After leaving a turbulent and often controlling home environment at the age of 15, I set my sights on earning my PhD in science. Before leaving, I had never considered that I had the freedom to choose a career that I was deeply passionate about. Once independent, I spent a couple of years entertaining various possibilities: did I want to be a Broadway actress? A Wall Street banker? A professional cellist? While I maintain passions in the arts, I eventually found that there is no pursuit on earth that piques in me greater interest or yields greater satisfaction to my curiosity than discovering answers to biological questions using the scientific method. Here I can combine my curiosity and energy with a goal: answering questions no one has answered before. I discovered this satisfaction in high school when I conducted research in fisheries science and materials science that resulted in several peer-reviewed publications. My financial and personal situation then mandated that I take a gap year before entering college. 

During this gap year I worked 60-70 hours a week as a manager at Wendy's, learned a lot about management and conflict resolution, and paid off a car. When I wasn't at work, I immersed myself in publications and books to determine what field of science I wanted to pursue. I found myself drawn repeatedly to neuroscience – a field in which recent developments in genomics and cellular and molecular techniques have paved the way for an era of unprecedented discovery. This draw was evidenced by my enthusiasm for updating my coworkers daily about the coolest new neuroscience research. I observed in myself an excitement I had never seen before. Five years later, that this curiosity has not waned but has grown and deepened as I learn and experience more. My experience leaving home at 15 was initially very difficult, but instilled in me traits that strengthen my ability to complete a PhD: intrinsic motivation, resilience, and resourcefulness. Through opportunities afforded me by valuable mentors and research positions, I have become confident in my ability and desire to devote my life to scientific discovery.

Over the past 4 years I have contributed to advances in psychophysiology, neural networks, neuroendocrinology, and neuroimmunology utilizing techniques ranging from neuroimaging to cellular and molecular approaches. As a freshman at Kent State University I quickly sought research involvement with Dr. Joel Hughes, where I studied the relationship between heart rate variability and psychosocial factors. Over my sophomore and junior years under Dr. Josh Pollock, I founded and coordinated a multi-lab research project in which we utilized EEG to investigate the neural correlates of Theory of Mind in those on the autism spectrum vs healthy individuals. These experiences introduced me to formal lab settings and confirmed my desire to work as part of a collaborative intellectual team.

During the summers following my freshman and sophomore years I participated in the BP-ENDURE program at WUSTL. In Dr. Todd Braver's lab, I utilized fMRI to determine whether neural activation patterns may be viable endophenotypes for hereditary psychiatric disorders. This work led to six research presentations and a first-authorship on our manuscript in preparation. It also directed my future research involvement in a different direction, as conversations with many research faculty sparked a fascination with cellular and molecular techniques. I realized that I was not satisfied with the systems-level network information that stems from imaging approaches and desired to probe more specific cellular and molecular mechanisms to inform therapeutic targets for currently untreatable issues.

Realizing this, in January of my junior year I began my foray into wet lab work with Dr. Gemma Casadesus-Smith, with whom I am now completing an honors thesis characterizing the production and distribution of luteinizing hormone in the brain. The freedom I have been given in my thesis work has mimicked a PhD - I proposed a research question, came up with experiments, introduced my lab to novel techniques better suited to answer my question, and am learning to face short-term disappointments and craft creative alternative approaches as I work towards an eventual dissertation and oral defense.

To strengthen my wet-lab experience, I spent the summer before senior year working at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the neuroimmunology lab of Dr. Beth Stevens. I utilized immunohistochemistry to investigate the function of schizophrenia risk gene Csmd1, finding that it is critical to synaptic pruning in region- and cell type-specific ways. The collaborative atmosphere at the Broad showed me the necessity of sharing data and knowledge and forming cross-disciplinary partnerships. Based on this experience, I desire to integrate both molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches as I pursue my PhD project. 

After I earn my PhD, I desire to ultimately work at illuminating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying poorly understood psychiatric disorders so that we can eventually develop therapies that are more precisely targeted and effective. However, it is not imperative to me that I pursue precisely this question as I pursue my doctorate. I want to master a breadth of neurobiological techniques while maturing as a researcher and communicator. Another career objective of mine is being actively engaged in science communication to facilitate collaboration and inform the public and publicly elected officials about the importance of research. 

