Business writing (деловое письмо). Палагина С.С. - 19 стр.

      2 Unit II Statement of Purpose

      2.1 In a Statement you express something formally, publicly and officially

      A Statement of Purpose is written in order to convince an organization that you
are the best person for the fellowship, for admission, etc.
      Don’t think of a statement of purpose as something you have to do. Think of it
as your best chance to beat out applicants who are more qualified than you. Also
remember that the people who read your SOP probably have to choose a few
candidates out of several hundred, most of whom have great experience. You have to
come across as an individual, a real human being.

      2.2 Openings. Your opening paragraph is hugely important. You have to
catch the reader’s attention. Which of the following capture your own attention?

     1) Poosheesty University has the reputation for being the best of its kind;
     2) My name is Kent Merkin. I was born in Doorknob, Pennsylvania in 1978;
     3) I came to learn about the history program at Poosheesty University through
an advertisement in a regional paper;
     4) Recent government figures in Ukraine show an alarming 40 % increase in
mental illness among young people in the last ten years;
     5) I’ve worked for twelve years at Fluffy University in Ukraine. Before that I
was a dedicated teacher of English at a local lyceum;
     6) Why am I applying for a scholarship at Poosheesty University? Because I
love literature and language, and want to devote my life to bettering the education of
my students.
     7) You’ve found your man! I want to win the scholarship at Poosheesty
University, and I deserve it.
     8) When I was little, I got accustomed to hearing the sound of gunfire on the
street; it was as normal for me as having bread and butter in the morning.

      2.2.1 Here are the opening paragraphs of 2 Statements. Which is better?

      I am applying for the Central European University, based on the reputation this
University has in the academic community world-wide. I have also spoken to several
alumni of your university. I am very interested in admission to the graduate program
in Economics. I know that rescarch programs in Economics are very diverse and this
is the main reason why I prefer this university.

      Recent Moldovan government figures show an alarming 40% increase in mental
illnes amongst young people in the last ten years. These figures are just one more
factor that persuades me that my choice of a career in neuroscience was the right one,
and motivates me to study further at Ph.D. level in this field in order to help combat
this serious problem.

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