Statement for Purpose for Anthro

[warpspeed]

Hey guys!

I'm beginning to draft my SOPs and I'm having a little bit of an issue writing them. I guess my biggest issue is I don't know how or where to start. Should there be some sort of anecdotal introduction or should I dive right into my research interests? Does anyone have advice for structure or even better, a sample SOP they could show me? I'd be happy to do it via email or private message if you don't want to post it, I just seem to be having a little trouble getting started. Thanks!

[newms]

Hey,

I'm not in your field but SOPs tend to be similar in structure and best practices. Here is a thread where successful Political Science applicants from last year posted their SOPs: There is also this annotated SOP from a successful Berkeley History applicant: http://ls.berkeley.e...tatement-1.html as well as some pretty good tips from Berkeley here: http://ls.berkeley.e...apply/tips.html Here's some more good advice from a prof: http://www.uni.edu/~...stmtpurpose.htm

There's also some terrific advice on this forum. Some posts that I think are really helpful are: (especially the advice by inextrovert) and also this one: (particularly the advice by jasper.milvain)

Looking back through my files from last year I came across an SOP from Bianca Williams that she used to get into Duke Anthropology (she's now a prof at Colorado I believe). However, I've searched the internet and I can't find it any where so I'm at a loss as to where I found it. I assume it was posted on a website somewhere with advice on SOPs. Since I can't find it published anywhere on the net, and I'm not sure where I got it, I won't post it here. Perhaps someone can point me to where I found it online, since it seems to be quite good and would be helpful as an example.

[anthropologygeek]

This is the single most important thing you can control. Recs are out of your control and at this point gpa is set. Gre isn't very important once you get above schoold magic number. And here's the kicker everyone and every school likes a different style so its ok to agonize over it. Good luck and make sure to cater to each schools and be specific but not to specific.

[rising_star]

My SOPs dove straight into research interests, starting with a brief discussion of my general interests then showing how I used these in my master's thesis, then connecting those same interests to what I want(ed) to research as a PhD student. Make sure you talk about your past research, your future research, and how the program can help you achieve your goals. There's no need to talk about how you fell in love with the discipline or your specific research area. As anthropologygeek has said, the SOP is one of the most important parts of your application. If you're having trouble writing it, just start wherever you can.

[LongGraduatedStudent]

My SOPs dove straight into research interests, starting with a brief discussion of my general interests then showing how I used these in my master's thesis, then connecting those same interests to what I want(ed) to research as a PhD student. Make sure you talk about your past research, your future research, and how the program can help you achieve your goals. There's no need to talk about how you fell in love with the discipline or your specific research area. As anthropologygeek has said, the SOP is one of the most important parts of your application. If you're having trouble writing it, just start wherever you can.

How much of it should be focused on each school. For example, for my applications most of it identical, I only have a sentence or two that are actually different.

[anthropologygeek]

Well since you should find schools that fit you instead of trying to fit into a school only a paragraph or two needs to be changed per school.

[newms]

How much of it should be focused on each school. For example, for my applications most of it identical, I only have a sentence or two that are actually different.

A sentence or two is a bit small to have on each school. You really want to show them how well you fit in with their program, so you should have at least a paragraph demonstrating how your research interests would fit in with the work at that program.

[LongGraduatedStudent]

A sentence or two is a bit small to have on each school. You really want to show them how well you fit in with their program, so you should have at least a paragraph demonstrating how your research interests would fit in with the work at that program.

I'm working on my CUNY and NYU statements (which are my top two choices). The first two thirds are about how I got into the molecular anthropology and my coursework and why my coursework is more paleoanthro and evolutionary bio based, which is important to keep. The last paragraph is fairly identical for these two, but these two are both NYCEP and the last paragraph is about why I like NYCEP with a sentence and half about why I think I fit well in each prof.'s lab. NYCEP has a single page limit, so I can't extend beyond by much

Also some places like UIUC (Program in Eco., Evo., & Conserv. Bio) and UFlorida want 500/- word statements, which creates a space problem when it comes to writing a lot about the institution.

I am applying to eight departments at seven schools (at UIUC I am applying through PEEC and Anthro to the same lab at the professor's suggestion) and this is getting very tiring...

[rising_star]

I'm working on my CUNY and NYU statements (which are my top two choices). The first two thirds are about how I got into the molecular anthropology and my coursework and why my coursework is more paleoanthro and evolutionary bio based, which is important to keep. The last paragraph is fairly identical for these two, but these two are both NYCEP and the last paragraph is about why I like NYCEP with a sentence and half about why I think I fit well in each prof.'s lab. NYCEP has a single page limit, so I can't extend beyond by much

Also some places like UIUC (Program in Eco., Evo., & Conserv. Bio) and UFlorida want 500/- word statements, which creates a space problem when it comes to writing a lot about the institution.

I think you may be going about this in a way that makes things more difficult for you. You don't need to spend a lot of time justifying your coursework, especially if it's not related to your degree. Your focus really needs to be on what you want to research and why, with just a bit to indicate that you're prepared to pursue such research mostly independently at the graduate level. The section about NYCEP shouldn't just be about why you like it, it should tell the adcom what you have to offer the program and why the program fits your needs as a graduate student.

If you're going to sacrifice something for the 500 word statements, sacrifice all the stuff about what led you to your field. It almost doesn't matter anyway, as long as you have compelling research interests within the field. FWIW, my PhD statements (in a related field) say nothing about how I got interested in the discipline or even my subfield. I just launched right into what I want to study.

