Statement of Purpose - Civil Engineering (SOP) Statement of Purpose - Civil Engineering (SOP)

In this essay I outline my academic and extra-curricular accomplishments. Also discussed are my career objectives and the motivation to pursue the graduate program in Civil Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The undergraduate curriculum in Chemical Engineering at IIT, Kharagpur, introduced me to a wide gamut of subjects, both in and outside the field. Various courses like Mass Transfer, Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena have provided me with a strong footing in the theoretical concepts of Chemical Engineering.

It was the field of Environmental Technology which particularly captured my interest. The desire to delve deeper into this subject persuaded me to take elective courses in Industrial (Air) Pollution Control, Non-conventional Energy Engineering and Environmental Earth Sciences. While offering both depth and breadth across this field, these courses put into perspective the importance and relevance of Chemical Engineering and the application of its fundamentals to environment related problems. I came to realize that although traditionally Environmental Studies has been under the domain of Civil Engineering, the increasing complexity and magnitude of Environmental problems have resulted in a growing need for the services of disciplines other than Civil Engineering. 这是技术的环境，特别是技术的抓住了我的兴趣领域。深入研究这一问题的愿望说服我采取工业 (空气) 污染控制、 非常规能源工程和环境地球科学中的选修课程。同时在这一领域提供的深度和广度，这些课程放入角度来看它的基本应用和化学工程的相关性和重要性环境相关的问题。我终于了解到虽然传统上环境研究已经下的土木工程领域，不断增加的复杂性和环境问题的严重性已导致土木工程以外的其他学科的服务的需求日益增长。

During the eight week Summer Training at the Development Consultants Ltd.,I was assigned to the Cement Cell, where I received a detailed knowledge of the cement manufacturing processes. As an Industrial Intern, I was assigned a project on Cement Plant Design (1800 TPD), which encompassed Raw-Mix Design and Capacity Calculations for various equipment. Here, I got aquainted with the Pollution and Energy Conservation problems faced by the Cement Industry and devoted a significant portion of my project to the pollution abatement methods.

在夏季训练发展顾问有限公司八周，我被分配到该水泥的单元格，在我收到水泥制造过程的详细的知识。作为一个工业的实习生，我被派在水泥工厂设计项目 （1800 TPD），其中的各种设备包括原料混合设计和容量计算。在这里，我 aquainted 污染和节约能源问题面临的水泥行业和我的项目的很大一部分用于污染消减方法

My final year dissertation was on the Manufacture of Phosphoric acid from rock phosphate using Sulfuric acid (Design of 100 tpd Plant). This covered the design of Reactor, Extractor (for acid purification) and Evaporator (for acid concentration). As a natural outcome of my interest in Pollution control, adequate emphasis was provided to waste gases and waste water treatment which involved off-gas scrubbing (venturi design) and discharge method details, gypsum disposal methods, disposal of fluosilicic acid as waste material and the incorporation of all these in the Plant Layout/flow-sheet.

我的最后一年的论文是从使用硫酸 （100 tpd 厂设计） 的磷矿生产的磷酸酸。这包括反应堆、 榨汁机 (酸净化） 和蒸发器 （用于酸的浓度） 的设计。废物气体和废水处理所涉及的烟气净化 （文氏设计） 和撤销方法的详细信息、 石膏处理方法、 硅酸处置废物的材料和纳入所有提供的适当强调了作为我的兴趣在污染治理中的一个自然的结果，这些工厂布局/流-表中。

At IIT, Kharagpur, I have received the best possible undergraduate education in Chemical Engineering in India. Throughout, my scholastic records and achievements have been outstanding. I have consistently ranked in the top 2% of the students of my class, in school, and consider the high point of my achievements as being ranked in the top 1% of more than one lakh students who wrote the Joint Entrance Examination for admission to one of the six Indian Institutes of Technology.

