Statements of purpose are annoying, irrespective of whether you are the one who needs to write or to read them. So, let’s make the process at least more thoughtful.
Let’s start with what a statement of purpose is not:
it is not Homer telling your CV as an epic poem but an elaboration providing context for what you did (what you have not done) and what that means.
Some of you are lucky since everyone will know what it means to graduate at <insert your favorite top university>. Still, it is worth putting everything in context: you had a GPA of X. Great, but does it mean you are in the top 10% or 2%? What was the cohort size, one thousand or only ten?
Think with the head of the reader and ask: can they ascertain how big of a feat it was what you achieved?
If you are applying abroad and/or are from a lesser-known education system, then default to:
“My reader will have no clue about what that achievement means in my CV.”
The same holds for “unusual” items like gap years, lower GPAs, etc. Although your CV is flexible enough to add some context (e.g., you were in the top X%), it is not flexible enough to explain in detail your motivation or even address potential red flags. The statement of purpose is both your palette to add nuance and your defense speech.
Thus, when writing a statement of purpose:
Explain everything that is not obvious to someone from a different context;
Provide a scale for your achievements (top X%);
Ground your achievements: i.e., describe the conditions given in (and maybe despite to) which you excelled; if you got the most out even with bad initial conditions, that will be valued more than when you started from a good place and finished OK (without any effort, that is).
If you have prepared your statement of purpose, consider checking out these doctoral programs.
Shameless marketing
If you are passionate about neural networks, robotics, or intelligent systems and looking for a Ph.D. in Europe, I cannot help but recommend both graduate programs I am partaking in: the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS) and the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS).
Most of the insights I write about are related to my experience as an IMPRS-IS and ELLIS scholar. In the following weeks, more is coming.
Important dates and resources
IMPRS-IS application deadline: November 15, 2023, 23:59 CET. Find out more on the IMPRS-IS website.
ELLIS application deadline: November 15, 2023, 23:59 CET (yes, they are—not coincidentally—the same). Find out more on the ELLIS website.