In your CV and personal statement list your robotics and other relevant

experience. Give concrete detail of what you learned and what part was your

contribution to projects. Provide links to published papers, reports,

demos, videos and similar evidence of your accomplishments, and hands-on

lab experience such as internships, international competitions in robotics

(e.g. Robocup@home), math (e.g. (MCM) and programming (ACM), and

extra-curricular clubs and activities.

-Martin Jagersand

SoP:

A Statement of Purpose is an essay stating the purpose of applying for a particular course in a particular university. This essay consists of a gist of who you are, who you want to become, and how ready you are to pursue a certain course in an institution.

Difference between SoP and Personal statement: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/statement-of-purpose-vs-personal-statement-applycontent12289

Samples:

• https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~jlacomis/assets/statement/personal-statement-cmu.pdf
• http://egyget.blogspot.com/2011/04/sample-statement-of-purpose-for_28.html
• https://github.com/vsitzmann/phd-master-application-docs
• https://github.com/ludwigschubert/master-application-stanford
• Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18ToRGeKL_B1IR1V20Jr3ODNDru5G3AfKatq2K75M260/edit

Core:

• Solid achievements → Show promise of your success in graduate study
• Self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student. (Between the lines)
• Write in Active not passive voice
• Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.
• If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.
• Avoid common clichés in your SoP. In particular, try to avoid childhood anecdotes or goals. The admissions committee is interested in your current goals, skills, and strengths.
• be concise in your writing and get straight to the point. Write in a plain language and use your own words. Be sincere. Use a spell and grammar checker.
• Be authentic