What is a good statement of purpose ?

[Globule]

Hello everyone !

So I know it might be a little bit early (I want to start my application this fall for Epi MPH), but I'm currently starting to write my statement of purpose and I am just wondering, what exactly is a good SOP ?

I understand that I need to demonstrate why I want a degree in public health, what are my career goals, etc... but what ''style'' should I use ? I realise that I should'nt just list my reasons but also explain them.

I have read a couple of SOP on internet and it seems like a hook is important in introduction. But sometime it seems SOP should be like a story that I have to tell to the admission com. Some SOP that I read even felt almost ''poetic''.

Anyway, I hope that you could enlighten me on what a good SOP should be.

Globule

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[anvansch]

I found this book really helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Graduate-Admi...8724/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306134978&sr=8-1

I have to admit, I researched and brainstormed for months, and then drafted my essay at the very last minute (in the last 48 hours). I don't recommend this due to the stress... but I do think it's worth spending a good amount of time thinking about what you want to include before writing. I got into all but UCB, and even they told me I had a good essay ("well-written and well-focused"). I made sure to use really strong and confident words in my essay and made bold statements about what I wanted to do with my degree.

Good luck!

 

[Chirpychippy]

You may want to check out ideas from books on grad school essays such as the one suggested above. I perused a book while at Borders (but did not buy it) for ideas on what style to employ. I had the same concern as you, namely that I did not know what style to use. Looking through a grad school essays book can help.

As you mentioned, a lot of them do seem to have a hook. I would try not to make it overly colloquial or gimmicky like some undergraduate personal statements tend to be. My statement was sort of in a narrative format, where I highlighted some of the key experiences that sparked my interest in public health. I began with a personal encounter of how my living experiences abroad influenced my views on public health, and then I transitioned into my professional and academic experiences in the area of public health. But overall, it was pretty formal.

 

[E24Gose]

My advice is to just be yourself. If you try too hard to write with a style that is not your own, it will be obvious. I wrote a statement for a school and had a professor read it. She looked at me and said it sounded nothing like me and to redo the whole thing. I tried way too hard to fit what I thought the school wanted. I rewrote it without worrying and had a much better piece.

I would also suggest writing a different statement for each school. All the schools I applied to had similar, but not the same, parameters for the statements. I tried to answer any questions they had and format my pieces to fit what was sought.

Finally, proofread, proofread, proofread. Eliminate extraneous phrases, cut down on repetitive words, vary your sentence structures; be sure to write for an English professor. I cant speak for public health school, but the adcoms I know for medical schools look at all aspects of the personal statement, from content to attention to detail.

Good luck!

 

[QuizzicalMPHer]

The Dean of Admissions at Columbia gave out a helpful piece of advice about how to write a public health SOP. He said your statement should answer three questions: 1) Why are you interested in public health? 2) Why are you interested in the particular public health discipline you are applying for? and 3) Why Columbia? (Or whatever school you are applying for...)

That was useful to me not only because it gave me an idea of what admissions committees are looking for, but because it creates a natural structure for the essay. To answer question 1, begin by describing how your interest in public health emerged. This is where your "hook" might go, but it doesn't need to be a gimmick. Sincerely and passionately describing how your interest in the field emerged should be effective.

Then, talk about the development of your interest and your ambitions in the field. This will naturally relate to question 2, as the type of public health you plan to study should be closely tied to your developing interests and plans.

Finally, bring the essay to a close by relating your plans to what you hope to gain by getting a degree at the particular school you are applying to.

It worked for me!

 

[RAMPA]

the dean of admissions at columbia gave out a helpful piece of advice about how to write a public health sop. He said your statement should answer three questions: 1) why are you interested in public health? 2) why are you interested in the particular public health discipline you are applying for? And 3) why columbia? (or whatever school you are applying for...)

that was useful to me not only because it gave me an idea of what admissions committees are looking for, but because it creates a natural structure for the essay. To answer question 1, begin by describing how your interest in public health emerged. This is where your "hook" might go, but it doesn't need to be a gimmick. Sincerely and passionately describing how your interest in the field emerged should be effective.

Then, talk about the development of your interest and your ambitions in the field. This will naturally relate to question 2, as the type of public health you plan to study should be closely tied to your developing interests and plans.

Finally, bring the essay to a close by relating your plans to what you hope to gain by getting a degree at the particular school you are applying to.

it worked for me!

+1

 

[Globule]

Thank you to all of you for you comments and advices.

After all, I think that I'm not starting too soon to think about my SOP. I guest I just I have to start and see how it goes. Now I just have to figure out how to explain that even though I have a lot of lab experience, I really want to pursue a degree in public health.

Thank you again.