在 IIT，克勒格布尔，我在印度化工收到最佳的本科教育。始终，我的学校记录和取得的成就非常突出。我始终有排名最高的 2%的学生，在学校，我班的被排在最高的 1%，超过一款学生写信给六个印度技术学院之一的联合入学考试入学的考虑我的成就的高点。

Throughout my school and undergraduate education, I have been a keen participant in extra-curricular activities. Getting elected as the School Pupil Leader ( Head Girl) helped me hone my organizational and interpersonal skills. At IIT, I have been involved in the Annual cultural Fest as Head of the Control Tent Team. I have also taken active part in dramatics and made my contribution to the Technology Dramatics Society (English chapter) at IIT, as its member and later as the Governor. I was also the member of the NSS at IIT where I had the opportunity to be involved in it's Literacy and Health & Nutrition Programs. I continue to be a member of the Helpage Society of India, which provides palliative care to the terminally ill cancer patients.

在我的学校和本科教育，我一直热衷参加课外活动。顺利当选为学校学生领袖 (头女) 帮我磨练我的组织和人际交往能力。在 IIT，我一直参与每年的文化巨星作为控制帐篷小组组长。我还积极参加演出，作为其成员，后来担任总督 IIT，技术做作社会 （英语章） 作出我的贡献。我也是在哪里有机会参与的素养和健康科技营养计划 IIT NSS 的成员。我继续助印度，提供姑息治疗末期癌症病人的社会成员。

The years of undergraduate education have been an enriching experience - both academically and otherwise, and I am determined to maintain the high levels of excellence throughout my career.

年本科教育了更丰富的体验-既优异成绩，否则为并决心维持高水平的整个职业生涯的卓越。

My immediate degree objective is an M.S in environmental engineering – a rapidly evolving field with an immense potential for research. I wish to follow it up with a Ph.D, to pursue a career in research and experience the excitement and satisfaction of being at the forefront of this vast expanding field.

我立即学位目标是学位环境工程 — — 迅速的领域与研究的巨大潜力。我希望可以跟博士，追求事业的研究和经验的激情和满足感： 这个广阔领域的最前列。

An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity, and a graduate program which blends high quality course work and research facilities at the cutting edge of every sub-field are the factors which have motivated me to choose the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for graduate studies. I believe the program offered will help me acquire the versatility needed to reach my full potential as an engineer.

非常杰出的教师、 环境充满学术活动与混合优质课程的研究生工作和研究设施处于前沿的每个部分都有促使我选择马萨诸塞州大学阿默斯特分校攻读硕士的因素。我相信，提供程序将帮助我获得我作为一名工程师的全部潜力所需的多功能性。

It would, therefore, be a privilege to be able to secure admission to pursue graduate studies, with adequate financial assistance at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I am confident that I will match the high standards set by your university.

它，因此，将很荣幸能够安全进入追求足够的财政援助，在马萨诸塞州的大学的研究生课程，阿默斯特。我有信心我将匹配你的大学所定的高标准。

第二篇：How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose

How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose

Checklist for Writing a Statement of Purpose

Organization

:

[ ] A "hook"(an interesting entry) that demonstrates your passion for the field

[ ] Segué to your background in the field

[ ] Description of your academic background in the field

[ ] Specific classes you have taken, given by name

[ ] Specific professors you have had, especially if well-known in that field

[ ] Extracurricular activities in the field

[ ] Publications or other professional accomplishments in the field (perhaps conference

presentations or public readings)

[ ] Explanations about problems in background (if needed)

[ ] Explanation of why you have chosen the specific grad school

[ ] Mention one or two professors in that school and what you know of and appreciate

about their work

[ ] Specific features of the grad program which attract you

[ ] Get advice from several of your professors — philosophical advice as well as specific writing advice

[ ] Proofread and copyedit; ask friends to proofread and copyedit as well

[ ] Keep working on the statement of purpose, even after you have already sent it to school(s) with earlier deadline(s)

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The Statement of Purpose required by grad schools is probably the hardest thing you will ever write. (Incidentally, the statement of purpose may also be called an Application Essay, Objectives for Graduate Study, Personal Background, Cover Letter, or some comparable title.)

