Statement of Purpose writing style

Question

I cannot decide which style is better in writing Statement of Purpose for graduate school application.

I am asked a few questions in writing the SOP, such as purpose in applying for graduate study, interested areas and academic experiences.

One style is answering each question and place the answer under the question title. Just like an "exam". I think this style is more clear and organized.

The other style is writing an essay and answering the questions in the essay without addressing them explicitly. I think this style maybe less clear, because the reader need to correspond the sections or parts to the questions.

So which way do you think is better?

Answer 1

I bet you there's someone at your grad school of choice that could give you advice on this. That'd be much better than speculation here.

That said, if for some reason you're unable to get advice from the school - I'd ask yourself how good of a writer you are, and what sort of program you're applying to. The Q&A format would likely be more straightforward, but it would also be choppy and graceless. The essay format, in the right hands, could be a great opportunity to showcase your wit and style.

So - if you're a great writer applying for a Creative Writing program, I'd go with the essay. If you're not a strong writer and you're applying for grad school in math, maybe the Q&A.

Good luck with it.