dcare

I am on my final draft of my SOP and would like one last review before I submit it to SOPHAS. if anyone is willing to review my final draft or trade SOP, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you! email to: dcaregnato@gmail.com

I had some ups and downs on my transcripts and I just tacked on a short paragraph at the end basically saying "I battled undiagnosed such and such until I was 23, but now its under control and was able to finish my undergraduate degree as a much stronger student. and now that I'm back on track, I have these characteristics that will make me a successful graduate student. Someone else advised me on addressing it this, as thats what he did for his SOP and he was accepted into his program. So I went with it. Those who have reviewed my SOP haven't told me to get rid of it.

You can talk about a professor in your SOP for masters programs as well, if their specific area and research matches your research interests. You don't have to mention other professors, but you at least want to address how you fit with a particular program. Thats all I know. But there is a lot of information on this site regarding this topic, at least from what I've been reading.

Hi, would anyone be willing to critique my final SOP draft. I have had a lot of help along way and feel that I am at the point where I need to have it reviewed one more time and then submit. And if you'd like to exchange, I'd be more than happy to review yours as well. Please PM. Thanks!

I agree with the previous poster about you emphasizing accomplishments. I think all those are great, but I don't think you need to write every single accomplishment, especially when some are listed on your CV. I would highlight those past experiences that led you directly to your intended area of interest, and I think you need to be more specific about your intended goals. You are heavily focused on the past, but it is unclear about what your research and career goals are in the field. You reiterate that its your "dream field", but what exactly do you want to accomplish is this field? What research interests do you plan to focus on during your graduate studies? and what is it about this particular program besides its exceptional faculty (because they all have exceptional faculty) makes you the right candidate for this program? I think you should revise a bit on content and rather than focusing so much on all of your accomplishments, focus more on the present, and how this school is going to help you reach your goals, and also what you offer the program. Good Luck!

Thanks for the feedback. I am just really stuck on the third LOR that I need. Only one of three that I asked has gotten back to me, which is pretty odd because they usually respond back relatively quickly to my emails. What do I do if I only have two LOR's from professors? SOPHAS requires 3.

This might just be an additional question to answer for the program. I have found when applying that you are supposed to follow the general graduate school guidelines for admissions, and if the program you are applying to has additional criteria, you apply those to your application pieces. That is a little strange, but I would make sure that its an SOP topic, and not just a general essay question that they want in addition to the SOP.

Its definitely not too late to get a diagnosis for that. Think about other traits that are an interference in your life, and discuss them with your doctor. You'd be surprised at what you thought was just normal, is actually a symptom of ADHD. Sure everyone has periods of distraction, but if your attention span is that of a 6 year old, and it is interfering with other aspects of your life, then definitely seek medical help. I was diagnosed at 23 and the only reason I went was because it interfered with all aspects of my life i.e. couldn't complete simple tasks from start to finish such as dishes, laundry, cooking, with a distraction for 4 hours or longer. I self medicate with caffeine, otherwise my concentration is diverted to other things within 2 minutes.... literally. As for the GRE, you can ask for more frequent breaks to help regain focus. Thats what Im doing for my next time. I hope you have luck, but adult ADD/ADHD is becoming more common.

Anyone interested in exchanging SOP's for review? I could really use it. Please PM me.

I'll also do an exchange with you. PM you essay.

That makes me feel a lot better. Thank you!

Thank you! I know my letters of recommendations will be strong because all of my professors have commented on my academic abilities being well above those of my peers. My GPA doesn't reflect it because I had one really bad semester where I was suffering from undiagnosed celiacs and ADHD with multiple debilitating symptoms that affected my performance, which I did address in my SOP. Do universities put more emphasis on your GPA in your major? My GPA in Exercise science core was 3.6, and the courses that I received abnormally low grades in were the religion courses I was required to take and I'm an atheist, so I was a bit at a disadvantage when it came to writing for those classes.

research on physical activity interventions during pregnancy and the outcomes of child development and growth. I'd also like to work internationally on health program design and promotion for pregnant women.

Drexel's program is very good and is overall a top university, especially in the sciences. You will have tons of opportunity for work experience in Philly because the city is dilapidated and broke. I was considering applying there because I am a native Philadelphian, and even though I grew up in the city, I was still wary about attending university down there. But I have actually changed my thoughts about it. The area isn't that bad as long as you stay in University city area or you could live in the suburbs and commute which isn't bad (I drive to the city all the time and live a total of 4 miles from Drexel in the suburbs, but you'll be surrounded by all the colleges (Upenn, Drexel, Jefferson) which has much security... just stay away from the cracked out neighborhoods.