[LongGraduatedStudent]

I think you may be going about this in a way that makes things more difficult for you. You don't need to spend a lot of time justifying your coursework, especially if it's not related to your degree. Your focus really needs to be on what you want to research and why, with just a bit to indicate that you're prepared to pursue such research mostly independently at the graduate level. The section about NYCEP shouldn't just be about why you like it, it should tell the adcom what you have to offer the program and why the program fits your needs as a graduate student.

If you're going to sacrifice something for the 500 word statements, sacrifice all the stuff about what led you to your field. It almost doesn't matter anyway, as long as you have compelling research interests within the field. FWIW, my PhD statements (in a related field) say nothing about how I got interested in the discipline or even my subfield. I just launched right into what I want to study.

I am using this paragraph from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mooreks/sop.html as a type of mental template for what my last paragraph should be

Great University is an ideal place for me to continue my research training[ksm1] . It is equipped with the technology, expertise, and resources in the methods I hope to explore. My interests are an excellent fit for So-and-So’s lab, but I would also be interested in working with Smart Woman, Interesting Man, or Great Guy. Over e-mail or in person, each of these faculty members informed me that Great University fosters an intimate, friendly, and collaborative environment [ksm2] within its Psychology program. As someone who wishes to develop skills in several methods and who enjoys interdisciplinary study and group work, it is of utmost importance that I find myself in such an environment. Most importantly, Great University places an emphasis on student research, a top priority for me[ksm3] . For these reasons, I am eager about the possibility of continuing my research and education at Great University.

[ksm1]This is the paragraph you can tweak for individual schools.

[ksm2]This is important and is something you should look for in a school. Schools are proud of it when they have it, so mention that you’re aware of it if it’s true!

<a href="#_msoanchor_3" class="msocomoff">[ksm3]This should be a top priority for you, and make sure that the committee knows that it is. Many students apply to graduate school thinking it’s 5 more years of college. Show the committee you realize that graduate school is about research and scholarship, not just taking classes.

As I've been writing, I have been using http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mooreks/sop.html, http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/state_purpose.shtml, and https://career.berkeley.edu/grad/gradstatement.stm for ideas on how to write and they've all been telling me to write about my coursework and how my interests got to where they are.

[CultureOfIdeas]

I agree with some of the statements above. At least in cultural anthropology, making a pitch about what it is you want to study is absolutely the most important aspect of the SOP and should be the overwhelming majority of the content, at least in my experience.

[rising_star]

I am using this paragraph from http://www-personal....ooreks/sop.html as a type of mental template for what my last paragraph should be

As I've been writing, I have been using http://www-personal....ooreks/sop.html, http://grad.berkeley...e_purpose.shtml, and https://career.berke...adstatement.stm for ideas on how to write and they've all been telling me to write about my coursework and how my interests got to where they are.

Think about it this way: You want to cover the important things in your SOP that cannot realistically be covered elsewhere and that tell everyone what it is you want to study, why you want to study that, and why you want to do it there. Your coursework? That's covered on your transcript already. If you really wanted to give full titles, you could put them on your CV in a section labeled "Relevant Coursework" or something like that. Honestly, people don't care so much about the history of how you arrived at your specific research interests. What matters more to many (including folks like my advisor) is what your ideas are and what you want to do with them. That is your purpose for pursuing a PhD so that should be the focus of your SOP.

[LongGraduatedStudent]

Think about it this way: You want to cover the important things in your SOP that cannot realistically be covered elsewhere and that tell everyone what it is you want to study, why you want to study that, and why you want to do it there. Your coursework? That's covered on your transcript already. If you really wanted to give full titles, you could put them on your CV in a section labeled "Relevant Coursework" or something like that. Honestly, people don't care so much about the history of how you arrived at your specific research interests. What matters more to many (including folks like my advisor) is what your ideas are and what you want to do with them. That is your purpose for pursuing a PhD so that should be the focus of your SOP.

Coursework does matter in the SoP in cases where you coursework is not the best match for the programs your applying. My background is in one thing (paleontology and evolution biology) and what I am applying to grad school for is a very different thing (molecular anthropology), so in my case explaining my coursework and why it is different from what I am applying to graduate school for is probably rather important (and the SoP is probably the best and only place to explain it). I am not listing specific courses except in one case. I am basically saying my course track was in X and I realized I didn't know what I wanted to do, and then I explained what changed my track

Anyways, now my last paragraph where I get much more specific on what I want to study at UFlorida and why UFlorida is a good fit etc... is a solid third of my SoPs

My CUNY/NYU ones are still fairly identical barring a couple sentences about the individual professors (since they are both for essentially the same program), but they both have a section about why I think NYCEP is a good fit, etc...

[rising_star]

Deven, nothing you've said changes my point. I changed disciplines (from humanities to social sciences) between undergrad and grad. I did not waste space in my SOP explaining why I had all this literature coursework and very little social science coursework. Instead, I used that space to explain what it was I wanted to study as a graduate student. Now, YMMV, but I was very successful with this strategy both times I applied (the second time was to switch schools for my PhD and I changed my focus area within the discipline dramatically). You really don't have to justify what you took (or didn't take) in the past provided you have a solid research trajectory for the future.

[anthropologygeek]

Don't waste space on course work they can see that. Also a lot of places have a page they want you to put relevant course work and the grade you got. SOP is for you to show them why you would be so valuable to them they can't reject you. And for that its all about fit since you must have the stats for them to ne looking at your app at all