statement of purpose computer science phd

Graduate School Statement of Purpose

Criteria for success.

Your statement of purpose, sometimes referred to by other names including “statement of objectives” or (rarely) “personal statement” should…

• convince a faculty committee that you are qualified for their program and that you are a good fit for their program’s focus and goals.
• show a select group of skills and experiences that convey your scientific and technical accomplishments and interests.
• include concrete and quantitative experiences, accomplishments, and qualifications.
• adhere to the length and formatting guidelines of the program to which you are applying (usually no more than 2 pages).

Structure Diagram

The graduate school statement of purpose should strengthen your chance of acceptance into a graduate program by demonstrating that you are a good match for the particular department or program. Matching goes both ways: they should be interested in you, and you should be interested in them. Your statement should make this match clear by telling your personal story as a researcher.

Analyze Your Audience

Your statement of purpose is typically read by a graduate committee, a handful of faculty from your program. They’re trying to determine if you will be a successful graduate student in their department, a positive force in the department’s intellectual life, and a successful researcher after you graduate. They are therefore interested in your qualifications as a researcher, your career goals, and how your academic focus matches their labs and department.

The graduate committee could read hundreds of applications a year. To make it easy for them to figure out that you are a good fit, make direct, concrete statements about your accomplishments and qualifications. To make it easy for them to remember you, create a narrative that “brands” you.

Create a personal narrative

PhD programs invest in the professional and technical growth of their students. Get the committee excited about investing in you by opening your essay with a brief portrait of what drives you as a scientist or engineer. What research directions are you passionate about, and why? What do you picture yourself doing in 10 years?

If you’re not quite sure what you want to do in graduate school, it’s still best to focus on a specific area or topic in your application. What would you work on if you had to start graduate school tomorrow? You can always change your research focus later.

Any personal stories should fit in the overall narrative of your research story. Avoid cliche openings like “ever since my childhood, I’ve been fascinated by…”. The statement of purpose, sometimes called a personal statement, is “personal” in the sense that it tells your unique research story, not your life story.  

Close your essay with a 2-3 sentence discussion of your career interests. No one will hold you to these plans; it simply helps your committee visualize your potential trajectory. Emphasize how the program you are applying to will help prepare you for these long-term goals.

Describe your experiences

Experiences are the “what” of your essay. What experiences led you to develop your skill set and passions? Where have you demonstrated accomplishment, leadership, and collaboration? Include research, teaching, and relevant work experience or extracurriculars. State concrete achievements and outcomes like awards, publications, or projects completed.

Achievements do not need to be directly tied to research projects or publications. However, they should relate to the type of work you expect in graduate school. For example, you can discuss significant, research-oriented class projects. Describe any collaborations with senior students or faculty that demonstrate your passion about relevant research topics. Computer science students can discuss projects from software internships that involved architecture design, algorithm design, security considerations, machine learning, etc. These experiences can inform your academic interests and demonstrate ability as well as more formal research experience. Also consider including experiences that demonstrate other skills that are crucial for a successful grad student such as good communication and self-motivation. 

Quantify your experiences to show concrete impact. How many people were on your team? How many protocols did you develop? How many people were in competition for an award? As a TA, how often did you meet with your students?

Describe actions, not just changes in your internal mental or emotional state. A statement of purpose is a way to make a narrative out of your CV. It is not a diary entry

Explain the meaning of your experiences

Meaning is the “why” or “so what” of the document. Why was this experience important to your growth as a researcher? What does it say about your abilities and potential? It feels obvious to you, but you need to be explicit with your audience. Your descriptions of meaning should also act as transition statements between experiences: try to “wrap” meaning around your experiences.

Demonstrate match to your target program

Demonstrate an understanding of the program to which you’re applying and about how you will be successful in that program. To do this:

• Read the program’s website. See what language they use to describe themselves, and echo that language in your essay. For example, the website for MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory displays three main research areas and the values of the lab .
• In some areas (often those with a more rigid lab structure), reaching faculty is very important. You should know what faculty members are taking new students and whether or not you would be a fit for their lab before applying. In other areas, contacting faculty is not expected and may be difficult. Reach out if in doubt and consult current graduate students, undergraduate professors, or graduate admissions officers if you are unsure what is typical in your area.
• State which professors in the program you would plan to work with. Show how their research areas align with your background and your goals. You can even describe potential research directions or projects. It can also be helpful to mention other departments or groups at the university that you might be interested in collaborating with or learning from.

Content adapted by the MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Communication Lab from an article originally created by the MIT Biological Engineering Communication Lab .

Related Resource

For more information, see these statements from MIT EECS faculty about what they look for in a grad school application.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in CSAIL 192 KB

Annotated Example 2

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in EECS 292 KB

Annotated Example 3

Personal Statement submitted by graduate student enrolled at MIT in EECS 873 KB

How to Draft Statement of Purpose (SOP) Computer Science PhD? (Sample Included)

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• Post published: November 29, 2023
• Post category: SOP
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Imagine applying for a Computer Science PhD is like setting out on a thrilling adventure. Now, at the heart of this adventure is a document that holds the key to your academic dreams—the Statement of Purpose (SOP). It might sound like a fancy term, but think of it as your personal story, told in a formal way, showcasing your love for learning and your big dreams in research.

The SOP isn’t just a box to tick; it’s more like your self-painted portrait. This document, carefully crafted, lets you share your academic journey and spill the beans on why you’re excited about diving deep into Computer Science. In the world of PhD applications, especially in Computer Science, the SOP is your secret weapon.

It not only shows off your smarts in academics but also reveals your passion for exploring new frontiers in research. So, let’s break it down and see how you can turn this piece of paperwork into a compelling story that makes you stand out!

Structure of a Strong SOP for Computer Science PhD

Alright, let’s break down the SOP into bite-sized pieces to create a roadmap that admissions committees can effortlessly follow.

Introduction: A Captivating Kickoff

• Start your SOP with a bang! Craft an introduction that grabs attention.
• Keep it concise but powerful, setting the stage for what’s to come.
• Use this section to hint at your passion for Computer Science and why you’re ready to dive deep.

Academic Background: Your Educational Canvas

• Paint a picture of your academic journey so far.
• Highlight key courses, projects, or achievements that shaped your love for Computer Science.
• Don’t just list, narrate. Share the story of your academic evolution.

Research Experience: Unveiling Your Investigative Side

• Showcase any research projects or experiences you’ve had.
• Emphasize not just what you did but what you learned from each experience.
• Connect your research ventures to your passion for advancing knowledge in Computer Science.

Future Goals: Casting Your Academic Vision

• Envision the future! What do you aspire to achieve with a Computer Science PhD?
• Be specific about how this particular program aligns with your goals.
• Convey a sense of excitement about the impact you aim to make in the field.

Tips for a Cohesive Flow:

• Thread of Continuity: Ensure a smooth transition between sections. Let one idea naturally flow into the next.
• Connect the Dots: Clearly show how each section contributes to the bigger picture—your journey and your aspirations.
• Avoid Repetition: Be mindful not to repeat information. Each section should add a new layer to your story.
• Maintain Clarity: Use straightforward language. Remember, you’re telling a story, not penning a mystery novel.
• Pacing is Key: Don’t rush. Give each section the attention it deserves, balancing details without overwhelming the reader.
• Reflect Your Voice: Let your personality shine through. An SOP is not just about facts; it’s about you.

By following this roadmap, your SOP becomes a compelling narrative that not only checks the boxes but leaves a lasting impression on those reviewing your application. Now, let’s dive into each section and discover how to make your SOP a standout piece in the world of Computer Science PhD applications!

How to Tailor Your SOP for a Computer Science PhD: Crafting a Stellar Narrative

Tailoring your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD is akin to creating a bespoke masterpiece. Here’s your guide to weaving a narrative that not only stands out but also resonates with the unique vibe of the Computer Science academic realm.

Precision in Passion: Illuminate Your Unique Spark

• Engage with Details: Dive into the specific aspects of Computer Science that light the fire in your academic soul.
• Steer Clear of Generalities: Avoid vague statements; instead, pinpoint the precise areas that fuel your passion.
• Why Here, Why Now: Clearly articulate why pursuing a PhD in Computer Science is the next logical step for you, especially at this particular institution.

Aligning Stars: Mapping Your Journey to the Program

• In-Depth Program Research: Showcase your familiarity with the program’s strengths, faculty, and distinctive features.
• Demonstrate Fit: Explicitly align your research interests with what the program specializes in.
• Highlight Synergy: Illustrate how your academic journey seamlessly integrates with the unique offerings of the program.

Unique Contributions: Spotlight Your Distinctive Brilliance

• Unveil Your Uniqueness: Showcase skills, experiences, or perspectives that make you stand out.
• Contribution Quotient: Emphasize how your presence will enrich the academic community.
• Connect the Dots: Demonstrate how your background aligns with the ethos and culture of the program.

Previous Collaborations: Weaving a Tapestry of Connection

• Faculty Interactions: If you’ve interacted with faculty members before, mention these experiences.
• Seamless Continuity: Illustrate how these interactions have influenced your decision to pursue a PhD in Computer Science.
• Building Bridges: Show that you’re not just an applicant but someone who already shares a connection with the academic community.

Research Synergy: Harmonizing Your Goals with Program Initiatives

• Concrete Examples: Discuss specific research initiatives within the program that resonate with your interests.
• Showcase Alignment: Use tangible examples to illustrate how your research goals complement the ongoing work within the department.
• Paint a Collaborative Vision: Convey how your research contributions can seamlessly integrate with the existing research landscape.

Forward-Looking Fit: Crafting a Visionary Finale

• Future Research Aspirations: Share your vision for future research endeavors and how the program acts as the catalyst.
• Resource Utilization: Illustrate how the program’s resources, faculty mentorship, and collaborative environment will propel your academic ambitions.
• Infuse Excitement: Convey a sense of eagerness for the journey ahead, painting a vivid picture of the exciting possibilities within your grasp.

Showcasing Academic Background for a Computer Science PhD: Crafting Your Academic Narrative

Your academic background is the canvas upon which you paint the story of your readiness for a Computer Science PhD. Make this narrative captivating by strategically presenting your achievements. Start by delving into specific courses, projects, or research experiences that highlight your prowess in the realm of Computer Science.

Instead of a mere laundry list, narrate the significance of each academic milestone, showcasing how it has fueled your passion and prepared you for the challenges and innovations integral to a PhD journey.

Emphasizing Research Experience for a Computer Science PhD: Unveiling Your Investigative Journey

In the intricate tapestry of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, the spotlight on your research experience is akin to revealing the heart of your academic journey. Elevate the significance of detailing your research escapades; this is your chance to showcase your prowess in tackling real-world challenges and contributing to the evolving landscape of Computer Science.

When delving into your research experience, don’t merely list projects—narrate them. Provide a window into your contributions, methodologies, and outcomes. Break down the complexity of your work, ensuring that the reader not only comprehends your technical prowess but also appreciates the tangible impact of your research.

Aligning with Faculty and Research Opportunities: Forging Connections in Your Computer Science PhD Journey

Navigating the labyrinth of a Computer Science PhD application involves not only aligning with the program but also forging connections with the academic trailblazers—faculty members. Understanding the pivotal role that faculty play in shaping your academic odyssey, it’s crucial to delve into the significance of researching their work. You can use resources like LinkedIn to connect with faculty members.

Take the time to explore the research portfolios of faculty members within the Computer Science department. Uncover their contributions to the field, ongoing projects, and areas of expertise. Expressing genuine alignment with specific faculty members in your Statement of Purpose (SOP) isn’t just a formality; it’s a strategic move that showcases your investment in the program and your vision for collaborative research.

Addressing Potential Weaknesses: Navigating Challenges with Transparency and Resilience

In the candid narrative of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, addressing potential weaknesses becomes an art of transparency and resilience. Rather than sidestepping challenges, use this opportunity to showcase your ability to navigate them with honesty and determination.

  If there are gaps or weaknesses in your academic or research background, embrace them with transparency. Acknowledge the hurdles you’ve faced and elucidate the steps taken to overcome them. Whether it’s a dip in grades during a particular semester or a shift in research focus, be forthright about the circumstances. However, don’t stop there—highlight the lessons learned, the skills gained, and the resilience fostered through these experiences.

Editing and Proofreading Tips: Polishing Your Computer Science PhD SOP to Perfection

In the final lap of crafting your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, the spotlight shifts to the crucial phase of editing and proofreading. This meticulous process is not just about fixing typos; it’s about sculpting a narrative that sparkles with clarity, conciseness, and error-free precision.

