Applications
How to read a programme page properly
In short
Extract seven things from every programme page before writing anything: the exact document asked for, its length limit, the entry requirements including the language score, the deadline and its time zone, the module list, the fee and funding position, and whether references are submitted by you or by the referee.
Almost every avoidable application error is an instruction that was published and not read. The word limit, the document name, the referee mechanism: all of it is on the page.
The pages are badly organised, which is the real problem, so this is the order to read them in and the places the binding details tend to hide.
First, what document do they actually want
A statement of purpose, a personal statement, a motivation letter and a research proposal are four different documents, and the page will name one. UK programmes usually want a personal statement, US graduate programmes a statement of purpose, German ones a Motivationsschreiben.
Submitting the wrong one is not a style error. It answers a question nobody asked. The comparison guide sets out how they differ.
Second, the limit and what it counts
Words or characters, and whether characters include spaces. UCAS counts characters including spaces and truncates silently at the cap, which is why people submit statements ending mid-sentence.
Where no limit is given, the convention for the destination applies, and the length guide covers those. Where a limit is given, it is not a suggestion.
Third, the requirements you have to meet on paper
The degree classification or percentage, the language score including any per-band minimum, and any subject prerequisites. Per-band minimums are the most commonly missed: an overall 6.5 with a 5.5 in writing fails a requirement that reads 6.5 with no band below 6.0.
Also check whether the stated requirement is a minimum or a typical offer, because those are different claims and universities word them carelessly.
Fourth, the deadline and its time zone
Portals close on the university's local time, not yours. An Indian applicant submitting at 11pm IST on the deadline day for a US programme is submitting on the deadline day. For an Australian one they may already be a day late.
Note also whether there are rounds. Many programmes admit in waves and later rounds compete for fewer places, which makes an early submission materially better than an on-time one.
Fifth, the modules, which is where the fit paragraph comes from
Read the full list including options, and note the three or four that are specific to this department. This is the raw material for the only paragraph in your statement that cannot be reused elsewhere.
If the page does not list modules, the department site usually does, and a programme that publishes nothing about its content is itself information.
Sixth and seventh: money, and how references work
The fee, whether it is annual or total, and what funding exists for international applicants specifically, which is often a much shorter list than the general one.
Then the reference mechanism: whether you upload letters or the portal emails your referees. If it emails them, your real deadline is several weeks earlier than the published one, because it depends on somebody else.
Related questions
What if the page contradicts itself?
It happens more than you would expect, usually between a central admissions page and a department page. Email admissions, quote both, and keep the reply. Where you cannot get an answer in time, follow the department page and meet the stricter of the two requirements.
Should I contact the department before applying?
For research programmes, yes, and it is often expected. For taught programmes it is unnecessary unless you have a specific question the page does not answer. Our [guide to emailing a supervisor](/blog/emailing-a-potential-supervisor) covers the research case.
How current are these pages?
Usually current for the coming intake and sometimes not updated between cycles. Check the intake year named on the page, and where fees or requirements matter to your decision, confirm by email rather than assuming.