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I plan to apply for a scholarship and Could someone to help me for advice SOP? as below : My passion with data science started to grow when I studied Master’s degree. I found that big data is powerful tools which can help business with analyzing the mass of data and making decisions. With the ability to analyze new sources of data, businesses are able to analyze information immediately. Such first insight of how data is more essential for organization incited me to delve further into the field. Because of love in data over the years, I have been able to devote the time and energy to academic accomplishment. I have A- and B in Business Intelligence and Database Management respectively. In addition to focusing on my own studies, I also learned to program in Data Mining, which in turn, fascinated me to apply the concept in my project “Statistics of student resignation based on 2007 - 2012”. The project uses components such as Microsoft SSIS. I have run into roadblocks using this process, which led me to an alternative approach which relies on using staging tables. Moreover, During my job at ABC company as a BI Analyst, I have effectively designed an interactive reports project which showcases client's sales performance and at the same time provides them which help CEO in business decisions. It was be achieved by cleansing data from different sources by executing the process flows and use OWB to manage metadata for generate reports. Now I am working at TEST company in the position of Data Management. To drive the performance of leasing business, I assigned to design new ER diagram where I solved data structures problem relating to Leasing business. Apart from these, I have also effectively generated unstructured data into client-specific format with the data tools such as SAS. For the SAS BI project, I was introduced to the concepts of ETL, analysis of variance and design of experiments which were used to relate the factors considered, analyze the differences among the different user requirement and perform on dashboard. I aspire to work as a data analysis, and University of ABC would enable me to realize aspirations and interests that exceed my existing career. Furthermore, with the reputation of high quality education is the main factors which have encouraged me to apply this university. In the future, I would like to share my knowledge from what I have learned through the University of ABC for student in Thailand and share vision of working towards a more just and equitable world. Finally, Completing this degree studies at university should provide the experience for me to achieve my aspirations Thank you for this review

Is anyone else applying to UCSB's clinical/counseling psychology program? if so, how many pages is your statement of purpose? the overall grad programs website said it should be longer than 2 pages, but when i emailed the department admissions they said 1-2 pages double spaced... my current SOP for them is about 2.5 pages. i'm struggling with the ambiguity!!

Hi, all! I just wrote a statement of purpose for my application for Yale's Classical Art and Archaeology program and I wanted to know if anyone would be willing to look it over? I know it's a bit rough in places but I'm a bit stuck on knowing how/where to polish it. Thanks in advance!

Hello! Is anyone on this forum willing to review my statement of purpose? I am applying to Political Science PhD programs in the US. If you are willing to provide constructive feedback, please comment below and I will send you a PM. I am also more than happy to review other SoPs. Thank you!

