of whose statements are admission

Section 17 of the evidence act defines admission it says that "An admission is a statement, oral or documentary or contained in electronic form, which suggests any inference as to any fact in issue or relevant fact, and which is made by any of the persons, and under the circumstances, hereinafter mentioned. " [1]

Admission is dealt with in chapter 2 section 17 to 23 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

Admissions should be clear, accurate and specific and it should be the language told by the person admitting inference drawn by a person upon the words of the person admitting cannot be called admission. [2] In the case of G. Rangaiah v. Govindappa [3] , it was said that admission should be of a precise fact and it should be specific and there should not be multiple inferences available for admission.

Admission is the confession or voluntary acknowledgement of a party or any person identified with them to that of the existence of certain facts in legal interest, the predominant characteristics of such types of evidence is of its binding nature. This was observed in the case of Ajodhya Prasad Bhargava v. Bhawani Shankar Bhargava [4] .

However, in the case of Mukesh Kumar Ajmera v. State of Rajasthan [5] , it was observed by the court that just because an allegation is not denied it can not be denied as to have been admitted.

In the case of N. Murali Krishna v. South Central Railway, Secunderabad [6] , it was said that admission has to be made by an adversary and not by the person who asserts it.

II. Types of admissions

There are two types of admission they are-

Judicial admissions are formal while extra-judicial admissions are informal. Judicial admissions are made during the proceeding of the case but extra-judicial proceedings do not appear on the record of the case. Judicial admissions are fully binding on the party who made them and they constitute a waiver of proof. Its reference can be taken from section 58 of the act [7] .

In the case of Ajodhya Prasad Bhargava v. Bhawani Shankar Bhargawa [8] , it was said that unlike judicial admissions extrajudicial admissions are not fully but partly binding on the parties. However, they are binding in cases where they operate as or are having the effect of estoppel, in which cases they are fully binding.

III. Effects of admission

In the case of Ajodhya Prasad Bhargava v. Bhawani Prasad Guptha [9] , three effects of admissions were enumerated. They are: –

In the case of Basant Singh v. Janki Singh [10] the question before the court was as to the date of death of a particular person. The plaintiff sought reliance on a statement made by the defendant in the plaint in an earlier suit. However, he denies the other statements contained in the plaint.

The Supreme Court, in this case, said that-

IV. Admissions by a party to proceedings or his agents

This is dealt with in section 18 of the evidence act [12] .

Section 18 says that "Statements made by a party to the proceeding, or by an agent to any such party, whom the Court regards, under the circumstances of the case, as expressly or impliedly authorised by him to make them, are admissions."

By suitor in representative character – Statements made by parties to suits suing or sued in a representative character, are not admissions unless they were made while the party making them held that character.

Statements made by

are admissions, if they are made during the continuance of the interest of the persons making the statements.

Section 18 lays down five classes of persons who can make admissions –

It was said in the case of Nathoo Lal v. Durga Prasad [14] , that whatever is admitted by the party in the court must be presumed to be true unless the contrary is proven but before this proposition can be taken it must be shown that the admission by the party is clear and unambiguous as must be conceived unless explained. [15]

V. Admission by the defendant

In the case of Roopi Bai v. Mahaveer [16] , the defendant merely pleaded ignorance of the facts that were placed before him. The court held that it will amount to admission unless by necessary implication it will amount to the denial of the fact.

"In criminal cases, statements made out of court by an accused are similarly admissible against him though they are subject to special conditions of admissibility and are usually called "confessions." Confessions which comply with these special conditions and other statements made by a party or an accused person are admissible against him as evidence of the truth of the facts asserted and are termed informal admissions. Such admissions, unlike formal admissions, do not bind their maker but maybe contradicted or explained." [17]

In the case of Sital Prasad v. State [18] , a person was accused of the Foodgrains Control Order. The accused person made a general statement that he used to keep food grain bags which were left by a businessman. The court said that it was a general-statement and it do not satisfy the necessary conditions to prove offence and the fact that it was kept by him for sale, thus he cannot be convicted by the statement.

VI. Admissions by persons whose position must be proved as against party to suit

Section 19 of the evidence act [19] deals with admissions by persons whose position must be proved as against party to suit. It says that

"Statements made by persons whose position or liability, it is necessary to prove as against any party to the suit, are admissions if such statements would be relevant as against such persons in relation to such position or liability in a suit brought by or against them, and if they are made whilst the person making them occupies such position or is subject to such liability."

As per the general rule contained in section 18, it is not permissible to take statements from people who are third parties to the suit this section and section 20 says makes it possible to take statements from people who are third parties to the suit. These two sections are the exceptions to the general rule and it shows when and under what circumstances third party admission to a suit can be taken.

