University? During an independent study, did you grow fascinated with the way Latin American literary critics have overlooked certain economic aspects of the 19th-century Belgian slave trade? In the last year or two, you took a mental leap. You transformed from a talented undergraduate to a burgeoning researcher. In this section, you tell that story, then end it by stating exactly what you hope to achieve in your PhD research.

When I ended my career with the California Ballet in 2016, I looked forward to an academic experience studying the metabolic and neurological systems which had silently governed my physical reality as a performer for so long. Surprisingly, the opportunity proved more rewarding than I could have imagined. The perseverance I cultivated as a ballerina proved essential as I immediately dove into the Psychology, Biology, and Philosophy curricula at Stark University, and I soon developed an interest in the neural regulation of metabolic development. After joining Dr. Jean Grey’s research lab in my sophomore year (a position I have maintained ever since), I had the great fortune of studying the effects of obesogenic diets on conserved signaling pathways governing metabolic regulation in Drosophila melanogaster. Through this work, I have become singularly fascinated with the myriad factors that contribute to the growing obesity epidemic, and its developmental origins in particular.

The questions that underpin our work in the Grey Lab are compelling. How do critical or sensitive periods of neuroendocrine development contribute to long-term functioning in animals and humans at the behavioral and cellular levels? Interestingly, current research at Gotham University seeks answers to these very questions, and that is precisely why I apply as a PhD candidate to the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program.

2. Why This Program

This section is all about “fit.” This is your proof that “University X” is the perfect place for you to achieve the goal you expressed in the previous section. As you write, you’ll notice an elegant logical flow from the previous section. You’ve just told the reader: “this is my goal.”

Now, you’re telling them: “…and University X is the ideal place for me to pursue this goal, because…”

(Notice how the formula works? The seamless logical and narrative transitions are the magic behind it all.)

So, what do you say in this section? You describe the professors with whom you hope to work. You’ve already emailed them. You’ve already read their recent research. Now, in 2-4 sentences, you describe how your Academic Goal from Section 1 is uniquely related to their current work. You’ll engage with that work intellectually. You’ll link it to your own proposal. Then, you’ll repeat this 1-2 more times for each professor who you believe will be a great mentor. All the while, you’ll emphasize exactly what you want to research for the next 5 years.

You're not just saying: "This is what I want to research."

You're saying: "This is what I want to research with you ."

At GU, I hope to continue elucidating hypothalamic metabolic circuits, and exploring how obesogenic diets affect long-term developmental outcomes in relation to the normal functioning of the satiety hormone leptin. I am quite interested in the work of Dr. Jonathan Crane, whose research on the development of hypothalamic circuits, and how they regulate feeding behavior, has been critical to my understanding of sensitive periods for the trophic actions of leptin in the brain. I believe my experience with quantitative immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR make me well qualified to contribute to such research. In fact, Dr. Crane’s continuing work on the molecular signals connecting postnatal overnutrition to abnormal development of hypothalamic circuits represents questions similar to those that drew me to studying the neurobiological aspects of feeding and development. It also defines the kind of work I hope to accomplish as a doctoral candidate. While Dr. Crane’s investigation into the necessity of LepRb for typical hypothalamic development is fascinating, I am interested in studying the role LepRb and its developmental actions might play in leptin resistance and obesity in adulthood.

Additionally, Dr. Otto Octavius’s research on the effects of high developmental sugar consumption on memory circuits is fascinating to me; it dovetails nicely with my experience using high-fructose corn syrup diets to mimic obesogenic conditions, while using both behavioral and molecular assays such as weight, food intake, and RNA sequencing to investigate physiological and neural changes. For these reasons, I believe I would be a great fit in either the Crane Lab or the Octavius Lab, given my experience researching metabolic development at both the behavioral and cellular level.

3. Why You’re (Overly) Qualified

This section is your “Greatest Hits” list. In it, you provide relevant proof that you’re capable of succeeding in pursuit of this goal. What is relevant proof? Your excellent undergraduate grades – that’s a good start. Specific research skills you’ve acquired ( here’s a list for STEM students, if you’re unsure). Any unique accomplishments you’ve achieved, such as presenting at conferences, co-authored papers, time you’ve spent in journal reviews, or awards from national academic organizations.

You will not mention anything unrelated to your potential as a researcher, like your job as a campus tour guide or volunteer work at homeless shelters. Admittedly, non-academic achievements can be important in showing that your values align with the department. But since the SOP has a strict word limit, such stories cause a bad reaction in our formula. They distract the reader from your TRUE academic talents, and thus, they’re best left as a side note in your CV or topic of discussion in your interviews.

