Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement?

They're different documents, and a lot of graduate programs ask for both.

A statement of purpose is an academic plan. It says what you want to study, what you've already done that prepares you for it, and why this program and these faculty fit. Think of it as the opening of a research proposal, written by the person who will do the research.

A personal statement (sometimes called a personal history or diversity statement) is about you: how you came to this field, what shaped you, and what you'd bring to the program. It can carry a story. A statement of purpose usually shouldn't spend more than a paragraph on one.

The most common mistake we see is one essay doing both jobs badly. If a program asks for both, give them different work. If it asks for one, read the prompt and answer the question it actually asks.

Length limits matter. Several programs we checked cap the statement at 250 to 500 words, and some short-answer prompts at 150. A limit that tight means one example, told well, and nothing that restates your CV.