In the case of Appavu v. Nanjappa [20] , it was said by the court that "The object of this section is not to lay down that certain statements are relevant or admissible, but merely to add to the category of persons by whom a statement may be made before it can be considered to be an admission within the terms of the Indian Evidence Act. The statements referred to in Section 19 become admissible provided they satisfy the requirements of Section 17 as regards their nature, and Section 21 or any of the following sections, as regards their liability."

In the case of Ali Moidin Ravuthan v. Elayachanilathi Kombi Achan [21] , two people A and B borrowed money from a lender C. C brought a suit against A alone. A said that B should also be joined with him since there is a joint liability on him also. It was held by the court that the admissions of B while borrowing money is relevant between A and C, though he was alive and was not cited as a witness.

VII. Admissions by persons expressly referred to by party to suit

Section 20 of the evidence act [22] states that "Statements made by persons to whom a party to the suit has expressly referred for information in reference to a matter in dispute are admissions."

As explained earlier this section is another exception to the general rule that admissions of third parties are not relevant to the suit. This section says that when a person refers a third person to him for information over an uncertain or disputed matter then his statement over the matter will be relevant. [23]

In the case of Hirachand Kothari v. State of Rajasthan [24] the court said that "Where a party refers to a third person for some information or an opinion on a matter in dispute, the statements made by the third person are receivable as admissions against the person referring. The reason is that when a party refers to another person for a statement of his views, the party approves of his utterance in anticipation and adopts that as his own. The principle is the same as that of reference to arbitration. The reference may be by express words or by conduct, but in any case, there must be a clear admission to refer and such admissions are generally conclusive."

The principle of this section will also apply in cases of criminal cases. It was said in the case of R v. Mallory [25] that when a husband said that his wife will make the list of all of his properties and subsequently the wife makes the list then it will be evidence against him.

According to this section, there are three parties involved in this section.

However, in the case of Tumman v. Sheo Darshan [27] , it was said that a party can abandon the agreement before the referee can make a statement. In the case of Bishambar v. Shri Takurjee Maharaj [28] it was said that the statement of the referee is to be considered in the nature of pronouncement of the case and so before the pronouncement is made a party can abandon the agreement.

VIII. Proof of admissions against persons making them, and by or on their behalf

Section 21 of the evidence act says that

"Admissions are relevant and may be proved as against the person who makes them, or his representative in interest; but they cannot be proved by or on behalf of the person who makes them or by his representative in interest, except in the following cases-

In the case of Bhim Singh v. Kamnsingh [30] , the question was whether a certain transaction was benami and it was contended by the opposite party that the question cannot be examined on the basis of statements made several years after the date of transaction, it was held by the Supreme Court in this case that as those statements were made against the proprietary interest of the maker thereof, they were admissible under Section 21 and also Section 32, clause (3) of the Act.

IX. When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant

Section 22 of the evidence act says that "Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in question." [31]

X. When oral admission as to contents of electronic records are relevant

Section 22A of the Indian evidence act 1872 says, "Oral admissions as to the contents of electronic records are not relevant unless the genuineness of the electronic record produced is in question." [32]

This section was added in the evidence act by the Information Technology Act, 2000.

XI. Admissions in civil cases when relevant

Section 23 of the Indian Evidence Act says that "In civil cases, no admission is relevant if it is made either upon an express condition that evidence of it is not to be given or under circumstances from which the Court can infer that the parties agreed together that evidence of it should not be given." [33]

The explanation to this section says that "Nothing in this section shall be taken to exempt any barrister, pleader, attorney or vakil from giving evidence of any matter of which he may be compelled to give evidence under section 126."

This section excludes admissions in civil cases under two scenarios, firstly admissions which are made upon an express condition that evidence of it is not to be given and, secondly, under circumstances from which the Court can infer that the parties agreed together that evidence of it should not be given. However, the explanation to this section says that admissions by barrister, pleader, attorney or vakil are not excluded by this section. [34]

In the case of Hoghton v. Hoghton [35] , it was observed by the court that, "this section was made to protect communications which are made without prejudice. Confidential overtures of pacification and any other offers or propositions between litigating parties, expressly or impliedly made without prejudice, are excluded on grounds of public policy. For, if parties were to be prejudiced by their efforts to compromise it would be impossible to attempt any amicable arrangement of differences."

Edited by- Akriti

[1] The Indian Evidence Act 1862, s 17

[2] H.G. Ramchandra Rao v. Srikantha, 1997 Cr LJ 347

[3] AIR 2008 Kant 151

[4] AIR 1957 All 1

[5] AIR 1997 Raj 250

[6] AIR 2014 AP 100

[7] The Evidence Act 1872, s 58

[8] AIR 1957 All 1

[10] AIR 1967 SC 341

[11] The Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 17

[12] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 18

[13] Ratanlal and Dhirajlal The Law of Evidence p. 478 ed. 24

[14] AIR 1954 SC 355

[15] Nagubai v. B. Shama Rao, AIR 1956 SC 593

[16] AIR 1994 Raj 133

[17] Ratanlal and Dhirajlal The Law of Evidence p.480 ed.24

[18] AIR 1953 All 101

[19] The Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 19

[20] ILR 25 Mad LJ 329

[21] (1913) 5 Mad 239.

