Now
Guide1 min read
Writing a statement of purpose that gets read
What admissions teams want to learn from a statement of purpose, and the mistakes that make it harder to assess.
The statement of purpose is the one document where the student explains, in their own words, why they want the programme. Admissions teams read a lot of them, so a clear, specific statement stands out.
What admissions teams look for
- Why this subject, and why now
- Why this programme at this university
- Relevant study, work or projects
- What the student plans to do afterwards
Common problems
- One statement sent to every university
- A long life story with little about the programme
- Claims without examples to support them
- Going over the word limit
Practical tips
Keep to the university’s word limit, use specific examples and check that the programme name is correct. A statement written for one university should never mention another.
A statement of purpose is optional on StudyInfo, but when a programme expects one, a statement written for that programme makes the application stronger.