• Clarity is Key:
• Readability Check: Ensure your SOP is easily digestible. Break down complex sentences and avoid jargon.
• Logical Flow: Confirm that your ideas progress logically. Each paragraph should seamlessly lead to the next.
• Conciseness Matters:
• Trim the Fat: Weed out unnecessary details. Every word should contribute to your narrative.
• Brevity with Impact: Be concise, but make each sentence count. Quality over quantity is the mantra.
• Error-Free Zone:
• Grammar Guru: Scrutinize grammar and punctuation. Consider tools like Grammarly for a thorough check.
• Precision Matters: Accuracy in conveying your ideas is non-negotiable. Review facts, figures, and technical terms for precision.
• External Perspectives:
• Fresh Eyes: Ask a friend or mentor to review your SOP. A fresh perspective can catch overlooked errors.
• Alignment with Guidelines: Ensure your SOP aligns with the program’s guidelines. Adhering to specified word limits and formatting is crucial.
• SEO-friendly Touch:
• Strategic Keywords: Integrate relevant keywords organically, such as “Computer Science PhD,” “academic journey,” and “research aspirations.”
• Meta Tags: Optimize meta tags and descriptions with program-specific terms for increased online visibility.
• Read-Aloud Ritual:
• Auditory Check: Read your SOP aloud. This helps catch awkward phrasing and ensures a smooth, engaging rhythm.

Sample Computer Science Statement of Purpose (SOP)

To help you have a good head start, feel free to refer our sample SOP which is tailored specifically for PhD in Computer Science –

Sample Statement of Purpose for Computer Science PhD

FAQ Section: Your Queries, Answered

Q1: what makes a strong statement of purpose (sop) for a computer science phd.

A: A strong SOP for a Computer Science PhD is one that vividly communicates your passion, aligns with the program’s offerings, and showcases your academic and research journey. Be specific about your academic background, research experiences, and future goals. Tailor your SOP to resonate with the program and faculty, highlighting unique contributions you can bring to the academic community.

Q2: How should I address potential weaknesses in my academic or research background?

A: Addressing weaknesses in your SOP is an opportunity to display transparency and resilience. Acknowledge any gaps or challenges, and then emphasize the steps you’ve taken to overcome them. Highlight the lessons learned and skills gained from these experiences, demonstrating your ability to turn obstacles into opportunities for growth.

Q3: How can I align my SOP with specific faculty members and their research in the Computer Science PhD program?

A: Research faculty members thoroughly by exploring their work, ongoing projects, and areas of expertise. Express genuine alignment with specific faculty members in your SOP, citing their work that resonates with your research interests. Be authentic in showcasing how their expertise complements your academic aspirations, indicating a readiness to contribute meaningfully to their research initiatives.

Q4: What are essential proofreading tips to ensure a polished SOP?

A: To ensure a polished SOP, focus on clarity, conciseness, and error-free writing. Check for readability and logical flow, trim unnecessary details, and meticulously proofread for grammar and punctuation. Seek external perspectives for fresh insights, adhere to program guidelines, and incorporate relevant SEO-friendly keywords to optimize your SOP for search engines.

Q5: How do I make my SOP stand out in the competitive landscape of Computer Science PhD applications?

A: To make your SOP stand out, craft a compelling narrative by emphasizing your passion, unique contributions, and alignment with the program and faculty. Showcase specific examples of your academic and research achievements, articulate future goals, and demonstrate a clear understanding of how the program will support your aspirations. Engage the reader with authenticity and a well-structured, error-free narrative.

Closing Thoughts: Embarking on Your Computer Science PhD Journey

As you conclude the compelling narrative of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) for a Computer Science PhD, remember that this document is not just a reflection of your academic journey but a testament to your aspirations and resilience.

The road to a PhD is paved with challenges, but it is also a journey of self-discovery and scholarly growth. Take a moment to reflect on the milestones you’ve achieved and the intellectual terrain you’re eager to explore.

Your SOP is not merely a formality; it is your voice in the competitive landscape of PhD applications, resonating with the vibrancy and innovation that characterize the field of Computer Science. Also, feel free to go through our guide on the best universities for Computer Science in UK.

As you embark on this transformative journey, keep in mind that each word in your SOP holds the power to shape your academic future. Be genuine, be bold, and let your passion shine through every sentence. The challenges ahead are not obstacles but opportunities for intellectual triumphs and groundbreaking contributions.

Should you have any lingering questions or wish to share your experiences, I invite you to engage in the comments below. Your insights and queries are not only valuable to you but also to the broader community navigating the exciting terrain of Computer Science PhD applications.

Remember, the journey you are embarking upon is both profound and rewarding. Best of luck as you set forth on this academic odyssey, and may your SOP pave the way for an enriching and fulfilling pursuit of a Computer Science PhD.

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Writing a Statement of Purpose

Tips on writing an sop - by arun vasan.

Universities in the US appear to believe that the logical end of education is enabling an individual to think on her own. This is why they ask you for a "personal" statement to give an account of experiences which you believe helped you decide to apply, your expectations from graduate school, what you propose to do in school.... Of course, the typical personal statement is not so personal, and is usually edited by half a dozen people at least.

The main idea behind this exercise is to give the admissions committee an idea of what to expect from a prospective student apart from her scores, GPA, and letters of recommendation. Who would've thought that actually asking a student to tell what he thinks of himself was a good idea ? The SOP, though it sounds unparliamentary, is a crucial part of the application process and needs a lot of time and effort.

I have put a few points down with my tongue firmly in my cheek. These are CS specific, but may apply to other disciplines as well. There are sharp differences of opinion among the graduate student/ professor community as to what makes an SOP tick. I take responsibility for neither the grammar nor the contents of this page. Use these tips at your own risk.

In case you are wondering, NO, I am not jobless. Yeah, I know, my soul just cries out to be blessed. Now, now, wipe the tears of gratitude, and prepare for the most enlightening sermon you will hear about grad school admissions.

Algorithm S

• 0. RTFAF: Read The Fine Application Form. Don't write a one-size-fits-all-univs SOP.
• 1. State upfront who you are and what you want. One should not have to search using a word processor whether you want an MS or a Ph.D.
• 2. Tell what you intend doing with your degree. Inevitably, this boils down to a suitable permutation of words from the set {creative, career, industry, academia, research, professor, university, lab,startup}.
• 3. Avoid hot air. Adjectives like thrill, passion, excitement, joy, etc., should be avoided like the plague. Explain what you expect from grad school. Of course, we all want a job, but try putting it down as politically correctly as you can.
• 4. Avoid quotations. You may have "miles to go before you sleep", "chosen the road less travelled", or "your-favourite-cliche-quote-from-high-school-here", but it ain't a personal statement unless you are quoting yourself, is it ?
• 5. Use simple English. Resist the temptation to use your new-found vocabulary from the GRE word lists.
• 6.Describe your experience. Don't say you were introduced to CS as a suckling infant, you started speaking in Python before your mother tongue, yada, yada, yada... No one actually cares for your experience as a kid, so keep it brief.
• 7. The most important experience you would've had would be your undergrad. Of course, I mean academic work. As an aside, I firmly believe that the day you really graduate is the day you realise you wasted four years. Describe your coursework tersely.
• 8. Explain a select few projects you did in gory detail and why that got you interested in research. This is a point of much debate. Personally, I like explaining things in detail while many people prefer "high level" stuff. The catch with my way is that you could say something blatantly wrong and possibly screw up your chances completely. Again, I feel that if someone knows what the hell she is talking about, she should be confident enough to sell what she did. I suggest you show your SOP to profs, preferably those who are writing your letters, to make sure you are not shooting yourself in the foot with amazing accuracy.
• 9. Articulate why you choose to work in the area you want to work on. For example, kernel hacking gives you the high, your best buddy is the memory allocator, etc., so you want to work in O/S. Or, you increase your treadmill speed like TCP increases its  cwnd , you do a packet sniff to find out protocols used instead of chatting in a messenger, your concept of networking is making computers talk, so you want to work in networks. In particular, it will be ideal if it was something you did best. I've heard of a case where someone said the thing she did best was cooking. The story goes she baked a cake and sent it to the admissions committee. Harvard, rumour has it, fell hook, line, and sinker for this. The professors in CS@UM most likely don't care for your culinary expertise, in case this gives you ideas.
• 9.1 You could possibly angle for more than one area. If you can show some prior work, or what you can do, in more than one area, you are good. However, you should avoid things like "I like theory, systems, AI, and NC very much. Graphics and Software, a little less".
• 10. Once you've explained why you like some area(s), explain how you will fit in with work being done in *that* univ. Say how you, Prof.Foo, and Prof.Bar can attain the holy grail of networking together. You should appear in awe of them, yet appear indispensable to their work. Avoid mentioning persons alone, i.e., qualify a professor by the group he leads/is part of. You can rest assured any CS prof will be part of some group with what she thinks is a cool abbreviated name. This way you won't antagonise a rival professor in the same area who actually sits on the committee.
• 11. Market yourself with concrete statistics. I won't believe it myself if you claim you are the second coming of Knuth. It is very unlikely that the profs of a dept. will. After all, it is their fate to have seen a billion SOPs before yours and see many more after yours. That said, mention things like "I was ranked in the top 0.123% of the FOO exam conducted by the BARs." exactly once.
• 12. Try being humorous without sounding like a clown. Wit is something which really can't be forced into writing. So it is perfectly fine if you write something totally serious as long as it is cogent and forceful. Finally, finish off with a flourish.
• 13. If (you aren't sick and tired) goto step 0.
• 14. Stop reading this page this minute and go work on your application.

I most definitely assert my rights to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with all known, unknown, and yet-to-be-framed copyright laws of this planet. Any resemblance to work produced by a certain Don of the west coast is entirely intended. © Arunchandar Vasan.

Writing the Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should convince the admissions committee that your achievements show promise for your success in graduate study. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with four different parts.

Make sure to check on the appropriate departmental website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations

Tell them what you’re interested in, and perhaps, what sparked your desire for graduate study. This should be short and to the point; don’t spend a great deal of time on autobiography.

Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career

a) Research you conducted. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, or in the style of your discipline. Faculty are the people who read these statements.

b) Important paper or thesis project you completed, as well as anything scholarly beyond your curricular requirements.

c) Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility for testing, designing, researching or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school.

Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities

If you graduated and worked prior to returning to graduate school, indicate what you’ve been doing: company or non-profit, your work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your graduate studies.

Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

Here you indicate what you would like to study in graduate school in enough detail to convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline, and are engaged with current research themes.

a) Indicate the area of your interests. Ideally, pose a question, define a problem, or indicate a theme that you would like to address, and questions that arise from contemporary research. This should be an ample paragraph!

b) Look on the web for information about departments you’re interested in, including professors and their research. Are there professors whose research interests parallel yours? If so, indicate this. Check the specific program; many may require you to name a professor or professors with whom you might work.

c) End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.

Essential Tips

1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student.

2. Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive voice.

3. Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.

4. If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.

5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.

6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected words (1-2 single space pages in 12 point font) is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization.

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Brochure This page covers two topics of interest to prospective Ph.D. students:

• how to apply to the computer science Ph.D. program , and
• sources of funding for graduate study in the Ph.D. program .

For Fall of 2024 the CS PhD application deadline is December 15th, 2023

For general information about the Ph.D. program, please see the Ph.D. program overview . The Ph.D. Applicant FAQ also answers many common questions. The Ph.D. program, similar to the department, operates in both Ithaca and New York City, with students and advisors located on both campuses. Each CS faculty member is based either in Ithaca or in New York City.  All Ph.D. students spend their first two semesters on the Ithaca campus; afterwards, they are generally based in the location of their principal advisor.  

FAQ with further information about the two campuses .

Applying for the Ph.D.

A successful application will include the following:

• Transcripts of all previous college and university work
• Academic Statement of purpose
•  The diversity statement has been incorporated into the personal statement. Applicants can check if they are interested in applying for a diversity fellowship and they will be asked to respond to some additional prompts in their personal statement. For more information. please visit: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/admissions/prepare/personal-statements/
• Letters of recommendation
• Cornell Computer Science no longer considers the GRE in any aspect of our admissions process (the FAQ explains this policy in more detail).
• Proof of competence in English (TOEFL or IELTS)
• Fee.  Cornell has an application fee, but you can petition to waive it if the cost represents a financial hardship to you.  Your financial circumstances will not be a consideration in our admissions process.  We provide full support (including insurance, stipend and all tuition and fees) for admitted PhD students.  We also assist you in obtaining a visa.
• Optional: Writing Sample 

Students apply online using the admissions site of the Cornell Graduate School . You should not mail any application materials ; this may delay your application . Any additional materials beyond those above, such as research paper manuscripts, may be uploaded to the online application system as “writing samples”.

Our application asks you to identify your area(s) of research interest.  This information is important to us, for the following reason.  Whereas some PhD programs allow individual professors to admit their own students, at Cornell admissions decisions are made by a committee.   We generally admit students only if we can identify faculty members who they might later work with.  The areas you list will help us identify those faculty members and to determine the relevant capacity for new students.   All of these steps ensure that the people you might love to work with will be equally enthusiastic about working with you!

Most students arrive on campus with a strong interest and demonstrated talent in some area of research, but no certainty about which group they will join.  Reaching out to a faculty member who is doing work you find exciting is not a problem, but you should not assume that the professor you contact will be involved in admissions.  Once you have been admitted, we will make sure that you have ample opportunity to meet the faculty members who work in the area(s) of research you indicated in your application.