[22] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 20

[23] Ratanlal and Dhirajlal, The law of evidence p.495 ed.24

[24] AIR 1985 SC 998

[25] (1884) 13 QBD 33

[26] D'Cruz v. Secy of State, 40 Cal WN 865

[27] ILR 52 All 235

[28] 53 All 673

[29] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 21

[30] AIR 1980 SC 727

[31] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 22

[32] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 22A

[33] Indian Evidence Act 1872, s 23

[34] Ratanlal and Dhirajlal The Law of Evidence p.521 ed.24

[35] (1852) 15 Beav 278 .

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Determine which of the following planes are perpendicular to the line x = 4 − 6 t , y = 1 + 9 t , z = 2 + 3 t x=4-6 t, y=1+9 t, z=2+3 t x = 4 − 6 t , y = 1 + 9 t , z = 2 + 3 t . (a) 4 x + y + 2 z = 1 4 x+y+2 z=1 4 x + y + 2 z = 1 (b) 2 x − 3 y + z = 4 2 x-3 y+z=4 2 x − 3 y + z = 4 (c) 10 x − 15 y − 5 z = 2 10 x-15 y-5 z=2 10 x − 15 y − 5 z = 2 (d) − 4 x + 6 y + 2 z = 9 -4 x+6 y+2 z=9 − 4 x + 6 y + 2 z = 9

Which of the following is a reflective statement documenting important things the project team has learned from working on the project?

A hot liquid ( c p = 1000 J / k g ⋅ K ) \left(c_{p}=1000 \mathrm{J} / \mathrm{kg} \cdot \mathrm{K}\right) ( c p = 1000 J / kg ⋅ K ) flows at a flow rate of 0.05 kg/s inside a copper pipe with an inner diameter of 45 mm and a wall thickness of 5 mm. At the pipe exit, the liquid temperature decreases by 1 0 ∘ C 10^{\circ} \mathrm{C} 1 0 ∘ C from its temperature at the inlet. The outer surface of the 5-m-long copper pipe is black oxidized, which subjects the outer surface to radiation heat transfer. The air temperature surrounding the pipe is 1 0 ∘ C . 10^{\circ} \mathrm{C}. 1 0 ∘ C . Assuming that the properties of air can be evaluated at 3 5 ∘ C 35^{\circ} \mathrm{C} 3 5 ∘ C and 1 atm pressure, determine the outer surface temperature of the pipe. Is 3 5 ∘ C 35^{\circ} \mathrm{C} 3 5 ∘ C an appropriate film temperature for evaluation of the air properties?

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296. Communications with Represented Persons—Issues for Consideration

Rule 4.2 of the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides: "In representing a client, a lawyer shall not communicate about the subject of the representation with a person the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer in the matter, unless the lawyer has the consent of the other lawyer or is authorized by law to do so by law or a court order." (2002). Department attorneys should be aware that Comment 5 to Model Rule 4.2 provides that "[t]he fact that a communication does not violate a state or federal constitutional right is insufficient to establish that the communication is permissible under this Rule." Although the rule may vary from state to state, each state has adopted a rule of professional conduct that governs communications with represented persons. Department attorneys should be guided by the relevant state's or federal district court's rule and interpretations of that rule and should not rely exclusively on the ABA Model Rule and its interpretation in determining what is appropriate conduct, unless directed to do so by the relevant rules of professional conduct. Nonetheless, as a general matter, it may be useful to review ABA Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility Formal Opinion 95-396, "Communications with Represented Persons" (July 24, 1995), and the Annotated Model Rules of Professional Conduct published by the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility.

Department attorneys should consider the following issues when they analyze the relevant rule of professional conduct regarding communications with represented persons.

How the term "represented person" is defined when an organization is represented. The contacts rules vary from state to state in how they define a "represented person" when that "person" is an organizational entity. Some states prohibit communications only with those high-level employees who can bind the organization in the matter on which the organization is represented. Other states prohibit communications concerning the matter in representation with persons having managerial responsibility on behalf of the organization. Many states prohibit communications with any person whose act or omission in connection with that matter may be imputed to the organization for purposes of civil or criminal liability. And a number of states preclude contact with a corporate employee or constituent whose statement may constitute an admission on the part of the organization. Many states' contacts rules do not prohibit contact with former employees of a represented organization; however, even when communicating with former employees is permissible, the discussion should not include attorney-client privileged information.

An attorney who purports to represent more than one person regarding a matter may be precluded from such representation by the relevant professional responsibility conflict of interest rules. For example, an attorney who represents an organization may have a conflict of interest if he represents both the organization and certain of its employees. See ABA Model Rule 1.7.

