It’s past the halfway point of the semester. Soon, I will be sending off applications to HCI and related graduate school programs. From faculty mentors, I have received mixed opinions on whether to write a general or university-specific statement of purpose. Unlike the personal essay for undergraduates, the statement of purpose is better with focus rather than breadth.
The focus being what is your goal in your intended field and what “prep work” have you already done towards this goal. For a sampling of what they’re looking for, here are the statement prompts for some of the schools (in alphabetical order) I’m considering (or skip ahead):
Carnegie-Mellon (HCI focus in CS)
Prepare a concise one or two page essay that describes your primary areas of interest in research, your related experiences, and your objective in pursuing a graduate degree at Carnegie Mellon. Your essay should be specific in describing your interests and motivations. When describing your research interests, you should explain why you think they are important areas of study and why you are particularly well-suited to pursuing them. You should describe any relevant education, research, commercial, government, or teaching experience. If you are applying to more than one program, you may (but are not required to) submit a separate Statement of Purpose for each program. […]
Human-Computer Interaction applicants: Indicate your intended area of emphasis in the first paragraph of your Statement of Purpose. If appropriate to your background, you may include a link to your portfolio. If you are unable to provide a link, you may mail a CD of your portfolio to Martha Clarke, Admissions Coordinator, at the address given above.
Georgia Tech (Human-Centered Computing in CS)
Please give a Statement of Purpose detailing your academic and research goals as well as career plans. Include your reasons for choosing the Computational Science and Engineering Program as opposed to other programs and/or other universities.
Please give your reasons for wishing to do graduate work in the field you have chosen. Prepare your statement of objectives and goals in whatever form clearly presents your views. Include as far as you can, your particular interests, be they experimental, theoretical, or issue-oriented, and show how your background and MIT’s programs support these interests. The statement could be much like a proposal for graduate studies, in the more specific context of your professional objectives. You should set forth the issues and problems you wish to address. Explain your longer-term professional goals. The Admissions Committee will welcome any factors you wish to bring to its attention concerning your academic and work experience to date.
University of California, Irvine (Ubiquitous Computing & Applications in CS)
In an essay, please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests and experience in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. Please be specific about why UC Irvine would be a good intellectual fit for you.
[…] The “Statement of Purpose” is expected to focus on your academic/research background and interests…
University of Colorado at Boulder (Digital and Social Systems in CS)
A Statement of Purpose regarding why you want to pursue graduate work in Computer Science and what you would like to do after you have received your graduate degree.
University of Maryland (HCI in CS)
Statement of Goals, Research Interests, and Experiences.…
So, from these, what do I know about what I shall write?
First, and most important, I need to know what my goal is in graduate school. What do I expect to get out of it? Despite the joke to the contrary, attending graduate school is not intended as an alternative to getting a real job after graduation. Students are committing 2-7 years of their life to pursuing a graduate degree.
The goal itself needs to address during graduate school and after. During school, what sort of research will you pursue? While this project proposal isn’t set in stone, you should have some idea of what you want to do. The second part can be very brief and is usually summed up as what job do you want? Typical answers are professor or researcher; atypical answers may be best kept to one’s self to avoid seeming naïve or frivolous.
Secondly, where have I come from? What experiences have come together to create this goal and shape a person? Research, beliefs, employment, hobbies, interests, etc. all come together to answer this. While no one wants to hear about your life story, they do want some explanation as to why you are pursuing your goal. In almost all cases, you have done something already to either achieve your goal or to make something your goal. (The portfolio requirement comes into play with this section.)
Thirdly, why do I want to be in this program and how do I fit it? It would be silly to apply to departments that do not do HCI research for me. The admissions people and faculty at the department want proof that you know what goes on at their university. As with the in-school goal, you can use a proposal to demonstrate knowledge.
Tags: application, grad school, writing
