Fellowships Programme

What is the “Statement of purpose”

What is the “Statement of purpose”

The statement of purpose is the part of the fellowships application where you have the
opportunity to explain your proposal to the evaluators and why you are requesting a
fellowship for the studies or research you would like to do.

The statement of purpose for the “la Caixa” fellowship programme is open. You do not have to
reply to any specific questions, nor do you have to explain specific aspects of your application
or project. You have complete freedom to include whatever information you would like. We
know that this makes things much more complicated but it also gives you a better opportunity
to really shine.

Therefore, the information contained in this document must be taken for what it is: a
compendium of very general advice that under no circumstances intends to curtail the
possibilities of originality and freedom for your text.

Why it is important

It is important because it is an opportunity for you to stand out. The “la Caixa” fellowships
programme receives thousands of applications each year and there are many candidates who
have excellent grades and very good curriculums. The statement of purpose is the only part
that allows you to be completely unique.

It is important in both the pre-selection and selection processes. During the pre-selection
process it will be assessed together with your grades and curriculum, as well as the letters of
reference. In fact, at this point it is the only part of the application that depends entirely on
you; CVs and grades cannot be changed and letters are written by others.

During the selection process it is the starting point for the evaluators for your interview. It is
obvious therefore that a good statement of purpose could help your interview begin on the
right foot.

Contents

Even if you decide to write a very creative statement of purpose, there are contents that are
worth explaining.

First of all, the statement of purpose is where you defend your candidacy for a fellowship.
Therefore, it would be reasonable to explain why you would like to study what you are
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What is the “Statement of purpose”

proposing; how you think it would help your personal project in the medium term; what area
of study or professional field you would like to specialise or work in and why you believe your
proposal would help you achieve this.

You must explain what you want to do. Therefore, explain what you want to study and why;
the reason for your interest in the subject and why you think the university, centre or
programme you have chosen as your first option is the most suitable for fulfilling your project.

You can also talk about your objectives in the medium and long term, what plans you currently
have for your life and why your curriculum and the studies you have documented are the most
suitable for achieving these goals.

Here, the statement of purpose provides you with the opportunity to underline everything you
have included in the “Curriculum” section of the application. You can relate your studies,
qualifications and extra-curricular activities to present a well-articulated fellowships based on
solid foundations.

The statement of purpose also gives you the chance to justify inconsistencies in your
curriculum or weak points in your grades. If you have taken an extra year to complete your
degree course or studies, here you can explain why; if your grades aren’t so good in one
subject or course or the first part of your degree course (or whatever)… and there is a reason
that justifies this, here is your chance to explain. Either way, remember that whatever you
write in the statement of purpose or the application must be documented.

The course you want to study is usually a means of reaching a milestone you have established.
This may be a milestone that is still not perfectly defined, of course, but the reason for
requesting the grant mustn’t be “to do something” or “to continue studying because I can’t
think of anything else to do right now”.

Remember that you have to convince the evaluators that you are a special candidate (and with
arguments like those it will be difficult); therefore, keep in mind that you have to pass this
section (the statement of purpose) with the best grade, an 8, which corresponds with
“exceptional“ on the scorecard (the evaluators must grade each aspect with a score of 8 to 1,
each one corresponding with a value, such as “exceptional”, “excellent”, “very good”, etc.). It
is not at all easy to stand out from a group of excellent candidates such as those who apply for
the “la Caixa” fellowships.

You can also provide examples that will give the evaluators more information about you and
give them a better idea of the type of person you are. You don’t need to give personal details
but you could include examples of experiences or activities that may illustrate your character,
skills or potential.

You can also explain in the statement of purpose the alternatives you have in mind should you
not be accepted on the first option you have given in the “Prospective Studies” section.
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What is the “Statement of purpose”

Think about it before you…

 …start your text saying: “Ever since I was little I have always wanted / known that /
enjoyed… etc”.

 …make it sound as though you are cleverer or more intelligent than the experts who
will read your text. Be careful not to make the experts think you are giving them a
lesson in something. Remember, they are the ones that know and you are the one
who wants to learn. Therefore, don’t write a statement of purpose as if it were a paper
for a journal. Your time will come for that!

 …try to be too original or creative. Don’t go over the top. In fact, if you don’t want to
study the arts or literature it may be a better idea to be clear and express yourself well
rather than trying to be innovative where you don’t need to be. Try to write a
balanced text and carefully measure the risks you are taking when writing.

