Many people have already written sage advice for applying to graduate school. If you’re looking for some pointers, here’s a good place to start: Grad School Resources by Kalpesh Krishna (linked to from Nelson Liu’s Student Perspectives on Applying to NLP PhD Programs). There’s also a scrappy list of related links here from my “Resources” page.
Since the existing resources do a great job of covering the essentials, I’ll simply supplement with what isn’t yet as readily available by offering my personal experiences as “anecdata”.
Specifically, if you think it would be helpful, you’re welcome to take a look at my Statement of Purpose. Keep in mind that the letters of recommendation hold more weight than your statement of purpose, so at some point fussing over your statement of purpose any more will only make so much of a difference and you should make sure you’ve at least contacted your letter writers with the list of programs you plan to apply to and your current application package since they will likely need time and deserve a heads up.
In addition, the following applies to those applying in the 2020 application season:
Specific to 2020 Application Season
- Many schools have waived their GRE requirement in light of the COVID-19 pandemic:
- If you are a member of an under-represented group, Brown CS has compiled a list of initiatives and resources that may be helpful:
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For example, Stanford CS has a formal Student-Applicant Support Program for getting your application reviewed by a current PhD student. This is a great opportunity and you should take advantage of it! A knowledgeable reviewer can point out faculty you should be aware of and make sure you present yourself and your work with the compelling exposition they deserve. Note that the deadline is Oct 31.
Whether this applies to you or not, feedback can prevent you from making avoidable slips and you should consider taking the initiative to seek it if you're not already given the chance. -
[Update 2020 Oct 28] Berkeley EECS, MIT EECS, CMU SCS, and Penn CIS have similar applicant support programs for reviewing applications too. Berkeley's deadline is Nov 1, MIT's is Nov 8, CMU's is Nov 9, and Penn's is Nov 1. If you're eligible, be sure to take advantage.
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For example, Stanford CS has a formal Student-Applicant Support Program for getting your application reviewed by a current PhD student. This is a great opportunity and you should take advantage of it! A knowledgeable reviewer can point out faculty you should be aware of and make sure you present yourself and your work with the compelling exposition they deserve. Note that the deadline is Oct 31.
[Update 2022 Nov 15] You can check https://cs-sop.org/ for a collection of example statements of purpose (SoPs) for computer science PhD programs. Please note that those listed may not be representative and that you can (and probably should) tailor yours to your own taste.
All the best!