Should I sound needy in my Statement of Purpose? I am going to apply for a Ph.D. position in Europe and I am asked to write a 1200 words statement of purpose (SoP). I was wondering whether I should be cold and objective about past experiences and future ambitions or let them know my feelings and how much I care about the program. The point is that I really want to join the program and I feel like it could change my life, therefore I would be willing to work hard as hell and give them everything I can, however, I guess that other applicants might likely be in my same position and faculty could be annoyed by these kinds of motivations.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: This is from the perspective of a hiring PI. These days I am flooded with applications of candidates that seem very motivated, but give me little confidence that they are the right person for the job. This is mostly for two reasons: 1. lack of relevant background for the position; 2. poor self-presentation (for example, not reading the job description thoroughly). To address this, you need to have the right background (if necessary, you might take some additional courses), and make a convincing statement why you are the right person for the job.