Statement of Purpose
Overview
You will write a "statement of purpose" as required by most graduate school applications.
You may think, "Hey, I am not going to graduate school. Why do I need a statement of purpose?"
Even though you may not be planning on going to graduate school right after graduation, many
people complete a master's degree after several years in the workforce.
A statement of purpose is an introspective essay on what interests you about math and/or computer science.
This is useful in gradudate school applications because it
helps communicate who you are and why you are interested in the mathematics and/or computer science.
Knowing your strengths and passions will help you accomplish your goals, even if it is simply looking
for a job after graduation.
You can do a google search for statement of purpose
to get some ideas about how to write such a document.
Many university graduate school programs and associated websites and have good suggestions.
See advice below.
Print this page and submit it with your resume.
You will need to meet with me after your draft is written.
You will need to include signatures from both the
Office of Career Development and your academic advisor.
Grading Form
Grade
Element
| Comments
| Possible
Points
| Earned
Points
|
| Your Name |
(Your name here!) |
Required |
|
Career Developement
I have met with the above named student, discussed and reviewed their statement of purpose. |
(Signature/Stamp) |
Required |
|
Academic Advisor
I have met with the above named student, discussed and reviewed their statement of purpose.
The student can clearly articulate their interest in mathematics and/or computer science and their interest
is reflected in their statement of purpose. |
(Signature/Stamp) |
Required |
|
Content
Contains a strong thesis statement (hook) and clearly reflects your passion for mathematics, computer science,
or other academic major area.
It tells an accurate and compelling story using concrete examples about you and makes the reader want to meet you.
|
| 25
|
|
Formatting, Language, Grammar, Punctuations, and Spelling
Maintains a nice consistent format and contains absolutely no typographical errors.
|
| 5
|
|
| Total Points
|
| 30
|
|
Career Development
Visit the Career Development office and learn about our resources and programs.
They are in Ferguson suite 103 and open to all students!
They look forward to working with you!
More Specifics
- The length should be 500-1000 words
- Focus on your professional goals, research interests
- Speak about your background, research experiences, technical skills, leadership experiences,
and academic preparation at Albion
- include a discussion of oddities in your application
- Be informative and factual. Avoid cliches, being too wordy, vague, and general
- Show your passion for the subject
- Explain why your want a graduate degree and which specific research area is of interest to you
References
- http://www.cs.umd.edu/Grad/sop.shtml
- http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdf
The Chronicle of Higher Education,
January 2011.
- Wayne State University
- U of M - Ross School of Business
- Leave Dr. Seuss Out of It,
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