And don’t think twice if you know how to…

 …start a text with a paragraph that invites people to continue reading. Remember that
the evaluators have to read dozens of statements of purpose and often there are
several that sound the same. So, if you start with standard phrases, platitudes and
conventional forms the evaluator will expect your text to continue in the same way
and therefore, may lose interest.

 …write in a clear, original and direct style. The more concise you are the more
interesting things you can explain. Be objective, informative and above all, specific. If
you make a general statement, document it with examples, with reasoning or with
personal experiences. It is normally easier to hold the reader’s attention by writing
about interesting things rather than saying many things or being long-winded.

 …explain complex ideas or abstruse theories with simple and comprehensible phrases.
In fact, this is a rare skill that the evaluators will greatly appreciate, as long as you do it
intelligently and keeping in mind that they are very experienced people!

 …write an orderly, structured and well presented text, using short phrases, a direct
style and suitable connectors to make the text flow.
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What is the “Statement of purpose”

Tips

 Don’t rush. Don’t leave the statement of purpose until the last minute. It is an
extremely important part of your application and probably the part where you are able
to make your candidacy stand out the most.

 Write a draft. Read it. Correct it. Write a second draft. Read it. Correct it. Write a third
draft. Read it. Correct it. When you think it's perfect, leave it for a few days and then
re-read it. You won’t think it’s so perfect. Correct it. Re-read it. Correct it again.

 Think of the text as a whole. It can of course have sections and be structured but make
sure it has continuity and that it is not an inventory of things that are unrelated but
that you would like to say or that don’t create an homogenous discourse.

 You’ve finished it. Now you can show it to people you trust. Professors, colleagues,
family members… Ask them to read it with a critical eye and listen to what they have
to say: if they find weak points or parts that are difficult to understand, review them. It
may turn out that the evaluators who examine your application find the same weak
points or don’t understand the same things, so it’s better not to take that risk.

 Check the spelling and grammar. Pay attention to typographic, orthographic and
format details. Construct phrases correctly and don’t make any spelling mistakes.
Careless writing that is badly presented gives a very bad impression of the candidate.

Some questions

 What should I explain in the statement of purpose?

This is the million dollar question. Candidates of “la Caixa” fellowships often ask what
exactly they should write in the statement of purpose. Sorry, but there is no answer…
because if there was only one way of writing it, we wouldn’t bother asking you for a
statement of purpose.

So, you can write whatever you like. Or, better said, whatever you think will convince
the evaluator that your candidacy deserves a high grade.

Put yourself in the evaluator’s shoes. In the first phase there will be an expert in your
field or a closely related one, but if you pass this stage, you will then be interviewed by
experts from different fields to your own. For example, if you’re a musician, you may
be interviewed by a board of experts from the fields of philosophy, plastic arts,
linguistics or architecture and it is possible there won’t be any musicians (this is just an
example!). These experts will also assess your application taking into account all of the
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What is the “Statement of purpose”

documentation you have presented and before the interview they will have read the
statement of purpose you have written.

Therefore, remember that you are writing it for them. They may not be experts in your
field but they are people with a significant level of intellect and are very used to
participating in selection processes of this type. So, you must write a clear and
comprehensible text but don’t forget the level of the people who will read it.

 Should I write a technical report or would a more personal and inspired text be better?

You don’t have to write a technical report. Forget about all the jargon! These
fellowships aren’t awarded to a project but to a person who wants to do interesting
things. Remember that it is possible that the study programme or the university you
would like to attend won’t accept you and that once you have been awarded the grant
you will have to change the university or centre you had given as your first option.

Therefore it is possible, even common, that the specific line of research or work that
you have in mind, if it is very, very specific, isn’t exactly what you end up doing.

This doesn’t mean to say however, that you don't need to be clear as to what you
want to do. Quite the opposite, the clearer you are the better. Your statement of
purpose must be specific enough to be interesting and focused but flexible enough so
as not to be entirely subject to unexpected elements that don't depend on you, such
as admissions.

The statement of purpose must show that you know what you are talking about when
you mention subjects that interest you but you don't need to give the evaluator a
theory lesson. Don’t forget that the grant is for financing a personal project, not a
scientific project or an ambition. Obviously a personal project may be dedicated to
science, business or whatever… but the crux of the matter is that the evaluators think
it worth awarding you a grant. And they all have to believe this, not only the experts in
your field.

 Is the information I find on the internet with advice about writing a statement of
purpose worth anything?

Yes, definitely. So long as you use trustworthy sources; such as prestigious universities,
blogs by previous grant holders or communities of ex-alumni who have been accepted
on very demanding programmes. American universities have a lot of literature on this
subject. You won’t be wasting your time if you read about it calmly before starting to
write.