Purpose, Polished: Writing your statement of purpose

How do you craft the perfect graduate school statement?

Understand the Goal

The statement of purpose isn’t just a personal essay: it’s a chance to showcase yourself to the application committee. Your goal is to create a professional document that communicates your academic and career goals, explains your personal interest in the program, and demonstrates how you’re a good fit. Admissions committees are looking for clarity, direction, and authenticity.

Think of this as a narrative that answers a few questions:

Who are you? What do you want to study and why?
Why this program? What do you hope to do with the degree?

This will allow you to paint a clear picture of your journey.

Research the Program

Before you start writing, dig deep into the programs you’re applying to. Look at faculty research areas, curriculum structure, internships or labs offered, and the department’s mission. Mention specific features of the program that align with your interests. It is important to show the readers that you are being intentional and thorough when it comes to selecting your school.

Tailor Every Statement of Purpose

While it may be tempting to use the same statement for multiple schools, it is not necessarily recommended. Much like a cover letter the extra few moments to write a tailored response to each school helps your best foot forward. Customize each one to reflect the unique offerings of that program.

This is the only opportunity you get to communicate directly with the person reading your application. This may be the best time to address any concerns that you may have about everything you are submitting. Being upfront about any shortcomings can be a sign of strength; instead of trying to hide the negatives, being able to confront them head on and explain how you have grown from failure is a great way to show that you are ready for the next step.

Pay extra attention to what each school cares about when it comes to their student population. If they emphasize community engagement, leadership, or interdisciplinary work, show how you embody those values. You can also use this step to reflect on what your experience might look like at this school.

Keep it Concise and Polished

One key aspect that students tend to forget is that you must make sure to follow the word count or page limit. Being too wordy or not following directions can be a bad reflection on your writing abilities.

In some cases, readers may also not read your full statement if it is too long. It can be a great idea to have at least one or two people review your statement of purpose, ideally someone in your field who is a strong writer/editor. A second set of eyes can help you catch issues you might overlook!

A strong statement of purpose can elevate a good application to a great one. It’s your chance to tell your story.

Write honestly, revise relentlessly, and above all else – be yourself.

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Ace the Ask

Tips on how to get great letters of recommendation

Who should I ask for recommendations?  

 The standard suggestion for graduate school is to provide two professional recommendations, but please check if the program you are applying to has more specific requirements. Traditionally recommendations are from one educational source and one from an employer if applicable (two recommendations from professors who know you well are just as acceptable).  

• Academic reference allows you space to discuss your academic credentials and highlight your strengths to returning to academia.  

• Employer references provide greater context within your field of expertise, your resume, and skills you may have developed after being in school that will assist you in your program.  

You want to reach out to mentors and bosses that can speak to your capabilities and potential success in your program of interest. 

What can I ask a recommender to highlight? 

Your recommenders may ask you what you’d like them to focus on in your recommendations. This is a good time to ask your recommenders to effectively highlight:  

• Any intense research you may have done 

• Projects you participated in or led successfully 

• What makes you a unique candidate for your specific program of interest 

When should I ask for a reference? 

As soon as you can! This allows your recommenders to understand the timeline of the application and assess if they are able to write you a letter in a timely manner.  
You are going to want a backup recommender just in case your top choices are unable to write your recommendation in your required timeframe.

Where does the recommender submit the reference?  

Here at Clark University, you can send an email directly to your two recommenders through our website. When filling out your application, you will input your recommender’s first and last name, the organization they currently work at, their position at that organization, their professional relationship to you, their phone number, and most importantly their email address.

Once you’ve filled in this information and pressed save, an email will be sent to the recommender’s email address on file with a link where they can submit their letter of recommendation to you. The link can sometimes go to a recommender spam folder, so please be sure to let your recommender know to check both their inbox and their spam folder.  

As always, if you have any questions regarding the process, please reach out to our office and we’d be happy to assist you. Best of luck with your application! 

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We extend our warmest congratulations to recent Dean’s Scholarship recipients! Scholars from over seven countries and various graduate programs were recognized for academic excellence and congratulated by school deans at our reception.

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Throughout the pandemic, School of Management Assistant Dean Laura Burgess has been impressed by the efforts of student leaders who have reached out to their peers and planned meaningful virtual student activities. As a way to reward them and provide additional leadership training during this year’s COVID-extended winter break, Burgess created a noncredit Student Leadership Certificate program, enlisting alumni involvement with the help of Laurie Cormier, University Advancement’s SOM liaison.

“There were many students in club leadership positions who put so much thought and effort into the SOM community and their classmates, despite the pandemic,” said Burgess. “I wanted to find a way to thank them with something useful, something lasting, other than just a token gift.”

Twenty graduate and undergraduate students were selected for the six week program. With Cormier’s help, Burgess formatted the curriculum to include participation in weekly alumni-led workshops on leadership-related topics, including intercultural communication, marketing and branding, and team motivation. While some topics are included in current coursework, the workshops allowed participants to focus on specific skill sets valued in the workplace.

“One of our alumni speakers talked to the students about working in virtual teams, which is extremely relevant and important right now,” said Burgess. “But all of the topics were ones that could have an immediate impact on students’ work and on future leadership roles.”

To earn the certificate, students had to attend five workshops, and complete LinkedIn Learning modules for each topic. Burgess was thrilled at the students’ commitment as well as the enthusiasm of the alumni speakers.

Kara Duffy ’03, MBA ’04 felt it was important to be involved. “I love sharing what’s happening in real life in the business world. Things change so quickly, especially this past year, so it’s important to share real-time methodologies and examples,” she said.

“I really enjoy doing workshops or lectures for business students because each time I get to be impressed with how knowledgeable and confident they are – which makes me excited to see what they’ll produce in the world.”

The program has created several benefits. Students have an additional skill to add to their resume and have improved networking and leadership skills, while the alumni enjoyed connecting with Clarkies and passing on their own leadership experience.

Undergraduate management major John D’Eufemia was appreciative of the chance to further develop his talents. “We received clear direction on different leadership skills and gained a better understanding of what it means to be an effective leader. Connecting with these alumni and hearing about their successful careers post-Clark was valuable and reassuring.”

MBA student Qingqing Lu, president of the SOM Student Council, agreed. “What I enjoyed the most was the insight from our alumni who are currently leaders in their industry. It will help us not only in our positions on campus, but also with life after Clark.”

“Our alumni were fantastic,” Burgess added. “We can’t thank them enough.”

Special thanks to the following alumni who took part in the program:

Bryan Tamburro ’97
Sarwar Raza ’00
Taylor Bennett ’15, MBA ’16
Michelle Cove ’91
Kara Duffy ’03, MBA ’04

Alumni interested in working on similar projects in the future, or who wish to donate their time as a course guest speaker, can contact Laura Burgess.

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