This statement of purpose draft is in application for UC Denver Master of Architecture program. A critique would be appreciated. Criticism is not taken to heart negatively, I am looking to improve. *Questions: Do you suggest refraining from personal pronouns? Should italic typeface be removed?* Statement of Purpose (750-1000 words required, word count: 752) Entering undergraduate studies at the University of San Diego as an aspiring student of architecture, I naturally drew towards the history, theories, and conventions of architecture. Undergraduate Studies focused on the bonds between form, function, and materiality to form spaces with practical value. Studying abroad in Italy, a career path became apparent in the surreal environment created by the duality of San Siro Stadium design and user response when attending an AC Milan soccer game. After returning to the university from Italy began an internship position with Studio E Architects. The professional internship experience provided a foundation for moving into a seminar for undergraduate thesis proposals, research methods, and design process. The undergraduate thesis focus came from Rem Koolhaas' manifesto on Manhattanism outdated erotic masculine position exhibited in New York's Downtown Athletic Club. While the undergraduate thesis proposal was an overall success, personal architectural design strengths and weaknesses became clear. Pursuing a Masters Degree at the College of Architecture and Planning offers architecture knowledge in a professional environment and opportunities to strengthen these weaknesses. Seeking to become a licensed architect knowledgeable on the ARE 5.0 six divisions of current architectural practice is an academic focus. The program prepares for licensing by "the discovery, communication, and application of knowledge in the discipline of architecture by integrating theory and practice." The integration of theories and professional practice is essential for constructive critiques and responding to the practice's evolution. Enrollment in technological and professional base lecture courses will provide chances to learn the in-depth history of architecture, LEED Certification process for sustainability, and manage Building Information Models. Design studios will develop comprehensive designs form program analysis and critical stances on programmatic issues in architecture. The ARE 5.0 Practice Management Business Operations discusses staff utilization rate and the importance of junior staff possessing billable skills for a high percentage rate. In the internship experience with Studio E Architects, most of the work revolved around preliminary design and construction documentation using architecture design software like AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite. With an introduction to the industry-standard software programs, the graduate program design studios will advance personal skill sets in these programs. The Four Studio Track curriculum balance of design studios and lecture courses will sharpen billable skills, provide knowledge on the six divisions of current architectural practice, and expand networking opportunities with practicing professionals in the Denver Metropolitan area. As a Colorado Native, obtaining a Master's in Architecture from the College of Architecture and Planning will expand networking through hands-on training and real-world engagement in Denver's architecture community. Joining the AIAS CU Denver Chapter will provide more networking events and opportunities to compete in design competitions. The program's liberal arts structure, in collaboration with Denver's metro, provides a means of research and network for career success with an opportunity to focus on sports facilities, arenas, and convention centers. After attaining a Master's, the initial short-term career goal is to become a licensed architect with passing the ARE 5.0 exam and accumulating AXP hours. As an avid sports enthusiast, a long-term goal is a position with a firm specializing in sports facilities and arenas similar to Populous. A firm like Populous requires a keen eye for details from applicants and employees; thus, application resumes and portfolios must consistently convey their design methodology and exhibit a unique personality through architectural design. As a goal-oriented individual, the final result is a motivation for completing tasks toward a set purpose. Motivation thought setting goals also produces a high-quality Standard of Care in both professional work and academic environments. Enrollment in the Master's program is a step toward achieving both career goals. Understanding BIM and advancing Autodesk software comprehension is a short-term academic goal for improving portfolio quality, which assists long-term academic goals like an internship and mentorship program. Along with Architecture, the Japanese language and culture is a longstanding interest, which will be further studied during graduate school to open opportunities abroad. A career in architectural design for sports arenas, facilities, and convention centers has been inevitable since childhood. Youth sports coaches often said, "keep your head in the game," for I was preoccupied with design thoughts inspired by the environment of sports entertainment. Attaining an NCARB-accredited Masters Degree from the College of Architecture and Planning is an essential step towards a license and increasing the 2% of Black American architects. Career advancement opportunities will open to the competitive edge of a licensed Black American Architect ambitious to provide refreshing cultural awareness and innovative program design theories for architecture.

Willing to swap or help with yours if you help with mine! Attending the University of North Carolina at ______ I began my undergraduate career with the intention of obtaining a degree in Psychology. This decision was based on my general interest in the brain and human behavior. After completing my second year I decided to double major in Biology due to my desire to understand the brain at its’ most fundamental level. As I advanced through my degrees and questioned what type of career I would like to pursue I became increasingly interested in the experimental side of neuroscience. I was particularly fascinated by research identifying the ways in which conscious beings possessed differing perceptual abilities and the various environmental and biological causes behind these differences. My growing curiosity towards the research aspect of neuroscience prompted me to take the initiative to seek out research experience through my university. Pursuing an interest in the role of learning and memory in mental disorders, I applied for a position in Dr. Blank’s Behavioral Pharmacology and Comparative Cognition lab. I was accepted and completed five semesters and two summers as a research assistant. This opportunity allowed me to gain experience in a lab and become familiar with the daily proceedings that occur within a research setting. I was able collaborate with graduate students on various aspects of their research endeavors. This included weekly presentations which allowed me to become skilled in the communication needed in an effective lab group. I also had the opportunity to attend the Society for Neuroscience conference which further opened my eyes to how vast the field of neuroscience is. During my time in Dr. Blank’s lab I studied the effects of both drugs and non-pharmacological variables on memory processes in rodents. I assisted graduate students on several projects seeking to identify drug effects on rodent reinforcement learning, recognition, and episodic-like memory using behavioral assays such as the odor span task and radial arm maze. In addition to studying behavioral pharmacology I also worked on projects seeking to identify the limits of certain cognitive abilities in rodents. I appreciated the breadth of our research because it gave me exposure to both the biological underpinnings of behavior as well as the importance of experimental design. Under the supervision of Dr. Blank I was also able to hone my interests and experience independent research as well by completing an undergraduate thesis project titled Effects of Ketamine on a Rodent Model of Memory Capacity: A Test of the NMDA Hypo-activity Hypothesis of Schizophrenia. The purpose of this research was to determine the validity of NMDA antagonists as an animal model of the working memory deficits commonly seen in individuals with schizophrenia. After an extensive literature search I became interested in which NMDA antagonist might provide a rodent model with the most translational significance. In the past different NMDA antagonists had produced disparate effects on cognitive measures. While completing this project I was able to follow my own experimental question from its original hypothesis through to the analysis of the resulting experimental data and it’s subsequent presentation and defense. I found this to be a highly rewarding experience that solidified my interest in pursuing graduate work and an academic career. Following my undergraduate education I have continued to learn and focus my research interests in neuroscience through reading and following online course materials such as MIT’s Neural Basis of Learning and Memory, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Cognitive and Behavioral Genetics as well as courses on data analysis and MATLAB programming. My long term goal is to continue to conduct research and teach at a university level, however I would also love to be involved with the same open courseware platforms that have allowed me to learn outside the walls of a university. I enjoyed the research I was involved in during my undergraduate career, however, I felt that I would like to explore neuroscience working directly with humans. During my search for graduate programs I hoped to find a program with an interdisciplinary approach that would allow me to explore this interest. I would love to be able to gain experience with brain imaging techniques and computational modeling while contributing to the field of neuroscience. After researching the doctoral program in Psychology at UC Blank I found that it provided everything I was looking for. I am especially interested in the work of Dr. Blank combining behavioral experiments and computational models to study working memory and learning. Working memory became one of my biggest interests during undergraduate school and I am interested Dr. Blank’s research on it’s interference with reinforcement learning. I am also interested in how motivation plays a role. I was also intrigued by Dr. Blank’s research involving genetic factors influencing cognition. I believe this program would help me gain important foundational skills and allow me to explore my research interests further so that I can develop myself as a research scientist further. I believe I am a good fit for this program because my interests closely align with the research being conducted. I hope to bring what I have learned so far and build upon this while continuing my research career at UC Blank.

