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@philipjames11, thank you for the honest feedback. I absolutely agree that omission and inclusion depend on circumstance. But I'm definitely leaving out my test / social anxieties. I had a panic attack during an exam of my senior year, and still managed to beat the class average (B). I was shaking, tearing, hyperventilating, and sweating profusely trying not to disturb my classmates. Not to mention it was in a class with the most stunning professor, so embarrassing!! (Not sure if asking for her LOR was a wise choice) And further back in JC my doctor had me on a ridiculous regiment of medicine for pre-op (~2400 mg gabapentin) which gave me a blackout during one of my courses - admin wouldn't let me drive home and I had to hitch a ride back to town with some faculty member. Anyway, I sure hope admissions don't read this. Certainly wont do me any good.

I've also been wondering about this topic. I fell on a bottle (Snapple - non alcoholic) when skating as a teenager and developed a nerve entrapment. Went through countless doctor visits for a diagnosis, only happened after being referred to a specialist after severe clawing (2 fingers of ulnar nerve being stuck towards palm) which caused me a lot of trouble in rehabilitation and took away from work exp & research. But through recovering I've been intrigued by medical technologies and became one of the reasons for my grad studies pursuit (along with wanting to teach higher education). So I don't know if I should include it in my SOP, I'm hinging on relevance but I don't know many others in the same situation. I've recuperated in strength, and even though feelings mostly lost it shouldn't impinge my studies, anymore that is. Anyway, I've read that a lack in any area of expectancy should be explained in the SOP, so I've included my experiences in my essays (also history) which ties both of them together but I'm not totally sure. My family's on board, but no one in my family went to grad school, in engineering that is.

Hi @Warelin thanks for the feedback. These are in fact the professors writing my recs. But they seemed really enthusiastic about giving me a rec, but I am hesitant b/c one of my providers does not have his doctorate's - he does have a lot of real world experience though. And he lectures in my area of focus - so I asked for his rec. Anyway, from what I've heard it wont matter too much but I'm not too sure. Anyway, I really appreciate all the input. For the essays, I'll do just that. Thanks again for your time.

Hello, First off, thanks for taking time to read this. For a little background - I graduated from SJSU with BS in Computer Engineering (3.4 GPA) and looking into grad school - not just because I love learning but I want to take my education elsewhere. So I'm wondering where's the best place to review my graduate essays. I've been frequenting my school's writing center but there's a fallacy in this approach - not many have, or are planning on grad school, so not many understand what to look for. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows where to get some feedback on my personal history or statement of purpose. I'm hesitant to post online due to plagiarism checks from the admissions process but I don't know where to turn. I've already taken the family / professor approach but many of my family have no technical or grad school background, and most of my professors don't seem to care, or trust my writing abilities (doubt it's the latter). Any input is really appreciated, and if someone would be willing to review my work I am more than willing to send a copy for some feedback. Thanks again!

Hello, First off, thanks for taking time to read this. For a little background - I graduated from SJSU with BS in Computer Engineering (3.4 GPA) and looking into grad school - not just because I love learning but I can't stand San Jose anymore. So I'm wondering where's the best place to review my graduate essays. I've been frequenting my school's writing center but there's a fallacy in this approach - not many have, or are planning on grad school, so not many understand what to look for. Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows where to get some feedback on my personal history or statement of purpose. I'm hesitant to post online due to plagiarism checks from the admissions process but I don't know where to turn. I've already taken the family / professor approach but many of my family have no technical or grad school background, and most of my professors don't seem to care. Any input is really appreciated, and if someone would be willing to review my work I am more than willing to send a copy for some feedback. Thanks again!

Hello, I was just hoping for some feedback in my M.S. applications process. I have just graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Computer engineering and pursuing an M.S. degree in Computer Engineering (robotics / embedded systems focus). But I'm having trouble deciding which schools I should apply to given my admissions criteria. I have a 3.44 cumulative gpa GRE Score -320 (164 quant / 156 verbal) From my LOR I may have a mix of decent recommendations and a couple strong ones No internships but have been tutoring in math / coding (CSS / HTML) since graduating My list of programs include: UC riverside / Cal Poly SLO / San Diego State / UC santa cruz / UC irvine I would love any advice regarding my choices, if any are out of my league and any other programs that might be better suited towards me. And if you're really interested I can drop you a copy of my Personal History or SOP and I'd be really appreciative. I must say that I welcome all types of feedback and can't thank you enough for your time.