理工科Statement of Purpose和Personal Statement的區(qū)別

一般來說，如果學校沒有區(qū)分SOP和PS，在研究生申請過程中，可以忽略SOP和PS的區(qū)別。但對于有些理工科專業(yè)，如Computer Science, Electrical Engineering或者Civil Engineering，SOP和PS還是有一定區(qū)別的。以UC-Berkeley的題目為例：
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Statement of Purpose
Why are you applying for this program? What will you do during this degree program? What do you want to do after and how will this help you?
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Instructions
Please describe your aptitude and motivation for graduate study in your area of specialization, including your preparation for this field of study, your academic plans or research interests in your chosen area of study, and your future career goals. Please be specific about why UC Berkeley would be a good intellectual fit for you.
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Personal History Statement
What from your past made you decide to go into this field? And how will your personal history help you succeed in this program and your future goals?
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Instructions
Please describe how your personal background and experiences inform your decision to pursue a graduate degree. In this section, you may also include any relevant information on how you have overcome barriers to access higher education, evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others, evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality, or evidence of your leadership among such groups.
The Personal History Statement is required for all applicants. Please note that the Personal History Statement should not duplicate the Statement of Purpose.
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從題目分析中我們就能看出二者的區(qū)別。從SOP中，學校需要知道你的申請動機、學業(yè)計劃、職業(yè)目標和與申請項目的匹配度。具體來說，你為什么想申請這個項目？你的學習計劃和目標是什么？你的職業(yè)發(fā)展方向是什么？你認為你的專業(yè)和申請的項目有多少匹配度？這個項目為什么吸引你？從SOP中，你大概需要回答這些問題。毫無以為，這些問題基本和學術相關。也就是說，是什么樣的教育背景和經(jīng)歷使你做出今天申請這個項目的決定？
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而PS，從題目要求看，重點是個人經(jīng)歷中所有的非學術經(jīng)歷。也可以理解為把重點放在職業(yè)經(jīng)歷。在這個專業(yè)領域，你之前做過什么？這個對你進入這個行業(yè)有多大幫助？對你將來從事這個行業(yè)有多深遠的影響？UC-Berkeley的這個題目重點需要看到這些內(nèi)容。有些學校還需要從PS中看到申請人的性格特點，即personal attributes。學校希望通過個人陳述的描述，看到申請人有沒有繼續(xù)在這個領域深造的可能性。這一點也是在非學術領域?？傊?，可以看出，PS是描述個人性格和職業(yè)經(jīng)歷的。
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從字數(shù)看，SOP和PS有稍有區(qū)別。通常SOP要比PS字數(shù)多一些。PS最好控制在一頁范圍之內(nèi)。在準備SOP和PS之前，可以先捋一下學術和非學術經(jīng)歷的重點內(nèi)容，然后大概有個思路，哪些寫到SOP，哪些寫到PS。SOP和PS內(nèi)容不要重復。

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