Hello everyone! I am currently applying for immunology Ph.D. programs. Would anyone be willing to look over my statement of purpose? If you are please PM me! Thank you for all of your help!!

SOP_draft_1.docx

One of the hardest parts about grad school applications is writing your statement of purpose (SOP). When I was working on mine last year, I had no idea where to start. So, instead of Googling it and ending up with a generic SOP, I attended three different open houses and asked a lot of questions to find out what schools really look for. In the end, the answer was pretty simple: Schools want to know that you can be successful academically, even when faced with obstacles. With that in mind, I made a list of the challenges I faced throughout graduate studies and picked the ones I thought would best show the qualities that SLP programs seek: persistence, dedication, confidence, and a passion for helping others. I wrote about how I worked full time and studied at night, and how I still managed to make the dean's list. I wrote about how I did not initially qualify for any graduate programs, but found out what I needed to do and persisted in meeting those requirements. "GRAD SCHOOL IS HARD!" This is what everyone tells us. Admissions committees just want to know that you are a candidate who will not give up when things get tough, and that you are a person who will go above and beyond to become a well-rounded clinician. So before you write your SOP, make an outline: What made you want to become an SLP? What challenges did you face while working on the academic requirements, and how did you overcome those challenges? What qualities do you have that helped you face those challenges? (Focus on qualities important for SLPs) What are the things the school is most proud of? (Have a unique paragraph for each school, describing what specific things made you want to go there) Why is that school the best option to help you reach your goal of becoming an SLP? When you have the answers to these questions, it will be a lot easier to start working on writing your essay. Please add any additional tips below! I know I would have loved a thread like this last year when I started working on applications!

Hi, I have started drafting my SOP, i'm facing a blocker on how to bridge my two years of work experience in an different field in my SOP. Should i not mention it or how can i cover the same in my SOP. I did my bachelors in Electrical engineering and sad part is that i'm working in TCS for the past two years now. Any help is appreciated.

I'm planning on submitting applications for master's programs in statistics/bio-statistics this fall, and I'm not quite sure how to approach the statement of purpose. I have a relatively good idea of how it works for PhD programs (i.e. research experience, professors or labs to work with, etc.), but if my goal is not a PhD, how do I write this? Most terminal master's are not too research-heavy so I'm just not sure how I can approach this when statements of purpose tend to be mostly about research experience and research goals. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Greetings everyone. I was wondering if someone could take a look at my statement of purpose for graduate school applications? It would be good to get perspective(s) on it so that I can be more prepared! Thanks! -Izzie Statement of Purpose- Graduate Applications.docx