I would guess virtually all grad-school applicants, when they write their first draft of the statement of purpose, will get it wrong. Much of what you have learned about writing and also about how to present yourself will lead you astray. For example, here's an opening to a typical first draft:

I am applying to the Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at the

University of Okoboji because I believe my writing will blossom at your

program since it is a place where I will be challenged and I can hone my

writing skills.

How's that? It's clear, it's direct, and it "strokes" the MFA program, right? Wrong. All of it is obvious and extraneous.

The admissions committee knows you are applying to their MFA program because everyone in the stacks of applications they are reading is applying for the same thing. The admissions committee will also know that your writing will "blossom" there since they feel they have a strong program. Of course you will be challenged — all undergrads going on to a grad program will be challenged, no matter how well-prepared they think they are. And of course the new grad student will "hone [her] writing skills" — isn't that the main purpose of the MFA program?

Let's assume the required length of this particular program's statement of purpose is 300 words. Well, with this opening you will have used up 15% of your space saying virtually nothing. 15%!

In fact, not only is this opening paragraph obvious, extraneous, and space-stealing, it's boring! Imagine who's reading this and where: five professors "locked" in a room with 500 applications. Do you think this opening paragraph will command their attention? Will they read the rest of this statement of purpose with an open mind that this applicant is the kind of student they want? Will they remember this application later? You be the judge.

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Remember what you learned in first-year composition? You need a "hook."

A former student of mine applying to enter a master's program in library science had a great hook. I don't remember Susan's exact words, but the opening paragraph of her statement of purpose went something like this:

When I was eleven, my great-aunt Gretchen passed away and left me

something that changed my life: a library of about five thousand books.

Some of my best days were spent arranging and reading her books. Since

then, I have wanted to be a librarian.

Okay ... it's clear, it's direct, it's 45 words, and, most important, it tells the admissions committee about Susan's almost life-long passion not just for books but for taking care of books. When the committee starts to discuss their "best picks," don't you think they'll remember her as "the young woman who had her own library"? Of course they will, because having had their own library when they were eleven would probably be a cherished fantasy for each of them!

Suppose Susan had written this opening paragraph instead:

I am honored to apply for the Master of Library Science program at the

University of Okoboji because as long as I can remember I have had a love

affair with books. Since I was eleven I have known I wanted to be a

librarian.

That's 45 words too. Do you think the admissions committee will remember this application among the 500 applications they are wading through? Probably more than half of the applications, maybe a lot more than half, will open with something very similar. Many will say they "have had a love affair with books" — that phrase may sound passionate until you've read it a couple of hundred times.

All of us have had some event, some experience, like my student's personal library at eleven, which drives us toward the discipline(s) we inhabit. I was speaking to a group of students recently about this. One student — let's call her Jennifer — said she wanted to get a master's degree in speech therapy.

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When I asked her why, Jennifer said she had taken a class in it for fun and really loved it. But then I pressed her: was there some personal reason she found that field significant enough to spend her whole life doing it? At first Jennifer said no, but after more questioning she revealed that her brother had speech problems. This was a discovery to her; she had not entered the field with that connection in mind — at least not consciously. But there it was; Jennifer now had her hook.

You have to really dig. Be introspective. Don't settle for "I love this field." Why do you love this field? Why do you want to work in this field for the rest of your life? Why does it complete you? Cut through the bull you tell your parents and relatives and friends. What is your truth? Find it and then find a memorable way to say it. Grad schools require the statement of purpose not only because they want to find about you as an applicant, they want you to really think about why you are taking such a life-changing step — truly and profoundly why.

Okay, back to the scene of the five professors surrounded by stacks of applications, maybe more than 500. Do you know who they are? What they want? What they like to eat? Obviously, no. Conversely, do they know you? Well, no. But ... the statement of purpose is your chance to help them get to know you! Your statement of purpose should portray you as a person, not just an application among hundreds of others. Not just paper and ink.

