The most common challenge that my master’s and PhD applicant clients face when writing a statement of research interests or a statement of purpose (SOP) is how to describe in concrete terms what their research interests and goals are. This is understandable. Their ideas are still evolving, and some worry that they’ll later be held to the ideas they stated in their applications, as though they were chiseled in stone. Others simply haven’t yet thought their ideas through very much.
Take a deep breath! By the time you begin working on your thesis or dissertation, I promise that no one will pop up and wave your SOP or research interests statement around, saying, “But that’s not what you said here!” Everyone knows that your knowledge and ideas will develop throughout your graduate program.
Here are the two things that a great statement of research interests or SOP will do:
- It will clearly illustrate to the admissions committee that you possess a depth of interest and comprehension in your field and that you understand what goes into research. You will sound unprepared for graduate school if you talk about ideas that are too vague or nebulous, or ones that cannot be addressed adequately through your discipline.
- It will explain any relevant background you have in the field, why you find it compelling, and why you are well suited for this career track.
Four Questions to Help Identify Your Statement Focus
To narrow your interests into something that is concrete enough for you to be able to write about convincingly, without being overly general, ask yourself these questions:
- What are the broad research questions/issues that interest you? Create a summary of your interests that you can work with, and describe your interests in a sentence – or a paragraph, at most.
- Within those broad areas of interest, can you begin to focus on more specific questions? If you’re not sure what the current questions/problems are in your field, now is the time to start catching up. Read recent journal publications, and go to conferences if you can. Reading the literature in your field will also give you a sense of how to frame your ideas in the language of your field. When reading, think about how the people working in your field (your future colleagues!) describe their research questions and how they approach solving or answering them.
- Have you done any research in the field already? If so, do you intend to build on your previous work in graduate school or go in a new direction? Explaining how your research experiences so far have shaped your plans for graduate school shows the admissions committee that you have thought carefully about what kind of work you want to do and gives you a compelling reason to return to (or continue) your education.
- How will your research contribute to the field?
Understanding How to Present Your Goals
Some projects described in SOPs are achievable in the short term, while others are large enough to span an individual’s entire career. If your interests/goals fall into this latter category, acknowledge your ambitions, and try to identify some element of your interests that you can pursue as a first step.
Once you have demonstrated your skills (and past experiences) in your field, you will be better equipped to define your next steps.
Focusing your interests will also involve doing more detailed research about the programs to which you plan to apply. For example, consider the following questions:
- Who might be your research supervisor?
- How do your interests relate to the work this scholar or these scholars are doing now?
- How would you contribute to the department and to the discipline?
Your SOP will also address your post-degree, longer-term goals. Do you envision yourself pursuing a career in research/academia? (For many PhD programs, this remains the department’s formal expectation, even though many PhDs find employment outside the academy.) If you’re applying for a master’s degree, be prepared to discuss what your future plans are and how the degree will help you.
Your SOP needs to be direct, informative, and purposeful! When you choose Accepted, we match you with a dedicated advisor who will help you create an SOP that best reflects your experiences, goals, and intense desire to attend your target graduate school program. And did you know that Accepted’s clients have received millions of dollars in scholarship offers? Don’t delay – get started with a free consultation.
Vanessa Febo has ten years of experience teaching academic and professional writing at UCLA, with a special certification in writing techniques. She has drawn on this expertise to guide clients to placements at top institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, and USC. Before joining Accepted, Vanessa coached UCLA students through the application process for graduate programs, major grants, fellowships, and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessey, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. Additionally, Vanessa has extensive experience successfully guiding clients through applications for a diverse range of programs, including those in business, humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Want Vanessa to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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