A statement of purpose (SOP or also called a statement of intent), in the context of applying for graduate schools or universities, is an essay that’s one of the most important aspects of your application because it tells the admission committee who you are, why you’re applying, why you’re a good candidate, and what you want to do in the future, your professional goals, what will you do when becoming alumni or PhD, apart from your GPA, test scores and other numbers. Therefore, don’t neglect the importance of this essay. It’s sometimes called an SOP letter, application essay, personal background, objectives for graduate study, cover letter, or something similar to one of these.
Source: https://www.essayedge.com/blog/statement-of-purpose-format
International Politics Student – My Statement Of Purpose
I am interested in the STRATFOR summer internship program because it will give me invaluable experience in world affairs and intelligence analysis that will benefit me as I pursue a career in the United States Foreign Service or in government intelligence agencies. I also believe that my experience and skills will be an asset to STRATFOR during my internship.
I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Chicago, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in East Asian Languages and Civilizations with an emphasis on China. I have been studying Mandarin Chinese for five years, including two trips to Beijing on scholarship. The first was for intensive language study, while the second was to carry out an independent research project which I designed for my senior bachelor’s thesis. Through this project, which involved interviewing witnesses of Chinese political criticism in the 1950s, I learned how to research a subject in a comprehensive way. This same skill would be an asset as I assist in constructing intelligence analyses with STRATFOR.
I am currently a Masters’s candidate at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing, China, where I am studying International Politics. This has given me a great deal of knowledge in modern global affairs and international relations, in addition to background knowledge of the East Asian region specifically. In particular, I have studied Sino-US economic and political relations, the modern Chinese conception of national security, and Chinese viewpoints on important issues such as the Taiwan question. This has given me a sense of where East Asia and world affairs are likely heading in the future and would make me invaluable as an analyst in a number of Areas of Responsibility, including East Asia, Military, and Terrorism/Security.
Outside of the classroom, I have been a leader in my community. At the University of Chicago, I was president of the Inter-House Council, an organization that advises the University administration on student life issues. This role required me to work with community stakeholders in a constructive fashion and plan with them in mind. For example, I served as the chair of a committee that formulated and instituted a plan to create gender-neutral housing at the University, in order to benefit those who may not feel comfortable in traditional housing. In doing so, we needed to account for the concerns of first-year students, administrators, and many other groups. I also served as a technical support advisor at a Chicago public school, work for which I received an award. This has given me a great deal of proficiency both in working with technology and in interacting with people very different from myself. The organizational and technical skills that I have acquired from these experiences have given me a great deal of self-motivation and leadership skills. In STRATFOR’s fast-paced environment of daily analysis, these skills will keep me focused on producing the best work possible.
In sum, I believe that my education and leadership experiences would benefit STRATFOR considerably were I to be selected for an internship. At the same time, interning at STRATFOR would jumpstart my career in the public sector and prepare me for possible private sector work as an intelligence analyst. I hope to discuss this exciting opportunity with you further.