Statement of Purpose for Physics Masters Degree Application

[Foracle]

Why are you going for a Masters? What I get is "a stepping stone towards a PhD" and "you like particle physics". This is a Statement of Purpose. Where's the Purpose?

Thanks for the response.
I have written my purpose in the 3rd paragraph, which is to get a solid understanding in in physics and to get a chance to do research. That's basically my purpose in doing M.Sc, as a stepping stone to PhD. Is this not enough?

I would also be wary of badmouthing your present institution. You don't want people thiniking "he did it to them; he'll so it to us."

I am trying to convey that I managed to overcome a challenge, which is to be able successfully study on my own despite having poor lecturers, and it's proven by me achieving silver medal. But you are right, I will try to write it in a way that doesn't badmouth my institution.

 

[hutchphd]

I have written my purpose in the 3rd paragraph, which is to get a solid understanding in in physics and to get a chance to do research. That's basically my purpose in doing M.Sc, as a stepping stone to PhD. Is this not enough?

I would read the subtext here as "when I get my master's from you guys I will apply to a really good school for my PhD". That seems like what you mean, so maybe you need to reconsider...

 

[Vanadium 50]

I am trying to convey that I managed to overcome a challenge,

Is this a Statement of Purpose? Or a Statement of Challenges I Have Overcome?

 

[Foracle]

Thanks hutchphd and Vanadium. I think I kinda get what I should write. I will try to update this in a short time.

Any other advice is highly appreciated

 

[Foracle]

I have updated the 3rd paragraph of my statement of purpose, which is the part where I elaborate my purpose of doing M.Sc.
After some long soul-searching on why I want to do M.Sc, it is really to get the skills needed to do PhD, and it pretty much sounds like

"when I get my master's from you guys I will apply to a really good school for my PhD".

But isn't this an okay reason to do M.Sc? This time I try to elaborate more on this

I have also corrected my 2nd paragraph to make it less aggressive towards my present institution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I attend my undergraduate studies at a university which is excellent in instrumentation and materials physics, but unfortunately is not as good in the theoretical side. Although my lecturers did an amazing job covering the basics of core subjects like quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, they didn’t get into more advanced topics like phase transition, Landau theory and perturbation theory. Nevertheless, I wasn’t discouraged at all to learn about this on my own, which was done with the help of textbooks and online resources, and it was quite a success as I managed to win a silver medal in the National Physics Competition in 2021, which tested us on the following subjects : Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Thermodynamics, Statistical Mechanics, and Quantum Mechanics.

I admit that without having been guided by an expert, my understanding in physics must still be incomplete, hence I know I am not ready to begin my PhD program yet. Therefore, my primary objective to undertake this M.Sc program is to develop a solid understanding in the framework of physics, particularly theoretical physics, necessary to conduct research. Secondly, I want to get the opportunity to do research (which I never managed to get the chance to due to the scarce opportunity available in where I live), preferably in particle physics, with the guidance of an expert of the field. This experience will not only boost my understanding in the field, but also, more importantly, provide me with the additional skills that a physics researcher should have (e.g. efficiently utilize programming tools to solve problems). These skills that I obtain from this M.Sc program will provide me a solid grounding to start my PhD program in the future, where I project myself to finally start working on the specific field that I want to work on , which is particle physics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If this is not a good reason to do M.Sc, should I try to write something else which does not actually reflect my actual intention of doing M.Sc?

 

[Vanadium 50]

You got some good advice from @Choppy , which you said you'd conside in #12. Why did you decide to go in another direction?

 

[hutchphd]

Reading your essay, I still do not understand why you are not applying for a PhD program directly. If you really intend to do high level research there will be several post-docs likely to follow PhD where you can be very specific in direction. Few folks entering grad school know exactly what they want.
To me this approach (MS only) would seem a bad choice on your part and as examiner of your application I would wonder. Better you should get a fast PhD (4 years is possible if you are lucky and clever) and proceed from there to the post-doc circus. Switching schools after the Master's is unusual, therefore cumbersome, and will likely add a year or more.

 

[CrysPhys]

Reading your essay, I still do not understand why you are not applying for a PhD program directly. If you really intend to do high level research there will be several post-docs likely to follow PhD where you can be very specific in direction. Few folks entering grad school know exactly what they want.
To me this approach (MS only) would seem a bad choice on your part and as examiner of your application I would wonder. Better you should get a fast PhD (4 years is possible if you are lucky and clever) and proceed from there to the post-doc circus. Switching schools after the Master's is unusual, therefore cumbersome, and will likely add a year or more.

Remember, in the US, a student with a BS can enter a PhD program. But in many other countries, a student needs an MS first to enter a PhD program. From previous posts, it appears that the OP is not in the US.

 

[Foracle]

You got some good advice from @Choppy , which you said you'd conside in #12. Why did you decide to go in another direction?

I actually did consider his advice while writing this. I compile all the useful advice I get from the web and wrote my SOP in accordance.

 

[Foracle]

Reading your essay, I still do not understand why you are not applying for a PhD program directly.

I didn't include this in my essay, but I feel like my chance of getting accepted into PhD right now is very slim due to not having research experience. Moreover, my current undergraduate school is pretty terrible, about 90% of the physics I learn during my undergraduate so far is from self-studying. I feel like I am not ready to take on PhD directly.

Switching schools after the Master's is unusual, therefore cumbersome, and will likely add a year or more.

Why is this the case? Are universities in the US less likely to accept PhD candidate with an M.Sc?

 

[hutchphd]

My opinion is yes (it depends upon the quality of your work...but it is a difficult thing to shine in a master's program). I invite other opinions as I out of academia.

 

[CrysPhys]

Why is this the case? Are universities in the US less likely to accept PhD candidate with an M.Sc?

It would be helpful if you would identify what country you're in, and what universities you're planning to apply to. As I mentioned previously, PhD programs in the US are structured differently from those in many other countries; and there is variation among other countries as well. So you need to be careful that the advice you follow is applicable to the country (and even the specific university in some instances) you are applying to.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I actually did consider his advice while writing this

And apparently rejected it. My question is "why?" Why don't you want to say (to quote @Choppy) "you have investigated the specific program you're applying to, understand what makes it unique, and what makes it a good fit for you"?

Without that I can guarantee you how this will be taken: "he doesn't really want to be here - he's shotgunning applications all over and we're just on the list".

And I agree with the others - if you make us guess as to where you are coming from and where you are trying to go to, you will get worse advice.

 

[Foracle]

It would be helpful if you would identify what country you're in, and what universities you're planning to apply to.

And I agree with the others - if you make us guess as to where you are coming from and where you are trying to go to, you will get worse advice.

Oh yeah, sorry I never specified this. I am from Indonesia, and it's also where I attend my undergraduate study. I am planning to apply for M.Sc at the universities in the US and Canada.

And apparently rejected it. My question is "why?" Why don't you want to say (to quote @Choppy) "you have investigated the specific program you're applying to, understand what makes it unique, and what makes it a good fit for you"?

I thought applicants don't specify their specific program for M.Sc (do they?) and choose their field they want to work on in the process of M.Sc.
But if it's something about why I am applying to that specific university, I do plan on writing about this just before the closing part. I have listed the universities I want to apply to (based on funding opportunity and whether they do research on HEP), but haven't yet looked them up closely.

 

[Vanadium 50]

but haven't yet looked them up closely.

That should be your very next step.