The only way you would mention something “non-academic” is if it relates uniquely to your research. For example, if you’re pursuing an Art History PhD specializing in Buddhist architecture, and you’re dual-citizen in India and Hong Kong who doesn’t need to apply for visas to conduct field work, then you have a competitive advantage over others.

Having averaged 25 research hours per week during the last few academic years, and up to 50 during the summers, I believe I have acquired all the necessary tools to succeed as a graduate student at GU. I lead the developmental subdivision at the Grey Lab, a project investigating how the timing of a high-fructose diet during development affects cellular and behavioral outcomes in adult Drosophila as it relates to unpaired 1 – the Drosophila analog of leptin – and its downstream JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In investigating this evolutionarily conserved circuit, I created a new experimental protocol for carrying out developmental feeding experiments with Drosophila larvae, as well as performing behavioral assays related to feeding such as weight, two-choice feeding preference, and capillary feeding assays. Additionally, I have performed dissections and imaging with destabilized transgenic fly lines to quantify neuropeptide-f and STAT92E expression at both the cellular and terminal levels, hoping to elucidate the potential role of SOCS36E in receptor functioning. This work has lead to me identifying a unique obese phenotype related to early dysregulation of unpaired 1, of which I was slated to perform RNA sequencing prior to COVID-19 related disruptions.

Pursuing these research projects as an undergraduate has been a monumental task, I admit, so I am proud to have maintained a 4.0 GPA, all while achieving numerous successes in my second major, Philosophy. Having coauthored a paper in the American Journal of Bioethics, as well as winning the California Philosophical Association’s undergraduate award and presenting at their annual conference, I am all the more confident in my readiness to succeed at GU.

4. Closing Frame Narrative

This is the end of your journey, friend. This is where you compile the code. This is where you make the calculations work.

In this section, you’ll briefly refer back to the story you told in the introduction. This is important. It involves a literary technique called “circularity,” which gives the reader an emotional sense of completion. They’ll feel like they’ve read something elegant, something composed by a truly talented writer. If you don’t do this, the essay will feel dry – like a movie with an anticlimactic ending.

You’ll also reaffirm your academic goal and remind the reader that University X is the perfect place to achieve it. You may also end by stating your career aspirations. Want to pursue a tenure-track teaching job? Work in R&D at SpaceX? Tell them here.

When my career in ballet drew to a close, I looked forward to fully devoting my time to the study of the human brain’s infinitely curious adaptive processes. Now, I find myself in a similar situation, once again eager to devote myself to the study of the developing brain and how it governs metabolic regulation. The rigorous standards of The Grey Lab, along with Dr. Grey’s strict belief in personal responsibility, have shown me that (like dance) true intellectual contributions are only possible through perseverance, determination, and a ruthless eye for weakness in both experimental design and execution. Balancing laboratory workloads with a full schedule of undergraduate classes has been a taxing endeavor, but this too has been essential to my growth as a researcher. Today, I look forward to the new intellectual challenges that Gotham University will provide, and I am sure that I will discover new passions, curiosities, and questions as I prepare for my hopeful career in academia, as a professor.

LAB WARNING: AVOID REGURGITATING RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

For PhD applicants, few things can bungle an application like long, meandering, and un-focused accounts of past research projects.

If you’ve mixed up all the proper SOP ingredients, pipetted them carefully into your literary test tube, and…blah…nothing happens, this is usually the reason.

In the example above, you’ll notice that the applicant NEVER ONCE mentioned any specific, singular project on which she worked. She described the problems they tackled. She described her role in the lab, new protocols she developed, and the most relevant skills she acquired. But never once did she make the mistake that hundreds of applicants make every year: writing 200-word paragraphs that describe nothing more than the facts of a research project.

“ At University X, I spent eight weeks working on a project titled ‘Algorithmic stability for adaptive analysis of fart expansion.” First we did A (etc etc). Then, we did B (blah blah blah). Then, we did C (yawn). Then, we did D (tear out hair). Through this project, I acquired relevant skills in teamwork and the Washburn-Bunting Method. ”

Don’t confuse the “Statement of Purpose” with the “Research Statement” that many programs require. This latter statement DOES require you to list the facts of your research, even though it should still focus on the problems and their implications.

For example, the PhD program in Biomedicine at the University of Pennsylvania provides the following prompt:

Please provide a description of your research experience(s), including the goals of each project, approaches used, results obtained, and implications of the findings for the project and the field at large. You may choose to describe a single research experience or several experiences, but please limit your statement to around 1000 words in length.

The SOP is not a Research Statement. Much like the tricky Diversity Statement, Research Statements are all about the past. The Statement of Purpose, however, is all about the future.

