在美国留学文书当中，相信大家对于PS并不陌生，应该知道是个人陈述(Personal Statement)，但是对于SOP，可能知道的人就少了。
PS，相信准备美国留学申请的学生都不会陌生，而SOP，大家会认为跟PS一样，都是个人陈述，所写的内容也是一样的。其实不然，PS和SOP是有区别的，有些美国大学会要求同时提交PS和SOP。下面是Umich ME对SOP和PS的解释，并且UMich要求同时提交SOP和PS。
Statement of Purpose (SOP): The Statement of Purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about an applicant’s academic and research background, career goals, and how this graduate program will help meet career and educational objectives.
Personal Statement (PS): The Personal Statement is an essay about how an applicant’s background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, and educational or other opportunities or challenges, motivated the decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. For example, if an applicant grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, they might discuss the impact this had on their development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to the decision to seek a graduate degree.
另外，berkely的ME也要求同时提交SOP和PS。
To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend that you fill in the required personal details on the online application system, submit transcripts, your statement of purpose, and your personal statement well before the 11:59pm ...