teasel

Round two poetry applicant here, still deciding on colleges for this round, though I’m most likely applying to these:
George Mason (hi @feralgrad), Virginia Tech, U Florida, Rutgers (Camden), U Maryland, U Minnesota, Minnesota State
Hopefully I’ll finalize my list by the end of this month (maybe I’ll add some colleges, or take some away). Also, I’ve made the decision to not apply to any of the colleges I applied to last round. However, much like last year, I anticipate freaking out about application and notification season again haha.

An SOP should be less personal than a college admissions essay. This is a professional situation, so don't say anything you wouldn't be comfortable saying in a job interview. It's fine to mention personal struggles or marginalized status in passing, but remember that you're hoping to work with the people on the admissions committee. Keep explicit personal details to a minimum. You should differentiate yourself through your writing practice, not your life story.
Here's an example:
Good: "My writing draws on my personal experience confronting misogyny. It seeks to express... [insert theme drawn from lived experience]" 
Questionable: "My writing draws on my personal experience confronting misogyny. When I was an undergrad, I had a professor who... [insert deeply personal story here]"

Nice to meet you! Looking forward to applying to programs focusing on Fiction.
Thus far I am pretty committed to applying to: Iowa, Brown, and UMich.
Interested in gathering feedback from Alumni/Perspective Student on that Creative Writing Programs (Fiction) they hold in high esteem!