Here's one way to do it. When I was an undergrad senior first applying for grad schools, I knew a grad student — I'll call him Nigel — who told me he had written a three-sentence statement of purpose to get into Stanford:

I want to teach English at the university level. To do this, I need a PhD. That

is why I am applying.

That was the whole thing. That's only half of 45 words. It certainly portrays Nigel as brash, risk-taking, no-nonsense, even arrogant. If this is how you want to portray yourself, then by all means do this. But you should also know that Nigel's statement of purpose is an all-or-nothing proposition. You can bet there will be members of probably any admissions committee who will find Nigel's statement of purpose offensive, even disrespectful. And they might not want such a student at their school. But then I suppose Nigel wouldn't want to be a student at that school, either.

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Try to make your paper-and-ink self come alive. Don't just say, "I used to work on an assembly line in a television factory, and one day I decided that I had to get out of there, so I went to college to save my own life." How about this: "One Thursday, I had soldered the 112th green wire on the same place on the 112th TV remote, and I realized the solder fumes were rotting my brain. I decided college would be my salvation." Both 35 words. Which narrative do you think will keep the admissions committee reading? Tell stories (briefly). Use vivid language. Be specific. Be dynamic. Liven up a moment in the lives of those five professors trapped with those 500 applications. Maybe 600. Maybe more.

At the same time, be careful not to be glib. Don't be slick. Don't write your application in a sequence of haiku. Don't put in photos. Just be yourself, but a more heightened version of yourself in words (since face-to-face nuance and gestures won't be there to help).

Remember your statement of purpose should portray you as (1) passionately interested in the field; (2) intelligent; (3) well-prepared academically and personally; (4) able to take on the challenges of grad school; (5) able to have rapport with professors and fellow grad students — in other words, collegial; (6) able to finish the graduate degree in a timely fashion; and (7) a potentially outstanding representative of that grad school in your future career.

That's a lot to cover in a few hundred words (the length of a statement purpose, as required by different schools, tends to be around 300 to 1000 words). "Passionate interest in the field" will be covered by the kind of hook I have described above. "Intelligence" will be conveyed by the overall writing, organization, expression, etc. of your statement. Being "well-prepared" can be demonstrated by using the lingo of the field (theory, craft, etc.), describing the specific kinds of coursework and other accomplishments you have in the field. Ability "to take on the challenges of grad school" can be shown by describing the rigor of the work you have done. "Collegiality" is not particularly important but is nevertheless a factor — if you can show yourself as a generally nice and cooperative person, that will do — just be true to your own style. Ability "to finish the graduate program" can be conveyed implicitly by your success thus far and more explicitly if you can tell some (brief) story about adverse obstacles you have overcome. Being a "future outstanding representative" can be implied by your being an outstanding representative of your undergraduate school — for example, don't "bad-mouth" your current college or professors.

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Often, grad schools will ask you to address other or similar qualities as I've listed above. Just use common sense in focusing on each. Don't address them in the same order as the grad school has listed. Combine them; rearrange them; do whatever you need to do to show yourself as an imaginative person, not a parrot following a line of Brazil nuts to crack.

If you have some problematic academic background, address that as well to reassure the admissions committee. For example, let's say that you got all C's one semester. Take a (brief) paragraph to explain that you had some emotional setback that semester but then demonstrate how your grades have been sterling since then, and that you now have a 3.83 grade-point average in the discipline. If you spin this well, your story will enhance the admissions committee's image of you as someone with the abilities to "take on challenges" and "to finish on time." Here's an organization I would recommend: (1) passionate hook; (2) segué to your background in the field; (3) specific classes by title and professors you have had (especially if well-known in the field); (4) related extracurricular activities (especially if they hint at some personal quality you want to convey); (5) any publications or other professional accomplishments in the field (perhaps conference presentations or public readings); (6) explanations about problems in your background (if needed); and (7) why you have chosen this grad school (name one or two professors and what you know of their specific areas or some feature of the program which specifically attracts you).

