How to Write a Strong Statement of Purpose for your HDS Application

Elinor Bate, MTS ’27

The Statement of Purpose is one of the most important parts of your application. It is an opportunity to allow the admissions team to get to know you and understand what draws you to graduate study. This is not a statement to be rushed, nor is it a personal essay or a life story.

Your statement should be a concise and well-articulated explanation of your research interests, qualifications, and goals for pursuing graduate education. We know you are interested in graduate school, but we want to understand why, and how, you plan to make the most of this opportunity.

Research is essential. Explore our website, learn about the resources available to you, and equip yourself with as much information as possible. Ask yourself a simple question: Why do I want to attend graduate school? Spend some time brainstorming before you begin writing. The clearer you are about your motivations and direction, the more effectively you will be able to communicate them in your statement.

Another top tip: consider drafting your statement by hand. You might be surprised by how easily the words begin to flow when you step away from the screen!

What should you avoid? I would strongly encourage you not to use the same statement for every application if you are applying to multiple schools. And remember: draft, draft, draft, and draft again. Just start writing. You can edit, and you will edit. Your writing will improve with each revision. Share your work with mentors, experiment with your ideas, and give yourself time to get it right. Follow the guidelines, show your passion, and try not to procrastinate. Believe in yourself. Don't count yourself out. You're not a terrible writer; don't let imposter syndrome win!

Your passion, goals, and interests should come through in the energy and tone of your statement. Don't aim for perfection; aim for passion. But don't lose sight of your direction. Remember your why. Be specific, be precise, and be organized.

Lin Morales, MTS ’28

The Statement of Purpose is NOT the same as a “Personal Statement.” The main difference being the focus: the statement is still personal, but with the goal of articulating your academic journey and how it led you to HDS. It’s not just about who you are, it’s about how your previous work (which speaks to who you are) lines up with what you want to achieve on a graduate level. 

How has your academic, professional, or creative career led up to this moment of you starting the application for admission at HDS? Identify pivotal moments: professors, mentors, courses, events, or projects that made you realize divinity school was for you and make sure to tailor each statement to the specific institution you are applying to.

It would help your statement to be informed by your exposure to HDS: attend virtual AMA’s if you’re out of state, or the in-person previews if you are local to the area. Attend online lectures and events that the HDS Instagram (@harvarddivinity) posts about on our feed. Send us questions about HDS or about our experiences to the ask_students@hds.harvard.edu inbox, or schedule a virtual 1:1 meeting with us! 

Basically, do what you are capable of to get an accurate feel for the school so that you can incorporate what you think of HDS into your statement. 

And one last thing: get familiar with faculty! It is so important to know which faculty’s work or research areas you are interested in learning about/from. Understand your concentration and the faculty who make it up.

Good luck to everyone who is working on their applications, you’ve got this, keep going until the finish line!

Candice Mulinda, MTS ’27

Where to begin…where to begin? A blank document can feel daunting before writing your statement of purpose. Everyone has different writing methods, but you can think of your writing through three main phases: brainstorming, composing, and polishing.

• Brainstorming - This is when your document goes from blank space to bullet points! When you’re in the early early stages of writing, don’t feel pressured to get your full essay right the first time. Just put ideas on a page, and let your curiosity and excitement guide you to the most viable ideas. 
• Composing - By this point, you’ve chosen a storyline (yay!). From here, you’ll build out the meat of your argument in long-form, calling out specific parts of your resume and specific aspects of HDS that make you and your desired program a good fit. It’s okay if the central theme of your essay changes over time, but the goal is to get to a solid draft that you can workshop.
• Polishing - At this point, you’re taking your work from good to great! Call your friends, call your colleagues, call the people you trust to edit your work. Since you’ve probably already spent hours in the document, it’s helpful to have fresh eyes critique your statement. Work with others to fine tune your argument and prepare for submission.

The statement of purpose can feel like a big task. But once you get ideas on the page, I can assure you, the writing will flow. You can do this.

Claire Weber, MDiv ’29

I initially thought that the personal statement for divinity schools like Harvard seemed intimidating—I was not sure of the best way to present myself and my goals in graduate school on paper. However, as I wrote the statement of purpose, I began to appreciate the opportunities it provided to introduce myself, my interests, and their intersections with HDS. As important as a resume or writing sample is, I found the statement of purpose almost fun to write. It was also helpful in discerning which divinity school was the right fit for me—I remember researching programs, classes, and research opportunities at HDS and becoming excited about the program. Although I had researched the school on my own, writing about my interests and their intersections with HDS pushed me to better understand what my experience in divinity school could potentially look like. 

For me personally, drafting a brainstorm of something like this required pen and paper before I turned to my computer. I appreciated my family’s willingness to proofread grammatical errors, and I made sure I felt confident about my draft before I submitted it. Although it can be overwhelming to write about yourself, the statement of purpose felt more accessible to me when I thought of it as a way for HDS admissions staff to get to know me. There are some aspects of ourselves that are hard to reflect in a resume or transcript, so I think the statement of purpose serves applicants well in communicating who they are.