So, don’t fall into the trap of drowning your essay in meaningless laboratory details. It’s not an info dump. I repeat: the statement of purpose for PhD admission is not an info dump . It’s an argument. It’s elegant writing. It’s a carefully measured formula.

You can avoid this problem by adhering to the rough word-total percentages illustrated in the graphic above:

Frame Narrative & Academic Goal – 20-25% of word total

Why This Program – 30% of word total

Why I’m Qualified – 30% of word total

Closing Frame Narrative – 15-20% of word total

Writing is no different than any other intellectual field. A great many brilliant people worked across the centuries, testing all sorts of ideas and techniques, finding some that worked and some that exploded in their face.

Even Einstein made mistakes . But no one remembers mistakes. No one saves shoddy peer-reviewed papers that don’t stand the test of time, just like no one saves SOPs from students who didn’t get admitted. Yet, Einstein’s name is synonymous with “genius” because he found a way to describe the universe with a formula that even schoolchildren know.

Now, you understand the (seemingly) simple formula that makes great essays work. You might not recognize the elegance in it, the circularity, the balance, the woven thread of narrative, but it’s stood the test of time. And if you experiment with it yourself, pouring in your own unique ingredients to see how they react, at the very least you’ll save yourself a great deal of time and trouble.

At the very most? Well, you might ignite that magical reaction where a professor finishes reading, runs her hands through her hair, and says to herself: “Whoa, this one is special.”

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, you might consider my admissions newsletter . I write a weekly email full of practical grad app advice like this, and you get that free and incredibly detailed “SOP Starter Kit” just for signing up.

And, as always, let me know if you have questions! (Or criticisms, which are perfectly welcome.) I'll do my best to respond.

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Application Components

Statement of interest, canadian immigration updates.

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A Statement of Interest is a crucial part of most graduate school applications.

It may also be called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar. Basically it is your opportunity to tell the graduate program:

• Your specific area of academic interest (research topic you want to work on)
• How your past education and other experiences have prepared you to be successful in the graduate program
• What you hope to achieve in the graduate program
• Why this particular program at UBC is the best place for you to pursue your interests

The statement is generally in the form of a short essay. Be sure to carefully read the specific instructions given by the graduate program and ensure you provide them with what they are asking for. Please contact the program you are applying to if you have any questions on the content of your Statement of Interest.

Other tips for a strong Statement of Interest:

• State any work you have done in this area already (mention specific skills/techniques you have picked up).
• Connect your area of interest to work being done in the program (mention specific faculty members and projects).
• Refer to academic publications that have informed your interest (use correct citation as footnote).
• Mention any publications, presentations or conferences you have been a part of.

Remember: You are building a case that you are focused, skilled, enthusiastic, and a great match for the program.

In these videos you'll hear faculty members talk about what they consider to be a strong statement of interest. They also provide some useful tips on making your statement as strong as possible. 

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How to Write a Letter of Interest (With Examples)

In This Guide:

What is a letter of interest, what makes a good letter of interest, how to write a good letter of interest, four good letter of interest examples, key takeaways.

Since graduation, you've been dreaming about working for that  company. Unfortunately, you can't find a single job advert.

Heard about the hidden job market? Rumor has it that 70 – 80 % of all job positions remain unadvertised .

How do you go about applying for a role that may or may not exist?

Write a letter of interest to make a statement and connect with recruiters in the company.

The letter of interest may not lead to an immediate job offer, but it will raise your career prospects, helping you remain on top of the application pile.

Have we won you over? Read on to get inspired by:

• What is a letter of interest, and when should you send one?
• Letter of interest vs cover letter : what is the difference?
• KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) and other ground rules to writing your letter of interest;
• The 10 must-have elements that make up the structure of your letter of interest.
• Real-life examples and templates to write your letter of interest in the blink of an eye.

A letter of interest goes under many names, like prospecting letter, expression (or statement) of intent (or inquiry).

Whatever the case, the letter of interest helps you get one foot through the door of your dream company – to see if you'd be a good fit for any potential job openings.

The letter of interest is a formal introduction, demonstrating initiative and enthusiasm, qualities hiring managers value.

When should you write a letter of interest?

Send a letter of intent, if you have recently:

• read an article about the company;
• found a social media post about a new business or expansion;
• seen that the organization accepts resumes for further consideration;
• heard about a job opening that hasn't been announced.

When you choose to write a letter of interest, you are setting yourself apart from the rest by taking the initiative in finding a job within a specific organization that brings you excitement.

I enjoy getting letters of interest, they show true enthusiasm, career focus and determination, and don't happen often.

