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[purpleashes_lp]

Hi all!
I'm planning to apply to the master of my dreams this december, and I'm currently writing my statement of purpose. Unfortunately, I didn't do spectacular in college, so I don't have many qualifications to write about.

Here is my second draft, I would greatly appreciate your help. I want this letter to be the best it can be.

Latest draft

Comments

[cosmicwonder]

No offense, but your concerns about your past performance makes me beg the question (and I'm sure of the admissions committee): why do you think this program is a good fit for you? Fit isn't just about being excited about the program, fit also means that your interests match well with theirs and that you are well-prepared to enter the program.

I simply don't know enough about the program you're applying to, your background, or your field to advise whether to apply to the program, nor how to explain your past performance. But I strongly suggest that you carefully consider these questions:

1. What exactly do you want to study in this program? As bluetourmaline notes, you need to be very specific about your interests. Once you hone them down, then see if the program can support it. You can find this out by looking at the research interests of the professors and contacting the program directly.
2. How are you prepared to begin studies in this program? Answering this can be trickier because - at least from my experience - requirements for a program can be very murky. (Although, from what I understand, they tend to be more straightforward in engineering and the sciences). You can start by seeing what the requirements are for the program, which I'm sure are listed somewhere on their website. You can also contact the graduate advisor in the program, and you might also contact some of the graduate students to get a sense of their backgrounds.

If it turns out that you do fulfill the requirements of the program, there are ways to show how your past experience positively prepared you. For instance, discussing your strong interest in the environmental, road, and geological courses you took is a great start. (Perhaps there were more specific discussions in these classes that you want to explore more in graduate school?)

If you don't fulfill the requirements yet, then you can always take more classes and/or find other opportunities to show your interest, such as attending academic events. I don't know how the Ministry of Environment works in your country, but there might be a way to get more involved with the environmental component. Maybe you can talk to your boss to see if you can be put into a different position, or just be more involved in activities that involve this component, e.g. planning meetings. I suspect that there might be a way to "milk" your Ministry of Environment job more, especially as it's probably a great way to show your interest in the master's program.