SOP style questioning

[charles mingus]

Here's a question that I don't see on these boards (I cross-posted this in the Applications thread, so sorry if you've seen it there):

Is it awkward/otherwise detrimental to quote terms directly from a department's website in one's SOP for that department? I'm having a hard time describing my (excellent) fit with an interdisciplinary program in the humanities without drawing from the program's own language to describe its strengths.

Thanks in advance for advice and thoughts!

-CM

*UGH, should read "style question" in title.

Edited December 6, 2010 by charles mingus

[LJK]

In psychology, I am applying to a lab more than a department so I am not quoting anything from the department website in my SOPs, but one of my POI's lab pages lists a number of ongoing projects and I specifically quoted one of the main questions for one of those projects that I am particularly interested in. I think it is fine to quote as long as you are explaining the quote and its relevance to you specifically. I would use the advice that I was given in my high school English classes: use quotes where absolutely necessary and choose essential 'nuggets' rather than long winded quotes that include more than is needed. This is especially important for the SOP since space is limited and it is the main place in your application where the adcomm gets to hear from you about you. Too many of their words won't tell them anything about you it will tell them about them.