Jessica Hinkle, state government worker, and hiring manager

Letter of interest versus cover letters

Here are the similarities between the letter of interest and the cover letter . Before writing either, you need to research the organization to add an element of personalization.

Within both letters, you'd need to introduce yourself and answer why your experience would be an asset to the company.

Now, let's look at how a letter of interest differs from a cover letter.

The letter of interest expresses your broader interest and flexibility to adapt to a potential role.

On the other hand, a cover letter highlights why you’re the best candidate  out there for the job.

The letter of interest is unsolicited – it is more general and may not be directed to a specific hiring manager or a particular job.

Some job openings require a cover letter – it should note the exact job title and company  you're applying for, as well as a greeting to the hiring manager.

The main focus of a letter of interest is to point out why you admire the company (its culture, mission, and values) and how you'd contribute to its future success.

A cover letter may contain similar elements but would be more centered on communicating your skills, experience, and achievements  that are relevant to the job.

A good letter of interest should excite the hiring manager or department head to meet you. Thus, leading to an informal, informational interview, or helping you to stay on top of everyone's mind when a new role becomes available.

So, before you start writing, here are the six things that benchmark all successful letters of intent.

Research the company

Dive into information about the company  and industry via press releases and news articles; the corporate website and mission statement; LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

Remember that the more specific, company-relevant details you can disclose in your letter of interest, the more likely you'd impress with your knowledge.

Personalize your greeting

Start your letter of interest with a personalized salutation  to a human resource specialist, currently recruiting in the company, or a department manager, you'd wish to work with.

Avoid generic greetings like “To whom it may concern” or “Dear sir/madam”.

Instead, take the time to find the relevant contact and note the department head’s or manager’s full name and job title.

Attention-grabbing hook from the get-go

Here's the cold, harsh truth about the letter of interest – no one is expecting your application or has any obligation to respond to your message.

Prove that your profile is worth the company's time by showing you've done your homework on the organization and the specific value you can deliver.

Refer to your research to look out for noteworthy, recent projects or business updates (e.g. opening a new store or entering a new market).

In your letter of interest, point out how you see yourself driving this enterprise ahead by showing your past track record of success.

Professional tone and language

When writing your letter of interest, double-check your grammar and spelling to show you pay attention to even the smallest details.

Use a polite tone to balance your enthusiasm and confidence, without sounding too cocky or pushy. Yet, avoid sounding too much like a robot, as the company may think you've written your letter of interest with AI.

Often humor helps you to stand out, but, in this case, we suggest you avoid cracking jokes, as they might not resonate with your readers.

Persuasive and specific offer

Aim to stay on target by explaining exactly why you'd fit the company culture.

Use LinkedIn to research current employees working in the role you wish to have and discover their key skills.

Select up to three of your strengths to tell the story of how your experience aligns  with the ideal candidate profile.

Remember to always include your achievements  by a tangible metric (e.g. percent increased) to be even more specific.

Keep your letter of interest to the point

How likely are you to read a letter of intent that just pops out of the blue in your mailbox one day and that goes on and on and on…

Not very likely.

Your persuasion letter should be up to a page long (around 200 – 300 words). That is around three paragraphs that should be single-spaced.

Follow the standard business letter format to highlight how you can contribute to the company.

Your resume should be attached to your letter of interest, painting the full picture of your experience.

Enhancv's resume builder  allows you to create a perfectly streamlined document that will further elevate the impact of your letter of interest. If you think your resume needs a refresh, follow our guidelines in the article, How to Write a Great Resume .

When sitting down to write your letter of intent, there are two rules of thumb you need to follow.

• Rule number one – you should focus on what you have to offer rather than what you're seeking in a new employer.
• Rule number two – the goal is to pique interest, not provide a detailed account of your career history.

Having that in mind, let's get down to writing your letter of interest!

The structure of your letter of interest

• Header  – include your name, and contact details (email, phone number, and address). Also, the contact's name, job title, and company name. Don't miss out on the date.
• Greeting  – take the time to find out who you're writing to and always personalize your salutation.
• Introduction  – to grab the reader's attention with relevant information.
• Body paragraph  – to show how you'd bring value to the organization.
• Closing paragraph  – aim to end with a call to action.

The introduction paragraph of your letter of intent

Kick off your letter of interest with a brief introduction of your current job title or relevant experience to the company.

After this first sentence, note the specific job or department you'd like to be a part of and briefly summarize why.

Next, highlight why you're drawn to the company (e.g. their big-picture vision, products or services, strategic growth, etc.). If you can identify any specific challenges they face, jot them down in this sentence.

End your introduction with a statement that highlights that you know there are no current openings, but you believe your expertise would be a valuable asset.