[updated May 2005] [cited in JM 9-13.200 ]

Law Q&A

Admission Defined – Indian Evidence Act Notes

Admission Under the Indian Evidence Act

What is Admission?

Admission is a statement that may be oral, documentary, or contained in electronic form, which suggests any inference as to the fact in issue or relevant fact. Section 17 of the Indian Evidence Act defines Admission.

1. Admission can be either self-harming or self-serving (serve own interest). 2. Self-harming admissions are acceptable evidence. 3. Confession is an admission of guilt. It is acceptable and valid in evidence. 4. There can be an admission by silence also.

Admission Can Be Formal or Informal

Formal admissions : Formal admissions are judicial admissions, and in such a case, there is no need to prove the facts admitted. Section 58 of the Indian Evidence Act says that the facts which are judicially admitted need not to be proved.

Informal admissions : Informal admissions are usually made in casual conversation in ignorance of the possibility of it being used in future litigation. For example, with friends, family, neighbour, and so on.

Admission as a Waiver of Proof

When parties make an admission of fact, it, in turn, amounts to a waiver of proof of such a fact. If a party admits any fact on its own then there is no need to give evidence to prove such a fact.

Conditions For Admissibility of Admissions

1. Admission must relate to the subject matter. 2. Admission must always be in the nature of self-harming form/statement. 3. Admission must be made by persons and in the circumstances mentioned under Section 18 to 20 of the Indian Evidence Act .

Who Can Make Admissions?

Admissions may be made by the:-

1. Party to the proceedings ( Section 18 ) 2. By the agent of such party who is authorised. 3. Suitor in a representative character, when he held that character. 4. Party having pecuniary or proprietary interests. 5. Predecessor in the title (who was in the title before me). 6. Person whose position or liability in question. ( Section 19 ) 7. Referee ( Section 20 )

Evidentiary Value of Admission

Admission is not conclusive proof of the fact admitted as it is a piece of prima facia evidence only. But it may operate as an estoppel . The person can be stopped to deny the truth of the statement.

The Supreme Court in Banarasi Das vs. Kanshi Ram, 1963 said, ‘it is a weak type of evidence, and the court may reject it if the contrary is proved.’

In Bishwanath Prasad vs. Dwarka Prasad, 1974 , the Supreme Court met further observations-

The purpose of contradicting a witness in section 145 and the object of proving admission here is entirely different. In case of contradiction, it will be necessary to put the statement to the witness so that he will have an opportunity to explain it. But it is not so required in admission.

Admission as Estoppel

Section 31 of the Indian Evidence Act says that admissions are not conclusive proof of the matter admitted, but it may operate as an estoppel. A person can’t deny of the fact he admitted in court. And if it is treated as estoppel, rules of section 115-117 of the Indian Evidence Act will apply.

When Admission May be Proved

Proof Of Admission Against Persons Making Them, And By Or On Their Behalf : Section 21

Admissions will be proved against the person making it and not in his favour. The general rule is that one cannot prove a statement in his favour. But section 21 incorporates three exceptions, which, even if being self-serving, can be proved by the party. These are:-

1. Admissions falling under section 32 : This exception enables a person to prove his own statement where the circumstances are such that if he were dead, the statement would have been relevant in dispute between third parties (when veracity is not in doubt it can be brought).

2. Statement as to the bodily feeling of the state of mind falling under section 14- The statement of men’s mind or body is relevant under section 14 and statement narrating such facts which indicate the state of mind or body made at or about the time when such state existed and which is accompanied by conduct are relevant.

3. Statement otherwise relevant, then it may be proved as otherwise relevant fact and not as admissions.

Admission to Prove Document

When Oral Admissions As To Contents Of Documents Are Relevant : Section 22

Document must be proved by the document itself. But when the document is not available, then secondary evidence may be given for it under section 65 .

Section 59 says all facts except the contents of documents or electronic records may be proved by oral evidence.

Section 63(5) says oral accounts of the contents of a documents given by some person who has himself seen it.

Oral Admission of Electronic Record

When Oral Admissions As To Contents Of Electronic Records Are Relevant : Section 22A

Inserted by IT Act 2000. When genuineness of electronic record produced is in question, then only oral admissions as to the contents of electronic records are relevant.

Admission in Civil Cases

Admission In Civil Cases, When Relevant : Section 23

Where there is an agreement to the fact either express or implied that evidence of admission will not be given, then it will not be produced/adduced before the court. It is just to encourage the parties to settle their matter of dispute with full freedom where they can diverse the things.