I should probably expand on item 7. This is a practical issue as well. If you are applying to ten grad schools, it's a mismanagement of time to write ten separate, tailored statements of purpose. Items 1 through 6 above can be exactly the same for all the statements. Then when you get to item 7, put in a different paragraph for each school. Remember this means the ten statements will all be as long, in terms of word count, as the shortest required length among the ten schools. If the shortest length is 300 words, probably that length will be okay for the 500-word school (in fact the admissions committee at the 500-word place may see you as savvy for not going on and on). But those 300 words will clearly not work for the 1200-word school, so you'll need to expand that one. Don't pad. Find other engaging material in your background.

About mentioning professors at each grad school: doing this will portray you as someone "who has done her homework," as someone who is genuinely interested in the field, enough to have done some

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prefatory work in that area. Don't just mention their names (anyone who can browse a web site can do that). Say something of substance about each professor by name, something that reveals you know and appreciate that person's work. Don't necessarily pick the most famous professor at the grad school; chances are many other applicants will do the same, and the admissions committee members will soon be unconsciously filtering those mentions out. (Besides, the most famous professor doesn't always work with all graduate students or may be out of town half the year, and you may come off as naive if you say you're looking forward to working with her.) Find a lesser-known professor whose work truly intrigues you (and truly is the operational word here). Then say something about what you know of that professor's work — remember that person may be on the admissions committee. Don't suck up — don't be a sycophant. Be fair and honest.

Be sure to show your statement of purpose to several professors. Remember they will have different ideas about what constitutes an appropriate and effective statement of purpose. If one of your professors has a connection with a specific grad school, she may have some inside knowledge about what kind of statement of purpose will work best at that school. Make your final editing decisions based on what will convey you most accurately as you see it. Again, be specific, be dynamic, come alive on paper. Continue to get advice from your professors on later drafts.

Proofread your statement of purpose. Copyedit for consistency, accuracy, and style. Ask your friends to copyedit and proofread your statement; perhaps you can do the same for them if they are also applying for grad school.

Remember that style in writing can be parallel to style in dress: the second affects your image in person while the first affects your image when you may not be present. Leaving in typos and misplaced commas is like dressing in your grubbies for a coat-and-tie / cocktail dress event. Being too wordy is comparable to dressing in an evening gown or a tuxedo for a casual get-together. Being too glib, too mannered, may be like wearing a furry rabbit costume to a party which turns out not to be a Halloween bash. Be careful. Be a perfectionist.

Keep working on your statement of purpose even after you have sent it to the school(s) with the earlier deadline(s). You might have a later epiphany about your personal and academic background, your

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motives for applying for grad school, your long-term plans, and this epiphany may be just the thing that gets you into the school(s) with the later deadline(s).

To close, the statement of purpose, in the eyes of Department Heads, Program Chairs, and Admissions Committee members, can be the most important document in the application. Other parts of your graduate-school application — test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, writing samples — do not say as much about you as a person as the statement of purpose can: your proudest accomplishments alongside your fondest hopes and dreams. http://www.uni.edu/~gotera/gradapp/stmtpurpose.htm

General Outline of the Statement of Purpose original picture of your character and aspirations, creating a distinct and positive impression in the minds of the your application is under discussion.

When looking over the following work plan keep in mind that there is no best way to write your statement, use your judging and creativity.

Step 1 Determine the purpose in writing the statement

Usually the purpose is to persuade the admissions committee that you are an applicant they should choose. You may want to show that you have the ability and motivation to succeed in your field, or you may want to show the committee that, on the basis of your experience, you are the kind of candidate who will do well in the field. Whatever the purpose, it must be explicit to give coherence to the whole statement.

Pay attention to the purpose throughout the statement so that extraneous material is left out. Pay attention to the audience (committee) throughout the statement. Remember, your audience is made up of faculty members who are experts in their field. They want to know that you can think as much as what you think.

