I am applying for Ph.D. programs in pure mathematics. One of the confusions I have about writing a Statement of Purpose is whether I should concentrate on the things I did (mentioning facts: REUs, Courses, Talks, Putnam exam, Teaching) or whether I should be more poetic and write about why am I a person who wants to do research, why am I capable of doing it, and why do I love mathematics. If I have mentioned some information already in one of the parts of my application, is it bad if I write about it again in my Statement of Purpose?
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3Facts, facts, facts. But the things you've already done should not be the main focus. It's a statement of purpose, so you should describe what area(s) you want to do research in, why school X is a good place to do that, and why your background prepares you for success in the program. – Oct 19 '16 at 15:20
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there are many good questions already about this, duplicate. – Herman Toothrot Oct 19 '16 at 15:30
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@user4050 Could you give me some references? – Vadim Oct 19 '16 at 15:30
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Possible duplicate of Choosing research ideas to include in a statement of purpose – Herman Toothrot Oct 19 '16 at 15:30
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Related: http://academia.stackexchange.com/q/36725/20058 – Massimo Ortolano Oct 19 '16 at 16:15
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In your statement of purpose you may fantasize about what you'd like to do. (Other parts of your application will document what you've accomplished.) You may use 10 - 20% of your essay to cover motivation if you wish. – aparente001 Oct 20 '16 at 03:08