Hello, I am new to the site, so apologies for any redundant questions, I think I initially posted this in a different place. I am a few years out of school with a BA in Poli Sci/Econ and an MA in Area Studies. I am looking to go back for a Comparative Politics PhD. I work in international development, not in academia or policy, so have no new research I can write about it my statement. I don't have anyone who can seriously work through my statement with me, and I feel like I am already asking a huge favor of professors writing my recommendations. I know my general areas of interest, and know who I want to work with at perspective schools, I am struggling with how specific my research question should be in the SoP? Do I need to talk at length about others doing similar research? Do I need to know which countries/populations I want to hone in on? If intensive methods courses are part of the PhD, how can I identify which I will be using before taking any of them? For example--I have taken econometrics, but presumably this knowledge will deepen during the program, as will my use of qualitative methods. I have learned from my 2 year MA experience that interests change, and projects evolve and shift over the course of study. Sometimes you realize that your question is too ambitious or unanswerable, and you need to narrow your question. It seems very presumptuous to lay out a very detailed question without the preliminary work. If anyone has any tips here, please share. If you know anyone willing to share sample SoPs or ones from past years please let me know.

Hello, I am new to the site, so apologies for any redundant questions. I am a few years out of school with a BA in Poli Sci/Econ and an MA in Area Studies. I am looking to go back for a Comparative Politics PhD. I work in international development, not in academia or policy, so have no new research I can write about it my statement. I don't have anyone who can seriously work through my statement with me, and I feel like I am already asking a huge favor of professors writing my recommendations who have not seen me for almost a decade. I know my general areas of interest, and know who I want to work with at perspective schools, but I my question is how specific should my research question be in the SoP? Do I need to talk at length about others doing similar research? Do I need to know which countries/populations I want to hone in on? If intensive methods courses are part of the PhD, how can I identify which I will be using before taking any of them? For example--I have taken econometrics, but presumably this knowledge will deepen during the program, as will my use of qualitative methods. I have learned from my 2 year MA experience that interests change, and projects evolve and shift over the course of study. Sometimes you realize that your question is too ambitious or unanswerable, and you need to narrow your question. It seems very presumptuous to lay out a very detailed question without the preliminary work. If anyone has any tips here, please share.

Hi. I have two degrees in engineering - my Masters was in Petroleum from 3 years ago. After the downturn of the oil and gas industry and also a desire to pursue a career that is less hazardous to the environment - and after many years of loving literature - I have decided to pursue my Masters in English Literature. How do I approach this in my statement of purpose? I love research and I have wanted to study literature since I was in school but did not due to various fears. I also found out about postcolonial literature a few years back and this is what I want to focus on. Note: This decision was made after proper deliberation.

Why I am putting myself through this again? I do not have an answer, but I am here. Anyone else out there going through the portfolio/statement of purpose process, still? My first application goes out next week (University of Arizona). I am beyond nervous. How do you decide when everything is "done"? When is anything ever done, haha

