Statement of Purpose

Please note that the information below refers to the application for fall 2013 enrollment. The additional application requirements and instructions for fall 2014 enrollment will be available on our website in late summer. Please be sure to review the updated information when it becomes available.

What is the required length and format of the statement?

The statement should be no more than 1,500 words, typed and double-spaced. Your statement should be written by you alone and represent your original work. International applicants are reminded that they must write their own statement in English; the use of translators is not permitted.

Please note that the admissions committee will carefully consider both the content and the writing in its assessment of your candidacy for graduate study at HGSE.

What should I discuss in my Statement of Purpose?

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and Master of Education (Ed.M.) applicants only:

In your statement, please discuss:

1. Your objectives for graduate study: how this HGSE program will help you achieve your goals
   • Ed.D. applicants: In addition, describe the research you would like to pursue as a student within the Ed.D. program. Indicate with which HGSE faculty you would like to study.
2. Your background: what key experiences have contributed to your commitment to work in the field of education or with education-related issues

Note that some Ed.M. programs would like you to address additional topics in your Statement of Purpose. See below for more information.

Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) applicants only:

In your statement, please discuss:

1. Your background
   • Your most significant professional accomplishment(s)
   • What key experiences have contributed to your commitment to education
   • How you came to your decision to become a system-level leader in education
2. Your plans
   • What you hope to achieve in your career as a leader in education
   • Where you see yourself in ten years

Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) in Counseling applicants only:

Please address the following in your statement of purpose:

1. How has your experience in the Prevention Science and Practice master's program motivated you or influenced you to pursue the C.A.S. year?
2. What skills or knowledge do you hope to develop in this second year of graduate study?
3. What did you learn about yourself while in the program and how will that potentially impact your performance/experience next year?

Programs with additional instructions:

Please note that the following programs would like you to address additional topics in your Statement of Purpose:

• Language and Literacy
• Learning and Teaching 
• School Leadership
• Special Studies
• Teacher Education

Language and Literacy

For Literacy Coach strand applicants only: Please explain how your previous experience has prepared you to become a literacy coach, and what you hope to gain from this strand of Language and Literacy with respect to your career goals.

Learning and Teaching

For Instructional Leadership strand applicants only: Please explain how your previous experience has prepared you to become an instructional leader, and what you hope to gain from the Instructional Leadership strand with respect to your career goals.

School Leadership

In your statement, please:

• Describe what experiences have shaped your commitment to improving the education of all students, especially those who are not currently well served by our educational system.
• Explain why, at this point in your career, you are interested in leading a school and, if applicable, in starting one.
• Provide an example of a time in which you took on a formal or informal leadership role with other adults. Explain what you tried to do, what happened, and what you learned.

Special Studies

The Special Studies program is designed for students who are highly focused and whose academic and professional interests do not fit within any of the school's more structured programs. Successful applicants are those who have a clear sense of the topics they wish to study and present a convincing argument of how this academic program will help to achieve larger goals.

In your statement of purpose, you should mention the following:

• Your academic interests, i.e. what you hope to study
• Courses that will help fulfill your academic objectives
• Faculty with whom you would like to work
• Your career goals upon completing the program

Teacher Education

Please address the following in your statement of purpose:

• Why you have decided to become an urban public school teacher
• What you have learned from previous experience (with adolescents, in instructional roles, and with your subject matter) that you can apply to your teaching
• How your experiences as a learner influence your thinking about teaching in an urban setting
• What you would like students to take away from your classroom