What Reviewers Look For in the Linguistics PhD Statement

This rubric looks at whether your statement connects a clear question about language with relevant preparation, a plausible way of examining the question, and an explanation of how the program supports your work. It also considers whether your writing is clear, organized, concise, and complete within any instructions the program provides. It is for one doctoral statement, not a separate writing sample, full research proposal, personal-history essay, or TESOL master’s statement.

What We Check

Mistakes We Flag

Naming a field instead of a question

Saying you are interested in an area of linguistics does not explain what you want to understand about language. State the question or problem that directs your interest.

Treating an expected answer as already proven

A statement should present an issue to investigate, rather than claim a conclusion before explaining the inquiry.

Listing courses or roles without your contribution

Course titles and job names alone do not show what you did or learned. Explain an action you took and the learning that came from it.

Using future plans as past preparation

Plans for future study do not show learning you have already gained. Keep prior experience and proposed next steps distinct.

Using broad program praise or repeating a faculty topic

Explain what you would learn from a specific program feature and how it connects to your inquiry. Prestige alone, or a repeated topic label, does not show that connection.

How this rubric reads your essay

• Built from published reader guidance — the sources are listed below.
• Scored per section against defined criteria, not general impressions.
• Calibrated for consistent scoring, so a better draft shows up in the score.

References

Frequently Asked Questions