Writing a statement of purpose that admissions officers finish
Most statements fail in the first paragraph. Here is the structure our admissions team recommends, and what to cut.
- 6 min read
An admissions officer reading your statement has read a hundred that week. Yours does not need to be beautiful — it needs to be specific, consistent with the rest of your file, and finished in one sitting.
A structure that works
- 1
Open with the decision, not your childhood
Start at the point you chose this field. The reader wants your reasoning, not your biography.
- 2
Show the preparation
Name the coursework, projects or work that got you ready. Specifics are what make a claim believable.
- 3
Explain this programme
Name the department, a course, a lab, a professor's area. Anything that could not be copy-pasted into another application.
- 4
State what comes after
A clear plan for after graduation reassures the reader that the degree fits into something larger.
What to cut
- Quotations from famous people — they take space and say nothing about you.
- Adjectives about yourself. Show the evidence and let the reader conclude.
- Anything that contradicts your transcript or your stated finances.
Have a question this didn't answer?
Our team in Seoul works on these applications every day — send us the detail and we'll tell you where you stand.