starting off a SOP...

[sm2012]

with explanation of discrepancies...is it a no go?

[fumblewhat]

Your SOP is your case for why you should be admitted -- I think you should focus on your strengths. If you search the forum, you'll find a range of advice on this, but I would leave potential weaknesses completely out of your SOP.

If there's something you feel you have to address, you might cover it in an addendum. Most schools give you the option of uploading additional documents to their applications.

[newms]

You should think long and hard before you use valuable space in your SoP to dwell on a negative part of your application. You definitely don't want to start of the SoP with it.

Ideally you want your SoP to focus on your strengths, i.e. why they should pick you. For a research based degree, you want your SoP to detail your research interests, how your background prepares you to pursue them in grad school and why you'd be a great fit at Awesome University. It's usually recommended that you avoid trying to excuse a weakness on your application in your SoP, such as a lowish GPA. There might be a situation where it helps to try to explain a weakness or discrepancy, but that's the exception rather than the rule and you risk coming off as just making excuses.

[sm2012]

Thanks for your help. I am applying to Masters programs in Library Science so research is not part of the SOP. I have changed it around a bit and kept the explanation to a minimum. Hopefully I can find a friend or two to look over it and make sure its perfect. Again, thanks for both of your input.

[Poppet]

I have to absolutely agree with the above. I have several strange discrepancies on my transcript, and I didn't mention a single one of them, instead emphasizing my strengths as much as possible. Don't forget that your referees also have the opportunity to explain your discrepancies for you - I didn't ask him to do it, but I know that one of my referees explained to the AdComms in his letter that I'd suffered a housefire which interrupted my studies. So if it's a really serious case that you feel must be addressed, see if your referees might be willing to mention it on your behalf. If it's not really serious, I'd strongly recommend just emphasizing your positive characteristics instead.

And for what it's worth, despite not providing any explanation for some relatively serious flaws in my application, I was told by the DGS of one of my programs that I was their strongest applicant. Bringing attention to your positive characteristics will have more positive effects than explaining-away your negative ones, in my opinion. Good luck.

[zman35]

How abot this one...Im going for a research based degree and the only descrepencies I really have is no internship/work experience in what Im apply for. Reason is that Im a disabled veteran and had to chooose between internship/work or research project. I chose a very intensive senior research project. On a positive note for my seizure disability I plan on writing that this is what got me interested in the medical device industry and this is why Im choosing X program with Professor Y. So do you guys think I should mention my disability at all like I did, but in a positive manner?

[Poppet]

I definitely think that if your disability has inspired you in your research plans then you should incorporate that information, and explain how the impact on your life has inspired X research at Y facility with Professor Z. That's exactly the kind of information you should put in your SOP. Also, I don't think there's anything wrong with saying, "While my disability has prevented me from obtaining relevant work experience in __________, my intensive research project on ______ demonstrates my ability to perform advanced research on __________"... Adcoms know that not everyone has work experience - but demonstrating that you have the ability to perform extensive research is, in my opinion, just as important. So I would argue that you should concentrate on the positive things that you have done instead of trying to explain the things that you haven't. Good luck!

[zman35]

Thanks Poppet for the input. That makes sense and points me in the direction I want to focus my SOP on.