Pesky "Letter of Intent" for Grad School

[thehstrybean]

So I'm filling out 3 grad school apps (Ole Miss, William & Mary, Univ. West Florida), and they all require "Letters of Intent". How long are these things supposed to be? None give any direction other than "state what you want to do"....anyone have any previous experience?

 

[eLiu]

The schools (and fellowships) I applied to required a "statement of purpose." Mine statements were a little more than 1 page, single spaced. Assuming these are about the same thing, this is roughly the formula I used for applying to 2 engineering programs & 3 eng/sci fellowships:
1a) describe your background--how did you get interested in this field, why are you interested, etc. Briefly discuss any relevant advanced coursework.
1b) describe what field you're interested in. (DO NOT say you like x, y, and z and would be cool with anything--be specific.) Demonstrate an understanding of what has been done in that field & the challenges that lie ahead (think like a shortened version of what'd you see in the "introduction" part of a research paper)
2) discuss any relevant research/professional experience. if you don't have experiences directly relevant to your field, talk about general research/professional experiences that you think demonstrate that you're equipped for grad school.
3) (IMPORTANT) discuss why the school you're applying to is appropriate for you. Find professors who are doing research on topics that are in line with your interests. Talk about what they're doing, why you care/think it's important, etc.
4) Wrap up by talking about your goals. Start by saying whether you're pursuing a master's or phd; talk briefly about what you will do after graduation and how this degree from this school will help you.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: eLiu
The schools (and fellowships) I applied to required a "statement of purpose." Mine statements were a little more than 1 page, single spaced. Assuming these are about the same thing, this is roughly the formula I used for applying to 2 engineering programs & 3 eng/sci fellowships:
1a) describe your background--how did you get interested in this field, why are you interested, etc. Briefly discuss any relevant advanced coursework.
1b) describe what field you're interested in. (DO NOT say you like x, y, and z and would be cool with anything--be specific.) Demonstrate an understanding of what has been done in that field & the challenges that lie ahead (think like a shortened version of what'd you see in the "introduction" part of a research paper)
2) discuss any relevant research/professional experience. if you don't have experiences directly relevant to your field, talk about general research/professional experiences that you think demonstrate that you're equipped for grad school.
3) (IMPORTANT) discuss why the school you're applying to is appropriate for you. Find professors who are doing research on topics that are in line with your interests. Talk about what they're doing, why you care/think it's important, etc.
4) Wrap up by talking about your goals. Start by saying whether you're pursuing a master's or phd; talk briefly about what you will do after graduation and how this degree from this school will help you.

Thanks, this will be helpful for me as well; applying to grad schools this fall too.

 

[aphex]

For my law school apps, I took the storytelling approach and weaved my background and ambitions into a story about my first study abroad experience. I guess it went over well, I got in to many of the schools. I think i ended up just a hair short of 2 pages.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Ole Miss eh? I hope that you are not applying for CS graduate school there, the department lost some major projects (ie funding) several months back, does not bode well for new GRAs. But, that information is dated, things might have improved.

Regardless, good luck!

 

[alkemyst]

Dear College,

You have the hottest chicks. I am young, dumb and full of cum. I feel your campus can solve all these problems.

Let me know my room number soon, I'd like to get started quickly.

KTHXBYE!

Soon to be Graduate!

 

[Whisper]

My letters of intent, as best I can remember, were all right around one page long and were very similar to job application cover letters. I briefly explained my interests and experience, listed the professors I'd plan on working with/for, and explained why I thought the program was a good fit for me.

Everything else (more in-depth background information, what led to my interest in the course of study in general, etc.) was covered in personal essays.