The structure of the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences umbrella enables exactly this sort of cross-disciplinary collaboration in a way I believe necessary to foster the best scientific outcomes. There are many faculty with whom I would value working - either directly under as a member of their lab or via consultation on alternative methods and approaches.  I would like to utilize modern bioinformatics techniques such as single-cell transcriptomics as well as bench wet-lab techniques in whatever specific question I choose to pursue. After conversations with Dr. Rosalind Segal and Dr. Michael Greenberg during my time at the Broad Institute, I have come to particularly admire the work of Dr. Michael Greenberg in activity-dependent transcriptional regulation, Dr. Steve McCarroll in neurogenetics, Dr. Evan Macosko at the intersection of computational genomics and neuroscience, and Dr. Beth Stevens in neuroimmunology. I could see myself integrating well into any of these labs into the general structure of the Harvard Program in Neuroscience. Thank you for your consideration.

Great! So that’s the full statement, now let’s break down how I put it together. Nowadays, this is the structure I usually tell my mentees to go for:

Paragraph 1: The reason you want a PhD in X subject

Body paragraphs: Broadly convince the committee that you have what it takes to pursue that PhD. You should detail independent research experiences you’ve had. In a chronological or otherwise rational order, describe what lab you worked with, the research question, your role, your findings, how they fit in the context of the field, and whether your involvement led to publications or presentations.

Final paragraph: What do you want to research for your PhD work? Why is this a good fit for the institution to which you’re applying? Describe some things about the institution that appeal to you, including mentioning a few PIs whose work you find exciting and why.

So, that’s not exactly what I did back in the day, but I think I should have described a bit more about the science involved in my experiences. I guess I got interview offers, so it ended up working out, but just keep the above advice in mind. Here’s the general structure my statement followed, with each paragraph paraphrased as a sentence. Looking back, I realize that I submitted a better structured statement of purpose with my Yale application (also successful), which you can read here. 

1. I’ve carefully considered my future career path and concluded I need a PhD. (Why I want a PhD)

2. I am intrinsically motivated and uniquely resilient and resourceful, and most excited about neuroscience as a field. (Why neuroscience and why I’m uniquely ready for a PhD)

3. My first 2 brief research experiences in neuro introduced me to a research setting and human subjects work.

4. I continued to gain experience in human research with two summers doing task-based fMRI research at WashU, but I didn’t really find it satisfying as a method.

5. I started wet-lab work spring semester junior year of college, when I began my honors undergraduate thesis work in a neuroendocrinology lab.

6. The summer before my senior year, I got more wet-lab experience and broadened my expertise with a neuroimmunology internship at the Broad Institute.

7. I need a neuroscience PhD so I can help improve the lives of those with psychiatric diseases while also working as a science communicator and interfacing with policy.

8. Harvard’s program is great for me because there are at least 4 potential thesis labs that excite me.

Now let’s dive into what I was thinking as I wrote the statement.

[Intro and motivation for pursuing a PhD]

After leaving a turbulent and often controlling home environment at the age of 15, I set my sights on earning my PhD in science. Before leaving, I had never considered that I had the freedom to choose a career that I was deeply passionate about. Once independent, I spent a couple of years entertaining various possibilities: did I want to be a Broadway actress? A Wall Street banker? A professional cellist? While I maintain passions in the arts, I eventually found that there is no pursuit on earth that piques in me greater interest or yields greater satisfaction to my curiosity than discovering answers to biological questions using the scientific method. [I include the previous sentences to show that I come from a place of unique self-awareness and intentionality in my decision to pursue a PhD. How many applicants can say they were truly free of any parental or familial expectations for their career? I was in a rare place of being entirely free to explore any career path I chose. Broadly, it is important to convince the admissions committee that you have carefully considered your choice to pursue a PhD. I often ask applicants “What do you want to do in life that mandates you MUST obtain a PhD?] Here I can combine my curiosity and energy with a goal: answering questions no one has answered before. I discovered this satisfaction in high school when I conducted research in fisheries science and materials science that resulted in several peer-reviewed publications. My financial and personal situation then mandated that I take a gap year before entering college. [It is good to briefly address anything that might seem strange about your timeline in your statement of purpose. I actually didn’t even graduate from high school, so my CV is missing a high school diploma. Then, there is a gap in schooling where I ultimately ended up getting my GED and doing a lot of thinking about life…which I explain more in the next paragraph. For most applicants, 1 paragraph is enough personal background and motivation, but I chose to take 2].

