PS This should be a concise, well-written essay about your background and your reasons for pursuing graduate study in the field you have chosen. Selection committees place particular importance on the statement of purpose. It exhibits your ability to present ideas in clear, coherent language. In general, the statement of purpose should indicate: - How knowledgeable you are in the desired field of study - How your undergraduate studies and other experiences (work, community involvement, and so forth) serve as a foundation for graduate study - How and why you intend to build on this foundation of knowledge and apply your graduate training to social or theoretical problems Recommended length is a concise 2-4 pages, single-spaced. GPA GPA is generally around 3.5 or higher. Fee The application fee for the 2017-17 academic year is $105 for domestic applicants and $125 for international applicants. This fee can be paid by credit card or e-check (the e-check option is only available if you have a U.S. bank account). RL All recommendation letters are required to be submitted electronically through the online application. You must register a minimum of three recommenders, and as many as five, via the Recommendations page of the online application. Transcript You may upload a scanned copy of your unofficial transcripts to your online application, or send official copies to the Graduate Application Processing address: UC Santa Cruz Graduate Application Processing 1156 High Street Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Unofficial copies may either be scanned versions of your official transcript, or if available a downloaded PDF from your institution's online portal.