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What is Admission ? Various provisions relating to admission

1) meaning of admission:, 2) definition of admission:, 3) characteristics of admission : , 4) nature of admission:, 5) who can make admissions (section 18 to section 20) -, when oral admission as to contents of documents are relevant (section 22), when oral admissions as to contents of electronic records are relevant section 22a), 6) effects of admission , admission not conclusive proof:, estoppel of the party admitting:, 7) evidentiary value of admission - , 5 comments:.

very nice notes..........

Nice notes Thanks a lot

short and sweet but wished for formal and informal admission to be clear and precise.

Admissions are of _____ kinds

Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! gstadmission.ac.bd

Writing the Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should convince readers– the faculty on the selection committee– that you have solid achievements behind you that show promise for your success in graduate study. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with four different parts.

Make sure to check on the appropriate departmental website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations

Tell them what you’re interested in, and perhaps, what sparked your desire for graduate study. This should be short and to the point; don’t spend a great deal of time on autobiography.

Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career

a) Research you conducted. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, or in the style of your discipline. Professors are the people who read these statements.

b) Important paper or thesis project you completed, as well as anything scholarly beyond your curricular requirements.

c) Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility for testing, designing, researching or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school.

Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities

If you graduated and worked prior to returning to grad school, indicate what you’ve been doing: company or non-profit, your work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your graduate studies.

Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

Here you indicate what you would like to study in graduate school in enough detail to convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline, and are engaged with current research themes.

a) Indicate the area of your interests. Ideally, pose a question, define a problem, or indicate a theme that you would like to address, and questions that arise from contemporary research. This should be an ample paragraph!

b) Look on the web for information about departments you’re interested in, including professors and their research. Are there professors whose research interests parallel yours? If so, indicate this. Check the specific program; many may require you to name a professor or professors with whom you might work.

c) End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.

Essential Tips

1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student.

2. Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive voice.

3. Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.

4. If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.

5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.

6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected words (1-2 single space pages in 12 point font) is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization.

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Writing your academic statement of purpose.

What is it?

Each applicant must submit an academic statement of purpose (ASOP). The ASOP is one of your primary opportunities to help the admissions committee understand your academic objectives and determine if you are a good match for the program you are applying to. The goal of this document is to impress upon the admissions committee that you have a solid background and experience in your area of interest and that you have the potential to be successful in graduate study.

The ASOP is also a place, if necessary, where you can (and should) address any blemishes, gaps, or weaknesses in your academic record. In these situations, you will want to be honest, but brief. It is best to turn negatives into positives by focusing on how you overcame obstacles, remained persistent in the pursuit of your goals, and showed resilience. Share what you learned from the particular experience, and how it led you to become a better researcher/scholar/person, etc.

Why is it important?

The ASOP is one of the most important pieces of your graduate school application because it:

Information to Include

Introduce yourself and your academic interests.

Describe your academic background, preparation, and training

Show them you are making an informed decision

Important Things to Remember

Length, Format and Tone

Final Checklist

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Statement of Purpose and Writing Sample

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. You should describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen degree program, noting the experiences that shaped your research ambitions, indicating briefly your career objectives, and concisely stating your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Your degree program of interest may have specific guidance or requirements for the statement of purpose, so be sure to review the degree program page for more information. Unless otherwise noted, your statement should not exceed 1,000 words.

Writing Sample

Please visit Degree Programs and navigate to your degree program of interest to determine if a writing sample is required. When preparing your writing sample, be sure to follow program requirements, which may include format, topic, or length.

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Reality check on advice for statement of purpose

I'm about to write a statement of purpose for graduate admission and my advisor passed along to me the following pieces of advice to keep in mind while writing (based on his style and experience in admission commitees).

I completely agree with every point he has made. However, I'd like to have further insight and suggestions and yet another reality check on the soundness of these pieces of advice.

Advice from my advisor: Don't try to sell me my own research area by explaining to me how fascinating it is. Do show your interest by showcasing your previous experience working on (or studying) related topics (not necessarily very closely related). Don't tell me how amazing, prestigious, perfect my institution or research group is. I know more than you do about that. Also, chances are that you are applying to a lot of schools and don't have inflexible interests yet, which is fine. Just tell me that you may be willing to work with a certain research group that seems more or less in line with your previous experience or future directions. Don't tell me a cute story about how you fell in love with my field when you were a kid (or high school senior or college freshmen). I just don't care. I want to hire a soon-to-be professional to join my research group, not a little boy with a cute story. I only need to know factual information that show your commitment to the field (for example, courses/conferences attended, projects undertaken). Ban ill-crafted, pseudo-literary, flowery, cheesy narrations. Just write facts. Straightforwardly. Succintly. Accurately. I'll draw conclusions for myself. Ban any buzzwords, meaningless adjectives and adverbs. If they don't add concrete information, but are there just an ill-advised attempt to impress, cut them!

7 Answers 7

All good advice. In addition, may I suggest that a statement of purpose should answer the question, what is your purpose in wanting to do this? What will you do if they admit you? It should be future-oriented. What are your goals and how does this fit into your plans for getting there?

