Dean’s Session : How to Write a Statement of Interest

Main ideas & lessons conveyed

• Statement of Interest purpose: It is a key part of the graduate application that helps admissions committees understand who you are as a researcher/scholar/professional and whether you are a fit for their program.
• Your controllable elements: Along with the writing sample, the statement of interest is one of the application components you can most directly shape in the present (more than grades/transcripts/CV/reference letters).
• Authentic voice as the centerpiece: The statement should express your authentic voice, interests, capabilities, and plans—showing your thinking style and scholarly identity.
• Clear research/professional narrative: Admissions wants to see not just interests, but goals, capability, program fit, and next steps (long-term impact/career direction).
• Tailoring matters based on program type: The statement’s emphasis should shift depending on whether the degree is MA/Master vs PhD/Doctorate and research vs professional.

“Five-finger” framework (what to include)

Every statement of interest should convey five things, remembered as a “five-fingered hand”:

• What (your topic/aim)

  • What you want to do in the program.
  • For research programs: the research idea/issue/debate/problem you want to investigate.
  • For professional programs: the issue/debate/problem connected to your professional experience and goals.

• More what (context + how you would develop it)

  • Contextualize your focus within the field by connecting it to relevant debates, traditions, questions, or historical/geographical concerns.
  • Show how you’ll explore/develop it, including your learning/research approach (e.g., courses, professors, opportunities, internships/fieldwork, lab work).
  • Demonstrate research/disciplinary skills: show not only “what” you’re interested in, but that you understand how questions in that field are answered.

• Why (why you—your qualifications)

  • Explain why you are able to undertake this work:
    • Relevant background training (courses, seminars, grades).
    • Research opportunities (e.g., undergraduate research, lab experience, conferences, work-study).
    • Life experiences/skills relevant to the discipline.
    • Personal strengths (e.g., driven, independent, committed, confident).

• Where / with whom (why this program + fit + mentors)

  • Explain why this specific program is the right place: program strengths, offerings, courses, structure, and opportunities.
  • Identify mentors/fit when appropriate:
    • At PhD level, stronger applications often specify 1–3 faculty members whose research aligns with your interests.
    • At master’s level, you may not have a single project yet; fit can be more about program strengths and how the program will prepare you.

• What next (long-term vision/goals + impact)

  • Explain how the degree fits into your longer-term career/professional plans:
    • Future goals and the kind of impact/trajectory the advanced study enables.
  • Admissions committees want to assess whether your goals align with what the program can support.

Methodology / step-by-step process for writing

• Step 1: Research the program

  • Read official program info pages (strengths, faculty, student profiles, news, methodology/theories, geographic focus, etc.).
  • Verify administrative details (prerequisites, whether you must name a supervisor, program structure).
  • Review future/current student pages for structure:
    • Courses, exams, theses/major papers, milestones, timelines, when to secure a supervisor, proposal submission points, etc.
  • If academic questions arise, contact the Graduate Program Director (GPD).
  • If administrative/process questions arise, contact the Graduate Program Assistant/Administrator (GPA).

• Step 2: Brainstorm

  • If you don’t have a single clear “what” yet, generate options:
    • Topics/questions/approaches that attracted you.
    • Classes you loved, papers you liked writing, lab work that engaged you.
    • Professors or areas you want to study long-term.
  • Circle clusters that work together to form a coherent “what.”

• Step 3: Outline

  • Use a five-part structure matching: what → more what → why → where/with whom → what next

  • Adjust paragraphing/order if needed, but preserve the core content.

• Step 4: Write

  • Use clear, direct language:
    • Be precise.
    • Avoid overusing jargon; use technical terms only when necessary.
    • Prefer simple sentences.
  • Consider starting with a light hook:
    • A brief statement of why the topic matters to you (optionally with a reference, without being “cute”).
  • Ensure readability across subfields:
    • Use clarity so not every reader must share your exact niche.

• Step 5: Proofread and improve with feedback

  • Proofreading by yourself is not enough—get others to review if possible:
    • Mentors, referees, trusted advisors.
    • People outside your field can help reveal what is unclear.
  • Build time for feedback into the writing schedule.

Tailoring guidance: differences between degree types (key points)

• Master’s vs PhD

  • Master’s
    • You may not yet have a fully defined project; you may have an area of interest.
    • Emphasis can be on preparation: coursework, seminars, refining direction.
    • Program strengths and offerings may matter more than specifying detailed faculty-level alignment.
  • PhD
    • Strong applications more commonly describe the kind of project you want to pursue (even if not fully “worked out”).
    • More emphasis on faculty fit/mentorship, often including 1–3 potential supervisors (varies by field).

• Research vs professional programs

  • Research programs: oriented toward independent research (thesis/dissertation central).
  • Professional programs: emphasize professional specialization/expertise development and often include work-integrated learning (internships/placements). May be terminal degrees more often (not always).

Writing sample guidance (included in the session)

• Role of writing sample: Demonstrates your skills and capabilities (who you are and what you can do), complementing the statement’s “voice.”
• Choose strategically (don’t just submit any best paper):
  • It should be related to your interests, and the strengths shown should be relevant to the degree.
  • It does not have to be from the exact same subfield or the exact same project.

• What the writing sample should show

  • Critical thinking and critique (not just regurgitation).
  • Research ability (using appropriate sources).
  • Ability to draw key points and form a reasoned conclusion/argument.

• If your best writing sample is from another related area

  • Submit it if it shows methods/skills that translate to the target field (e.g., political philosophy writing could fit ethics/moral philosophy).
  • Don’t submit something irrelevant to the field’s expected work (e.g., logic/philosophy of language if there’s no evidence of ethics-style work).

• If papers received expert feedback

  • Prefer a paper graded by a professor/TA.
  • Incorporate feedback: submit a clean revised version (avoid scribbled drafts).

• If the best paper is too long

  • Select the strongest section (e.g., a key chapter excerpt) and provide:
    • A short abstract/summary of what was omitted (intro/chapter summaries and where the argument goes).

Speakers / sources featured

• Alice McGlaughlin — Vice Provost and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies (York University) (primary speaker)
• York University — mentioned as the host institution and for land acknowledgement purposes

Indigenous nations/peoples referenced in the land acknowledgement

• Anishnabek (Anesnabek) Nation
• Haudenosaunee (Hudnison Confederacy)
• Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (as current treaty holders)
• Other communities referenced: First Nation, Inuit, Métis (as “Matei” in subtitles)
• Agreement referenced: Dish With One Spoon wampum belt covenant