geekman

I already posted this in the Applied Math forum and got no response, so here it goes. First of all, let me state that I'm writing an SOP for a PHD in Statistics for the Fall of 2012.

I'm just wondering what everyone's thoughts on the SOP are? I know that you should display your research abilities since a PHD program is all about research. Do you think listing professors is relevant or required? Should I also address any deficiencies I have - for example, I have a few poor grades. How detailed do I need to be in my research interests and any relevant projects I've done?

Also, I've been working for a year and realize that it's not for me. I have various reasons - I want to be more creative, I think working 9 - 5 kind of sucks, I feel that I'm not being intellectually stimulated. Are these good reasons to list for my reason to pursue the PHD, or will it be looked down upon? I can see how professors might translate this as meaning that I'm not focused, and can't deal with drudgery.

Lastly, has anyone else experienced a lack of motivation to write their SOP? Today is the 2nd time I've sat down and really tried to write one, and failed again. For me, it's such an intimidating thing to write. Maybe I need to stop thinking about it so much...

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.