300-500 Word SOP!?!?!

[barilicious]

So I'm mostly just posting this to vent, but WTF! I am in love with my SOP - madly, deeply in love with it. However, it is about 950 words (obviously the word count changes given the tailoring to each school). Nonetheless, for all of the schools I'm applying to, this word count is pretty ok, as it is under 3 pages double spaced. SADLY though, Indiana University says that your SOP should only be 300-500 words. WTF! I do not understand whatsoever how one can adequately describe all of the things they are asking for in that small little word amount space. I know I am a verbose writer in general (which I know can be problematic - I don't need a lecture on conciseness, I know that my verbosity is something I need to work on in life), but slashing my SOP basically in half for this school is just really depressing me. Anyone else applying to IU and having to depart with parts of their SOP?? If not, happy applying everyone - I'm looking forward to this forum hopefully picking up a little bit more now that application is definitely in full swing (I got 3 in already YAY!!).

[Bukharan]

I have another problem with Indiana. For my subject, they recently introduced a direct entry into a Ph.D. programme. In the past, one had to apply for an M.A., study for one-two years and then be automatically upgraded for a Ph.D.

So they do allow direct entries now BUT the application system was not updated. I cannot choose the option 'Ph.D.' on the website, only 'M.A.' Therefore, I am still recommended to apply for an M.A., then take an M.A. exam immediately after I arrive at Indiana and get an upgrade to a Ph.D.

Basically, I had to exclude Indiana from my list as I realise that the chances for an international student to get funding for an M.A. (even though it wouldn't be an M.A.) are not very solid.

[jacib]

I have another problem with Indiana. For my subject, they recently introduced a direct entry into a Ph.D. programme. In the past, one had to apply for an M.A., study for one-two years and then be automatically upgraded for a Ph.D.

So they do allow direct entries now BUT the application system was not updated. I cannot choose the option 'Ph.D.' on the website, only 'M.A.' Therefore, I am still recommended to apply for an M.A., then take an M.A. exam immediately after I arrive at Indiana and get an upgrade to a Ph.D.

Basically, I had to exclude Indiana from my list as I realise that the chances for an international student to get funding for an M.A. (even though it wouldn't be an M.A.) are not very solid.

I thought my statement was awesome last year. The school I'm currently going to was one of the best schools I applied to, the only school I got into, and had a 500 word statement. Don't fret! I thought writing a 500 word statment was awful at the time, too, but looking back at my 1,000 word one, I have to think "Wow, a lot of this stuff is totally unnecessary." I think in part the brevity made me take out all the unnecessary explanations I had and in the end that 500 word statement may well have been better than my 1,000 word statement in terms of presenting my research interests and my experience relating to them. Even though I hated it at the time and thought 500 words was way too short.

And the MA thing; did you talk to the director of graduate studies about that?