zind

Hey all, I am currently a PhD student in a pretty cool program, but I decided to shift gears, leave with a masters, and transfer to another program within my university. (Sorry about being so vague, but I still haven't decided on how to announce it publicly, I would be happy to PM details and share the pains if anyone else is out there doing this for F15) I have a few questions: -- Do you think it would help to mention that I am ONLY applying for this program I want to transfer? I describe why the program is a special fit pretty clearly but do not explicitly state "You are the only one for me". Does the adcom care about how monogamous I am being with the whole application craze this time around? Or would it come off more as a plea? * I could also hint at this in my diversity statement where space is much less precious. -- My ideal paragraph flow is as follows: 1. Why I want to do this & specific research motivation, brief personal story 2. Why this program, all its attributes and PIs I am interested in. (this is broken to multiple paragraphs, one about the dept, two about two different PI with somewhat different angles on this problem I am interested in tackling) 3. My past experiences that show I am a good candidate (how I fit in their interests). I am having trouble writing this out as a separate paragraph as I already mentioned how my past experiences fit with #2. I've a strong temptation to say "Look at my CV, I got this", which I know would be suboptimal. 4. My vision for what I'd do with this degree in the future 5. Similar to #1, but with a vision for what could happen with this degree on a bigger impact level. Any suggestions on how to do #3 without devaluating the examples from #2? -- If you are in STEM, you read this far and have some ideas for me, I have something that might be helpful for you: I'd be happy to share my old SoP that worked pretty well in my engineering phd applications. I can also help edit yours especially after my deadline which is in 48 hours. "Your deadline is in 48 hours and you are on a forum? Are you crazy?" -- No, writing this out has helped me reflect a bit more and it was a much needed break from typing way too many I statements. -- Actually I am a bit self conscious about my "I"s, does anyone have any solutions to stop saying "I" all the time in these things? OK with that I really should get back to my d11. Thanks for reading, and good luck with all your applications!

Hey, I am currently in a competitive PhD program (30/600 apps) and the SoP I wrote to get in had a similar structure, so I'd say that works? I would end with another paragraph about why this school is the bestest fit for me and how I am a good fit for them. Leave it at a point where they want to get to know you more.

Hey there, I'll be joining the NU grad community next fall as well. I'll be coming from Istanbul, a huge city, one of those that 'never sleeps'. While I'm having a blast enjoying the night life and all here in my hometown as an undergrad, I know I won't have as much time to go out as a PhD candidate. So my question is, how would Evanston compare to Chicago, would it be worth the 1hr commute to live downtown? Or is there absolutely nothing to do in Evanston? Thanks!

Hey there, so the last informative thread is a year old, and I can really use an update as I have to decide between the cold of Chicago and the friendly weather of San Diego. As far as the academics go, I'm extremely excited to go to NW next fall, but I have absolutely no idea about the grad life there. I was in Cambridge (MA) last summer, and the city was filled with events for international students, grad or non-grad, so I was wondering how Chicago and Evanston would compare. Im also curious about the grad life at NWU, but perhaps that belongs to a different thread. Anyways, so any comments on Chicago 2010-2011 are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

That is a very good point indeed.. I know of some scholarships given in my country for international studies, but are there any options of funding for non-US citizens in the US? (other than being an RA or a TA) Almost every school I apply to asks if I'm applying for any fellowships, and I always have to say "no" because i couldn't find any for international students..