During this gap year I worked 60-70 hours a week as a manager at Wendy's, learned a lot about management and conflict resolution, and paid off a car. When I wasn't at work, I immersed myself in publications and books to determine what field of science I wanted to pursue. I found myself drawn repeatedly to neuroscience – a field in which recent developments in genomics and cellular and molecular techniques have paved the way for an era of unprecedented discovery. This draw was evidenced by my enthusiasm for updating my coworkers daily about the coolest new neuroscience research. I observed in myself an excitement I had never seen before. [A lot of my approach to this statement was just to be really honest. This is actually how I fell in love with neuroscience. I’m a big reader - and during this “gap year” of sorts I read 300 books. I’d go to the local library and wander around, taking home any book that caught my eye, especially in popular non-fiction. I found myself constantly drawn to behavioral economics, abnormal psychology, psychiatric disorders, genetics, public health, and then really honed that focus on neuroscience. A book called “The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge was actually the Eureka moment book where I decided on neuroscience and never looked back. I subjected my coworkers at Wendy’s to being told like EVERY case study from that book between drive-through orders. More than just being a neuroscientist, I ultimately inferred that to conduct science as independently as I hoped to someday, fully choosing my own research questions and topics, I needed a PhD and probably needed to run my own lab.] Five years later, that this curiosity has not waned but has grown and deepened as I learn and experience more. My experience leaving home at 15 was initially very difficult, but instilled in me traits that strengthen my ability to complete a PhD: intrinsic motivation, resilience, and resourcefulness. Through opportunities afforded me by valuable mentors and research positions, I have become confident in my ability and desire to devote my life to scientific discovery. [My goal here was to show them that personality wise, I am going to be a GREAT fit for a PhD. I’m incredibly independent, determined, and I have worked really hard to make it this far. After deciding on neuroscience at 17 years old, I stuck to it from that time and never looked back.]

Over the past 4 years I have contributed to advances in psychophysiology, neural networks, neuroendocrinology, and neuroimmunology utilizing techniques ranging from neuroimaging to cellular and molecular approaches. As a freshman at Kent State University I quickly sought research involvement with Dr. Joel Hughes, where I studied the relationship between heart rate variability and psychosocial factors. Over my sophomore and junior years under Dr. Josh Pollock, I founded and coordinated a multi-lab research project in which we utilized EEG to investigate the neural correlates of Theory of Mind in those on the autism spectrum vs healthy individuals. These experiences introduced me to formal lab settings and confirmed my desire to work as part of a collaborative intellectual team. [Looking back now, I think a better statement would have chosen two major research projects and elaborated on them to showcase my understanding of the science I was doing. However, at this time, I chose to try to impress the committee with the breadth and number of my research experiences. It’s true that I got involved in research quickly - my first semester freshman year. In truth, I googled at that time “how to get into a good neuroscience PhD program”. Everything I found said to get involved in research, so I did. I cold-emailed any neuro-related lab at my school until someone replied. These two experiences didn’t end up being areas of neuroscience I wanted to continue with, but it was important for me to learn that, and the relationships I made here opened other doors.]

