ssynny

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.

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?

Ok! Thanks!

Oh absolutely not. That's a really minor typo. There are plenty of stories where people have spelled the name of the school wrong or even put the wrong name and still received acceptances. You'll be fine

Is there a right and wrong way to structure the SOP? I'm structuring mine like this: 1) Anecdote about my most recent field season where it became clear what I wanted to study 2) What I want to study/with who/why the school 3) My previous experience that shows I know I like this and that my learning curve won't be as steep 4) What my future goals are and how the school will help me achieve them There are a couple paragraphs in some of the categories. Should I be structuring it differently?

I suppose I'll post one since I finally decided what schools I'm applying to . Undergrad Institution: Smaller private school (They call themselves an emerging ivy, but can you really be "emerging" for the past 6 years??...>.>) Major(s): Environmental Science Minor(s): Chemistry and Japanese GPA in Major: 3.4 Overall GPA: 2.9 (3.4 upper division) Position in Class: No idea Type of Student: Domestic, female, minority GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 157 V: 157 W: 4.5 Research Experience: 3.5 years research experience, including two positions directly in my intended field of study Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Just some speeches outside my department Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Lab tech, lab manager, research assistant Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Survived 6 weeks on a glacier! Special Bonus Points: One rec writer is really well known in his field, one is from a famous institution, the last is such a fun person Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I'm a pretty good juggler Applying to Where: Florida State University - EOAS - Glacial biogeochemistry Dartmouth College - Earth Sciences - Glacial biogeochemistry

20 words really isn't that much and it mostly likely won't affect your application. That being said, I still would recommend trying to stick to their guidelines. Some schools do run their essays through analysis software and it tells you the word count. Just try and cut out a sentence or two. Good luck!!!!

Hello, Though schools do sometimes admit in the spring, their spots are really limited and can often be reserved for candidates that PIs personally select. I would recommend completing the full year and applying to several programs. Use the time to boost your final GPA and make connections in case grad school doesn't work out the first time around (especially since you're newish to public health). Don't put all your eggs in one basket!!

Thanks for the advice everyone! It was very helpful

Hi all, I was just wondering if I should include all of my research experiences in my SOP. My first position in college was for two years with a neuroscience lab (outside of my field). I had two positions after that in earth science (my field). I really don't intend to do anything again with neuro, but did learn some nice basic lab skills. Still, is it worth mentioning? Thanks!

Hiya! I know this doesn't sound very helpful, but you should ask the graduate school. They're really the only ones that know what exactly they need to review your application and they're there to answer these kinds of questions . But wow. $27 for paper scores is ridiculous.

Not true at all! It's a good example of what a first draft of sorts looks like. Fuzzy made a lot of great points to help you improve and I really don't have much more to add unfortunately. When you write your next draft, try talking about what your research focus will be, how you fit with that school's particular program, and lastly what you plan to do with the degree and how it would benefit your department. Good luck!

Sorry for the late reply! Work got busy :\. Thanks for the info! I feel like if I did a talk at AGU, I would want a smaller crowd my first time haha. It's not looking likely that I'll be able to attend this year, but I'll definitely look into reading the abstracts

Yeah San Francisco seems like a really cool place! I'll try and see if I can go . I always thought talks were much more work, but yeah with a talk you just present your findings once to a bunch of people, with a poster it's multiple times. How much time would they give you for a talk?? Well thanks for trying to help!! It's tough to find funding since I'm in between schooling :\

Maybe just take some time off from applying and do internships and other things to beef up your application. Being rejected sucks, especially when you're not sure why, but take some time to make money, gain experience, retake tests if needed and apply again! Good luck!

GeoDUDE: It sounds like you had quite the adventure last year! And thanks for the tips on how to save money!! My POI has mentioned a few times how much he wishes I could attend, so I'll look into it a bit more. Are you doing a poster or a talk this year? Both the grads in my lab decided on a poster since they're too shy for a talk at this point. geographyrocks: My school does have conference funds, but very little. The PIs end up paying for pretty much everything and it's a little tough to convince them to pay for me to go when I'm not presenting haha. The flights to Cali are just so expensive! In general, if you decide to attend AGU, should it be for just a day, a couple, or the whole week??

Hi All, I didn't see a topic on AGU for this year and was wondering if anyone knows if they're going and/or presenting. I really want to go and my POI wants me to, but it's a little pricy out of pocket. I don't know if it's worth the dip into savings . Anyway, a few of the grad students I work with are going and it seems like it'll be a fun conference!

Thanks! Now we have a conversation starter haha.

I was scheduled to have an interview today, but it didn't end up happening. About an hour before our skype time, my POI's wife was hit while stopped at a stop sign. The other driver was high on meth, so they had a lot to do with the now totaled car and police reports. I was sad that we had to postpone since I'd been waiting for this interview for weeks, but it actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. 30 minutes after he postponed, I went to leave my bedroom and the door wouldn't open. The doorknob just would not turn! I was stuck there for about 45 minutes before I found something to wedge the door open. Since I did not have my phone or anything in the room with me, I would have missed the interview if it had not already been postponed. Hopefully nothing strange happens on Thursday!

Is the department head the one who handles all graduate students? At my school there's a department graduate studies coordinator and most concerns go to him. It's easier to talk to him because he doesn't run the whole department and his job is to make sure the students are on track. If you have someone like that at your school, I would recommend talking to them or another professor that you're very close with. About the putting their hands around your neck: even in a joking manner, that sort of behavior is uncalled for. You might want to bring it up to HR (maybe anonymously). I hope your situation gets better soon!

Lol whoops!

I really meant to hit the upvote button, but my phone took it as down. I'm surprised sometimes at how little people read instructions. It probably takes longer to send you an email than to just read it. Hopefully you don't get anymore silly questions!

Honestly, it'll be fine. Of course they want to know if their students are succeeding, but they're also very busy people. You should casually start a conversation now about catching up, get the ball rolling. Tell him about the bad news and where you plan to go from there. Then in October (or whenever you were going to ask for the letters), email again and ask. But as long as you said thank you after he sent the rec, you'll definitely be fine .

Hi all, Thank you very much for your responses! He still needed me for the rest of the summer because I'm the only person who actually knows what's going on in the lab (even better that him), so I'm still working there until next month. I've been doing a great job despite everything and he's happy about that, so I might talk to him about the rec letter later and see if he would still say negative things. But I guess you guys are right. If he can't be all positive, I shouldn't ask him for one, regardless of how well-known he is... :\