Starting in 2020, the  Cornell CS Student-Applicant Support Program aims to assist underrepresented students as they apply to Cornell’s CS PhD program.  Subject to capacity limits, a graduate student volunteer may: (1) Talk to applicants (via Zoom) for 30 minutes about the application process and their experience (as well as answer any preliminary questions that the applicant may have) (2) Subsequently, provide one round of meaningful feedback on an applicant’s resume and statement of purpose (capacity limited). Participation in the Student-Applicant Support Program does not guarantee admission and our capacity for applications is limited. To participate in the Student-Applicant Support Program, here are the relevant deadlines: (1) Please fill out this form by 11:59PM EST, Oct 6 2023. (2) Your application material needs to be submitted by 11:59PM EST on November 3, 2023. (The relevant form will be shared later.) Note: Information will be aggregated and anonymized to evaluate the impact of this program, but individual responses will be deleted at the end of this application cycle. All demographics questions are optional.

The department accepts applications for the fall semester only. The deadline for the fall 2024 semester is December 15th . Applying early is strongly advised. Because the TOEFL or IELTS is required for foreign students, you may submit your application before taking those exam(s).  Nonetheless we strongly advise that you ensure that your application will be complete by December 15th.  Delays in receiving your scores will delay the the review of your application.

Cornell University requires all applicants to complete their application materials without the use of paid agents, credentials services, or other paid professional assistance. The use of such services violates University policy, and may lead to the rejection of application materials, the revocation of an admissions offer, cancellation of admission, or involuntary withdrawal from the University.

Evaluation Process

There is no formula that guarantees admission. We will carefully evaluate all the above components of your application. We tend to look for the following:

• A coherent body of coursework with a high average grade in the A− to A+ range.
• Adequate mathematical background including freshman and sophomore calculus and at least two other courses (e.g., linear algebra, abstract algebra, analysis, statistics).
• Basic background in computer science including evidence of research potential.
• A strong statement of purpose.  Our committee reads your statement of purpose carefully and it shapes our perspective on who you are and what your interests are.  The most compelling statements of purpose center on the research areas that fascinate you and your experience working in or learning about those areas.
• Strong letters of recommendation.  The most compelling letters are those written by people who know you well and who can attest to characteristics such as your intellectual potential, creativity, ability to overcome challenges, work ethic, and motivation."

It is important to stress that these are only guidelines and not a rigid policy. An applicant whose record is weaker in some respect (e.g. a low grade in some course) may still be admitted if strength is revealed in some other respect (e.g., exceptional letters of recommendation).

Commitment to Diversity

Fostering an inclusive environment is a core value of the Computer Science Department and Cornell as a whole. In line with Cornell’s historical commitment to educating “… any person … in any study…”, we seek candidates who will create a climate that helps attract and is inclusive of all students, including students from historically underrepresented groups, and students who have overcome personal challenges. 

As a member of our community, all of our graduate students find themselves in student-facing roles such as teaching, other TA activities, and advising research.  With this in mind, we are asking all applicants to explicitly express a committment to  Cornell's guidelines for equity and inclusiveness .   A brief statement will suffice.  Should you wish to say more, you are welcome to use this as an opportunity to talk about your own experiences or challenges that you have overcome along the path to applying to graduate school, and how those experiences have prepared you to represent Cornell's diversity mission when you interact with students as a graduate student.

We should note that we also require such a statement from Cornell's faculty candidates, and you may also find it interesting to consult Cornell's faculty diversity web page , which provides additional detail about Cornell's commitment to diversity at the faculty level, inclusion and equity.  The Computing and Information Sciences web page  describes some CIS activities in this area. 

Our FAQ includes a list of fellowships for which you can apply, including several intended specifically to support Cornell in achieving its diversity goals.  Some students may wish to apply for one of these diversity fellowships. It is important to realize that the department's required diversity statement is not used for these fellowship applications   If interested, you would provide a longer fellowship application statement that would be used by the relevant fellowship selection committee.  In that statement, we recommend that you offer insight into your background and experiences and discuss how these shape their potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect.  The department's required diversity statement will not be supplied to the diversity fellowship selection committee, although they will be able to see other elements of your PhD application.

The Graduate School offers admission fee waivers to qualified participants in pipeline programs that provide educational and/or career support to students from underrepresented identities.  For the current list of approved programs and eligibility details, please visit this link . To request a waiver send the following information to [email protected]: name, date of birth, name of the undergrad summer research or other grad school prep program you participated in and date of participation, name of the field to which you are applying at Cornell. You will receive an email reply with a fee waiver code and instructions for how to use it.  Please note: fee waiver requests will be processed Monday through Friday, during normal business hours, with the exception ofholidays and breaks when the university is closed. Allow up to three business days for your request to be processed.

Transcripts

Your application should include complete and scanned transcripts of all previous college and university work, including any work done at Cornell. If you are submitting unofficial transcripts, the Graduate School will require that you submit official transcripts should you be accepted into the program. In this case, please make sure your transcript has your name, birthdate, and the name of the attended university.

Applicants should scan their transcripts and upload the documents into the on-line application themselves as part of the submission process. For students who are subsequently admitted and accept the offer of admission, an official paper transcript will be required prior to matriculation; students will be reminded of this requirement on the “response to offer of admission” form.

International Credentials

All transcripts or academic records must be official documents provided in the original language. If that language is not English, they must be accompanied by certified translations into English. If not issued by the college or university as original documents, they should be notarized, full-sized photocopies. They should include grades received in each subject each year, and the number of weeks and hours per week that each subject was studied. Courses must be described in detail. The general subject name (e.g., “mathematics”) is not sufficient. The particular subject (e.g., “differential equations,” “algebraic topology”) must be identified.

If you are admitted into the program and you accept our offer of admission, the Graduate School will require an official transcript. They will contact you directly about this requirement.

Grade point averages

If your school uses a GPA scale other than 0–4.0, just leave this field blank when submitting your application. If you feel you must, you may enter 0. We will review your transcript and will rate your performance on the grades you received, not the number you enter into this field.

How to scan transcripts

• Scan at the lowest dpi that results in a legible document (we recommend less than 200 dpi if possible).
• Ensure that the institution name and other identifying marks are not missed during the scanning process and that your scanned copy is clearly legible and can print on letter-size paper (8½"x11").
• Save your document as a PDF file.
• Scanning in “gray scale” or black and white may produce the best results.
• If the scanned file is too large, make a photocopy first (experiment with different settings until you find one that results in the smallest file size) then scan the photocopy.

If all the above fails, please send the scanned document (no larger than 2MB) to [email protected]. Please name the file as follows: FirstName_LastName_SchoolName_Transcript.

Statement of Purpose

You should think carefully when writing your statement of purpose. Express your plans and interests in Computer Science in a concise and clear manner. It may be helpful to include a list of some of the principal reasons why you consider yourself a strong applicant to our program. Please note what area(s) of research you are excited about, and any specific faculty you might be interested in working with during your graduate studies at Cornell.  

Letters of Recommendation

Your application must include three letters of recommendation, but you may submit up to five letters if you wish. The letters should be from professors or other researchers who have supervised you or evaluated your work.  Such a person would normally know what your specific contributions were if the work was part of a group effort, and can personally testify to your potential as a researcher in Computer Science. Once you have submitted your application, a notification will be sent to your recommenders within 48 hours. These letters are a very important part of your application, and you should ensure that they are submitted into the electronic application system by December 15th or as soon as possible thereafter for your application to receive full consideration. We discourage mailed letters of recommendation as this delays the processing of your application.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

International applicants must demonstrate competency in the English language. Cornell will accept either the TOELF or IELTS.  Please see the Graduate School's page on English Language Proficiency for details.

Admission into the doctoral program in the Field of Computer Science is based purely on academic merit. All Ph.D. students in Computer Science are fully supported during the academic year as long as they remain in good academic standing. Support from Cornell includes tuition, health insurance,and stipend. Support is available in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships.  Please see stipend rates here .

Teaching Assistantships

Each TA is assigned to a course with an average time commitment of 15 hours per week helping the course instructor. TA assignments typically involve grading homework, holding office hours, preparing assignments, or teaching recitations.

Research Assistantships

A GRA is given to a student whose research interests coincide with a sponsored research project. Typically, the work of a Gradaute Research Assistant is an integral part of his/her dissertation research. The faculty member in charge (your advisor)of the project grants a GRA. GRAs are generally given to continuing, rather than incoming, students.

Fellowships

Applicants are also encouraged to apply for external fellowships, such as NSF, Facebook, NDSEG, or DOE Fellowships. These fellowships are highly prestigious, and they free the student of the responsibilities of an assistantship. Whenever possible, the department helps students in the fellowship application process.

The following is a partial list of fellowships available to graduate students in computer science.  Please see the fellowship page for additional fellowships:

• National Science Foundation NSF fellowships are available to United States citizens or permanent residents, and only to incoming or first-year students. Support is for three years. The deadline for application is mid-November. You can obtain an application from your undergraduate institution, or from the NSF directly (Fellowship Office, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418). Also, see their Web site, http://www.nsf.gov .
• Cornell Fellowships The Graduate School awards a number of one and two-year Cornell fellowships to incoming graduate students. Your application for admission automatically serves as the fellowship application. However, your application and all supporting credentials must be received by December 1 in order to be considered for a Cornell Fellowship.
• Facebook This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
• Google This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
• Microsoft This fellowship is open for continuing students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.

As noted earlier, some generous donors have endowed an additional group of fellowships that are specifically designed to assist the department in pursuing its diversity objectives.  These are discussed in more detail (including the procedure for applying) on our FAQ page .

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CS Statement of Purpose Guide

This page provides advice on writing your “statement of purpose” and other graduate school and fellowship essays. Many programs may ask for several essays.

Keep in mind that your essay (and all of your application materials), will be read by professors of computer science and not by admissions officers. You should assume that your readers are very well-trained in computer science.

What are they looking for?

In general, your statement of purpose should convey the following:

• You are genuinely interested in research;
• You have an idea of the subdiscipline(s) that you would like to do research in graduate school and you can speak about them with some level of sophistication;
• You’ve had some research experience(s);
• You understand the research process from selecting a problem to solving it to presenting your results;
• You’ve done your homework about this particular school and have some ideas of which faculty members and/or research groups you’d like to work with.

Organization of the Essay

There are many ways to write a good statement of purpose essay, but here’s one possible structure that works well:

• In the first paragraph, describe the area or areas of computer science that you plan to study in computer science. The more specific you can be, the better. This is not a contract that forces you to study that subdiscipline and you might change your mind later. However, most graduate schools are more more inclined to accept students who have a good idea of an area that they plan to study. After describing the area, give a summary of your prior research experiences and an overview of the contents of the rest of your statement.
• In the next several paragraphs, describe the research projects that you’ve worked on, the challenges, the approach, and your contributions to the project. A typical situation for a Mudder applying to graduate school is one summer of research, one summer of an internship at a company, and a clinic project (which you will just be starting as you write your statement of purpose). Your summer research is the most relevant part for graduate school and should come first; It merits at least one substantial paragraph. Your clinic project is likely to have enough of a research component to merit a second paragraph. If your summer internship had some aspect of research, that can be a third paragraph. We encourage you to consult with your adviser in developing the structure for your essay based on your own experiences.
• Next, one paragraph can be devoted to describing the research that you would like to conduct in graduate school in some detail and your long-term career ambitions.
• The last paragraph should be customized to indicate why you want to go to this particular graduate school. You should spend some time looking at the web pages and publications of researchers at that university and mention the faculty and the research projects that you would be interested in joining. Generally, it’s wise to mention at least a few faculty members and projects.

Eugenie Y. Lai

Contact: eylai [at] mit.edu GitHub: ey-l Twitter: @EugenieLai eugeniesday --> Scheduled — --> CV , transcript

News [ More Updates ] 2021.04 Joining the Data Systems Group (DSG) at MIT EECS CSAIL as a PhD student in Fall '21.

Theme by orderedlist

Another Annotated Example: CS PhD Statement of Purpose

Date: 2021-04-22

This post is inspired by the Statement of Objective examples provided by the MIT EECS Communication Lab . Some programs (e.g., Berkeley EECS) require a Statement of Purpose (SoP) and a Personal Statement (PS). In this post, we will dissect and annotate my SoP submitted to MIT EECS, which is a hybrid of both, in my case.

I also shamelessly include a copy of my first draft for a before-after comparison and show how far I have (and maybe anyone could) come by applying the learnings discussed in this post. It would be difficult to measure the impact of something without showing the starting point, which is often missing in the existing resources for SoP.

Also, if you are an anxious applicant, let’s not compare ourselves. I know it’s easier said than done, and I still fall into that trap too. But it is unfair to compare the ins and outs of ourselves to only the best side of others (e.g., their SoP). This note was first brought up to me by Dr.* Maria De-Arteaga back in 2019 when I just started to pivot my profile towards grad school and has been helping me get off the overthinking treadmill since.

*Note: I heard Prof. and Dr. are distinct in the states, but we use Dr. for both in Canada. I didn’t know until the visit days and only used Dr. in my SoP. So let’s use Dr. in this post to keep everything consistent.

Before We Start

Intended audience: Future and current CS PhD applicants.

The role of SoP in grad admissions: Touched on by this Twitter thread , which could be specific to MIT EECS.

