Hello,
I am working on my statements of purpose for some graduate MFA design programs. There aren't any requirements, so I'm working on an essay that could be tailored to multiple programs. I would greatly appreciate any feedback! Thanks!
-Nicole
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Statement of Purpose:
After a few years of working as a graphic designer in the publishing industry, I started to get antsy and more interested in my own personal work. The time has come to realize my personal goals, concentrate on my work, expand my process, and reinvent my concept of the practice of design.
My work experience has taught me much and has offered me many opportunities to polish my skills, but I know there is much more for me to learn within the realms of design. What draws me most to _____ is the focus on origination of ideas and content, and being an active participator in the constant changing practice of design. The program available at _____ concentrates on the interdisciplinary importance in design, the sociological and cultural function of design, and creating work that exceeds traditional design. _____ has everything that I am looking for in a graduate program; studio space, facility access, a great library, an inspiring faculty and a strong and a distinguished design community that I look forward to being a part of.
My undergraduate experience at _____ allowed me to realize my own voice within art and design and my ability to be a creator. By learning design in a fine arts setting, I was able to explore many possible mediums and create design work that was not focused primarily on technology, but on context and visual language. _____'s program would be a great environment for me to be able to build upon my previous knowledge, take my creativity to the next level, and to hone my ideas and abilities both conceptually and aesthetically.
I am pursuing graduate studies because design has become such a huge part of my life, it's something I practice and thing about in many contexts every day. Due to the significance it has for me, it is necessary for me to expand upon my skill sets through fully immersing myself in the practice of design and design culture. Being at _____ will enable me to become a stronger conceptual thinker, and create work that is not only self-satisfying, but that can also positively effect society. _____ will help me explore my capacity for design and how to design for the greater good, by exploring contemporary social issues and engaging in the community. Through the coursework provided by _____ and strong support system, I will be able to delve into a rigorous investigation of design and design theory, developing work that I would not be able to create otherwise.
The cross-disciplinary course structure at _____ is necessary to my development as a designer, and to use these tools to fully explore my craft and to think in new ways. I have always found this to be essential in my growth as a designer, and this is something that I have carried with me since my undergraduate career, where I worked with many different mediums and with fine artists, thus allowing me to see my work in a new light and get valuable feedback that I otherwise would not be able to obtain. Also the constant changing of media has always been quite inspirational, permitting me to follow new paths of experimentation and stretch my conception of design.
I am also excited by the possibility of teaching at a collegiate level upon graduation. My personal design work may only be able to affect society in a small way, but by teaching good design more people will practice it, and it will affect our culture on a larger scale.
Ultimately, what I am looking to obtain from graduate studies is to have more ownership over what I create. I wish to become more aware of myself and see how that affects culture, and helps me create positive change as a designer. Overall, I want to be part of a nurturing and creative environment that is conducive to my growth and fulfillment both personally and as a designer.
It is tempting to write a single form letter that you can use for all of your applications, but customized statements are more likely to get you in. Research each university, and see what aspects of their programs each one is most proud of. Then tie your reasons for wanting to attend that particular university to those aspects. This will make you seem like a more suitable applicant, while also showing that you care enough about your application to do some research.
I'm sorry, but I should have explained further in my last post that I am intending to follow this format, not write a single essay for each school. This essay is for an institution that focuses on the fine arts and cross disciplinary aspects of design, as well as numerous community projects.
Hmmm . . . in that case your essay seems fairly solid. The content and grammar are good. Stylistically, it's a bit dull, mainly because you use too few strong verbs. You rely heavily on forms of "to be" and "to have." If you revised the essay with a view to replacing as many of these verbs as possible with vivid, exciting verbs, your essay would be much stronger.
My undergraduate experience at _____ enabled me to realize my own voice within art and design and my ability to be a creator.
This might seem anal, just a pet peeve of mine, but I always correct this when I see it.:)
_____'s program would be a great environment in which to build upon my previous knowledge, take my creativity to the next level, and to hone my ideas and abilities both conceptually and aesthetically.
Good advice from Sean!
:)