Step 2 Determine the contents of your statement

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Prepare an outline by selecting the main topics you want to cover (here I give you the sample list of main topics, needs will vary according to the area you're applying for) and listing supporting material under each topic (here this step is represented by questions which you need to answer)

Remember, that while information on your past work is important, it is most relevant in explaining how it led you

Personal background

List personal reasons for your interest in the area, for example, difficulties overcome, great extracurricular achievements, etc.

Have your parents or unusual life situations influenced your aspirations?

Professional objectives

Why do you want to be a physicist/mathematician/historian/...?

When did you know you wanted to be a physicist/mathematician/historian/...? What life experiences contributed to this?

What do your plan to do with your degree in physics/math/history/...? (Discuss your future educational and professional goals)

What area of physics/math/history/... do you want to get into?

Why do you want to attend X University? (You can discuss academic environment, geographic location, etc.) Why will you make a good candidate for X University? (You might want to discuss your past triumphs, your commitment to academics)

Educational background

(summarize what you did as an undergraduate and in rare cases as a high school student) List important classes you took or specific projects for a class which enhanced your interest in the field and stimulated your desire for graduate study.

List specific skills you have acquired and projects you have worked on, stress the ones which might be useful in your graduate work.

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Related research and work experience

Research you might have done, indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, professors are the people who read these statements.

Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility related to your professional interests (for example: testing, designing, or researching a product or apparatus).

Work done with or that displays knowledge of top people in the field--summarize key points of your actual experience

Recognition of and interest in work of individuals in the department to which you are applying

Outstanding achievements

Have you been a winner of regional, state, international, undergraduate Olympiads?

Have you received any special fellowships such as Soros, Eximer, etc.?

Have you got any special awards or nominations?

Step 3 Organize your statement

Organization is the 'macro' level of clear writing. Not only should each sentence be clear, but the entire text should flow together in a logical order.

Start your essay with an attention-grabbing lead -- an anecdote, quote, question, or engaging description of a scene. End your essay with a conclusion that refers back to the lead and restates your thesis.

Put the most important sentences at the beginning and end of the paragraph. When people skim passages, they look at the first and then the last sentence. Make a good first and last impression with substantive statements. Don't begin or end on fluff.

Put the most important paragraph first. Don't "save the best for last"; you don't know how long the attention span of your reader will be.

Have an outline. There should be a reason that paragraph 1 comes first and paragraph 2 follows. Have a clear outline of the main points and how those main points fit together. Use that outline to check whether the most important point is first, whether all points are equally important, and which points you might sacrifice in the interests of space.

Use transitions between paragraphs. Have meaningful transitions based on your organization, e.g., time-based, 10

later, furthermore, additionally, or moreover) for transitions within the paragraphs.

Step 4 Write, read, rewrite...

Write a rough draft in which you transform your outline into prose according to the organization you have chosen in Step 3 (do it without reading sample statements, you might get some really innovative ideas that way). Set it aside. In the mean time read as many sample statements as you can, pay attention to how and in what good statements differ from bad ones, look at the good word combination, try to invent your own. Next day or a few days later, read your draft. If it still sounds good, make changes and additions according to what you have learned from sample statements and go to the next step. If not, rewrite it until it sounds right. Step 5 Distribute, analyze, rewrite...

Put your draft from Step 4 away for a day or two, then reread it, make changes, proofread. Now it's time to send or give your statement to all your friends whose knowledge of English is adequate, once again do (!!!) send your statement to your friends, acquaintances or just anybody you know in US, the more people read your statement the more comments and ideas you will receive from them, so don't be shy - act! After you receive all the feedback accumulate it, use what you feel is suitable and write your final version of the statement. Proofread it, give it to friends again, continue in this manner until it seems good enough or the deadline has approached. The time and energy that you put into this activity should result in a personal statement that can be used, with minor modifications, for each university and/or scholarship to which you apply. http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~natalia/studyinus/guide/statement/st1/outline.htm

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