Reading My Statement of Purpose + Tips

Reading My Statement of Purpose + Tips | Cornell Grad School

Рет қаралды 36,798

2 жыл бұрын

Hey guys! In this video, I share some tips that helped me write my own Statement of Purpose and actually read out loud my statement that helped me get accepted to Cornell's graduate school. This is just how I wrote my essay and everything in this video is just a suggestion. Thank you so much for watching! If you leave a comment, I will definitely respond to you
Link to the document:
docs.google.com/document/d/18...

Пікірлер: 171

@thermite10k40 7 ай бұрын

I came upon your video as I was uploading my SOP, I've got to say, this is a very good explanation of what an SOP should include and how it should progress, I had to learn this the hard way but hopefully, writing a comment will help this video to reach the front page of more people. You are also correct about sending your draft to as many people as possible, my final version looks nothing like the initial version. one thing I would add is to see what is it that your program want's from your SOP, this can be different from program to program.

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks so much. Best of luck on your application journey!

@ankitachakraborty315 Жыл бұрын

Nobody shares their tips and tricks so very honestly and with clarity like literally reading out you own SOP like this and even attaching a supported document .. oh my gosh! It's really a very big help to me and thanking you will not be enough but yes thanks a lot for guiding aspirants like this 😀

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, Ankita. Reading your comment makes me very happy. Wish you all the best! Reach out to my email sithija.manage.yt@gmail.com if you need anything.

@ankitachakraborty315 Жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage definitely and thank you for all 🙂

@thenariko 8 ай бұрын

Loved loved loved the video! Thank you so much for attaching your SOP in the description! It really means a lot. Keep up the good work and I wish you success for your future!

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, Nariko! I really appreciate your comment. Hopefully you can check back on this channel in 6-ish years when I am a professor somewhere. Good luck on your apps!

@mariosblago94 8 ай бұрын

This is amazing, thank you. I think, more than your witting style or personality, your personal accomplishments were very high and are probably the main reason you got in. Great job, you have done amazing in life so far and you will probably do even better in the future. Thanks for the help, and best of luck with future endeavors.

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, Mario! Best of luck with everything in your future too! I wish you great success

@mtp5027 8 ай бұрын

This is the most informative SOP writing video I have ever found on KZfaq. Thank you so much. I have had so much difficulties in writing SOP before watching your video.

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, M! That's like the best possible case for this video. I'm really glad it helped you. Good luck!

@curiositycrave.2268 8 ай бұрын

One of the best resources for SOPs I could find on KZfaq. Thanks.

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Curiosity Crave. I really appreciate that. Best of luck on your applications!

@alanvprabha5202 2 жыл бұрын

As always helpful and Great video Sithija.

@2o_O1piet 8 ай бұрын

You’re so generous and so kind to share such practical ideas about SOP. Thanks a lot🫶

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! When I was applying, I felt like nobody on KZfaq was transparent about this sort of stuff. Glad it can help someone out!

@user-dw2gm8vg9w 2 ай бұрын

This has been the most clear explanation I have seen.

@sithijamanage 2 ай бұрын

Thank you Geraldine!😄 Good luck

@Sulbee 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for making this to the point without any fluff. I have been working on my SOP without any guidance and just scavenging guidelines on the internet and youtube. This was really a neat, to the point, drafting technique!

@sithijamanage 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching, Sulaiman! I really appreciate your comment. Good luck with your applications

@andrewdaga4312 Жыл бұрын

Well done! Your video and paper were so compelling to me that I would be honored should I ever get the chance to take a statistics class with you.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Andrew! I appreciate it a lot. Best of luck in your endeavors

@lawofrobotics 6 күн бұрын

This is quite possibly the best SOP video on KZfaq so far. This truly helped me reframe my mind on what to include in my statement of purpose (I had such a difficult time conceptualizing it before). Thank you so much!

@sithijamanage 2 күн бұрын

Thanks Mr. A! I wish you the best of luck on your grad school journey. Thanks for the comment!

@arnoldnurugan1270 Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. This video is just what I was looking for.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

You're welcome Arnold! Thanks so much for watching

@reema7192 Жыл бұрын

Dear Sithija Thank you so much for such a wonderful informative video. This is the best video so far on KZfaq. The way you’ve explained and helped us is beyond words. You’ve earned a subbie. Keep going.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Dear Reema, thank you so much for your kind comment. When I was applying to grad school I was wondering why this type of content wasn't really a big thing. I am glad that I can help some people by talking about my application experience. Thanks for watching Reema!

@anibus1106 Жыл бұрын

Huge thank you, this is a really good one!

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hey! Really Glad you liked it! Thank you for watching anibus

@tasnimsarker4653 Жыл бұрын

best of luck for your new journey and make more videos like these. We are waiting to watch your videos.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching, and best of luck on your journey as well Tasnim!

@asthamishra6183 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for sharing. It helped me a lot!

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, Astha. I remember when I was writing my SoP I was like "Why aren't there more videos where people just read their essay out loud?" lol.

@stutipatel1059 10 ай бұрын

Thanks Sithija for uploading the document! It was everything I needed :)

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

No problem, Stuti! Thanks so much for watching

@ankitbhagat990 7 ай бұрын

Very Insightful video and very useful tips! Thank you very much Sithija !

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks Ankit! Good luck with your applications

@jianihuang6809 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for your video! It's really helpful! 😊

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching, Jiani! Best of luck to you

@mengchao5649 2 жыл бұрын

Congratulations!

@kashishhgoel Жыл бұрын

Hey Sithija! I loved this video and the explanation that you provided along with your own essay. Thank you so much for sharing it! :)

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching and leaving such a kind comment, Kashish!

@audreylong7403 Жыл бұрын

Great insight on how to structure the SOP

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment, Audrey. Hope the video helps!

@anuadesina3840 8 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for this Sithija. Your video was so helpful.

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, Anu! I'm glad it was of use. Good luck!

@osundemary8772 Жыл бұрын

Great video, am applying to Cornell phd in History for the fall 2023. This is very helpful and I hope to be admitted too

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, Osunde Mary. It's a great school, best of luck!

@ankitaasaini9 Жыл бұрын

Indeed a good video on the internet so far with a lot of information in it. I'm applying a Biology PhD for fall 2023. Thanks a lot😀

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for watching Ankita. Best of luck!

@bikashkumardwivedi361 Жыл бұрын

Did you get accepted?

@doodledcookies3811 7 ай бұрын

Thank you so so much! This was really very helpful Sithija ❤

@sithijamanage 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching, DoodledCookies! Best of luck!

@jeevankurian9148 11 ай бұрын

Thank you Brother for giving such useful tips😀

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

No problem Brother. Thank you for watching!

@theword4659 8 ай бұрын

You made me speechless. Thank you.

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

I made "The Word" speechless. Thank YOU 🫵 for watching!

@pepegomez7615 7 ай бұрын

Hello Sithija! Thank you so much for your video! It was extremely helpful writing my SoP. I hope you have a great time at Cornell :))

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Hello Pepe! Thank you so much for watching! Good luck to you, thanks

@sudipgautam3636 10 ай бұрын

Thanks bro, best wishes!

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

No problem bro, good luck!!

@chrissyo1989 6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much. I will be applying to cornell this fall semester, and this seemed overwhelming.

@sithijamanage 5 ай бұрын

No Christine, thank YOU for watching this video :)

@sithijamanage 5 ай бұрын

good luck!

@quantumphile 10 ай бұрын

well explained brother 👍😊 thank you .

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

Thank you brother👍

@atiqtonmoy7300 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, sir.

@tasnimsarker4653 Жыл бұрын

I was having so much trouble with SOP .It helped me, and thanks for uploading . Loved this video.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

No problem Tasnim, glad it helped!

@Audacious2013 5 ай бұрын

Excellent SOP. Good luck with your PhD.

@sithijamanage 4 ай бұрын

Thank you so much :) Good luck to you too

@pavankokkiligadda73 10 ай бұрын

awesome! Btw you posted it on my Bday

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

Nice coincidence! 🎂

@sameenfatima7061 Жыл бұрын

thanks man!

@Olivia-qd3ng 6 ай бұрын

Hey Sithija! This is such an enlightening video, and thank you so much for sharing!! So lucky that I came across your video. I'm currently going through the process myself and this video is truly helpful:) I hope you're having an amazing time at Cornell! I'm also wondering if you could take a look at my sop and lemme know what you think? Thank uuuuu

@sithijamanage 6 ай бұрын

Hey Olivia! Thanks for the really nice comment. Sure! You can email it over to me.

@poojaaanand 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, Sithija! I gained a lot insights from it. Could you also leave links to resources that you used for drafting your SOP?

@poojaaanand 2 жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage ah thanks a ton! :)

@sumaiyacou6-zk9oc 10 ай бұрын

Thanks a ton.

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching. Good luck Sumaiya!

@ariana5220 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Sithija, very helpful video! I have a quick question for you. About how many words should an ASOP be in length? I am beginning to write mine now so I can revise it over the summer and I can't seem to find a word count on this. Thanks!!

@nafi8 2 жыл бұрын

That was super informative. Btw can you make a video on how to write a research statement for grad school admission? There's no proper video on it.

@nafi8 2 жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage oh! btw thank you for your reply.

@sonikaprasad2510 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Sithija! This was really insightful and you guided through it really well. Could you please give a feedback on my SOP, cause I am writing one for fall '23 or '24?

@RUSSIA85901 2 жыл бұрын

Did you use a program to proof read your SOP or recommend fixes?

@MsTantrumm 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Sithija, your SOP is quite impressive, and you are cute ;P

@me.....7716 6 ай бұрын

Thanks

@ethano.4561 Жыл бұрын

Amazingly helpful videos. I have two questions: 1) could you share your perspective on how you sort of mentally handled application season. As someone who's gearing up to apply, it seems quite stressful and daunting. 2) what sort of 'unofficial requirements' do you think are necessary for applications and how would you go about them? I'm specifically referring to reaching out to faculty prior to admissions, but also just other things of the same general vein.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hi Ethan, thanks for watching! Honestly the application season can be quite daunting. I think the only thing that we can do is to stay organized and stay disciplined about doing the work that needs to be done. If you're interested, here is my video on how I actually organized my applications in google sheets lol: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/f6qilt1ym8zcgGw.html . Good question about unofficial requirements. I didn't reach out to any faculty prior to admissions really. As far as I know, there aren't many things that are kind of under the table or anything. I think one thing is that you should send your SOP to as many qualified people as possible. Mine was pretty bad for the first couple of drafts. It helps a lot. Let me know if I can help with anything else. Thanks for watching!

@aratrikroy984 10 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage Hey, which kind of qualified people are you referring to? I'd like to get my SOPs reviewed as well.

@sithijamanage 10 ай бұрын

@@aratrikroy984 Hi Aratrik, thank you for commenting. You can send your SOP to professors and other professionals that you think would like to help you!

@quazeemtiamiyu7591 11 ай бұрын

Thank you

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching, Quazeem. Good luck!

@ahmadtijani72 Жыл бұрын

I guess this is my first comment on KZfaq 😂 THANK YOU

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hey! Thanks for watching Ahmad, Good luck with your applications! I appreciate it

@RUSSIA85901 2 жыл бұрын

Just applied. Usually how long does it take to get a decision?

@theword4659 4 ай бұрын

Permission to use some fragments of your letter for my motivation letter. These fragments may include transitions and phrases. I find your video helpful. Thank you.

@sithijamanage 4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching this video! Permission granted

@snehitvaddi 2 жыл бұрын

Great content articulation Sithija! In fact, I started jotting down the lines from your narration and I realised it is very ineffective to note bits and pieces. Will you be comfortable sharing the SOP as a document?

@snehitvaddi 2 жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage Thanks for that!

@akaherica9205 7 ай бұрын

Nice write up, thanks I feel encourage doing mine mine now. Does SOP have a limited amount of words u have to work on? Or paragraphs?🙏

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching Akah! The SOP doesn't have a limited amount of words officially, but usually it is best to keep it less than 1.5 pages. I think that's around 850-900 words. Hope that helps!

@yahampathmarambe8879 Жыл бұрын

Hello Sithija, hope you are related to Sri Lanka in some way🙂. your SOP is awesome. Thanks for sharing.

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and thanks for your comment Yahampath. Owu, mama Amerikave ipadunaata man Lankave lameyek lol

@yahampathmarambe8879 2 ай бұрын

I followed this and adopted to my scenario. 5/6 of my applications were successful. I already finished my first year. Thank you !

@sam6404 11 ай бұрын

@Shithija, Can some choose a course as a result of Serendipity?

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

Hi Sam! I am not sure what you mean. Can you explain a little bit?

@rohan.rahalkar Жыл бұрын

Hi Sithija, is there a difference between Personal Statement and SOPs? UPenn Engineering requires a Personal Statement

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hi Rohan, thanks for watching. I have also wondered what the difference is. There is a slight difference in the fact that I think Statement of Purposes are more research/academic goal focused and personal statements are more "holistic." I think they are essentially the same though. Lmk if I can help or clarify further. Thanks again for watching Rohan!

@albaloven5737 Жыл бұрын

Your statement of purpose was excellent and you also have a strong background in research which supports the overall admittance. I am looking for a statement of purpose example and this was a really robust one but then now I reflect to myself and kinda feel insecure because honestly my experience in research was quite mediocre as I've only done a research once for my bachelor thesis, hence it kinda limits me to really start writing a statement of purpose for a grad school. Do you have any advice?

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hi Alba, thanks so much for watching this video! If I were you, I would focus on whatever academic work you have done, and you will give yourself the best chance you can of being admitted. My friend actually didn't have any research experience, and she was admitted to the same program as me with a scholarship, so you can definitely just talk about the academic experience you do have and present it as well as you can in your SOP. Thanks again!

@lorayovcheva3883 Жыл бұрын

Hi! How long was your SOP? Also do you know if there is any important difference wether it is for a master or a phd? Thanks :)

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hi Lora, thank you for watching! My SOP is 854 words long. Good question, I don't think there are any differences for masters or phd SOPs except that research experience and future research direction are probably not as important in the masters application. Thanks :)

@09shreyadhamanse45 7 ай бұрын

What is the word count for Cornell SOP? Is it different for different programs?

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Hi Shreya, thanks for watching! There isn't really an official word count for any program. But in general, it is best to keep it less than 1.5 pages. I think that's around 850-900 words. Hope that helps!

@haremprotagonist1118 9 ай бұрын

what do you think about the word limit of SOP for undergrad students?

@sithijamanage 9 ай бұрын

Hi there! Thank you for watching this video. I actually JUST asked the person who runs Graduate Admissions for Cornell Statistics this week, and he said 1.5 pages should be about the limit! I think that's around 850-900ish words. Hope that helps!

@jaishreeram_108_ 9 ай бұрын

Few questions 1. I have to write a different SOP with respect to every university right ? With only minor changes in each as per required 2. How many universities can you apply for is there a limit, and if not what is the recommendation? 3. How can you obtain a scholarship in these universities ?

@sithijamanage 9 ай бұрын

Hi Pratham, thanks for watching! 1. Yes! Exactly. 2. Most people apply to around 10-13. I applied to 21. I think most people apply to at least five schools. 3. If you apply to PhD, it is most likely funded! Some Master's programs are funded too. I don't think there are many scholarship opportunities in non-funded Master's programs though

@jaishreeram_108_ 9 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage Ok thank you 👍

@roshini7369 7 ай бұрын

Hi Sithija! While mentioning the three prof names, did you already know them and their research or did you choose them from their website?

@sithijamanage 7 ай бұрын

Hi Roshini, thanks for watching. Good question. I did not know them personally. I just scrolled through the website and looked at what they research lol. One important catch though, is to make sure that what they have on their website is what they are still researching now because some professors have very outdated profiles and you want to make sure you look like you've down your research on the department. Hope that helps! Good luck

@roshini7369 7 ай бұрын

Wow nobody replied like this. It's a great help for many students. Thanks a lot, sithija. I bet you gonna be a great professor rooting for you, all the best!!@@sithijamanage

@marie1659 Жыл бұрын

hey Sithija :) thanks for the tips! Did you also have to submit a personal statement?

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hi Marie, thanks for watching! I did not have to also submit a personal statement. I think usually from what I understand, programs will only ask for one or the other. I believe the statement of purpose is a little more formal, while the personal statement is more personal and includes more about your background. Thanks again

@marie1659 Жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage thank you so much :) I am applying to Cornell’s doctoral program in Romance studies, and the department asks for the two of them, I’ve never seen that before! I am French so I come from a different academic culture but I spent the last 3 years in the US, and I received a M.A from Syracuse University. As I’m not 100% familiar with the « American expectations », I’m watching all the content possible haha and I really liked your video! The fact that you read your SoP is a good way to visualize the structure and narrative :)

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

@@marie1659 Thanks so much! Yeah I've never seen that before either lol. Syracuse is the same area as Ithaca so we're like neighbors I guess. Good luck Marie!

@marie1659 Жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage thanks :)

@ZohiraTalks 7 ай бұрын

Hey! It’d be awesome if you could review my SOP! The application deadlines are coming, so the anxiety is real too haha.

@sithijamanage 6 ай бұрын

Hi Zohira, sorry this comment slipped through the cracks. I'd love to! You can send it over via email

@ZohiraTalks 6 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage thanks for getting back to me! I just sent it :) And oh, I sent it to your school email. Hope I'm not being too invasive, I couldn't find your personal email.

@AVj5 11 ай бұрын

Hello. I found your content to be very useful and well organized. Could please let me know how much to write? Is there a limit that I should not exceed?

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

Hi Anushka, thank you for watching! I would recommend not exceeding one and a half pages. There are some people who say that even more than one page is too much. I think that 900 words is a good upper limit too. Hope this helps!

@AVj5 11 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage Thank you so much for your response. I think I can manage to write a well-structured SOP now!!

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

@@AVj5 Awesome!

@alihawamdeh4968 Жыл бұрын

What was your GPA at A&M?

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Thanks for commenting, Ali. It was a 4.0. This link is to a video where I reveal all my stats/resume: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a8B1mNd32d_Zg30.html

@nehaljatar7685 11 ай бұрын

hey! Does cornell need two statements?

@sithijamanage 11 ай бұрын

Hi Nehal! Thank you for watching this video. It depends on the program. For example, Statistics PhD only requires a Statement of Purpose, but Biomedical & Biomedical Sciences PhD requires a Statement of Purpose AND a personal statement. Hope that helps!

@karenmkindaro9764 6 ай бұрын

How many pages is your SOP?

@sithijamanage 3 ай бұрын

Sorry for the late reply! It's 1.5 pages

@karenmkindaro9764 3 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage Thank you!

@sanajan8491 Жыл бұрын

4.0 GPA brother ❤️❤️ you are smart am i anywhere near you🤣🤣🤣

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hahaha, you've got this, good luck on your apps, Sana Jan!

@sanajan8491 Жыл бұрын

@@sithijamanage you haven't even checked it yet😢

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

@@sanajan8491 Please email it to me

@nashrahhaque7915 Жыл бұрын

Hi! Would you be willing to take a look at my SOP? I'm also applying to Cornell for Fall 23 and the deadline is in 3 days, so if you can give any quick feedback by then it would be awesome!

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hey what's up Nashrah, thanks for watching. Send it thru to my email: sithija.manage.yt@gmail.com

@emanbasit6195 Жыл бұрын

Hey, can you review my statement?

@sithijamanage Жыл бұрын

Hey Eman, thanks for watching. Send it over at sithija.manage.yt@gmail.com

@JBBost 8 ай бұрын

Bro, you look way too young. Homie over there applying to graduate pre-school, lol, jk man, thanks for the video, it was a real help!

@sithijamanage 8 ай бұрын

Lol. Glad it helped! Good luck JB🤣

@carolinaruiz9843 9 ай бұрын

Hi! I am lawyer from Venezuela trying to get into an LLM in the USA. I have no one to ask for feedback in regards to my statement of purpose. If I could send it to you, so you could review it, it would mean the world to me.

@sithijamanage 9 ай бұрын

Hi Carolina! Thank you so much for watching this video. I'd be happy to offer my input. You can send it to sithija.manage.yt@gmail.com

@carolinaruiz9843 9 ай бұрын

thank you so much!!!!!!! ❤@@sithijamanage

@sithijamanage 9 ай бұрын

@@carolinaruiz9843 No problem!

@carolinaruiz9843 9 ай бұрын

@@sithijamanage Hi! I wanted to follow up with you if you got my email? Thank you❤️

@sithijamanage 9 ай бұрын

@@carolinaruiz9843 Hi Carolina! I just looked at it. (responded)