Original URL: http://blog.minizone.com.cn/2006/12/16/ps/

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It’s misleading that the personal statement is called a “personal” statement, since what admission
committees are really looking for is a research statement. What admission committees want is
a statement about what research you have done, what research you hope to do, and why you like
research.
Here’s a template if you need one:
i. First paragraph – Describe the general areas of research that interest you and why. (This is
helpful for a committee to determine which professors should read your application.)
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ii. Second paragraph and Third paragraph – Descibe some research projects that you worked on.
Tell us what you found, what you learned, what approaches you tried. It’s fine to say that you
were unable to prove what you wanted or to solve your problem.
iii. Fourth paragraph – Tell us why you feel you need a Ph.D.. Look back to section 2 and explain
what in there appealed to you.
iv. Fifth paragraph – Tell us why you want to come to CMU. Whom might you like to work with?
What papers have you looked at from CMU that you enjoyed reading? What will CMU teach
you?
It’s important to realize that the research statement is not a commitment to do research in that
area. A third of all applicants end up working in an area different from that which they described on
their research statement.
Here are the common mistakes that half of our applicants make:

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