During the summers following my freshman and sophomore years I participated in the BP-ENDURE program at WUSTL. In Dr. Todd Braver's lab, I utilized fMRI to determine whether neural activation patterns may be viable endophenotypes for hereditary psychiatric disorders. This work led to six research presentations and a first-authorship on our manuscript in preparation. It also directed my future research involvement in a different direction, as conversations with many research faculty sparked a fascination with cellular and molecular techniques. I realized that I was not satisfied with the systems-level network information that stems from imaging approaches and desired to probe more specific cellular and molecular mechanisms to inform therapeutic targets for currently untreatable issues. [This two-summer internship was life changing for me. It allowed me authorship on a publication and a lot of conference posters. Again, it wasn’t the area I ended up wanting to do forever, but I had total independence over my project and it was HARD. I learned how to learn with little oversight. By the end of the second summer, I actually placed a fully typed rough draft of our manuscript on my PI’s desk. It was three years later that it ultimately got published in Cerebral Cortex, but what can you do? Something to notice in this paragraph - although in truth I was really frustrated by human task-based fMRI as a technique, I don’t bad-mouth it here. I positively frame the experience as something that guided me towards more cell/molecular biology sub-disciplines that I liked more.]

Realizing this, in January of my junior year I began my foray into wet lab work with Dr. Gemma Casadesus-Smith, with whom I am now completing an honors thesis characterizing the production and distribution of luteinizing hormone in the brain. The freedom I have been given in my thesis work has mimicked a PhD - I proposed a research question, came up with experiments, introduced my lab to novel techniques better suited to answer my question, and am learning to face short-term disappointments and craft creative alternative approaches as I work towards an eventual dissertation and oral defense. [Here I show the reader that when I was dissatisfied with a subdiscipline of neuroscience, I found a way to pursue what I wanted to. I took initiative and found a lab that fit me better, where I then sought a totally independent project that would allow me to both learn wet-lab skills and showcase the intellectual maturity required of a graduate-level scientist.]

To strengthen my wet-lab experience, I spent the summer before senior year working at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the neuroimmunology lab of Dr. Beth Stevens. I utilized immunohistochemistry to investigate the function of schizophrenia risk gene Csmd1, finding that it is critical to synaptic pruning in region- and cell type-specific ways. The collaborative atmosphere at the Broad showed me the necessity of sharing data and knowledge and forming cross-disciplinary partnerships. Based on this experience, I desire to integrate both molecular biology and bioinformatics approaches as I pursue my PhD project. [Since I realized that just one part-time wet-lab research experience at a non-R1 institution was not going to be as compelling as I wanted, I got this last internship before my senior year to at least have two experiences in that realm. I learned a TON at the cutting-edge Broad Institute, while being able to network around the Boston area]

After I earn my PhD, I desire to ultimately work at illuminating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying poorly understood psychiatric disorders so that we can eventually develop therapies that are more precisely targeted and effective. However, it is not imperative to me that I pursue precisely this question as I pursue my doctorate. I want to master a breadth of neurobiological techniques while maturing as a researcher and communicator. Another career objective of mine is being actively engaged in science communication to facilitate collaboration and inform the public and publicly elected officials about the importance of research. [All done with explaining my research experiences, now I had to remind the reader why I want a PhD. This time I’m not explaining my original motivation, but what I hope to do with it someday.]

The structure of the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences umbrella enables exactly this sort of cross-disciplinary collaboration in a way I believe necessary to foster the best scientific outcomes. There are many faculty with whom I would value working - either directly under as a member of their lab or via consultation on alternative methods and approaches.  I would like to utilize modern bioinformatics techniques such as single-cell transcriptomics as well as bench wet-lab techniques in whatever specific question I choose to pursue. After conversations with Dr. Rosalind Segal and Dr. Michael Greenberg during my time at the Broad Institute, I have come to particularly admire the work of Dr. Michael Greenberg in activity-dependent transcriptional regulation, Dr. Steve McCarroll in neurogenetics, Dr. Evan Macosko at the intersection of computational genomics and neuroscience, and Dr. Beth Stevens in neuroimmunology. I could see myself integrating well into any of these labs into the general structure of the Harvard Program in Neuroscience. Thank you for your consideration. [Finally, why Harvard? Here I describe how there are a million neuro faculty at Harvard which is awesome, but that I’ve also done my homework on whose labs are coolest to me. I flex that I networked during my summer in town, which helped me refine this list. Ironically, I didn’t end up even rotating with any of these PIs, but that’s A okay!]