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WRITINGAWINNINGSTATEMENTOFPURPOSE
Beforeyoustart,checkoutthetipsbelowon"GettingStarted"
I.Determineyourpurposeinwritingthestatement
Usuallythepurposeistopersuadetheadmissionscommitteethatyouareanapplicanttheyshouldchoose.Youmaywanttoshowthatyouhavetheabilityandmotivationtosucceedinyourfield,oryoumaywanttoshowthecommitteethat,onthebasisofyourexperience,youarethekindofcandidatewhowilldowellinthefield.Whateverthepurpose,itmustbeexplicittogivecoherencetothewholestatement.
Payattentiontothepurposethroughoutthestatementsothatextraneousmaterialisleftout.
Payattentiontotheaudience(committee)throughoutthestatement.Remember,youraudienceismadeupoffacultymemberswhoareexpertsintheirfield.Theywanttoknowthatyoucanthinkasmuchaswhatyouthink.
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II.Determinethecontentofyourstatement
Besuretoansweranydirectquestionsfully.Analyzethequestionsorguidancestatementsfortheessaycompletelyandanswerallparts.
Forexample:"Whatarethestrengthsandweaknessesinsettingandachievinggoalsandworkingthroughpeople?"Inthisquestionthereareactuallysixpartstobeanswered1)strengthsinsettinggoals,2)strengthsinachievinggoals,3)strengthsinworkingthroughpeople,4)weaknessesinsettinggoals,5)weaknessesinachievinggoalsand6)weaknessesinworkingthroughpeople.Payattentiontosmallwords.Notice:Thisexamplequestionsaysthroughpeoplenotwithpeople,ifitsayswithpeople,answerthatway.??
Usuallygraduateandprofessionalschoolsareinterestedinthefollowing:
Yourpurposeingraduatestudy.Thismeansyoumusthavethoughtthisthroughbeforeyoutrytoanswerthequestion.
Theareaofstudyinwhichyouwishtospecialize.Thisrequiresthatyouknowthefieldwellenoughtomakesuchdecision.
Yourfutureuseofyourgraduatestudy.Thiswillincludeyourcareergoalsandplansforyourfuture.
Yourspecialpreparationandfitnessforstudyinthefield.Thisistheopportunitytorelateyouracademicbackgroundwithyourextracurricularexperiencetoshowhowtheyunitetomakeyouaspecialcandidate.
Anyproblemsorinconsistenciesinyourrecordsorscoressuchasabadsemester.Besuretoexplaininapositivemannerandjustifytheexplanation.Sincethisisarebuttalargument,itshouldbefollowedbyapositivestatementofyourabilities.
Anyspecialconditionsthatarenotrevealedelsewhereintheapplicationsuchasalarge(35houraweek)workloadoutsideofschool.Thistooshouldbefollowedwithapositivestatementaboutyourselfandyourfuture.
Youmaybeasked,"Whydoyouwishtoattendthisschool?"Thisrequiresthatyouhavedoneyourresearchabouttheschoolandknowwhatitsspecialappealistoyou.
Aboveallthis,thestatementistocontaininformationaboutyouasaperson.Theyknownothingaboutyouthatyoudon’ttellthem.Youarethesubjectofthestatement.
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IIIDetermineyourapproachandthestyleofthestatement
Thereisnosuchthingas"theperfectwaytowriteastatement."Thereisonlytheonethatisbestforyouandfitsyourcircumstances.
1.Therearesomethingsthestatementshouldnotbe:
Avoidthe"whatIdidwithmylife"approach.Thiswasfineforgradeschoolessayson"whatIdidlastsummer."Itisnotgoodforapersonalstatement.
Equallyelementaryistheapproach"I’vealwayswantedtobea__________."Thisisonlyappropriateifitalsoreflectsyourcurrentcareergoals.
Alsoavoidastatementthatindicatesyourinterestinpsychologyisbecauseofyourownpersonalpsychotherapyorafamilymember’spsychologicaldisturbance.Whilethismayhavemotivatedmanyofustogoontograduatestudyinpsychology,thisisnotwhatyouraudienceisnecessarilylookingforinyourstatement.
Thesearesomethingsthestatementshoulddo:
Itshouldbeobjectiveyetself-revelatory.Writedirectlyandinastraightforwardmannerthattellsaboutyourexperienceandwhatitmeanstoyou.Donotuse"academese"orjargon.
Itshouldformconclusionsthatexplainthevalueandmeaningofyourexperiencessuchas:(1)whatyoulearnedaboutyourself;(2)aboutyourfield;(3)aboutyourfuturegoals;and(4)aboutyourcareerconcerns.
Itshouldbespecific.Documentyourconclusionswithspecificinstancesordrawyourconclusionsastheresultofindividualexperience.SeethelistofgeneralWordstoAvoidUsingwithoutExplanationlistedbelow.
Itshouldbeanexampleofcarefulpersuasivewriting.
CONSIDERTIONSABOUTFORM:
KeeptothePageLimitNumber!!!Reviewershavetoreadhundredsoftheseapplications,don’toverburdenthemwithextrapages.
Donotleaveintypographicalerrors.Youdon’twanttobetakenlessseriouslyduetoatypo,rite?(laugh)
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WORDSTOAVOIDUSINGWITHOUTEXPLANATION
Significant牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋Invaluable牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋appealingtomethingas"theperfectwaytowritea
interesting牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋exciting,excited牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋appealingaspectgas"theperfectwaytowritea
challenging牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋?enjoyable,enjoy牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋?Ilikeitingaspectgas"theperfectway
satisfying,satisfaction牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋Icancontribute牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋it抯importantas"theperfectwaytow
rewarding牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋?valuable牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋?fascinatingt抯importantas"theperfectwaytowri
gratifying牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋helpful牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋appreciateimportantas"theperfectwaytowrite
meaningful牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋useful牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋helpingpeopleportantas"theperfectwaytowriteas
meantalottome牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋feelgood牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋Iliketohelprtantas"theperfectwaytowri
stimulating牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋remarkable牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋牋peopleetohelprtantas"theperfectwayt
incredible
GETTINGSTARTED
EXERCISES:
A.Recallingandanalyzingexperience-writeshortparagraphsonthefollowing:
Pickamemorableaccomplishmentinyourlife.Whatdidyoudo?Howdidyouaccomplishit?
Whatsortofimportantactivitieshaveyouengagedin?Withwhom?whatroledidyouplay?
Whatworkexperienceshaveyouhad?Whatwasyourjob?responsibility?Howdidyoucarryitout?
Nowlookoveryourparagraphs.Whatskillsandqualitiesdoyouseethatyoupossess?Forexample,considerworkingwithothers.Wereyoualeader?important"team"player?
Lookingatwhatyouhavefound,youcannowlookforskillsandqualitiesthatwillhelpyouingraduateschool.Whatfactorsstandout?
NOTE:Youwillundoubtedlyhavemorematerialthanyoucanuse.Thisisgood,butyouneedtomakestrategicchoices.
B.Yourcareergoals-writetwoshortparagraphs:
1.Whatcareerhaveyouchosen?Whatfactorsformedthisdecision?
2.Whatevidenceshowsthatthisisacorrectchoice?Thatis,howcanyoushowthatthischoiceisrealistic?(Personalexperienceinthefieldisagoodplacetobegin.)
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