My research adviser and my academic graduate adviser at my undergrad aerospace engineering department provided similar advice as your professor when I applied to grad schools. They dread reading the same "I fell in love with airplanes as a child" opener. Their advice prompted me to write a formulaic but clear statement of purpose that I think served as a breath of fresh air for one my successful "dream program" applications.

My SOP was 1.5 justified alignment ( do this no matter what you write , so much neater) pages with clearly labeled sections:

You may have more or less information for each section, but I would recommend this structured and straightforward style. I think anything more than 2 pages is overkill though (except for NSF).

In summary, make reading your SOP as easy and least-cringe-y as possible.

I'm a current graduate school applicant. I included a short story in my statement of purpose to give a few details of my background and ultimately show how I overcame barriers to be a successful first-generation college student, like receiving a full-ride scholarship based on my status.

To modify point 3, telling a small story about a relevant part of your background to highlight some characteristic of your personality, like dedication, can boost your application. This can include describing overcoming hardships as a first-generation student or a foreigner. Plus, it will add some "personality" or "insight" to your application that can't really be described anywhere else.

Reasons this is generally sound advice (and what's missing)

Professors must read many statements of purpose, so following this advice will make it easy for them to get the info they are trying to find. Honestly, the stories about when a student fell in love with a topic aren't helpful in determining if they will be a productive scholar (and get really boring after reading 20 variations on the same theme). Sticking to the facts will help the reader get the information they need quickly and prevent your letter from being tossed aside.

Additionally, (depending on the specific field) scientific writing tends to be focused on communicating clearly and precisely; good scientific writing leaves out unhelpful digressions and imprecise terms. Following the OP's advisor's advice will tend to make a statement of purpose look more like good scientific writing.

What's missing

I agree with the advice that it is unhelpful to tell a potential advisor that their research group is prestigious/perfect. However, as the first point of advice implies, it is critical to communicate your "fit" with the work being done there. Potential advisors want to know whether you understand what you would be getting into, and that the work is a good fit for your interests and skills.

This could mean that you have already worked on related projects, but not necessarily. For instance, I once read a statement of purpose (and accompanying letters of recommendation) that emphasized that the student was not afraid of teaching herself new skills and learning new topics without hands-on guidance. This sort of independence is critical in my area of work (which is interdisciplinary and requires understanding work coming out of multiple fields).

If your key strengths would make you a good fit for the type of science being done in that group, you must emphasize this.

Ultimately, as others have pointed out, professors are interested in hiring potential junior colleagues who will be productive. It is OK to deviate from the specific points in the OP's advisor's advice, so long as you (clearly and succinctly) speak to this main point.

I see your advisor's point of view, and it is safe to say that he is right. However, there are exaggerations which might lead to a nonsensical cover letter. The tone in these advices seem a bit disrespectful to candidates as well.

If you stick to this advice 100% this is what you should write,

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this letter to declare my interest in the open position a the research team ABC. I have studied on this topic for two years, and I have four publications. I am willing to work with people from different cultures and countries. This research area also fits my future plans. I have attended courses X, Y and Z, and passed them all with good grades.

Set aside this information can be obtained by only looking at your CV, the cover letter does not reveal any personal information.

Unfortunately, by giving an advice of not using ill-crafted, pseudo-literary, flowery, cheesy words, ironically, he himself uses some buzzwords, meaningless adjectives and adverbs that we hear in Hollywood movies, said by the "tough" commander or detective.

The research team that you are applying to is looking for a human being to work with. And chances are, they want to have a wild guess what kind of person you are, before moving onto the second stage.

Explaining why you want to work in that research direction, and how is it going to contribute to the literature is not advertising and "selling" a research area. It is you telling the committee why they should think that you are more ambitious than the other candidates.

Also, people usually want to explain why they are applying to a certain position. This is not a cute story. This is called motivation . By same reasoning, we might also drop the cute 5-year-old-boy stories from scientific papers, and get straight to the business.

Therefore, I would not 100% stick to these advices, and also not ignore them:

Remember, cover letter is the first step that a committee gets to know you, and it should be treated that way. If you cut out all personal details, then better is not sending the letter at all. Just a CV would be sufficient.

I want to add a note I don't see in the other answers:

The number one most valuable piece of advice for any writing of any kind is the following: get others to read it and give you feedback. Ideally someone like a professor who is interested in helping you, but anyone is better than no one at all. Your friend or mother can still tell you if your statements are confusing to follow or lack a clear point.

Overall I think there's good advice here, but I want to provide the opposing perspective on two points to help you "thread the needle."

While you don't want to explain to an expert why their own field is fascinating, it is an important skill and impressive in a candidate if you can explain in objective terms why the field is important and how it fits into a broader context. This shows you have done reading outside of any research projects you have done and have a feel for the big picture.

