Writing Tips:

Starting the essay Preliminary Research Background issues Writing the Essay Editing and Rewriting Polishing the essay The 'In their shoes' check Showing your stuff around The final printout Writing Guides New

What the site contains:

What is a Statement of Purpose? What do colleges look for in an SoP? How do I start writing mine? How do I polish my SoP? Can I see some sample SoPs? What about recommendation letters? Can you help me with Scholarship SoPs? New What other resources can I tap?

EDITING AND REWRITING

Give your Statement of Purpose an Edge at EssayEdge.com!

Language Guidelines

Take another 7-8 days to write 3-4 more drafts. Go through the objectives and pitfalls often. Refer to, and edit your lists as you go along.

Flow
While each paragraph should make a complete statement on its own, the essay should logically progress from paragraph to paragraph. Read your essay for flow, or have someone else read it, and ask yourself if there seems to be an abrupt shift between ideas in two consecutive paragraphs.

Structure
This follows naturally from flow. Do all the paragraphs mesh together to form a cogent whole? Does the essay, through a logical progression of ideas, demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm, and fit in the department you have applied to?

Language
Avoid slang and abbreviations. For acronyms, use the full form the first time and show the acronym in parentheses. Use grammatically correct English and ALWAYS read your essay carefully for spelling mistakes before you send it off - your computer's spellcheck may not flush out all the errors. Try to make your essay crisp, cutting out unnecessary adverbs, articles and pronouns (for instance, a careful reading may yield several "the's" that are superfluous).

Tone
Use a consistent tone throughout the essay - it will only confuse the admissions officers if you alternately sound like Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare, and is hardly likely to endear you to them! While you should avoid flowery language and cliches, there is no harm in looking for the most apt phrase or sentence. Be careful while using humor - it can misfire and harm your chances.