Hello, I am attaching my Statement of Purpose below. I have never written one before. Any suggestions and bits of advice? I am applying for Masters of Architecture I am a 25-year young Architect currently practicing Architecture professionally for more than two years and a half. I have been born and brought up in a middle-class family in a small coastal town called Alibag near Mumbai in India. Most of the choice of vacation places by my parents were places of historical importance, monuments, temples, beaches, forts as the overall cost was not so much. I neither had the privilege of visiting any luxurious hotels or destinations or any trips outside my country nor was I much interested in such vacations at that time. I was always fancied by seeing all the buildings and structures around me, even the ordinary ones. I was a kid with too many questions for my parents, and the question I had the most whenever I went to a new place was ‘Dad, do u know who built this?’. Initially his answer would be, ‘Why don’t you grow up and find yourself, and in the process, you might build a good building too’, but eventually at the end of the day he used to find out and tell me, and I used to write the names of the buildings followed by the owners’ name or whoever built it. By this time, I had no idea how the Architecture around me was having an influence on my life for good. When I completed my 10th grade back in 2008, I got the opportunity to join an NGO that my dad was a part of for 10 years. He would teach free yoga every Sunday to whoever wanted to learn yoga. Within a month I got to know that there was a person who comes to learn yoga there was part of an NGO in my hometown, whose activities included cleaning of forts, statues, monuments and it also included trekking and hiking activities. I knew by volunteering there I would get to visit historical monuments, forts and go on trekking and trips for free. There was a senior member in that NGO who was an Architect. I knew he would be the most relevant person to get all the answers for the questions I had about built form. Internet was not very accessible at that time with only dial-up connection with speed in kbps. He used to also take me to site visits on his projects, and I would tag along asking him questions which he happily answered to me. Going to new places I would only notice all the built form around me, and I felt each building, and every structure had a story to tell to me, I just had to observe and ask. I remember getting emotional and crying whenever I saw a damaged monument. Architecture by this time had already started becoming relevant to me in my early life. As a performing child in academics, my family expectations were I pursue science, but that was what I never fantasized. My fantasy was buildings and structures. For these three years, until I completed my 12th grade, I learnt how to sketch, and I made a sketch of every new place that I went to. I also learnt sculpting and bamboo carving during this time. I was very active in sports, and I have more than 75 awards and certificates in various competitions like skating, running, swimming, karate etc. After completing my 12th grade I chose Architecture, and by this time my parents knew what my interests were, and they backed me even though for us Architectural studies were costly. I joined an Architectural College in 2011. However, in 2012 after my 1st year, I had a significant health issue, and I had to take a break during 2012-2013. I re-joined a different architecture college under the same University, which was nearer to my home so I could travel from home daily. For the first 6 months after recovering from my health issue, I travelled daily, two hours to and two hours from college. When I recovered completely, I shifted in a rented apartment near my college. I earned my Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Mumbai. In my vacant time during these five years, I participated in several architectural seminars involving technical and design and workshops on construction techniques by different materials like wood, bamboo, CLT, Etc. I also attended workshops for sculpting, building materials, digital architecture, parametric and organic architecture, acoustics. Etc. I also got the opportunity to assist my professor in two of his projects which were load-bearing structures. I was active in sports at my college. I joined the Kho-Kho team in 2014, got the 4th prize for District Skating Competition in 2016, and was on the football team from 2016 to 2017. I was the cultural head of the college from 2015 to 2017, where I helped to manage and organize cultural events and activities and recruit new members in the association. I was also a part of the Students Council of Architecture from 2015 to 2017. This exposure allowed me to develop my leadership and social skills. My thesis topic for the final year was 'Mixed-Use Development,' and I focused on tackling issues like urban sprawl, migration, congestion, travelling time to and from work and intended to solve them by integrating several building typologies. Metro cities and upcoming Urban cities in India are going to contribute a significant chunk to India’s GDP, and Urban cities are going to be the hosts for international collaborations. My thesis was my sincere attempt to provide an example on how Mixed-Use development can play a vital role in making these cities capable of hosting such global events and pressure without damaging its economy and quality of living, and how my thesis could be potentially implemented on a larger scale. I want to further explore this topic by gaining knowledge about Urban design practices. In the university, the coursework focused on theoretical aspects rather than practical regards. Therefore, to gain practical experience, I started my internship at an Architectural firm back in Jan 2016 and continued for 4 months there, after which I got recommended by my employer to one of the best firms in Mumbai. They hired and allowed to work as a part-time junior architect as my academics were also going on. I took a break for my final year thesis semester in October 2016 and re-joined the same firm back in May 2017 and worked there full time at the post of an Architect & Designer for 14 months till June 2018. I am currently working as a Planning Architect at a construction firm who is a business associate of the previous firm, I worked in. I have been teaching a few subjects at NATA classes every Sunday since May 2017. I also have been freelancing, mostly bungalow projects at my hometown in collaboration with an RCC consultant and a contractor since December 2017. I have been fortunate enough to be able to acquire Bungalow projects through the people I have known through both the NGOs that I am part of, and also through my friends and relatives. In India people like everything that is for free, and people don’t like to work for free. I have been taking advantage of this scenario and had the opportunity to gain tremendous knowledge about the practical application of architecture. In addition to these projects, I am currently working on a Resort project in my hometown. I have been fortunate enough to gain practical knowledge of various construction techniques during this time. I have good practical experience and abilities such as the ability to carry out plans, supervise and oversee the actual construction process. My work has also allowed me to reflect upon my shortcomings and the areas which I need to receive additions and intensive training on. Looking back at my hometown and the places I have been to in India, I know there is so much that can be done to improve the quality and the experience. These places have so much potential for improvement since India is a culturally diverse and vibrant nation. Given the ability, power and responsibility, there is a wide array of things that can be done. I believe that our fraternity has been accountable for everything we have been seeing around us ever since the first thought to assemble a structure or a built form was established. As part of the same fraternity we have the power and responsibility to provide the future generations with a healthy and feasible habitat, and we could offer them with self-sustainable cities and a favourable climate that can prevail for ages, which is possible by the current advancement in technology. Everything we build now will have an impact then. I believe that such self-sustainable cities are likely in the coming decades and I call my version of it a 'Dream City.’ By doing this, we could stop borrowing the earth from our future generations. With the current advancement in space technology and exploration, it is inevitable that we will be building structures in outer space and on other planets, for example, mars. If someone has to be the first person to step on an extra-terrestrial planet why not the person be from our fraternity, and undoubtedly why not an Architect? An Architect is an Artist, imagine building everything from scrap from the perspective of an artist -one who has thorough knowledge about built form & spaces, environment and design. It will be a beautiful self-sustainable place to live in. I have a firm understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of Architecture Design and Technical implementation, and I feel that I am prepared to begin the next step of my development which is the pursuit of higher education in Architecture. I think that it is crucial building upon my previous training and education in a stimulating atmosphere full of diverse viewpoints and ideas. The diverse and international students body combined with modern facilities and esteemed professors at your university will provide me with a cutting-edge education that will prepare me for any challenges I may face in the future. It will also put me together for a lifetime of success in the field of Art, Architecture and Design. Your master's program is integral to my dreams and goals, and I will much appreciate your consideration of my application.