One reason the graduate school statements sound the same is that you don't yet have a deep background of work to show your interest in a topic, which is fine! I think people compensate for this background, by trying to use flowery language to convey their interest. Instead, I think the better route is to be concrete. Think about ways to connect the work you have done (even if this is "just" course work) with the work the group you are interested in is doing ("I took advanced course X which will prepare me to study topic Y in more detail in grad school"). I think also saying what kinds of courses you would be interested in at grad school, and what kinds of projects the group does you would be interested in, is valuable information (just look at their website or recent papers and say which of those is the most interesting to you) -- even though this is work you haven't done yet, you are showing you have some ideas and a direction and are not going in blind.

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Swansea City transfer news as Burnley issue statement amid embargo and Hannes Wolf makes Swans admission

A round-up of the latest Swans related news and updates

15:41, 13 MAR 2023

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Your Swansea City headlines on Monday, March 13.

Clarets not expecting embargo impact

Burnley do not expect to be impacted by the transfer embargo they have been placed under by the English Football League.

Vincent Kompany's side currently sit at the summit of the Championship and are all-but certain to secure a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking given that they boast a 17-point buffer over third-placed Middlesbrough with just 10 matches of the regular season remaining.

However, the Clarets were dealt a blow on Sunday night when it was confirmed that the club had been placed under an embargo by the EFL due to the late submission of their accounts - which Burnley state was due to a change in auditors in November.

Indeed, Burnley were one of the more active second tier sides in the January transfer window, with Kompany adding the likes of Lyle Foster, Hjalmar Ekdal and Swansea City's Michael Obafemi to their ranks.

Striker Obafemi moved to Turf Moor on an initial loan deal that is virtually certain to be made permanent in the summer due to the terms of the agreement between the two sides.

And Burnley expect their embargo to be lifted next month. In a statement, they said: "We would like to share with our supporters the disappointing news that the EFL are placing the club under an immediate transfer embargo.

"We believe transparency in these matters is paramount and we want to explain why this has happened. In our continued efforts to improve and move forward Burnley Football Club we made the decision to change our auditors in November and the transition has taken longer than we anticipated.

"We can confirm that we have provided draft accounts and financial information to the EFL’s Club Financial Reporting Unit and we continue to have regular dialogue with the unit to ensure we remain as open and as transparent and answer any questions the League may have.

"We believe the EFL will have no issue with the detail of our accounts other than their late submission and fully understand and support their position and efforts to sanction any club who fails to comply with any of their regulations.

"Both the club and our new auditors are confident this can be resolved swiftly and we hope our submission will be made next month at which point the embargo will be lifted.

"We once again wish to assure supporters this will have no detriment to the ongoing success and development of the club as we move forward."

Wolf grateful for Swans stint

Hannes Wolf admits he always planned to return to Borussia Mönchengladbach despite enjoying his loan spell with Swansea City last season.

The Austrian was a key figure for the Swans in the second-half of last term and Russell Martin was eager to bring the versatile wing-back to south Wales for a second time this season.

However, a move back to SA1 failed to materialise, and after injury curtailed his impact in the opening half of the campaign, Wolf is now impressing under former Norwich City boss Daniel Farke in Germany.

He has featured nine times in the Bundesliga since the turn of the year, scoring his first goal of the season in a 4-1 triumph at Hoffenheim. And Wolf admits he's now fully reaping the rewards of his time with the Swans.

"The move was important for me back then because I went to England at a time when I no longer played for Borussia," he told FH. "I then chose the Championship and Swansea because it was clear that I could play a lot of games.

"I played all the games apart from three games that I missed due to the coronavirus. That was definitely good for me and was a new experience.

"Even though I felt very comfortable, it was always my plan to come back. In football you never know what's going to happen.

"When it became clear that Daniel Farke was coming, it was clear that I wanted to look for my chance at Borussia. So far it has paid off."

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Martin's Cooper hope

Russell Martin hopes Ollie Cooper's form this season is enough to earn him a place in Rob Page's Wales squad this week.

Cooper excelled on loan with Newport County last term and has more than stepped up to the plate with parent club Swansea in the Championship this season, catching the eye of the on watching Page on numerous occasions.

And having seen Cooper travel with the national side to the World Cup in Qatar, Martin is now hopeful that the 23-year-old is involved for the Red Dragons' Euro 2024 qualifying matches with Croatia and Latvia later this month.

“Ollie’s been great," said Martin. "I’m not the Wales manager so it’s not up to me, but we all hope he gets in.

"He’s been brilliant, absolutely brilliant so fingers crossed he gets in.”

Page names his squad at Tuesday lunchtime.