I've been reading through a lot posts on here to try and find some insight on this process and it seems like I am competing against the same kind of people i.e. excellent GPA scores, opportunities for research, volunteer work, etc. I have none of this. Its not that I didn't want to do this, it's because I had other obligations outside of school. I was young single mother during my entire undergrad, so outside of school, my time was spent working 4 different jobs, 7 days a week. My GPA isn't very high (3.26) because I was taking 22 credit course loads each semester with only 10-13 hours of available study time a week (I have strong opinions about appropriate amounts of sleep) I have a strong passion for the field, and a clear direction of where I want my MPH to take me in my career, and I am dedicated to completing my masters in Public health. I know now is the right time for me to do this, but after seeing what I'm up against, I feel like I should save those few hundred dollars and not even apply. Anyone else feel this way? Any words of encouragement?

Is it appropriate to have the couple I babysat for write me a recommendation? I worked for a OB/GYN/Fertility specialist who is highly respected in his field (lecturer, professor at a top medical school, numerous publications) His wife is a CRNA at one of the top research hospitals in the world. I plan to study Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and child health/global health (if that has relevance) I was a nanny for their family for 6 years and they were like my second family. They saw me go through all my hardships during undergraduate and really watched me develop and grow over the years. I feel they will give me a very good professional recommendation and really vouch for my dedication and capabilities in graduate school. I guess what I am asking is it acceptable to have them write me a letter of recommendation even if I was only a nanny for them? Or will it not be regarded in such a light as my academic recommendations? My undergraduate university was very small, there were only 3 professors in the Exercise science department, and 5 in my graduating class. I don't have too many options. I'd appreciate the opinions of others on this topic. Thank you.

You just boosted my confidence 100% with this post. I am having anxiety thinking about applying to top 20 schools. My GPA is fine, but my GRE's sucked due to ADHD. and I have no research or publications because I was single parent for almost the entirety of my undergraduate studies. Now I feel a bit more confident as I send out my applications. Thanks!

I was having the same issues with finding a public health program, and honestly, the best program is going to be the one that is going to help you reach your career goals the best way possible. Once you decide what you want from the program and what exactly you want to do ( I don't know if there is a broad range of career options with museum studies, I'm going based on what I'm looking for) then you will be able to research programs that are going to be in line with your goals and interests. Good luck!

I don't have any one around me that can really review my SOP and give feedback, so if anyone would mind reviewing what I have so far and giving some feedback, it would be much appreciated. I will PM it to those that don't mind. Thank you!

I think I might. I'm going to try to get more frequent breaks, maybe every 10 minutes and maybe allow to have coffee with me. I've been self medicating with caffeine because I don't have health insurance and can't get medication.

I am debating taking the GRE again. I went in blind. Never opened a book to study or took any kind of practice test. I also have unmedicated ADHD so that didn't help. About 5 minutes into the second section I couldn't pay attention anymore and I just wanted to leave so I started clicking anything to get through. I ended up getting V 147 (410) and Q 146 (560). I talked to the coordinator of the program I want to get into and she said they are fine because my GPA was high enough and that the most important part is going to be my SOP. Hopefully thats enough. I just don't want to waste the money on retaking the GREs only to have a repeat of last time. We shall see what happens.

I am applying to a dual program in public health and anthropology and I'm not sure of few things to mention in my SOP. For one, I think my GPA is low (3.26) I had a bad semester because of undiagnosed Celiacs that caused a host of problems, and unmedicated ADHD. Should I mention this briefly. or maybe mention the fact that I was taking 22 credits each semester while working 4 jobs and being a single parent? Also, since I am applying for a dual program should I mention in the SOP for the Bio-cultural medical anthropology program the relevance to the MPH program? My undergraduate is in Exercise science, so I have no relevant coursework, nor have I had any research opportunities to discuss in my SOP. I also have no idea what area of research I want to pursue in graduate school. I am really lost on what I should include. Everything I read puts heavy importance on work experience and research, and I have none of that. Thank you for any advice.

I just graduated from University and I am applying to a dual masters program, MPH with a concentration in Global Health Practices and Applied Anthropology with a concentration in Bio-culture Medicine. I know I need to write two separate SOP's, but 1. Should I include in the Anthro SOP how the bio-culture medical track is necessary for success and will further my career in Public Health and help me reach my goals. and 2. Is it a big deal if I don't know what I want to research. I know where my passion lay and I am ready with the commitment to complete both programs. I am having the hardest time with these SOP's because the information I find places this heavy importance on research, past, current, and future, which I lack. Any information would be very helpful. Thank you!