My result: I applied to 8 programs and was fortunate to get in almost everywhere, with 5 offers (i.e., Berkeley, MIT, UBC, UMichigan, and UWashington) and 3 withdrawals (i.e., Columbia, Maryland, and NYU).

A non-exhaustive list of caveats that may make this post not as applicable so readers’ discretion is advised:

• I applied during a pandemic, not sure how that affected my experience.
• I only applied to programs in the US and Canada so the experience is subjective to the system here.
• I’m in data systems so please question if the content is field-specific.

Motivation to (uncomfortably) put myself out there:

• Writing crystallizes my learning and is a skill I’m working on. The pressure helps me practice.
• The potential of helping someone trumps the fear of being judged.
• I received so so much help and support throughout this grad application cycle and just want to give back.

Speaking of support, a list of direct help I received for my SoP:

• I was privileged to be assisted by the MIT GAAP and Berkeley EAAA program . A huge thank you to my MIT GAAP mentor, Xuan , who chatted with me bi-weekly since October 2020, provided extremely valuable feedback on my SoP, and helped me navigate through the applying process. It still feels surreal that I will actually meet her in person at MIT this fall.
• Many thanks to my labmates and my research parent, Dr. Rachel Pottinger , who offered both helpful comments and emotional support.
• I happened to take COMM 395 Business Communication with Elizabeth Bowker that term (to fulfill my undergraduate degree requirement at UBC). I found some materials covered for presentations transferable to writing, and a big thank you to her for the additional support.
• I was also privileged to get help from the Writing Centre and Student Service Centre at my undergraduate university.
• Just to reiterate, the examples by the MIT EECS Communication Lab are particularly helpful. Many other schools/programs (e.g., CMU ) provide such examples too.
• I was also influenced by these YouTube channels: Lillian - AlphaGenesis , Casey Fiesler , The Kath Path , Andy Stapleton .

So the first takeaway is clear: Be resourceful. Ask around. Keep an eye out for opportunities and resources, which shouldn’t take up much energy. Just have that running in the background.

Overall Thought Process

The grad application as a whole is supposed to show a 3D us to let the committee make a sensible decision. If we think backwards, SoP is only included for a reason. Like any member of a K-Pop group, it has a unique proposition in the package.

I wanted to show a 3D me by leveraging the application package with little overlaps between materials. But so far, the transcript and CV only put me into numbers and project names.

So something is missing – without showing my thought process and personality, I’m boring, cold, and flat. This gap is where SoP comes in, and it is the only* opportunity to add that third dimension. We will use sketching as an analogy and go through the things that I constantly reminded myself of when thinking about my SoP at a high level.

*Note: Letters of recommendation (LoRs) help too, but they are observations of us. SoP is the one thing in our full control.

Convey the why’s. Like all drawings, SoP needs a purpose, a main message that both utilizes the space in the application and fills the gap. From most of the resources above, the purpose should be conveying the why’s (e.g., why research, why grad school, why this subfield).

Find a common thread and tell a story about professional development. Now we know what to include, but how could we organize the content in a way that shows the reader how we think? We need a skeleton first. I could tell my why’s in a plain list. But wouldn’t some layered structure to show how my research journey evolved add more character? Inevitably, we have to repeat what’s in the CV, but the added value comes from the personality and thought process illustrated through those experiences. The experiences are just a tool at this point, instead of the main focus, so don’t worry about repeating the content.

Bring in personality. Let’s colour the black-and-white skeleton with a personal pallet. I tried to make every sentence read like something only I would write. Admittedly, bringing in a personal voice while staying professional is a fine line to walk, but it’s possible. The annotated SoP is (trying to be) an example. So is this post. We will talk about a few ways to do that in the detailed comments.

Help the reader focus. We have limited paint. Be concise and precise. Every sentence is an opportunity to draw a line and should together portrait a clean image. We don’t want to waste any bits or distract the reader with random, extra lines so every word should have its place. I also thought hard about what to leave in and leave out. Although I was involved in many things throughout my undergraduate time, I only included experiences that are pertinent to my story.

Detailed Comments by Section

There is a lot to unpack. We will walk through my reasoning for each section at a detailed level, which can also be seen as a concrete embodiment of the high-level takeaways discussed above.

Statement of Objectives

Introduction

We don’t want to be a boring person. Opening with questions grabs the reader’s attention better than the laundry list of who I am and what I do in my first draft. The questions plant seeds too, as we will see later. Opening with research interests directly is also interesting.

How can we propagate breakthroughs in the scientific community to the real world? With the explosion of big data, how can we help fields outside of computer science (CS) extract and leverage its value? Inspired by these questions, my current research focuses on facilitating user interaction with databases.

Elaborate on my current research interest with the techniques (in the method space) and a use case (in the problem space). The use case also hints at my why’s, coming soon.

Specifically, I apply visualization and machine learning techniques to alleviate the barriers between users and databases to help users access and make sense of data. By helping users better explore and understand the data they have collected, I hope to enable data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields. It is with these broad goals in mind that I am applying to pursue a PhD.

Finding My Research Interests

This section shows two things, my technical competency and why’s. I described 3 research projects and used the reflection on the experience to answer the why’s.

+1 to the example provided by the MIT EECS Communication Lab, the formula I used to describe a research project, one line each: summary + clarification of terms if necessary + need of the work (e.g., gaps) + our contributions + outcomes + my specific input . We will see this formula twice later in this section.

With a focus on data provenance summarization, my research journey began under Dr. Rachel Pottinger at the UBC Data Management and Mining Lab. The provenance of a query over a database is a subset of the data in the database that contributed to the query answer. While comprehensive, query provenance consists of large volumes of data and hence is overwhelming for users to explore. We presented an approach to provenance exploration that builds on data summarization techniques and provides an interface to visualize the summary. This work led to the first two papers I co-authored, Summarizing Provenance of Aggregation Query Results in Relational Databases (ICDE’21) and Pastwatch: On the Usability of Provenance Data in Relational Databases (ICDE’20). My main contributions include identifying the limitations in the existing methods, implementing the existing and our summarization methods, and running the experiments.

We love the dark times. Dr. Brené Brown said vulnerability and hardships help people connect and build trust. Being rejected is my true experience, and I intentionally included that to make myself relatable to the reader. In this case, it also shows resilience and segues into my first why, why research but not industry. As you may have also noticed, this concept is used everywhere in this post too.

Our work experienced a few submissions. Although I felt discouraged at first, I learned to reflect and was encouraged by how much our work had improved after each round. I also enjoyed my experience in research more than the industry for the autonomy and ownership over my work.

But I didn’t want to just tell my why’s like a list. I envisioned a story structure inspired by The Secret Structure of Great Talks by Nancy Duarte. She introduced a shape at around 6:00. Applying that concept, I first established what is, what could be, and the gap here. Like the shape, we will see me traversing between what is and what could be in the rest of this section.

However, I had some burning questions regarding my research interests going forward. Although I was engaged by the technical aspects of solving open-ended problems, I wanted to find something that would really excite me – what is the thing that would get me out of bed every morning? And how could I find it?

Transition to my next project to show more technical competency while keeping the flow of the story.

My next project, Developing a Data-Driven Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy in Surrey, BC, Canada, helped me answer those questions.

Another example of the formula above but in a slightly different order to make things flow better.

Working with another undergraduate student under the supervision of Dr. Raymond Ng, we set out to address the challenge of how the city of Surrey should place EV charging stations. Prior to our work, the approach to determine where to install an EV charging site was solely based on expert opinions, despite a large volume of data collected by the city of Surrey. To help city planners make strategic decisions informed by evidence, I developed a web application to give them a user-friendly way to explore and make sense of the data. I used interactive maps and graphs to visualize the spatial distribution and time trends of Surrey’s vehicle stock, traffic flows, and land use. In September 2019, the city used my tool to choose 20 charger locations for a Canadian federal funding proposal, and I was proud to co-present this work at the SIGKDD’20 Social Impact Session this summer.

Talking about our values is another good way to bring in our personality while staying professional, which also helps answer some why’s. For example, what kind of research keeps us excited? I’m excited about real-world users (in the problem space), but everyone is motivated differently. Maybe you are excited about system design? Cool! Or applying new ML models? Also cool! Note that this part also ties back to the opening questions.

Through zooming in and out on a pressing, real-world issue, I realized what I should be looking for in the research I pursue: the possibility of helping others and the insight into real-world issues that would spark that possibility. I started to envision making an impact on the real world through my research. The value of our work in the scientific community can only be actualized when our tools are adopted by downstream users such as domain experts and decision-makers. Hence alleviating user-database barriers is a vital step in advancing data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields.

Transition to the 3rd and final project. Another piece of advice I got (for almost everything grad application related) is don’t tell, but show . Earlier I said that I’m motivated by real-world issues, and here I showed that I followed through my words with actions.

With that overarching goal in mind, I initiated a project to facilitate user interaction with databases by identifying the major stakeholders and their challenges when interacting with databases, and then mapped that to their needs.

Apply the formula again to describe the project.

Database users often interact with databases via SQL query sessions. From our analysis, users pose a variety of SQL queries in sequence with changes in SQL keywords and query fragments such as tables and attributes. However, the existing approaches only consider queries individually and make recommendations based on query similarity and popularity. We presented a new approach to recommend query information by learning from the sequential knowledge exploration patterns of historical users. We modelled our query recommendation problem as a query prediction task and used sequence-to-sequence models to predict the next query. Supervised by Dr. Pottinger, this work led to Sequence-Aware Query Recommendation Using Deep Learning, submitted to VLDB’21. As the lead researcher, I identified knowledge gaps in the existing work, defined and scoped the research problem, analyzed the workload data, implemented the deep learning models, ran the experiments, discussed the results, and wrote the paper.

Tie back to the motivation and answer why grad school to wrap up the story.

Seeing a connection between my work and the quantifiable impact gives me a rush of excitement that I am contributing to help those real-world users in need. Through this project, I found myself enjoying both scoping and solving open-ended problems and hope to further improve with additional formal training in graduate studies.

Equal Access in STEM

I added this section following the same MIT EECS Communication Lab example and used the previous formula to explain the project as well.

It may seem odd to risk the flow of a research-focused SoP and make us question if this section is even relevant. But MIT EECS doesn’t require PS, and I wanted to show what I care about and where I come from. This section is also intended to help the SoP stay professional when I touched on my personal background in the last section. Again, fine line to walk. Lastly, grad school to me is more than research. This section adds another dimension to my professional development and connects to my career pursuit in academia mentioned later.

My other goal in graduate school is to further my pursuit of advancing equal access to educational resources for students in marginalized groups. Besides mentoring young women in STEM throughout my undergraduate time, for the past year, I worked on the UBC CS Undergraduate Program Evaluation and Renewal project. In the process, I realized how my experience with data visualization and user interface design could help to improve equity in education. Degree planning is challenging and time-consuming since students have to envision their career path and go to individual course pages to ensure they meet prerequisites accordingly. First-generation college students are especially vulnerable as they lack adequate guidance from their immediate support system. To solve this problem, I designed an interactive directed graph to show the dependencies between courses, provide a holistic view of the CS program, and visualize potential academic trajectories at UBC CS. I was thrilled to present my work at the UBC Board of Governors Meeting in Spring 2020. I deployed the graphs to the UBC CS website this summer and am currently helping UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology adapt the graphs campus-wide. Participating in this project allowed me to advance equal access in a higher level of education and help as many students thrive as possible.

Future Work

This section aims to convince the reader that I know the strengths of the program, our interests align, and I’m valuable specifically to them. The first part outlines my overall research interests, while I gave specific examples about the program and PIs in the second part.

I chose to put my research statement here, not anywhere else. Up to this point, I’ve been signalling pieces about my motivation and research interests using the opening questions, projects, and my why story. The reader now has enough context and is ready for a punch.

All my experiences collectively shaped my research interests and motivated me to pursue graduate studies. Today, database systems provide a vital infrastructure to access high volumes of data in a variety of applications. Seeing the user-database barriers and the potential of data-driven decision-making in areas outside of CS (e.g., city planning and sustainability) incites my urge to build my work around the theme of facilitating user interaction with databases. With a deep understanding of the problem space and skills gained through solving problems in this space, I hope to continue this line of work by applying visualization and ML techniques to help database users access and make sense of data.

I find this part becomes more candid and compelling when I write it as if the PIs would actually read it (and mine really did). Also, it only becomes attractive when the interest goes both ways. I wanted to show how they could help me but also what unique skills I could offer.

MIT CSAIL’s past and current work indicates its members’ unique strengths on this topic. Specifically, I would be excited to work with Dr. Tim Kraska and Dr. Sam Madden. Dr. Kraska has made outstanding contributions to enabling data analytics for individuals outside of CS using ML-inspired techniques. The sequential features of query sessions discussed in his recent work, IDEBench (SIGMOD’20), are fundamental to my work on sequence-aware query recommendation, where we empirically analyzed the query sequences in two real-life workloads. Extending my work under his supervision would give me strong support in leveraging query session information using ML techniques. My research interests also greatly overlap with Dr. Madden’s work, such as Data Civilizer, on building end-to-end systems to facilitate domain experts with data exploration. I would be excited to work with Dr. Madden by bringing my skills and experience in applying ML techniques to SQL queries.

