caito

Thanks guys! The majority of the section is about the closeness of the program but the location is important for the architecture of the area (which is where my interest lies, so I do mention liking the landmark buildings on campus). I appreciate y'all weighing in and will keep my joke for my future career in standup.

Howdy, I'm a recent (under) grad once removed and am applying for grad school. Whether it matters or not, I'm applying for an MA in either art history or historic preservation (reason not particularly important since its not relevant). What does matter: I'm working on my SOP and obviously want parts of my personality to show through where it can, as this is a tip I've read on numerous forum posts here and a slew of articles online. However there's a fine line between things that are appropriate in terms of humor being used. Obviously if you're an infinitely charming and funny person (not me), it can be difficult to find a balance between stating the Facts and showing your personal flare within a 2-3 page paper. What I truly am questioning is whether humor is generally a no-go or if humorous statements can positively impact your chances of being offered a position in a program. Specifically, I'm trying to find a balance here because while I am an intelligent and well-spoken person (not to toot my own horn) but I also want to be able to offer a degree of relatability to my SOP in a way that will be memorable for those reviewing my application. Specific example: The university I'm applying to is in the North East and I was born and raised in Texas. Obviously there's a huge difference between what I'm used to and what most universities in this part of the country can offer. So, as mart of my "why this college" section, I've written the following: I think the more rural location of ~insert North Eastern university I'm applying to here~ makes it an ideal place to foster one’s studies without being too far removed from larger cities; its proximity being refreshing to someone from Every Major City is Three Hours Away by Car, Texas. Would something like this be considered generally inappropriate for an SOP? Is this the right kind of flare you want for your paper? Am I just overthinking everything because I so badly want out of Every Major City is Three Hours Away by Car, Texas? Any suggestion is appreciated!

i think the best way to turn something like this around is to acknowledge what your problem was as an undergrad: "i wasn't as active in the classroom and realize that i should have been in order to help my understanding and mastering of a subject" and outline where you have evolved and improved both as a student and a person.

yo i was accepted to attend university of london last year and was meant to attend until COVID delays meant i couldn't get my visa in time. so i'm back at the drawing board and am trying to figure out if there are any funded (in part or whatever percentage) MA programs for architectural history or public history. i have a bachelor's degree in history and art history and want to do preservation for historic sites. needing some help so i don't have to take out crazy loans to stay and study in the states since the next MA program in london won't start until october.