1. Your  application must include a Statement of Purpose indicating your  purposes and objectives in undertaking graduate study, your special interests  and plans, and your strengths and weaknesses in your chosen field. Briefly  describe any research projects or any independent research in which you have actively  participated and indicate how this has influenced your career choice and  desire to pursue graduate studies. If you have particular reasons for  applying to Duke (e.g. you would like to work with a specific faculty  member), please indicate these.

2.Personal Statement：

How  have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical,  financial, educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your  decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan?For  example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other  opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, you  might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This  should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a  graduate degree.

Academic  Statement of Purpose：

The  Academic Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement  about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how this  graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.Make  sure your margins are set up at one-inch and that any inserted tables fit within those margins to avoid pages being added or removed in your original document(s)

3.传说中的purdue大学的变态PS要求：

The  statement of purpose should be 300-500words concerning your purpose for  undertaking or continuing graduate study, your reasons for wanting to study  at Purdue, and your research interests, professional plans, and career goals.  You also may explain any special circumstances applicable to your background  and elaborate on your scholarly publications, awards, achievements,  abilities, and/or professional history.

Your  Statement of Purpose is a critical piece of your graduate school application. If  you haven't written your Statement of Purpose yet, the Purdue  University Graduate School would like to make the process a little easier by  passing along a few tips:

·Pay  close attention to the directions as they vary across institutions and  programs.

·Be  unique. Talk  about interesting and relevant experience. One way to do this is to talk  about a subject in your field about which you are passionate.

·Write  with skill. The  Statement of Purpose may be the only writing sample you provide, so editing and  organization are imperative. Be sure that you proofread your statement and have  others, such as professors, teaching assistants, advisors, and peers read it.  Ask for constructive feedback as well. ·Be  clear and specific. Instead  of providing broad generalizations such as “my research internship provided valuable  experience,” write, “By transcribing interview protocols and coding the data,  I gained a deeper understanding of how teenage mothers make attributions.”

·Give  yourself enough time to  write the Statement of Purpose, to get feedback from a variety of people, and  to make the necessary revisions.

·Be  yourself; avoid  using too much jargon and too many big words that aren’t a part of your day-to-day  vocabulary.

       有些同学觉得每个学校都写不一样的工程量太大，如果你仔细的阅读了要求，会发现最终是把你的初稿进行反复的修改以满足每个学校的不同要求。