ssynny Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Hi all, I've revised my SOP a million times this fall, but keep skipping the ending because I just don't know how to do it! I'm trying to talk about how going to BLAH University will help me achieve my goal of teaching at the university level. But how to conclude? How did you guys end your SOPs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mseph Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I usually ended my statement with what I will do after graduating from the program. It was rather vague, but I think the conclusions of statement of purposes are relatively vague compared to the body paragraphs--where we discuss our preparation and plan for the next five years. So my conclusions sounded something like this: "I am prepared as a PhD student because blah blah blah.. After graduating from PhD program at the X University, I pursue blah blah..." I hope this gives you some ideas how to end it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smg Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I reiterate that going to school X will allow me to conduct research Y. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kara.spinney Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I ended mine by reiterating why I am a good candidate for admittance into school x's program, and then signing... Sincerely, My Name, My current university Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashiepoo72 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 I ended mine with a paragraph describing why I thought the school was a good fit for me, which professors I want to work with and why their research relates to mine, and included why the university/location as a whole was particularly suited to my research interests--like if there's a huge archive in the area or centers for research in my field, etc. I tried to be as specific as possible about why the program and I fit. (Not vague statements like "this program is strong" but "The department, with its strength in [X field] and [Y methodology], as well as Happy University's extensive [archive, collection, library], is an ideal place to support my research in XYZ. Best of luck! ssynny 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eragon Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I agree with ashiepoo72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssynny Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks for all the replies! I guess I'm just worried about it seeming too short/abrupt. But it seems like it kinda has to be somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssynny Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 I ended mine by reiterating why I am a good candidate for admittance into school x's program, and then signing... Sincerely, My Name, My current university If I took a year off, would I still sign with my undergrad university? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kara.spinney Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I'm not 100% sure about that question, but if it were me, I think that I still would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoePianist Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) "The End" But seriously, I just ended mine by reiterating my unique strengths that I can offer to the school's program and that I would be honored to be a graduate student in their department. Edited December 17, 2014 by JoePianist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drownsoda Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 I ended mine with basically a reiteration of what my primary interests are within the field, and a rather vague outline of how I wish to apply that to my career goals. I think a reiteration that highlights your future plans is probably the most appropriate, in my opinion anyway. ssynny 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crucial BBQ Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 Hi all, I've revised my SOP a million times this fall, but keep skipping the ending because I just don't know how to do it! I'm trying to talk about how going to BLAH University will help me achieve my goal of teaching at the university level. But how to conclude? How did you guys end your SOPs? For these reasons... seems to be the typical ending. I ended mine with a period. In retrospect, an exclamation point would have eloquently indicated my desires, too. In all seriousness I restated my thesis, thanked them for their time, and wrote that I look forward to hearing from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssynny Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share Posted December 20, 2014 You guys are a bunch of smart alecks hahaha! I kept the conclusion very brief in the end saying what I hope to do with the degree and reiterating that it's the ideal place to accomplish said goals. Thanks for all the help again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icydubloon Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 "I believe that my experiences X, Y, and Z will allow me to be a successful graduate student at SCHOOL." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StudyStar Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 (edited) Like a conclusion for any kind of writing, the most important thing (as others have stated) is to briefly reiterate your main ideas and end on a positive note. Use strong, emphatic language. If you have some kind of "hook" or theme (and ideally, you should) tie it together in the final paragraph. I generally advise against saying "thank you and I look forward to hearing from you"; it's courteous but redundant, and, I think, better suited to a job application letter than an SOP (even if they are similar in nature.) Hope this helps! David Edited December 24, 2014 by fuzzylogician edited to remove advertisement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page228 Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Given the 500 word limit of one of my statements, I'm tempted to go with, "kthxbye." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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