Where I See Myself

I wanted to address why I spent 6 years at UBC, which is relatively uncommon and often raises questions (e.g., if I can handle a rigorous course load). However, it was difficult to word my reason in a professional way at first. So I only briefly mentioned the personal aspect while elaborating on my work experience. Xuan pointed out the key is to relate personal struggles to professional development and helped me further emphasize the value of the experience and how it contributed to my goals in graduate studies.

As a first-generation college student from a low-income, single-parent family, working puts additional constraints on my course load yet is the most effective way to support myself. Although I spent six years on my undergraduate degree, I did two years of co-op at three different places in industry, non-profit, and academia. While studying full-time, I have also worked part-time in retail, administration, and teaching. Through these valuable experiences, I not only learned about the many real-world challenges that people face on the job, but also discovered research interests that would allow me to address some of those challenges.

Let’s not leave any loose ends and tie the two goals together to wrap up.

After graduate studies, I aim to pursue a career in academia, so that I can develop the research and tools to address these challenges and more. Furthering my education at MIT would bring me one step closer to my goal of advancing data-driven decision-making in a wide range of fields and improving equal access to educational resources for students like me in marginalized groups.

Other Takeaways

I also learned and applied these general/minor things.

Just start writing. It is an iterative process. The first draft is the hardest and almost guaranteed to suck, but it gets our brain going. It gets a lot easier once we gain the momentum and just have to make incremental changes.

Start early , which goes hand-in-hand with the last point. I wanted to leave ample time for that interactive process, finished my first draft in late August, and finalized it in the first week of December 2020. I feel grateful that I took the time to reflect on my why’s, which also came in handy later in the (quite intense) interview process in January 2021.

Don’t stress too much about tailoring the SoP to each program. Partial thanks to SIGMOD ‘20*, I had a general research direction when applying. The programs and labs I applied to may have nuances in their research interests and strengths, but my motivation, research interests, and skillsets didn’t need to change much. I only swapped out the second half of the future work section for each program. However, someone with a broader interest and a more diverse set of programs may want to customize the SoP more and have different answers for each why depending on the program.

*Note: More on my experience at SIGMOD ‘20 .

Read each program’s prompts and formatting requirements carefully. The point above is about the content, while this one is about the format and separation of the content. Programs like Berkeley EECS require an SoP and a PS so the separation depends on the prompts. I include my final copy of SoP and PS to Berkeley to show how I did it with minimum additional effort, which also helps illustrate the point above. The formatting requirements all have slight differences (e.g., word limits, header, title) so just be aware.

Choose what feedback and advice to take in. Going back to the point of being resourceful, we may later find ourselves getting various or even conflicted advice from different sources, which can be confusing and overwhelming. My apologies if this post is making it worse. But I always ask two questions whenever I get advice from people:

• Do they know the field ?
• Do they know me ?

Although some advice is generalizable, this sanity check is a reminder to further verify if the information is credible and applicable to me, especially when I get negative (but not necessarily constructive) feedback.

An extreme example is the words from my relatives and family friends when they laughed at my school list. It still hurt at the moment, but the rational me didn’t take their comments to heart because they’re not in CS, and they don’t know my profile. More than a filter to allow in helpful advice, the questions are also shields to protect us, much needed in such a sensitive time.

Through the applying process, I had countless breakdowns moments where I felt that I had already tried everything, but my SoP just read shallow, and my writing would never be good enough.

But it’s because SoP is hard to write!! It not only demands writing techniques but also deep reflections of the why’s from our experiences. Although writing the SoP challenged me hard on both fronts, I’m glad that I took the time and saw it as an opportunity to grow: It reminded me that improving my writing is a never-ending process, and the reflection indeed made me question my life but also assured my decision to pursue graduate studies.

However, I do want to acknowledge that not everyone has the privilege to afford the time and energy. Further, if we consider our individual profile (e.g., GPA, LoRs) as a whole, pouring our limited resources into SoP alone may not be a strategic move. Nothing is perfect nor needs to be. So knowing when to say good enough is an important skill too (which is something I still need to work on).

Lastly, taking one step further, I find some of the takeaways transferable to other written pieces (e.g., papers), other forms of communication (e.g., presentations), or professional development in general.

Although I had much fun reflecting on my learning, I genuinely hope this post would be somewhat helpful to at least one other person on the planet, and very best of luck if you are applying soon!! <3

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Statement of Purpose for PhD in Computer Science: 2 MIT Samples

• Posted on February 9, 2023

If you are reading this, you’re probably thinking of applying to Computer Science PhD programs.

We’ve prepared this guide to specifically help you navigate the challenging task of writing a statement of purpose for PhD in computer science.

We’ve used three SOPs, two of which were accepted at MIT and one at the University of Washington .

Obviously, these three SOPs are in no way representative of the full range of statements of purpose that get acceptance at top universities.

Therefore, if the profiles represented are different from yours, don’t get discouraged.

However, regardless of your background, we’d advise that you pay special attention to the structure and language used.

From our experience, many applicants fumble with how they describe their background and experiences.

We hope that won’t be the case anymore after reading our analysis and samples.

The samples used here were generously shared by people who are now students at MIT and University of Washington.

We therefore do not own any rights to the statements of purpose.

Our objective is to use these SOPs for educational purposes especially to help those affected by information asymmetry and the uneven distribution of educational resources.

We’re now offering one-on-one expert guidance on how to write a statement of purpose. This is in addition to our reviewing, editing, and standardizing services. Check out our ordering page , fill out the required details and let us help you craft a statement of purpose that will flood your email with admission offers. phdstatementsofpurpose.com

Side Note: Does your recommender need a guide/sample? We’ve created this for him/her

Letters of Recommendation: A Necessary Guide and Sample

How to start a Statement of Purpose for PhD in Computer Science

Before you start writing a statement of purpose, or any other admission essay, you need to prepare.

In preparing, the first place to start is looking at whether the university or program you’re applying to have specific requirements for their statement of purpose.

The requirements at MIT may vary from those at University of Chicago.

Look at the example below.

MIT has specific prompts or areas that your statement of purpose, called statement of objectives, must cover.

On the contrary, the University of Washington gives the word limit only, leaving you to describe your suitability for the program using the universal formula .

TAKE AWAY: Visit the university/program website to check if they have specific prompts to be followed. Follow these prompts to the letter. We recommend that you copy paste the requirements into your document so that you can always crosscheck to ensure you’re on track.

Introductory Narrative

Like with many other genres, writing the introduction to a Statement of Purpose for PhD in Computer Science is challenging.

Yet its importance cannot be stated enough as it sets the tone for the statement of purpose.

A bland and boring introduction may undermine a rich repertoire of experience and skills documented in subsequent parts.

From experience, all the statements of purpose we’ve reviewed and read start with one of the two formulae.

The first is a personal story that describes the applicants’ interest in the subject and field of study.

Childhood stories are also common as an introductory framework. We however do not encourage their use. A childhood story or personal story may set you apart as a human being but not as a PhD candidate.

If you must use them, make them credible and authentic and ensure that they are seamlessly linked to your research interest.

We’ve previously analyzed an MIT accepted Biomedical Engineering SoP that started off with a personal/childhood story so it’s no deal breaker.

The second approach, which we’d recommend, is to broadly state your research goals. This may be in the form of an unresolved problem in your area of interest. It may also take the form of an intriguing problem that you need to explore more about.

Let’s look at how these applicants have framed their introductory narratives.

MIT Accepted SoP for PhD in CS (1)

Explanation:

This SoP starts with a series of questions. The applicant then states the research interests and the broad goals of pursing a PhD in computer science.

University of Washington Accepted SoP for PhD in CS

The applicant goes straight to the research interests. The motivation for pursuing a PhD is broadly stated followed by future goals.

MIT Accepted SoP for PhD in CS (2)

This applicant starts with a one liner that states the research interest.

TAKE AWAY: There are different ways of starting a statement of purpose for PhD in computer science. Whichever method you use, make sure that you state your PURPOSE for applying aka your research interest.

Qualifications/experiences/motivation

This is the section of the SoP where you brand yourself.

The admission committee will probably sieve through thousands of applications. It’s therefore in your best interest to make it easy for them to determine straightaway that you are qualified for the program.

Therefore, be direct when talking about your experiences, accomplishments, and qualifications.

From our experience, creating a personal narrative is one of the most effective ways of creating a compelling statement of purpose.

We recommend a chronological way of describing your qualifications and experiences as this reflects your personal and professional growth.

You can start with your undergraduate work, professional engagements, relevant extracurricular, awards, and publications.

Please note carefully that how you describe your experiences may set you apart from other candidates.

Before we examine how the SoPs under examination here have described their experiences, it’s important that we list these tips for your benefit.

• Describe where you’ve demonstrated accomplishments, leadership, and collaboration
• State concrete achievements from these experiences
• Quantify your experiences for instance by showing numbers
• Show the impact of your work
• Describe actions as opposed to emotional state
• Explain the meaning of your experiences

We’ll explain these tips shortly as we highlight how they have been employed in our samples.

What makes this SOP for PhD in CS so special?

In this SoP that was accepted at MIT, the applicant describes the experience in a chronological manner, showing how she has grown as a person and a student/scholar.

She mentions the professors she has worked with, an aspect which enhances the credibility of her experience.

Remember that the adcom is not just interested in your academic suitability but also how you’ll fit it as part of a team.

The use of “we” in this SOP underlines the applicant’s collaborative skills.

She doesn’t hesitate to flaunt her achievements or roles when she uses “I”.

Her personality (resilience) is captured where she describes how she learned from disappointments.

Her growth as a researcher is captured in the second paragraph where she states that her first project left her with unanswered questions which she hoped the second project would help answer.

Notice also how she mentions her publications as culmination of research work.

Also noticeable is the repeated use of strong verbs such as contributed, learned, presented, collected, actualized, recommended, modeled etc.

Her research work has quantifiable impact and has led to her present research interest.

Moreover, the applicant has described other relevant experiences namely leadership and mentoring.

Her leadership and mentoring roles are aligned with her research interests as shown in the fourth paragraph where she also continues to use strong action verbs to underscore the impact of her work.

Importantly, the applicant has explained why every research she has undertaken is important and the significance of the research she will now pursue.

What makes this SoP special?

In this Statement of purpose for PhD in computer science that was accepted at the University of Washington, the applicant also captures her experience in a chronological manner showing how she has grown both as a person and a researcher.

She goes ahead to explain why her experiences matter, something that many applicants overlook. Pay attention to the second paragraph below where she explains that from her work as an undergraduate researcher, she learned two things namely research skills and approaches that formed the foundation of her future work.

In describing her interests, the applicant does not shy away from explaining areas where she has struggled.

Some applicants assume that for the SOP to be compelling, they must have everything figured out. The AdCom does not expect that you know everything otherwise you wouldn’t have applied.

In fact, highlighting areas where you have struggles open a window for you to explain how the university and the program will help you.

Like in SOP 1, the applicant has used strong action verbs.

Notable also is that for each area of research interest the applicant has described, there’s an explanation of what she has done and what she intends to do.

This last SoP that was accepted at MIT follows the same chronological pattern as the previous two.

The applicant names people she has worked with, the nature of the research, and outcomes, which are important publications and presentations.

In describing her experiences, she highlights the challenges he encountered and how she solved them.

Note the use of “we” to bring out collaborative skills as well as the heavy presence of strong action verbs in the SOP.

In paragraph 3 in particular, the applicant employs one of the tips we shared earlier about using concrete as opposed to vague experience: “I was one of the three winners…..”

Fitness for the Program and Future Goals

It’s of vital importance to describe why you’re a good fit for the program you’re applying to.

Do your research about some of the professors whose work align with your interest and describe exactly how you’ll work together.

It’s always recommendable to have several professors as long as you can justify why you want to work with them.

Don’t just state that your interests are aligned.

Remember the goal is to show not to state.

With the career/future goals, make sure that the AdCom can see your future trajectory.

Describe the big human problem you want to solve and how this program will help with that. Below is a snapshot of how the three applicants wrote their fitness and future goals section.

From the three Statement of purpose for PhD in Computer science, we can summarize the formula thus:

• Introduction: State your research interest
• Describe your experiences, qualifications, and relevant extracurricular activities. Use concrete and quantifiable experiences, state the outcomes, and use strong action verbs to underscore your roles.
• Describe your fitness for the program and future goals.

Still have a question about your Statement of purpose for PhD in computer science? We’re here to help.

Written your Statement of purpose but are still anxious about whether it meets the highest standards required? You can speak to us. Check below our reviewing and editing checklist and drop us your draft and prompts followed for a review by ORDERING HERE

Our Reviewing Checklist

• Is the introductory narrative authentic, relevant, credible, and how well is it linked to your research interests?
• How well have you covered your background/qualifications? Have you used quantifiable and concrete experiences?
• In describing your experiences, have you employed a simple but effective formula typical  of well written SOPs that get acceptance to top programs?
• Have you anticipated potential deficiencies in your background and how well have you addressed them?
• Have you explained ‘why this program’ and have you made any of the common mistakes we see a lot in this section?
• Are your career goals described using the SMART model?
• Does your conclusion cover the big problem you’re going to help solve and how the program will help you?

