Published on
February 13, 2019
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
June 1, 2023.
When you apply for graduate programs or scholarships, the admissions committee is looking for more than just a list of grades. The statement of purpose (also known as a statement of intent or motivation letter) is your chance to stand out from the crowd and showcase your motivation, skills and potential. It should:
Outline your academic or professional interests and goals
Discuss relevant skills, experience and achievements
Demonstrate why you’d be a good fit for the program
Published on
February 12, 2019
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
July 3, 2023.
A personal statement is a short essay of around 500–1,000 words, in which you tell a compelling story about who you are, what drives you, and why you’re applying.
To write a successful personal statement for a graduate school application, don’t just summarize your experience; instead, craft a focused narrative in your own voice. Aim to demonstrate three things:
Your personality: what are your interests, values, and motivations?
Your talents: what can you bring to the program?
Your goals: what do you hope the program will do for you?
This article guides you through some winning strategies to build a strong, well-structured personal statement for a master’s or PhD application. You can download the full examples below.
Published on
January 28, 2019
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
July 23, 2023.
The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper or thesis.
In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.
In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.
Published on
January 24, 2019
by
Shona McCombes.
Revised on
July 23, 2023.
The conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay. A strong conclusion aims to:
Tie together the essay’s main points
Show why your argument matters
Leave the reader with a strong impression
Your conclusion should give a sense of closure and completion to your argument, but also show what new questions or possibilities it has opened up.
This conclusion is taken from our annotated essay example, which discusses the history of the Braille system. Hover over each part to see why it’s effective.
A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay. It usually comes near the end of your introduction.
Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.
Example: Thesis statementDespite Oscar Wilde’s Aestheticist claims that art needs no justification or purpose, his work advocates Irish nationalism, women’s suffrage, and socialism.
You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:
