An It Goal

A Statement of Purpose letter should mention: “1) your interests in psychology and how

you came to have those interests, 2) your goals and ambitions in the field of psychology, and 3)

how the program to which you are applying can help you to achieve those goals”, as stated by

Dr. Karen Kemtes (a whole PowerPoint presentation on applying to graduate school can be

found on the Cluster Server in the “Lab Meetings and Presentations” folder). A Statement of

Purpose letter does NOT tell your whole life story. Thus, do not to begin your statement with “I

was born in…”, doing so will make you look “unsophisticated and naïve.” When talking about

your interests in psychology, avoid generic phrases such as “I want to practice psychology so I

can help people”. This statement is overly used and does not add much to the letter. Would

anyone want to practice psychology to hurt people? Possibly try to think about a human problem

that evokes your desire to practice psychology. – Linda J. Hayes and Steven C. Hayes from UNR

(www.unr.edu/psych/advising/howto.html)

When describing how you came to have those interests in psychology, focus on education

and occupational experiences instead of personal ones. Personal experiences are difficult to put

in a short written statement “without eitherA Statement of Purpose letter should mention: “1) your interests in psychology and how

you came to have those interests, 2) your goals and ambitions in the field of psychology, and 3)

how the program to which you are applying can help you to achieve those goals”, as stated by

Dr. Karen Kemtes (a whole PowerPoint presentation on applying to graduate school can be

found on the Cluster Server in the “Lab Meetings and Presentations” folder). A Statement of

Purpose letter does NOT tell your whole life story. Thus, do not to begin your statement with “I

was born in…”, doing so will make you look “unsophisticated and naïve.” When talking about

your interests in...