Our Editing Checklist

Our editing services transform your Statement of Purpose:

• IDEAS-From fuzzy, disjointed, and sketchy to clear, focused and rich in detail
• ORGANIZATION-From incoherent with no lead to great lead, logical, coherent, and powerful end.
• VOICE-From boring, bland, and cliched to enthusiastic and gripping
• WORD CHOICE-From tired and overused words to strong verbs, clear nouns, and well chosen modifiers.
• CONVENTIONS-From numerous distracting errors to editorial correctness.
• SENTENCE FLUENCY-From bumpy, hard to read to easy to read.

Step by step Analysis of MIT accepted SoP for CS (1)

Samples in other subjects

Nursing (PhD), Cognitive Science, Computer Science (undergraduate), Pyschology (PhD) and MBA

Statement of Purpose for Business Management

Statement of Purpose for Mathematics

Statement of Purpose for MPH and MBA with Engineering Background

Statement of Purpose for Nursing (undergraduate)

Statement of Purpose for MBA Ivy

• SOP for MBA
• SOP for Law Internship
• SOP for Tourism
• SOP for Social Work

Writing a Statement of Purpose

Oct 16, 2018

This article has been cross-posted from Swapneel’s Blog

The Disclaimer

This comes first because people often tend to ignore this very relevant section.

There is obviously no single way to achieve a successful outcome for your application to graduate school and this post comprises mainly of opinions that I hold based on no evidence other than a product of my personal experience with the process (which is limited, to say the least). All I’m trying to do by writing about this is to give you some perspective to enable you to think for yourself before you embark on the arduous process of applying to grad school. Goodluck!

Needless to say, please refrain from plagiarising the content. You know how badly a few lifted (and/or uncited) lines could mess up your application (and academic career), right?

Look at this set of personal statements, instead, as the quality of essays that your competition writes (these are for a mix of Ph.D. and Masters programs) and use it as positive reinforcement to ‘up your game,’ so to speak.

Introduction

While applying to grad school, please don’t make amateur-ish mistakes for your essays. It’s a really cliched piece of advice when people say “you should tell them a story.” Don’t get me wrong, you can. But you don’t have to.

Please read this if you haven’t done so already: How to Write a Bad Statement for a Computer Science Ph.D. Admissions Application, Andy Pavlo (CMU) (it is Ph.D. specific, but you can extrapolate to Masters applications).

That said, admissions are very variable and top schools almost always look favourably upon relevant national and international awards, and publications at top-tier venues especially when they filter applicants for competitive programs like CS (AI/ML).

Weaving stories, as stated before, may make or break your case depending on who reviews it. Ultimately I believe it’s a math.random() process because there is a human on the other end, and human intelligence - unlike many manifestations of artificial intelligence - is highly unpredictable. I wanted to share some links for reading before you guys start writing (since we’re only a month out from the earliest deadlines in November, hopefully you’ve already started writing a draft).

General Grad School Advice

Statement of purpose:.

• Very useful Meta Page of Links and Advice by Prof. Gary Cottrell
• Ph.D. specific advice from Prof. Philip Guo’s Blog
• Dr. Sean Holden’s advice for applying to do a Ph.D. in Machine Learning (University of Cambridge)
• Grad School Advice by Prof. Dan Horn
• SoP Advice from the GradCafe

Letters of Recommendation:

• How to request a letter of recommendation, Michael Ernst (UWash)
• How to write a letter of recommendation, Michael Ernst (UWash)
• Advice to Letter Writers by Prof. Shriram Krishnamurthi (Brown Univ.)

Some examples of SoPs:

• Jeremy Lacomis’ Statement of Purpose for a Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University focusing on Software Engineering focusing on Programming Languages
• Jean Yang’s Statement of Purpose for a Ph.D. in Computer Science
• Philip Guo’s Statement of Purpose for a Masters in Computer Science at Stanford University
• Sean Kross’ Set of Statements for Graduate School - focusing on Information and Cognitive Science
• Vipul Singh’s Statement of Purpose for a Masters in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University

Research Statements from professors/research scientists/Ph.D. Students often yield insight into not only their goals, but also areas of active research in general which is why I’m including some samples for candidates to read in order to ‘get a better idea of their field’ before writing their Statement of Purpose.

• Csaba Szepesvári’s Research Statement (University of Alberta, DeepMind)
• Jacob Andreas’ Research Statement (Berkeley, MIT, Natural Language Processing)
• Marc’Aurelio Ranzato’s Research Statement (New York University, Machine Learning)
• Morteza Mardani’s Reserach Statement (Stanford, Algorithms, Applications of Machine Learning)
• Jacob Steinhardt’s Statement of Purpose (Stanford, Machine Learning)
• U. N. Niranjan’s Research Statement (U.C. Irvine, Machine Learning)

My personal favourite - Anant Bhardwaj (B.Eng. Pune Univ., M.S. Stanford, Ph.D. M.I.T.):

Mainly because this was the first (and only) Statement of Purpose I read before applying for a Masters in Computer Science right after undergrad (although I later decided not to jump into it, but work at CERN for a year instead).

Before you read this set of statements, I’d like to explain my reasons for highlighting this one.

It clearly depicts how an SoP evolves from a story woven around nascent experience working in tech and aimed at a short-term goal into a research statement that focuses on a specific field and hopes to achieve a long-term goal.

As an Indian B.Eng. student at Mumbai University, I could really identify with this as it was written by a fellow B.Eng. graduate from Pune University.

It’s a good example of progress and change of plans coming from a student who went on to do a Masters at Stanford and a Ph.D. at MIT and then dropped out midway to found a company called Instabase.

Another disclaimer: please do not treat this as a single representative example of how to frame your statement of purpose.

• Statement of Purpose - Masters in Computer Science
• Statement of Purpose - Ph.D. in Computer Science

My Two Cents on this subject:

A lot of these people and a lot of the advice you will see states that they know the exact field they wanted to work on. That is false. Nobody knows exactly what they want to to for the rest of their lives. Very few actually know the general area they want to work on. Most people have only a fair idea and as Ph.D. programs often state on their websites, that is OK. Most of your ideas will change with experience anyway.

For instance, if you like X a lot but you’ve never tried doing Y, how do you know you don’t like Y and how can you say you won’t like Y more than X once you try it out. That’s understandable. However, you will see that all of these people have one thing in common - clarity. They possess a high degree of clarity in their research focus and know that there are one or two fields that they would definitely like to pursue. All they have done is explain why this is the case. And their innate clarity made the rest of the work they did fit into the theme of their ‘stories.’

Essentially, what you’re trying to do in your essay is explain one or two directions that you would like to take, back your claim up with evidence (yes, material evidence - including grades, research, and/or projects) of why you would do well in those directions, and finally state what you see yourself doing once you actually get into that direction. Clarity of thoughts is way more important and the only reliable way to get that is to actually be aware of what that direction is; follow active research areas and people working in that direction, and finally, at least have some ideas of what you would do if you were given an opportunity to work there. Write confidently; you don’t necessarily need to highlight why you failed or justify any misses if you can focus on the hits. It’s not necessary that your statement of purpose would have to ‘make up for why you’re not as good as you could have been’ as opposed to ‘focus on how good you can be based on what you have already done.’

Further Reading (strongly recommended if you have the time)

• Reddit Thread on Resources for Graduate School

This post has been composed by using publicly available documents shared by a fantastic set of researchers in an effort to help those that are seeking such information. I’ve simply listed them as they are, linking back to the original references.

If there is any issue with this, please feel free to contact me via email and I will be happy to remove the link(s) from this post.

Swapneel is a recent graduate of Computer Engineering and one of the founders of DJ Unicode currently working at the intersection of deep learning and physics at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research

CS PhD Statement of Purpose

Below is the culmination of information that I received from various Professors when I was trying to write my statement of purpose. Like this entire process, for every piece of advice I received someone else has an equally valid, but opposite, piece of advice. The content of this post contain only what I found useful for me and should be taken with a grain of salt.

This post is part of my series on getting into CS PhD programs from the perspective of a current (AY: 2020-2021) college senior. You can find the master post here .

Statement of Purpose (SOP) Overview

I view the SOP as three questions you’re trying to answer for the admissions committee:

Why am I doing this?

What have i already done.

• Who at school X do I want to work with?

The length of these essays should be between 1-2 pages. Anything longer than two pages no one will read. Let’s break down each of these questions:

It’s important for you to get across why you want a PhD. What you don’t want is to look like someone who likes school, doesn’t know what to do with their life and so they go and get a PhD. Undertaking a CS PhD is (typically) a 4-6 year commitment. You should have a good reason for doing it and and idea of what you want to get out of it in the long run and short run.

This is the most important section . During your PhD you will be spending most of your time working independently on long term open ended research projects. Thus, you want to demonstrate that you have done that, done that successfully , and have enjoyed it–because at its core this is what you’ll be doing for your PhD.

Additionally, this section is where you demonstrate that you can write well for technical topics. If you can signal to a potential advisor that you don’t need extensive coaching to write a technical paper this is a big plus ( i.e., write in a way which shows that it won’t take much hands on work for the advisor to edit or have to teach you how to write technical material clearly for an audience). In short, you want to come across as someone who a PhD advisor can see themselves authoring papers with.

Who at $SCHOOL do I want to work with?

This section is a bit of a balancing act. On the on hand, You don’t want to identify one sole professor because:

• That sole professor may not be taking students this year.
• That professor’s lab may be moving in a different direction and what you’re interested in doesn’t line up.
• This tactic shows that you’re inflexible and signals that your application should be rejected if that sole professor doesn’t want you because you gave the application committee no other reason to come to their school.

On the other hand, you also don’t want to say “I’ll work with anyone. I’m just happy to be here” because:

• This shows that you haven’t thought about what you want to do in grad school.
• Or, this shows that you haven’t done your research on the school and have failed to answer the question who *at this school* do you want to work with.

Now that I’ve laid out what you shouldn’t do, here is what you should do: Identify a few people in their program that you want to work with that would be good matches for you. Now the application will be routed to the professors you mentioned in your application and, if one of them latches on to your application, you have a greater chance of someone advocating for you. 1

Q: How Many Professors Should I Identify?

Many professors only take one or two new students each application cycle so identifying more professors – like three or four instead of one or two – is better. However, quality over quantity should take precedence. You should have good, narratively cogent, reasons for working with a given faculty member.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Once you’ve written your SOP a good chunk of it – the why am I doing this? and what have I already done? sections – can be reused on the SOP for the next school. Thus, reducing the amount of work that you need to do.

A word of cation, however, be sure that your recycled content is narratively consistent with why you want to go to $SCHOOL and who at $SCHOOL you want to work with. If your why am I doing this? and what have I already done? sections are focused on your interests in OS, yet you’re applying at $SCHOOL to work on PL problems then you can’t wholesale reuse what you’ve written before because the two parts don’t line up.

Note: this isn’t true of all programs  ↩

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Congrats! You’ve chosen a graduate program , read up on tips for applying to grad school , and even wrote a focused grad school resumé . But if you’re like many students, you’ve left the most daunting part of the application process for last—writing a statement of purpose. The good news is, the task doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming, as long as you break the process down into simple, actionable steps. Below, learn how to write a strong, unique statement of purpose that will impress admissions committees and increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

What is a statement of purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate school application that tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the graduate program you’re applying to.

Jared Pierce, associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.  

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

How long should a statement of purpose be?

“A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” Pierce says, noting that it should typically not exceed a single page. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11- or 12-pt) and leave enough whitespace in the margins to make the statement easy-to-read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds. 

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you understand how to format a statement of purpose, you can begin drafting your own. Getting started can feel daunting, but Pierce suggests making the process more manageable by breaking down the writing process into four easy steps.

1. Brainstorm your ideas.

First, he says, try to reframe the task at hand and get excited for the opportunity to write your statement of purpose. He explains:

“Throughout the application process, you’re afforded few opportunities to address the committee directly. Here is your chance to truly speak directly to them. Each student arrives at this process with a unique story, including prior jobs, volunteer experience, or undergraduate studies. Think about what makes you you and start outlining.”

When writing your statement of purpose, he suggests asking yourself these key questions:

• Why do I want this degree?
• What are my expectations for this degree?
• What courses or program features excite me the most?
• Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally?
• How will my unique professional and personal experiences add value to the program?

Jot these responses down to get your initial thoughts on paper. This will act as your starting point that you’ll use to create an outline and your first draft.

2. Develop an outline.

Next, you’ll want to take the ideas that you’ve identified during the brainstorming process and plug them into an outline that will guide your writing. 

An effective outline for your statement of purpose might look something like this:

• An attention-grabbing hook
• A brief introduction of yourself and your background as it relates to your motivation behind applying to graduate school 
• Your professional goals as they relate to the program you’re applying to
• Why you’re interested in the specific school and what you can bring to the table
• A brief summary of the information presented in the body that emphasizes your qualifications and compatibility with the school

An outline like the one above will give you a roadmap to follow so that your statement of purpose is well-organized and concise. 

