As you start thinking more holistically about your various experiences, you might realize that it’s not possible to talk about all of your relevant experiences in your SoP. Remember that the CV/resume will complement the SoP and your goal in writing the SoP is not to simply summarize all of your experiences. If you need guidance on where to focus, you might start identifying how your relevant experiences have led you to your current research interests and career objectives. This cause and effect will not be present in your CV, so it could be useful to include in the SoP.

If you’re feeling a bit stuck, you might skip ahead and read Section 7: Words of Wisdom from Applicants.

Brainstorming (Part 2): Given that most SoPs range from 500-1000 words, it’s usually the case that you won’t be able to talk about all your experiences – that’s okay! Remember that you’ll include your CV and/or resume in your application. In the first brainstorming activity in this section, you were asked to make a comprehensive list of your experiences, what you’ve learned, and how they impacted you. Now, think about curating that list and creating explicit connections with your motivation.

This activity can also be downloaded: SoPBrainstormingQuestions [DOC]