Middlesbrough show Swansea City what ambition really looks like as fans' chant sums it up

Pundit blasts 'shambolic' Swansea City and warns Martin must change style after Middlesbrough loss

Swansea City news as Jamie Paterson hope outlined and Russell Martin reveals 'bravest' player he's worked with

Alan Curtis insists Swansea City owners have belief Russell Martin will turn the tide after 'letting him down' in January

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Statements

COMMENTS

Admission Definition & Meaning
admission noun ad· mis· sion 1 : the act or process of admitting admission into evidence 2 a : a party's acknowledgment that a fact or statement is true Note: In civil cases admissions are often agreed to and offered in writing to the court before trial as a method of reducing the number of issues to be proven at trial. b
Admission of Party Opponent [Rule 801(d)]
When a party has authorized another person to speak on his or her behalf (e.g., a spokesperson, family member, or attorney), the statements made by that authorized person "concerning the subject" at issue are admissible against the party as an admission by a party-opponent.
Statement of Purpose vs Personal Statement: The 2 Big Differences
The short answer is that a statement of purpose is about what you want to do, while a personal statement is about who you are. Each essay has its own goals in what it's supposed to do for you and the program you're applying to. Whereas the statement of purpose showcases your academic strengths and background, career goals, research ...
Witness: The Statement of whom could be Admissible in Court of Law
There are two types of statements which are made admissible by section 32 (1): A statement stating the cause of death Statement related to any circumstances which resulted in death. Conditions for dying declaration The statement is considered as a dying declaration when the statement is made under the following circumstances and conditions:
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Paragraphs #2, 3, 4: Body. Give evidence in support of your main idea. Provide specific examples from your life, study, or work. Here, you can write about your family, country, or someone you admire; the body part of your personal statement examples is critically important. Use it to win over the reader.
Relevancy and admissibility of admissions
According to Section 17 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, admission is defined as any statement made by any of the persons, which suggests any inference as to any fact in issue or relevant fact, and under certain circumstances. Admissibility simply means the power to approach. Admission can be oral or documentary or contained in electronic form.
Admission under Indian Evidence Act 1872
ADMISSION BY THE AGENT: The statements made by an agent in a suit would be admissible as against the person he is representing. The statements made by an agent are, however, binding only when they are made during the continuance of his agency.
Admissions and Confessions under Indian Evidence Act,1972
(2) An admission may be proved by or on behalf of the person making it, when it consists of a statement of the existence of any state of mind of body, relevant or in issue, made at or about the time when such state of mind or body existed, and is accompanied by conduct rendering its falsehood improbable.
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Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like A nurse is caring for a client whose child has a terminal illness. The client requests information about how to deal with the upcoming loss. Which of the following statements should the nurse make, A nurse is teaching a client who has bipolar disorder and a prescription for lithium. Which of the following instructions should the ...
Admission
This article on 'Admission' is written by Aritra Sarkar and provides an overview of the concept of admission under the Indian Evidence Act.. I. Introduction. Section 17 of the evidence act defines admission it says that "An admission is a statement, oral or documentary or contained in electronic form, which suggests any inference as to any fact in issue or relevant fact, and which is made by ...
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296. Communications with Represented Persons—Issues for Consideration
For purposes of the rule on contacts with represented persons, the term "law" may include: 1) a specific statute; 2) a court order; or 3) case law. Several jurisdictions have established by case law a law enforcement investigatory exception to the contact rule in limited circumstances.
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Admission is a statement that may be oral, documentary, or contained in electronic form, which suggests any inference as to the fact in issue or relevant fact. Section 17 of the Indian Evidence Act defines Admission. 1. Admission can be either self-harming or self-serving (serve own interest). 2. Self-harming admissions are acceptable evidence. 3.
What is Admission ? Various provisions relating to admission
The admission is admissible because of the following reasons: a) Admission as a waiver of proof; b) Admission as a statement against interest; c) Admission as evidence of contradictory statement; d) Admission as evidence of truth. Admission is the best substantive evidence that an opposite party can rely upon. 4) Nature of Admission:
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Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement. 5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus. 6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected ...
Writing Your Academic Statement of Purpose : Graduate School
The ASOP is one of the most important pieces of your graduate school application because it: Gives the reviewers an understanding of your academic background and interests. Allows you to illustrate in your own words what sets you apart from other applicants. Helps them determine if you are a good match for the program to which you are applying.
Statement of Purpose and Writing Sample
The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. ... Office of Admissions [email protected] 617-496-6100. Phone Hours Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
graduate admissions
49. I'm about to write a statement of purpose for graduate admission and my advisor passed along to me the following pieces of advice to keep in mind while writing (based on his style and experience in admission commitees). I completely agree with every point he has made. However, I'd like to have further insight and suggestions and yet another ...
Burnley issue statement amid embargo and Wolf makes Swans admission
Burnley do not expect to be impacted by the transfer embargo they have been placed under by the English Football League. Vincent Kompany's side currently sit at the summit of the Championship and ...