3. Write the first draft.

Your statement of purpose should communicate who you are and why you are interested in a particular program, but it also needs to be positioned in a way that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Admissions professionals already have your transcripts, resumé, and test scores; the statement of purpose is your chance to tell your story in your own words.

When you begin drafting content, make sure to:

• Provide insight into what drives you , whether that’s professional advancement, personal growth, or both.
• Demonstrate your interest in the school by addressing the unique features of the program that interest you most. For Northeastern, he says, maybe it’s experiential learning; you’re excited to tackle real-world projects in your desired industry. Or perhaps it’s learning from faculty who are experts in your field of study.
• Be yourself. It helps to keep your audience in mind while writing, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. It’s important to be authentic when writing your statement to show the admissions committee who you are and why your unique perspective will add value to the program.

4. Edit and refine your work.

Before you submit your statement of purpose:

• Make sure you’ve followed all directions thoroughly , including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
• Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If you’ve written far more than this, read through your statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Less is often more; articulate your main points strongly and get rid of any “clutter.”
• Walk away and come back later with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re not sitting and staring at your computer.
• Ask someone you trust to read your statement before you submit it.

Making a Lasting Impression

Your statement of purpose can leave a lasting impression if done well, Pierce says. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your unique background and skills so that admissions professionals understand why you’re the ideal candidate for the program that you’re applying to. If nothing else, stay focused on what you uniquely bring to the classroom, the program, and the campus community. If you do that, you’ll excel.

To learn more tricks and tips for submitting an impressive graduate school application, explore our related Grad School Success articles .

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. It has since been updated for thoroughness and accuracy.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for PhD Admission

The dreaded doctoral statement of purpose — every PhD program asks for it, but why is it so difficult to write? Writing a strong statement of purpose is essential to getting into your top PhD programs. A PhD statement of purpose gives admissions committees an introduction to your research interests and why their specific program is of interest to you.

Like a cover letter for a job application, a great statement of purpose allows you to highlight your strengths, interests and experience. If you need statement of purpose advice, keep reading for guidance on how to write a successful statement of purpose that will make your PhD application stand out.

Statement of purpose vs. personal statement

Though the two may sound similar, they’re not necessarily interchangeable. A personal statement gives insight into who you are, while a statement of purpose is meant to showcase what you want to do. Rarely will you be asked to write a personal statement for a PhD program.

As you go through the PhD application process, you will likely see schools requesting either a statement of purpose or a research statement. In most cases, they're both looking for the same thing. Admissions committees want to know about your academic background, your research goals and what you hope to accomplish as a candidate in a PhD program.

Your research goals should align with faculty research

Being admitted to a PhD program is a great feeling, but if you enroll in a program that doesn’t match your research interests or help support your career goals, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment later down the road.

Applying for admission to a program is all about fit. Faculty reviewers are looking for students who best represent the department’s mission and will help them obtain their research objectives.

By the time you apply, you should have a solid understanding of what the department’s primary research and content areas are, as well as which faculty members you’d like to work with more closely. This might mean finding information about what their labs do and reading published articles related to their work.

Be sure to include how your interests and past experiences align with the work that they do and how you would be an active contributor to those endeavors. This approach shows that you took the time to look into their program, so the committee will be more willing to invest theirs in reviewing your application.

Don’t be afraid to address your weaknesses

Many people assume they should avoid listing their shortcomings in their essays. The whole point of applying to a program is to impress the reviewers, right? But constructively addressing your weaknesses can be a great way to demonstrate how this program can help you achieve your academic goals.

Look at the catalog and read through the courses that are part of the program. If there is a particular class that fascinates you, talk about how it could help you obtain a new skill or a better understanding of a concept that you’ve struggled with before.

This demonstrates that you are actively seeking programs to help you better your education. It also exhibits that you’re mindful of what areas of your knowledge need some improvement, which shows maturity and the ability to self-assess.

Keep it succinct

If your program of interest does not specify a page word or word limit, it’s best to assume that your statement should not exceed two pages total. It should be enough to give them a glimpse of who you are and what you have to offer but not share your life story.

The aim is to communicate how and why this particular program will help you meet your academic and career goals. Limited space means you must prioritize what you include in your statement.

Create an outline before you start writing to ensure you are including points that are relevant to your application and the program to which you are applying. Your statement is also an example of how well you can write. By framing your essay before you write it, you can avoid stream-of-consciousness writing that can often come across as undefined and incoherent.

Proofread! And read it over and over

When you think you have a finished product, read your essay out loud. This makes it easier to catch typos, poor grammar, and oddly worded sentences. If you have a friend who is also applying to grad school, help each other out by editing each other’s essays.

Having someone else read your statement and ask questions can help you clarify your points and make it more compelling. Your statement is your one chance to present yourself professionally in your own words. The occasional mistake is excusable, but messy writing will make them think you lack attention to detail.

Before you hit submit on that application, be sure that you have attached the correct document for the right institution. It can be very embarrassing if your statement mentions the wrong faculty member’s name or refers to another school’s library! It could also cause the reviewers to think you are not as serious about their program.

You’ve spent a good amount of time perfecting your application, so take your time to review everything before you submit it so you can rest easy knowing you’ve presented your best.

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My statement of purpose for getting into the PhD program at IITB

While getting into the PhD program at IITB I was asked to give a statement of purpose as a common practice world wide. I am not sure whether anybody really read it or not, but I really meant what I wrote :)

Statement of Purpose (SOP) for admission to the PhD Programme in Computer Science & Engineering at IIT Bombay in the field of Machine Learning/Data Mining/Data Analytics

“The role of brain in a human body can never be overstated. Similar, in my opinion, is the role of the intelligentsia in the society. I strongly believe that the best brains in the world should be contributing to the field of research and education and in this way make a tangible contribution to the society. Though I do not claim to be among the best brains in the world, but as an illustrious alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, with numerous awards and achievements to my credit (including the Institute Silver Medal for being the topper at IIT Kharagpur, Star Award for outstanding performance at BMC Software, “VIT Shri” Awards at Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune for being the best teacher) I certainly can compete with them and thus have a strong urge to contribute, especially in areas like governance and security which can have a tremendous impact on society.

I have done my BTech in CSE from IIT Kharagpur in 2004 after which I worked for six years in Oracle, Bangalore and then for about two years in BMC Software, Pune. The fruit of these eight years in industry came in the form of a calling - to work for a cause bigger than myself. Not wanting to leave Pune, I joined Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering. This was my first step towards returning back to academia. Vishwakarma Institute of Technology is an autonomous college affiliated with University of Pune and is among the premiere colleges in Maharashtra. Because of the need of the hour at that time, I had to pursue my MTech from the same college. People say I am a perfectionist. I agree. Whatever I do, I like to give myself completely to it. Coupled with God’s grace, this has turned out to be a great combination so far. Thus during my MTech also I secured first rank in the department as well as in the institute.

Now after four years of observing the academia closely, I find myself prepared and geared up for taking the next step, which is of pursuing PhD from IIT Bombay. Being a graduate from IIT Kharagpur, doing MTech from Pune University was a situational compromise for me, but I do not have any such constraints right now. Not only IIT Bombay is close to my home at Pune, being one of the best and most sought after institute in the country, it is my destination of choice and I want to leave no stone unturned to be given an opportunity here to prove my mettle.

My MTech work was about automatically recognizing user personality from Facebook status updates. I have been working in the area of Data Analytics for a couple of years now (have a couple of publications and have guided several major projects). My projects have included topics like “automated rating in web applications using collective intelligence”, “creating ACO and PSO based classification and clustering modules in Weka”, “group recommendation and community detection in Facebook”, “ask answer service on Facebook” and a few others. I have now developed a strong affinity for Data Analytics, especially its intersection with Machine Learning. Together they have a potential to change the way we live, for better. Working on real world problems which can touch the lives of people is what excites me and I look forward to working on such problems during my PhD. Given an opportunity, I am confident of making a significant contribution to the field, to IIT Bombay, to our nation, to our society and to the world at large.”

Vishal Kaushal

Machine learning | computer vision.

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Sample Statement of Purpose (SOP): Computer Science

This sample SOP is for applying to a master’s program in Computer Science in the USA.

If you need help writing your SOP, check out our  SOP Writing Service

Statement of Purpose – Computer Science

     We are currently in the midst of a technological and computing revolution that will drastically change our lives and potentially redefine what it means to be human. I am very excited at the prospect of devoting my long-term career to such a dynamic, fast advancing field. Ever since I was young, I have enjoyed dabbling with computers and experimenting with different applications. Because my own lifetime has essentially coincided with the rise of the modern computing industry, I can sense that there are still tremendous developments to come in this field. It was natural for me to choose Computer Science as my university major, and now, as I near the end of my undergraduate studies, it is my central goal to continue my education in a more competitive, elite, and international environment.

There is only one logical destination for my postgraduate studies: the USA, a country which stands at the center of the computing universe. The US has been the chief driver of innovation in computing, and the most innovative and successful companies in this field are based there. Studying overseas in the US will thus give me not only a greater range of professional skills but also a much broader, more international perspective. Therefore, I am applying to join your MSc in Computer Science program, commencing in the fall of 2013. I am convinced that I am well prepared for the challenges of studying in your master’s program because of my extensive academic and practical background, which I will describe in detail below.

My academic experience thus far has provided me with a wide range of practical knowledge and skills that will be immensely useful when studying overseas at the graduate level. As a high school student, I excelled in courses related to physics, mathematics, and chemistry. I was fortunate during this time to have teachers who saw my interest in these subjects and encouraged me to continue broadening my scientific understanding and developing my analytical skills. It was due in large part to their guidance and advice that I chose to major in Computer Science in the university. As an undergraduate, I found that I deeply enjoyed learning about programming and systems analysis, and with my strong mathematics background I performed very well in courses concerning calculus, statistics, and differential equations. Now, in addition to my specialized knowledge of computer science, I have an appreciation for the breadth of this field and the nearly endless possibilities for further study.

In addition to the courses that I have taken, I have been very active outside of the classroom, participating in extracurricular activities and pursuing new experiences so as to push myself and broaden my horizons. For example, I took some time to travel across Europe by myself, an experience which, although at times difficult, ultimately made me a much more independent and confident person. I am now comfortable adapting to new situations and interacting with people who are different from me, qualities which will be tremendously useful when studying in the USA. Furthermore, when my hometown was devastated by a natural disaster, I volunteered to help the victims as an organizer, which involved raising money and providing food, blankets, and other supplies as needed. Aside from the enhanced communication and leadership skills this experience offered me, what I most value is my newfound understanding of the importance of service and helping those in need. Finally, in the university, I was the publisher of the monthly newsletter of my department, a role I took on in order to meet new people and learn a new range of skills. As these experiences show, I am highly motivated and proactive at learning new skills and experiencing new things. This is precisely why I have decided to continue challenging myself by studying for a master’s degree in the USA.

Regarding my goals for the future, I plan to take what I learn in the USA and apply it to the computing industry in my native country. This industry is rapidly growing and shows great potential, yet compared to other, more advanced countries it is still in its relative infancy. By studying in your master’s program and possibly working for a short period in the USA, I expect to have the expertise, the perspective, and the experience necessary to lead our industry to a new era. I also have many friends with similar goals, and I hope that we can one day collaborate to put our country on the map as an innovative force in the computing world.

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sop for PhD IN computer science

Do you wish to join a reputed foreign university for a PhD in Computer Science? But you are probably worried about how best to draft your Statement of Purpose. Contact us right now and get your admission-winning SOP for PhD in Computer Science.

A statement of purpose for a Ph.D. in computer science should be a bit different from those for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Up until post-graduation, you can focus on a lot of things such as extracurricular and non-academic activities. It is also possible to join such programs from different academic or professional backgrounds. However when it comes to a research-based program like Ph.D., the focus of the essay should be on the subject expertise of the candidate. You should also be specific about your areas of interest and have a clear goal for your research. Your SOP will make a strong impact on the reader when you seamlessly interconnect these factors concisely and clearly.

A mistake that we see over and over in motivation letters written by beginners is trying hard to impress. Do not get experimental with your writing style. Using highly complex sentence structures will make it hard for the reader and create a negative impression.

Read about SOP writing services.

Read Our Sample SOP For PhD in Computer Science

The best way to illustrate a concept is through examples. Rather than describing the format for the motivation letter for Ph.D. in Computer Science, it is better to demonstrate it with a document that we have prepared.  Given below is an extract from a sample SOP for Computer Science PhD. Please contact us to get access to the full document and our writing services

Sample sop for PhD

we’ve included a few SOP samples that have been approved by experts. To download free samples, click on the links in the attachments given below

Of course, in the sample SOP format for PhD given above, the student has a clear goal of where she wants to be after the doctorate program. However, this might not be the case with everyone. The course of your journey may change as years pass by, but you should at least have a general idea about the shore towards which you want to steer your career. Our expert writers will tactfully address every concern that you may have regarding effectively explaining your course motivation, end goals, and career gaps. Kindly get in touch with us to know more about our writing services.

