How to write a Statement of Purpose?
Prof Andrew Ng, former faculty at Stanford University, provided good insight on what the graduate student admission committee looks for in a personal statement (also known as statement of purpose) from a applicant on his website [1]. The overall points raised are also applicable to any SOP not just for university admissions. I made a summary of the points raised for my personal use (and hence the first part is written in first person). I felt that I should share it on my blog for others who might find it useful. Here are my notes on the how to write a SOP and more importantly what not to write in an SOP for a graduate application. Previous relevant experience Discuss small number of relevant projects Role in the project Specific work Insights I had, experiments and outcomes Result - publication, award, impact Briefly mention a