Preparing Your Written Statements

You should prepare your statements prior to initiating your online application. Leave youself plenty of time for proofreading and editing. Visit the writing center on yur campus if one is available to you. Share your drafts with your honors advisor or professors. When you complete the online application form, you can cut and paste your statements into the appropriate items on the form.

Personal Statement (250 words maximum)
SROP is intended to help students from diverse backgrounds learn about and prepare for the graduate study. This program is especially for students from groups that are underrepresented in the academy including racial and ethnic minorites, low-income and first-generation students, and non-traditional students. Your personal statement is your opportunity to explain why you want to participate in SROP. Some questions you might consider:

• What are your academic aspirations? your career goals?
• In what way have your experiences and background influenced your goals?
• How will SROP help you accomplish your goals?
• What do you expect to gain from an SROP experience?

Statement of Research Interest (125 words maximum)
In order to identify potential faculty mentors for you, the SROP program staff need to know what kinds of research areas interest you. You should explain as clearly as possible the areas that you would like to research and why this research appeals to you.

Seek help. It is a good idea to consult your advisors or professors for advice about preparing a research statement. Your professors can help you formulate questions or topics. This is a good opportunity to ask your professors to give you a recommendation. They can write a better recommendation for you if they understand your research interests and your motivations for wanting to complete a research experience.

Be specific. Your statement should be specific but not too narrow in focus. If you have had other research experiences, include a description of the project and your role in the research. You can explore areas of research by visiting the web pages of the CIC institutions. Read about the kinds of research that is being done in the departments or research centers. This will help you identify the universities where you want to be considered, and it will help you discover what areas you find exciting.

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