The body of your statement of interest

Use the body of your letter of interest to make a lasting impression so that the recruiters remember you when a role becomes available.

While it may be challenging to highlight why you'd be the perfect fit for a non-specific role, there are a few approaches you can take.

Identify two or three specific issues within the company or department.

Describe how your current job equips you to address these challenges,  by focusing on your accomplishments, paired with tangible metrics  (e.g. numbers of products sold in a month, etc.).

Show how your achievements and skills align with the company's needs.

• Emphasize hard skills (or the technologies  you can use) and soft skills (your people and communication talents ) that bring value to the company.
• Select notable accomplishments that set you apart from other industry professionals. Use bullets to draw attention to them, and add numbers to show the results of your success.
• Highlight your specific experience or qualifications in a niche, that the company values. If you are a recent graduate, with no experience, use your volunteer experience  or extracurricular activities to make your case.

The closing paragraph of your persuasion letter

Finish your letter of interest with a call to action, inviting the hiring manager to reach out to discuss potential opportunities.

Thank them for their time and consideration and suggest exploring ideas in a live meeting (e.g. an informational interview or a casual coffee chat).

Emphasize your flexibility to accommodate their schedule, and make it clear that you look forward to exploring the opportunities further.

Don't forget to add how they can get in touch (via email or telephone).

Ready for some real-life examples of writing your letter of interest? Let’s explore one that is completely wrong:

Notice how Mr Statham has focused solely on his experience and achievements? He hasn't pinpointed in any way the company he is applying to – its culture, unique problems, or goals.

The constant "I" comes across as a bit arrogant, creating an endless account of his success.

Here is how Mr. Statham can improve his letter of interest:

From the get-go Mr. Statham expresses his interest in a specific role, highlighting his unique skill set and why he chose the company.

The body of his letter of interest highlights two key achievements with tangible metrics.

The ending includes a call to action.

In the next part of this guide, we’ll present you with four real-life industry professionals’ letters of intent.

Take note of their initial mistakes and how to make their writing sound more specific to match the company.

Project manager letter of interest

What happens when you send out a generic-sounding letter of interest?

The candidate doesn’t build his case as to how he could contribute to the company. Mr. Allias’s letter of interest sounds generic and robotic, at best.

Here is how he edited it:

Mr. Allias’s letter of interest works now as it’s:

• Personalized and targeted to the reader.
• Shows exactly why he’s interested in the company.
• Highlights relevant experience , skills, and noteworthy accomplishments.
• There’s a clear call to action at the end.

Data scientist letter of interest

The letter of intent is where you should avoid being overconfident:

Notice how Ms. Tookes’ letter of intent:

• Comes across as overconfident and arrogant.
• Focuses too much on her individual achievements.
• Offers no insights as to how she succeeded.

Want to see how she fixed her persuasion letter?

Reading Ms. Tookes letter of interest you can see exactly why she’s interested in a role at the company and can immediately pinpoint the impact she has had in her past roles.

In the conclusion paragraph, the recruiter can immediately find her contact details and reach out, when a suitable job becomes available.

Lecturer letter of interest

You want your letter of intent to hint at your attention to detail, so double-check your spelling, before sending it across.

Apart from the spelling errors, due to potentially being pressed on time, Mr. Jonson’s letter is vague and doesn’t clearly state the role he is interested in.

Check out how Mr. Jonson improved his letter:

Recruiters can now understand Mr. Jonson’s specific academic background and expertise, and see the value his experience can offer.

QA Engineer (Intern) letter of interest

You may not have relevant experience, yet as a junior professional, you have other skills and qualities that would help you stand out.

For starters, don’t be too friendly in your letter of intent:

Marcie Darcy’s letter is too informal and doesn’t highlight her skills or achievements. It sounds like a chat, you’ve lifted off of Meta.

Here’s a more formal version of Ms. Darcy’s letter of interest:

Ms. Darcie shows enthusiasm to join the company - by pinpointing the company’s relevant niche service - and at the same time stays professional.

She refers to her education for key technologies and projects, showcasing the value she could potentially bring about.

• Send a letter of interest, when there are no open roles in the company you want to work for. Meanwhile, use the cover letter to answer a specific job advert.
• The letter of interest is based on plenty of research on the company so that you can personalize it (especially the greeting) and catch the readers' attention (with how you'd bring about value).
• Use your letter of intent's introduction to state why you're interested in the company.
• In the body paragraph, pinpoint either two to three company problems, you can fix, or two to three skills or accomplishments, that would be useful to the company.
• End with a call to action, where you provide your availability for an informational interview or a coffee chat.

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