好文共赏：MIT EECS 全奖 PhD 的个人陈述

今天要分享的是顺利录取到 MIT EECS 全奖 PhD 项目的一份个人陈述（目的陈述）。对于理工科的同学来说，这篇SOP的内容呈现、科研细节都很具有参考性；对于社科/文商科的同学来说，其思路、结构和逻辑安排也有可借鉴之处。总之是一份很不错的参考材料。
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以下是SOP全文（部分信息已由MIT官方做了模糊处理）：
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* E6 V, p- |+ G+ T5 u+ {. o; pMy research interest lies in quantum information science and technologies, especially quantum information processing. Building on a strong background from my undergraduate research in this field and the related field of photonics, I am applying to
; o. v4 @4 G0 X  j; L% bMIT’s PhD in EECS to conduct research with the top experts in this field.
第一段：简单介绍自己的研究兴趣和研究背景，注意要简洁。

My interest began with studying light at the nanoscale. In the summer of my first year, I started as a research assistant to Prof. XXX in University of Toronto’s XXXX Group and the spin-o˙ XXX Inc. I developed expertise in modelling, optimization, and fabrication of photonic nanomaterials and devices, especially light-matter interactions involving plasmons – quanta of electron oscillations in metal. I thrived in the research environment and received another XXX fellowship to continue my research with the group part time during the school year. During my second year, after half a year in the group, I presented my modelling and optimization work as a research poster at the 8th Symposium on Functional Coatings and Surface Engineering. Over the next year, with my maturing knowledge in photonics, I co-authored a device patent and a journal article on photocatalysis. Furthermore, with the trust and support of the group, I self-initiated a study that led to the surprising discovery of localized surface plasmon resonance in optical films from interface di˙usion. Working independently during my third school year, I formulated a theoretical model that accounted for the observed optical phenomenon and I made critical predictions about the necessary material morphology that were subsequently validated by additional experiments with Dr. XXX. After months of exacting revisions for scientific rigour as well as clarity and brevity of writing, the year-long e˙ort culminated in my first-author manuscript that is currently (as of Dec. 2018) in review at  Nature Photonics.
3 e3 g1 D& \1 z! u7 g% O5 Z- j每段科研经历都要介绍研究问题、具体的贡献和成果（记得要量化而非空谈）。

# I) a6 K+ W& C3 o5 sThe two years of experience in modelling nanoscale light-matter interactions led me naturally to the booming field of quantum information processing. I was fascinated by the potentials of a powerful quantum computer built from light-matter interactions between microwave photons and superconducting circuits. So in the summer of my third year, I shifted focus and joined Prof. XXX’s XXX group at Univeristé de Sherbrooke. With an Institut Quantique Fellowship, I undertook a new project on improving the resonance-induced phase gate with our experimental collaborators at the Engineering Quantum Systems group at MIT. It was an extremely enriching experience to join a starting project and be able to develop the full spectrum of skills in designing superconducting circuits, making and validating approximations, modelling interactions, and optimizing device parameters. By the end of the summer, I was fluent in basic Quantum Electrodynamics, the various phase space methods, analytics with Mathematica, and numerics with QuTiP. Armed with these research tools, I dedicated my senior undergraduate thesis to developing a new scheme for nonadiabatic holonomic gates with transmons, with experimental collaborators at ETH Zürich and continued supervision from Prof. XXX.
! z5 L' {! r. `热爱和兴趣是读博的最强驱动力，这一点也要在SOP中有明确的体现！
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MIT is a top destination for my graduate research because of its strong expertise in quantum information processing. I have experienced the proficiency of the researchers here first-hand when collaborating with Prof. William Oliver and the Engineering Quantum Systems group. In addition, the classic textbook Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Prof. Isaac Chuang was the most useful reference throughout my undergrad research in the field. Overall, My research interests aligns very well with that of Prof. Oliver, Prof. Chuang, and Prof. O’Brien.
列出所申请院系的教授，给出非常具体的 why school/program.

# D# z: O$ q! a- v( B+ MI am determined to pursue a research career in quantum information processing, with the goal of applying for permanent positions in academic or industrial labs. This is a truly exciting time for the field, as increasing government and industrial investments are expected to accelerate breakthroughs. If I am given this extraordinary opportunity, I hope to leverage the expertise and resources at MIT to contribute to world-class research and successfully launch my own research career.
合理的长期职业规划（一定是科研相关！）也是必要的。

Finally, for the committee and faculty: Thank you very much for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you soon.
9 L4 e5 b" |. ~# B9 _; k1 f' L礼貌结尾，简单真诚就好。

没有推荐信，即使是专门为写personal statement而培训过的文学家来写也申不到MIT吧