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Amanda

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  1. I definitely agree with NeuroNerd. I mean...what a great way to stick out to the adcomm which will probably get completely sick of reading tons of longer statements. If you can whittle it down to something more concise, I would suggest you do it. Just as long as you reread it to be sure that you've answered their questions, I think you'd be good with something a bit on the shorter side. The plus side is that if you absolutely can't get it any shorter, you don't need to be concerned about cutting out that ONE sentence that you just love.
  2. Awesome advice for anyone in the grad school application process.
  3. Yeah, thanks! I actually added a LITTLE more and got a couple names in. It wasn't much of a new draft though so I didn't post it up here. That was something I kind of struggled with working in. On that note, I want to thank everyone for their help. Last night before I went to bed I decided against saving it for another redraft and submitted it. So I am all done with that one! I really appreciate everyone's comments. I think it especially helped me make a big improvement from that second to the third draft. If any of you are still looking for help with your statements, let me know, my application schedule is winding down now so I can help more.
  4. Yeah, that makes sense. I think what I was envisioning was a situation where you might be interested in working for a private research firm or maybe the government. I know these jobs are tough to get into (and I don't know your education level but I only have a BA and that basically means disaster) but maybe you can say you would go to work for a private firm? If you would, of course. Imagining myself in your shoes, that might be something I would talk about. Developing my research career at a private research firm. Or if you're all about teaching at the college level maybe you could talk about teaching high school or going to Teach for America? I guess all of these are sort of obvious alternatives to graduate school. I feel like you could make the private route work although it might make you look less committed to working in a university setting. Man...this is actually a tougher question than it originally seemed to be....
  5. trying not to second guess every little thing about her apps...

  6. Haha. I like this statement, but I'm sure you're right in thinking that they won't. Maybe you could frame it in your commitment to research. You really want to pursue the track that this program would put you on and you are going to seek it out wherever you can. I think that's a little vague but...I feel like the question sort of is as well. Maybe you could think about it as if you didn't get in to any of the programs. What would you do? Reapply. But in the meantime what would your goals be? I think that if you find yourself thinking of interim goals that would make you a strong candidate next time you applied, you're in good shape. I mean think of it this way...that looks great and it's also honest!
  7. My schools are all very vague about what they're expecting in terms of formatting so I'm sticking with the standard double spaced on the writing sample, 12 pt, Times font and then a little more lax on the SoP (only because I think most schools judge the length by words instead of pages). I think the big thing is to make sure that your name and the program you are applying to is in the header on every page...you know, just so nothing gets lost.
  8. peanut - Thanks for the support! I appreciate it. beatnick - Good catches. I definitely agree with you about the first sentence, now that I look at it.
  9. Alright everyone. I worked your comments into my statement and while I don't think I'm done quite yet...I need to take a break from writing this and take the big step of submitting my other materials. If you wouldn't mind looking this over and telling me if you feel it has improved or not I would greatly appreciate it. I feel like I'm getting closer...but now I need to work on making it sound a bit nicer. The reordering of the paragraphs was a huge help! " I am applying to the doctoral program at the ___________ because of my enduring interest in technology and society which pushed me well beyond the expectations of my undergraduate institution. During this time I authored two in-depth papers, presented at a conference, designed my own senior capstone course, and independently surveyed a local community, clearly displaying my suitability for the academic world. Nevertheless, a piece is missing from my professional-researcher puzzle. _______ provides this missing piece; a program that excels in the realm of technology and communication which will foster the growth of both my ideas and my capabilities. My drive to pursue answers along with my fit with the program at _______ will ensure my success as a doctoral student. My general area of interest is in the functioning of communities and individuals in the modern context of advanced communication technology. These technological advances have changed the relationship between communities and individuals. This has implications for the whys and hows of group membership as well as its influence on members' identities. Further, it has ramifications for the ability of communities to the larger culture. This is particularly important in the realm of cultural studies and political communication. Understanding the dynamics of these relationships is both an academic and a practical concern. As an internet native, was exposed to a multitude of online groups very early on. Instead of joining these groups, however, I found myself drawn to observing them, wondering endlessly about their participation and the social rules they followed. After nearly a decade of people watching online, this hobby found an outlet in my research methods class at ________. Despite the challenges of online research I threw myself into my assignments, designing small research projects on both computer mediated communication and online communities. This was where my academic pursuit of the _____ began. I was familiar with this group through years of casual observation. They were also portrayed occasionally in popular culture, but I had an inclination that this _____ portrayal was either incomplete or wholly inappropriate. When my first content analysis project supported this intuition and I realized that sociologists were not writing about the fandom, I became determined to seek out answers myself. This launched me into the world of independently guided research, where I did not mind working all night or replacing my weekend with hours spent surveying and conversing with ____. The only disappointment came when I graduated and missed the world of research more and more everyday. I am looking to pick up with my research where I left off. Initially I would focus on the _____, through a nationwide survey, interviews, performing content analysis on their primary message boards, and carrying out participant observation of the group both online and off. This will produce a complete view of the ____ which will finally answer a number of theoretical questions about them including who they are, how their identities are involved in the community, why they are involved in the _____ and the symbolic organization of the group. Applying what is learned from this project to other online communities will hopefully reveal patterns in participation and identification, bringing about a clearer understanding of the role they have in society. I would focus on two types of online communities, those that are casual in nature and those that are oriented towards social activism. Through this work I would contribute to the academic dialogue but also hope to uncover practical applications for online communities as well as the new media products they use and create. ____ would serve as an ideal incubator for this project. The program's commitment to research that is both forward thinking and grounded in practical application matches well with my atypical research topic which I feel holds much practical use. Moreover, projects such as ____ and ______blend my research interests with practical application. Another project unique to _______, the ________, would provides the valuable experience of being directly involved in quantitative research on online communities. While many faculty members in the program share my interests in media, online communities, and computer mediated communication, I am particularly interested in working with ________ and ______. ________'s research into the social elements of online games provides a strong methodological reference for my work regarding online communities. ________, who I have contacted and has indicated an interest in my research, is an ideal advisor due to his expertise in fan communities and new media which intersects with my interest in online communities on many levels. Finally, the top-notch methodology coursework along with the variety of courses offered covering topics and theories relative media, culture, and technology will ensure that I have the academic background to fully develop my own research. I am fascinated by technology and how it has affected communities as well as individuals, and I see that passion mirrored at _______ through its research projects, faculty, and coursework. For this reason, I believe this program will present me with the education and opportunities necessary to make the most of my passion. In return, I am confident that I will become a credit to ______'s reputation for innovative and meaningful research, not only as a student but throughout my professional career." Thanks again guys! As soon as this deadline is passed I will be here as much as possible to help the rest of you out. All your comments are very much appreciated! Amanda
  10. I absolutely think you're fine. It's an honest mistake, especially since the phrases are used almost interchangeably by students, faculty, and admission representatives. I'm glad to know we're all getting a little crazy...it's not just me.
  11. Anyone figure out a polite way to say a professor has shown interest in your research topic? I was going to leave that out but it occurred to me that it would be a wise idea to include it so long as it can be done subtly. I can't seem to make it work without feeling like I'm bragging. Amanda
  12. Whoa! Thanks for all the comments mudlark! I'm not going to reply blow by blow to your edit but instead I'm going to continue the redrafting I started last night. A little bit later I'm going to post my new draft and you can all tell me if you think I got the drift. I really appreciate everyone's help on this. To be honest, I felt pretty good about it before and I know with all of your comments I'm going to be able to get it into the amazing category! Time to hole up, see you all in a few hours!
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