5 Things to Do in a Statement of Purpose for PhD/Grad School | PhD SOP + an example (mine!)

I've had a lot of requests to talk specifically about how to write a statement of purpose - so though some of these tips are redundant from my previous videos (links below!), I've distilled them here into the things that I think it's most important for a statement of purpose to do (and also what a statement of purpose is NOT - it's not a personal statement). These tips are probably also useful for the kinds of things to emphasize in a grad school interview! And stay tuned for future videos about farther along in the process! 00:00 Introduction 01:24 Convince them you want a PhD 03:46 Describe research experience & motivations 05:03 Show passion for a topic 06:55 Explain why that program 10:04 Demonstrate that you can write 11:32 This is not a personal statement 13:12 If you're applying to masters programs 13:57 My statement of purpose 18:31 Get feedback! Other videos about applying to PhD programs: Should you get a Phd at all? Good reasons and bad reasons:    • Should You Get a PhD??? | Reasons to Apply...   PhD application tips including more about reaching out to potential advisors, letters of recommendation, etc.:    • PhD Application Tips! | Advice for Applyin...   Figuring out where to apply for a PhD:    • Deciding where to apply for a PhD? | Choos...   Summary of reasons why PhD applicants are rejected, including the ones you have no control over:    • Reasons PhD applicants are rejected | Advi...   RELEVANT LINKS Template for reaching out to potential advisors:   / 1301907707579031555   What it's like to be a professor (do you want to do this?!):    • What is it like to be a college professor?...   More on "it's not you it's them" re: academic job searching:   / the-academic-job-search-its-not-you-it-s-them   Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I'll do my best to answer! But as always, also make sure you're getting advice from people in your discipline! Find Me TikTok   / professorcasey​​   Twitter   / cfiesler