SOP Samples For Masters

Are you Searching for the perfect SOP Samples for MS ? Here we have attached a few SOP samples to make your understanding clear. Click on the below-attached links to download free samples.

Get Best SOP Writers For PhD In Computer Science

As illustrated in the statement of purpose for a Ph.D. in computer science pdf, you should write in crisp language and focus on your subject expertise. Along with the reasons you chose to research in programming, add your formative experiences and exposure to research-based studies.

Another important thing to keep in mind when drafting the document is to use good quality language. This is not limited to grammar, spelling, and other aspects. Prospective researchers are expected to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject in their statement of purpose for Ph.D. in computer science doc file they submit. As professors will be evaluating your document, it is appropriate to include jargons and subject-relevant keywords moderately. 

OUR SOP SERVICES FOR COUNTRIES

It is always better to keep your SOP for Ph.D. in Computer Science short and sweet. Do not exaggerate your credentials or the essay in general.  Do not feel compelled to reach the top end of the word limit. Even if you have just a few things to list out, do it with confidence and assuredness. Read as many times as possible and remove any mistakes, and you are good to go.

Get in touch with us  to get your sop for PhD in computer science crafted by professional writers.

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Sample SOP for MS in CS

• Updated on  
• Jul 27, 2023

How to write SOP for MS in Computer Science? There are certain rules, formatting as well as writing tone and style you should follow while writing your SOP for Computer Science. As it is one of the sought-after courses around the world, universities get an array of applications for MS in CS and it is essential that you write an impressive and well-structured SOP for successful selection. For a Statement of Purpose for MS in Computer Science, you must include your interests, achievements, previous internships or any projects along with your future aspirations, short-term and long-term goals and any research projects that you worked on. Read this blog to find the best sample SOP for MS in CS (Computer Science), important rules, format, PDFs, what to include and more!

Sample SOP for MS in Computer Science

Looking for SOP samples for MS in CS? To help you find the best SOP sample for MS, here are some SOP examples for MS in CS you can use for your MS application:

Sample 2 SOP for MS in CS

Sample SOP for MS in CS without Work Experience

To write an impressive SOP for MS in CS without work experience, you must emphasis on your passion to explore the world of Computer Science as well as your academic credentials and achievements that set you apart from the crowd.

Here is a sample SOP for MS in CS without work experience:

The ever-evolving field of Computer Science has always intrigued me and I learned coding first during seventh grade and leapt into the world of computer programming when I was just 13 years old. There has been no looking back since then as I decided to pursue BTech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE) after graduating from high school. I took part in many data science competitions at the university as well as online and pursued a wide range of online certifications in Machine Learning, Python and Artificial Intelligence to satiate my growing knowledge to learn about the world of computer science.

I was extensively involved in data science seminars and events at the university and decided to apply for a masters in Computer Science directly after graduating. Though I don’t have any professional work experience in this field, I have been in the top 5% of my class during my undergraduate degree and also served as the president of my university’s Robotics society, RoboGyaan and further pursued various internships during the final two years of my bachelor’s degree.

I have always envisioned the world of computer science as a powerful blend of well-known subsets as well as untapped areas filled with humongous potential to change the world. I also assisted one of my seniors during her project focused on how Artificial Intelligence is changing the world which gave me many valuable insights into this domain. My passion to explore the field of computer science can be seen from my academic achievements, online certifications as well as internships that pursued.

Studying an MS in Computer Science, I would like to further delve deeper into this specialisation and gather advanced-level knowledge as well as incremental research skills that can help me thrive in my career. My core aim is to become a Data Scientist and this master’s degree at your university can equip me with the knowledge and skills I need to fulfil my career aspirations .

Sample SOP for MS in CS For ECE Background

Here is a sample you can use for SOP for MS in CS with work experience for ECE graduates:

In the present world that focuses on innovation and computing applications, there is hardly any field that has been untouched by the all-encompassing facets of technology. As a kid, I was always mesmerized by how simple hi-tech appliances made our daily activities smoother and efficient to carry on. As an ardent gaming fan and tech geek, I was always curious in exploring the inner-workings of the daily appliances we use and I would always have a screwdriver box ready to get to the bottom of everything. While I was passionate about the hardware aspects, I got inclined towards programming and coding when I studied computer science as an elective in 12th grade.

Python was the first programming language I learned while I was in school and then went on work on coding and building new data networks from scratch. I decided to pursue BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering because my passion for electronics was abundant and I couldn’t resist pursuing this specialisation for my bachelor’s degree. I worked on different projects during my internships while I pursued undergraduate studies and these helped me figure out my inclination towards computing technologies.

Before opting for a master’s degree, I wanted to gain prior work experience in this field so I worked as a Junior Data Scientist at FinCorp, which aimed to build a hi-tech AI-blended Finance technology that can automate financial services. After working at FinCorp for over two years, I realised that Computer Science is the core specialisation I want to pursue for MS. That’s when I came across the meticulously structured MS in CS program at your university and decided that it is the right one for an experienced data science professional like me.

An MS in CS will help me get valuable insights into the world of Computer Science, Data Analytics, Network Programming, Algorithms and Operating Systems and much more. I aim to establish a career in research after completing this degree and studying under the guidance of a highly-qualified faculty at your university can equip me with the mentorship as well as knowledge I need to become a successful research scientist.

Sample SOP for MS in Data Science

Sample SOP for MS in Artificial Intelligence

As a kid, I was mesmerized by robots and how they actualised the simulation of the human mind. I opted for Computer Science as an elective subject in my higher secondary which increased my interest in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and its massive potential in every sector and area of study. Artificial Intelligence can transform everything from medical science and healthcare to mobile technology and education. This is what sparked my interest in AI and its universal applications.

I pursued my undergraduate program in Computer Science to know more about data science and technology and afterwards, when I was wondering about the best specialisation for masters, I picked Artificial Intelligence.

During my bachelor’s studies, I was the head of my college’s Data Science and AI Society where we represented our institution at several intra-college and inter-college competitions. I also build various AI devices from scratch for various college projects as well as won several prizes during data science competitions online and at the university level.

Studying MS in Artificial Intelligence, I want to further gain specialized knowledge of this area of study along with contributing to research at your renowned university. My long-term goal is to establish a successful career in research in AI and utilise its key potential across various areas. This program in Artificial Intelligence will also help me gain useful knowledge and skills to steer towards a successful career and fulfil my research aspirations.

To know more, check out our blog on SOP for MS in Data Science !

Want to find the best SOP for Computer Science or MS in CS? Here is the SOP format you can follow to draft a winning SOP:

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How to Write an SOP for MS in CS? 

There are a few things that need to be kept in mind when writing an SOP for MS in CS. First of all, organize your thoughts and make pointers before sitting down to write the same. A disorganized mind does not yield a good Statement of Purpose. Always remember, the institutes are looking out for candidates who are passionate about the course they are pursuing. Ensure that you refer to sample SOP for MS in CS before writing your own. A perfect SOP should have 4 key sections which we have elaborated below:

How to Start SOP for MS in CS?

The first paragraph should be smart and creative. Here are the major elements you should definitely consider while writing your SOP for MS in CS:

• Start with an opening line that catches the eye of the admissions committee.
• Add any thoughtful quotation that you have always found inspiring.
• If you have noticed the sample SOP for MS in CS, we have begun with an interesting introductory line and then connected it to the aspirations of the candidate.
• Highlight the most prominent reason why you have chosen to pursue MS in CS in particular.
• Mention what you aspire or aim to achieve through the program.

Second Paragraph for SOP for MS in CS

For the second part of the SOP for MS in CS should talk about your academic milestones and achievements. It’s just a matter of finding the right to glorify the details without sounding arrogant. However, scoring fewer marks and just making the cut is also something you can write about. Take a look at the following things you must add to this section:

• A brief and concise representation of your academic quest.
• Ensure that you are elucidating awareness about your weakness and the lessons you learnt to move towards making better choices.
• Mention that through your previous academic degree you have learnt how to apply knowledge to practical situations that aren’t restricted to written examinations and the marks that go with them.
• Talk about their projects and work experience to highlight what they have learned during the four years in their respective colleges.

Third Paragraph of SOP for MS in CS

If you see our sample SOP for MS in CS, the third paragraph talks about the extracurricular activities of the student. The elements of this section are as follows:

• Understand that institutes prefer students who are all-rounders or have some interests other than their immediate academic work.
• Any kind of volunteer work, internship, research activities or training programs the student was involved in should be mentioned.
• Even with students who have tons of extracurricular activities to write about, they need to be precise about all their achievements, so that they can give a summary of their work without missing any of it.

Fourth Paragraph of SOP for MS in CS

For the fourth paragraph of your SOP for MS in CS, you must start focusing on what you are aiming to fulfil in your career journey.

• It must mention the goals and aspirations of the student.
• Making an effort to understand the university or college and mentioning the core subjects is a good way to show the institute how interested you are in attending their course.
• Research about the professors of CS in the university and their projects for additional references as adding your knowledge about the institution is another good idea since the admissions committee will appreciate your enthusiasm and see how their teachers and the overall program inspire you.
• Be careful not to overstep the line between inspired and desperate creates the wrong impression.

The last and concluding paragraph of an SOP for MS in CS should be just as impressive as the first one. In this paragraph of the SOP for MS in CS, you can talk about how the institute will gain a capable and outstanding student, who will give their all to maintain the stature of the university and succeed.

Quotes for SOP for MS in Computer Science

Here are the best inspiring quotes you can add to your SOP for MS in Compute Science:

• “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” –Lao Tzu
• “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda
• “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” — Les Brown
• “The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” -Henry Ford
• “Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” —Dalai Lama
• “Knowledge is being aware of what you can do. Wisdom is knowing when not to do it.”
• “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

See more at Motivational Science Quotes !

What to Include in an SOP for MS in CS?

With the above-given sample SOP for MS in CS, you might be well aware of the tone and style of how an SOP for MS in CS can be written. Now, take a look at the integral elements that you must add to your SOP for MS in CS.

• Elaborate briefly upon academic achievements and milestones .
• Mention why you pursued your undergraduate degree in a certain field and the knowledge and skills you earned from it.
• Talk about extracurricular activities and any leadership experiences .
• Reasons why you chose MS in CS (put the essential focus on Computer Science as the specialisation) and what you aim to gain from it.
• Why you selected the particular university (talk about their faculty as well as any unique feature of the program)
• Write about your career aspirations that you want to fulfil through an MS in CS.
• Previous work experience (if any) or internship or training experience .
• Reflect upon where you see yourself after finishing this course .

Things to Keep in Mind for SOP for Computer Science

Before you set out to draft your SOP for MS in CS or SOP for Computer Science, there are certain elements that you should definitely consider to ensure that it is well-written and detailed enough to inform the admission committee about your interests and objectives behind choosing a masters in Computer Science. Let’s take a look at the essentials you must add in your statement of purpose:

• The SOP for Computer Science should be somewhere around one to one and half a page long . Use a simpler font style such as Times New Roman with no more than 12-point size and 1.5 line spacing . The font size should not be too big or too small because that can make your SOP difficult to read. Remember that the admission committee has to read many SOPs and making sure that your SOP is a simpler read can create a great impression.
• Make sure that the career goals you are describing in your SOP for MS in CS align with the degree program as well as the university’s expertise areas which you can find from their online website.
• Maintain a formal tone throughout the statement of purpose. Avoid using any slangs or humour in your SOP for Computer Science.
• While drafting your SOP for MS in CS, if you are mentioning your prior work experience , you also need to elaborate upon how it will help in the degree you are opting for . Strongly highlight the reasons to explain why your professional experience makes you unique . For this, use storytelling to describe your interests and exposure you got and how it will help you further through your chosen course.
• If you are someone who took some time away in your career for some reasons, the reasons why you took that gap needs a crucial mention in the SOP for Computer Science. Connect it with how an MS in Computer Science will assist you in kickstarting your career after the break.
• While writing about your skills and expertise in your SOP for Computer Science, elucidate them by using examples from your everyday life . Add interesting anecdotes to gather the reader’s and keep it hooked till the end.

The first thing to do before writing the SOP is the collection of points that are to be mentioned. Here are some steps that can help you with the same: Step 1: List all your accomplishments Step 2: Write down your goals Step 3: Make a comparison, classify the data and make changes Step 4: Know all about the university that you plan to join. Step 5: You are now ready to write the SOP for MS in CS.

1. State the reason why you want to pursue this course 2. Make sure you know all about the university and the course you want to join. 3. List your academic performance 4. Write about your previous experiences

Always start your SOP by introducing yourself. Give your academic background and mention how you decided to pursue a particular course.

SOP or Statement of Purpose is an admission essay that is to be submitted while applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme in universities abroad. Therefore, candidates aiming to study Computer Science also need to write an SOP.

These are a few tricks that can help you write a sample SOP for MS in CS or an SOP for Computer Science. To get more details and assistance in writing the sample as well as the final draft of your statement of purpose, get in touch with Leverage Edu today. After all, the best students deserve help from the best of experts!

Team Leverage Edu

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