Just wanted to provide the link to a free guide I found on writing personal statements for all of you still working on applications. It's especially helpful for those who want to submit a strong admissions essay, but can't figure out what to write about: Personal Statement Essentials: A Brief and Comprehensive Guide

I just realized that in the last sentence of my SOPs, I refer to the programs as lasting "three years." Only one of my programs lasts three years....whoops! How bad is this?

Hi all! This may be a bit of a weird question, but I can't find an answer anywhere. It's recommended everywhere to change up your SOP in order to highlight your best unique fit at each school. My letter writers asked for a CV and a draft of my statement of purpose. Should I send each different SOP to my letter writers so they can see what I discuss about fitting to each school specifically? Should I send one SOP and just notes about specific fit at the other schools I'm applying to? Thanks!

I have a question about confidentiality and using personal stories pertaining to clinical experiences in my SOP. I don’t plan to go into great detail about a specific patient, but I do want to talk about the patient's disorder and the process of the SLP pointing out the condition to me and then counseling the patient (I want to write it about that generally too). I can’t quite figure out where the line is on confidentiality, but there seems to be overwhelming advice to include personal stories so I'm torn! ? For example (this would not be the polished finished version, however this shows the level of detail I want to use), I want to say something like, the SLP showed me the patient's video swallow study and explained a patient had X, which I found very interesting and had not previously learned about. Then we went to the patient’s room and I observed the SLP counsel the patient, which helped me understand the human side of the disorder. I would not give name, age, gender, or any other identifying characteristics. Just the disorder/condition. However, based on my application/resume, the location and rough timing (within a couple months) would be apparent. I’m considering talking about some other clinical experiences too, so my questions are: - is just disclosing the disorder (and location/vague timing inadvertently through my application) appropriate? - what would you say in addition, if anything, IS appropriate to include? - for those in grad school already, did you do this in your SOP? - for those applying now, will you include clinical examples in your SOP? Thank you so much for your guidance!

I am wondering which professors I should mention in a particular statement of purpose. I already mentioned three professors, whose work is directly related to what I want to study. However, there is also another professor at the school, whose work I love in a different subfield area. I'd certainly want to take classes with him and his work connects to what I studied in college, but not to the focus of what I would want my PhD research to be. Should I mention him, too, or does that dilute things? Thank you so much! I have to submit this in a few days....

I am writing my statement of purpose and I have read conflicting advice on how to write it. On one hand I heard you want to stand out with a creative hook. On the other hand, I've heard you want to get straight to the point and concise as possible. I fundamentally agree with the hook approach but find it a little hokey as well. I was wondering if anyone had any advice. For context, I am applying to computer science programs.

Hi Everyone, I'm applying for the UC San Diego Biomedical Sciences PhD program and I got a draft finished for the SOP. I'd love it if I can get a few kind individuals to take a look at it and provide me some feedback (rip it apart if you must). Please comment that you're interested and I'll PM you the doc Thank you!

So I've seen countless advice to not include any information about mental health issues, and I agree that it can cause admissions to cast doubt on you. However, would injury also fall into this category? My GPA fell quite drastically when I had an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury which in turn hindered my learning/recollection abilities for a semester or so. It was in fact this injury that ultimately, by coincidence, got me into the field that I'm currently applying for PhD studies in. The latter I don't see as relevant to my application, but the former does seem potentially worthy of being included. With this context, would it be reasonable to have a couple sentences explaining my weak GPA during said semesters, or would it be viewed as an overall negative for my application?