The PhD SOP Formula

FINALLY, ANSWER THE QUESTION…

“What are search committees really looking for?”

You've spent hours staring at a blinking cursor, trying to write a Statement of Purpose that will land you in your dream school’s "YES" pile – but now you’re losing confidence.

DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR…?

• Deadlines are looming, but you’re not sure where to start, so you keep procrastinating.
  
  
• You’ve picked through EVERY article on Google about how to write an SOP, but now you’re more confused than ever.
  
  
• You still have no idea how to show “fit” – nor why everyone says it’s so important.
  
  
• You drafted your SOP, then went online to compare it to “essays that worked!”  – and now you’re realizing your essay will most certainly NOT work.
  
  

…don’t worry – you’re in the right place.

Honestly, there’s probably just this one thing standing between you and an inbox full of interview invites.

Yep, you guessed it – the SOP.

There’s a ton of pressure riding on this essay. But that doesn’t mean you need to stay on the typical applicant’s agonizing path:

OVERANALYSIS
↓
PROCRASTINATION
↓
IMPOSTER SYNDROME

The more time ticks away toward your deadline, the less you feel like a high-impact researcher, and the more you start to question whether or not you’re even cut out for grad school!

Unless… you had an SOP strategy that’s easy-to-follow, that immediately makes you feel proud of your work, and that hundreds of other students have used to earn MULTIPLE PhD admissions.

MODULE 1

State Your Purpose

What Research Problems Do You Want to Solve?

Set the foundation for an A+ SOP. In this module, we'll engineer your success by getting a few uber-important decisions out of the way, giving you (and your dream school) TOTAL clarity about your research agenda – and why it’s so important.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Avoid the #1 MOST COMMON MISTAKE that signals you don’t have the potential to lead research
• Show why your research is important for society, and for other scholars, AND for your dream school too
• Articulate your "why" (when universities ask, "What will you contribute?" this is what they want to see)
• Craft a brilliant “Sentence of Purpose" that immediately tells PIs you’re someone to pay attention to

MODULE 2

Why This School

Is the Perfect Place to Investigate Your Research Questions

The most important part of your SOP! In this module, we’ll make sure you’re in the top 30% of “viable candidates” by connecting your research questions to your Target Faculty in a deeply meaningful way.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• What “fit” really means, and why it takes more than 1-2 sentences carelessly inserted at the end of an essay
• Discover why this is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT part of your SOP
• Learn how to investigate Target Faculty and boost your chances of admission long before you apply
• Save weeks of effort by easily recycling these paragraphs for all your applications

MODULE 3

Why You're Qualified

To Investigate Your Specific Research Problems

Selling yourself is easy. It’s not about fancy credentials, GPA, or # of publications. It’s about using simple logic to show that you’re the right person to investigate these research problems you all care about so much.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Establish hard, verifiable proof that you know how to execute your research agenda (and adapt when things go wrong)
• Quickly turn this proof into a sophisticated prose argument
• Prove to yourself that no matter what happened in the past, you have the specific skillset necessary to succeed as a doctoral student
• Transform your background into a sales pitch – it’s easier than you think!

MODULE 4

Telling Your Story

Why Do You Care About THESE Research Problems?

Everybody has a story. Most people just tell the wrong one! Stand out as wildly unique in the applicant pool by using our foolproof 1-2-3 template to explain how you grew fascinated with your research problems.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• The most powerful technique I’ve ever found for making an applicant immediately interesting to grad admissions readers
• Follow specific templates to make the writing easy, even if you’ve never considered yourself a writer or “creative” at all
• Avoid the Top 3 “First Paragraph” problems that turn a smart SOP into a gimmicky "kiss of death"
• Use “Catalyst Moment Tests” to ensure that your essay is just as intriguing as those from the best WriteIvy alumni at MIT, Stanford, and more

MODULE 5

Frame Narrative Conclusions

Your "Purpose" Returns

Wrap up your SOP with power and harmony.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Craft a bold "Career Goals Statement" to show the reader exactly where your research journey will take you
• Master the four elements of a powerful conclusion
• Follow the examples of 12 high-achieving students with sample essays and templates
• Make your reader feel GLAD they discovered you in the applicant pile

MODULE 6

Putting It All Together

Structure is Magic

Once you have all the necessary ingredients for a stellar SOP, it's time to put them together so it flows beautifully and logically. After this, there will be nothing left to do besides hit 'submit!'

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• Double-check your work with a point-by-point outline for EVERY word of your SOP
• Learn to craft smart transitions so your essay always feels natural – NEVER clunky
• Borrow 13 tried-and-true techniques to meet any limit (500 words? No problem!)
• How to guarantee you get REALLY HELPFUL feedback from your mentors, professors, and LOR writers