PS Academic Statement of Purpose The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how Michigan's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. MSE Research Area Interest Ranking Form (PhD only) - MS applicants can indicate their interest in the academic/personal statement. Fee The fee for United States Citizens and those with Permanent Resident visa status is $75 (U.S. funds). The fee for non-U.S. citizens is $90 (U.S. funds). The application fee is paid online, by credit card, before the application is submitted. RL Three Letters of Recommendation - It is strongly recommended that you determine your three recommenders before starting your application as they cannot be modified on the form once entered. Transcript Unofficial Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate) - Upload a scanned version of your academic record/transcript into the electronic application. Scan at a maximum resolution of 300dpi for black and white documents and 200dpi for color documents.  The online transcript will be considered unofficial. Uploaded documents as a PDF file are preferred if possible.