How to Write a Statement of Purpose That Gets You Accepted [Show Summary]

Vanessa Febo is a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA and a writing instructor who has guided students to acceptance at top programs at Harvard, Stanford, and USC. In this episode, she shares her expert tips on mastering the writing required for a successful statement of purpose. 

Interview with Vanessa Febo, a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA and Accepted Admissions Consultant [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 473rd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. The challenge at the heart of admissions is showing that you both fit in at your target schools and stand out in the applicant pool. Accepted’s free download, Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both. Master this paradox, and you are well on your way to acceptance. You can download this free guide at accepted.com/fiso.

Our guest today, Vanessa Febo, is a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's in English, and then worked in business for several years. While pursuing her PhD at UCLA, she has taught writing to undergraduate students and assisted graduate students in getting major grants and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessy, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. She has also guided students to acceptance at top programs at Harvard, Stanford, USC, and others, while an Accepted consultant. 

How did you get involved in coaching applicants in the writing required for admissions as well as grant and scholarship applications? [2:08]

I was an English major, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a PhD. I wasn't sure what that entailed at the time. I don't think anyone necessarily does when they’re going into a PhD program, but I discovered a lot of it was teaching. I really loved teaching and a big part of teaching and the English curriculum is obviously working with students on their writing, which we’re not necessarily fully trained in. So I got additional certification in writing pedagogy as well. Then I managed to get a job at the Scholarship Resource Center at UCLA, which is a very unique center because it's one of the only of its kind in the country. It's really surprising to me that more universities, especially private ones that have so much money, don’t have centers like this. We're one of the very few that actually help students work on applications for scholarships. Through that, I have the opportunity to work with students on what we might call national merit or nationally recognized international scholarships as well because that is operated through that office. I got to work with Dr. Rebecca Blustein, who spearheads this at UCLA. I've been involved on selection committees for scholarships through this office for in-house scholarships and for things like Phi Beta Kappa, the National Honor Society. I was recently on their selection committee for that, but it just finished. I've also worked with students with both interviewing and essay writing for all sorts of scholarships,