How to start a SOP ??

[ah233]

Plzz suggest how to start a SOP -- with research experience / research interest or any other point ??? How much unconventional can a student of natural science be in application for grad school ??

[fuzzylogician]

The opening paragraph itself is one of the last things you should worry about. Start with writing the body of the essay and polish that part. Once that is ready it'll be easier to write an appropriate beginning, although that remains one of the trickiest and most difficult parts of the statement. Generally, I believe in keeping things professional. I think that starting with one's research interests is the best strategy because really that's what the adcom wants to know about each student when they pick up their SOP -- and that of course should be followed by an explanation of why you are ready to take on the research program that you propose and why the school you applied to is the best place to do that in. I would also not advise being too unconventional, but I suppose that depends on what you mean by that. Again, my advice is to keep things professional.

Edited May 18, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[Kitkat]

The opening paragraph itself is one of the last things you should worry about. Start with writing the body of the essay and polish that part. Once that is ready it'll be easier to write an appropriate beginning, although that remains one of the trickiest and most difficult parts of the statement. Generally, I believe in keeping things professional. I think that starting with one's research interests is the best strategy because really that's what the adcom wants to know about each student when they pick up their SOP -- and that of course should be followed by an explanation of why you are ready to take on the research program that you propose and why the school you applied to is the best place to do that in. I would also not advise being too unconventional, but I suppose that depends on what you mean by that. Again, my advice is to keep things professional.

Hey fuzzy,

Great advice, thank you.

I know that this is a bit off topic of what the OP started with, and this goes out to other people as well if you have any advice. I am wondering if you have any advice on how to keep it professional, but still make yourself stand out from the crowd in your personal statement. Generally, we can keep accomplishments and previous work done out of the way unless it directly ties into what we want to do in the future, since they can see that in other parts of the application. This frees up space to show why and how you are the best candidate. But what do you think is the best way to do this without boring them? I know not to get too creative. But I don't want them to feel like they are reading the same thing that they have read 500 times already this application season either!

Thanks to everyone!

[mewtwo]

You start it at the end. Come up with a beast of a final paragraph and build your way towards it.

[fuzzylogician]

Hey fuzzy,

Great advice, thank you.

I know that this is a bit off topic of what the OP started with, and this goes out to other people as well if you have any advice. I am wondering if you have any advice on how to keep it professional, but still make yourself stand out from the crowd in your personal statement. Generally, we can keep accomplishments and previous work done out of the way unless it directly ties into what we want to do in the future, since they can see that in other parts of the application. This frees up space to show why and how you are the best candidate. But what do you think is the best way to do this without boring them? I know not to get too creative. But I don't want them to feel like they are reading the same thing that they have read 500 times already this application season either!

Thanks to everyone!

Keep in mind that I've never been on an adcom or anything like that but I think that what makes a statement stand out is if it's detailed, precise and to the point. Define the research questions that you find exciting and write about them. That will make your passion for your research apparent from your words without you having to explicitly tell the committee about it. You don't need to have a thesis topic in mind or anything like that but it does help to have a clear idea of a subarea or a few questions you find interesting. Very few people ever end up doing exactly what they proposed in their SOP--which is good, because part of the reason we go to grad school is to learn more and grow, and interests often shift as we become exposed to new ideas--but having a coherent view of the field you're in and reasonable questions you could ask and answer during your graduate career will make you stand out. Show an understanding of where your field stands and where it's going. If this is anything like a job/hiring situation, the readers will want to be able to pick up your SOP and tell quickly and clearly what your interests are. They'll then want to know a bit more about your background and who you want to work with (or other fit-related reasons for attending school X). The SOP should be mostly about the present and the future, not about the past. That's why retelling the committee about past achievements is a double sin. Not only do you waste space on things the adcom can find elsewhere but you overemphasize your background instead of explaining how you'll use it at school X. Adcom members do want to know that you have the education and skills to do the work you're proposing, but they're much more interested in how you'll fit in their program - how they will fit in with the project you're proposing. Remember that training a graduate student is a serious expense both in terms of time and financial resources so it's important for the adcom to know that you're the right person for the kind of training they have to offer. So you want to be clear about how the school fits with your plans and the things you're passionate about studying. To me, passion that comes from careful consideration of a topic is much more compelling than writing about past achievements or using generalities in describing grandiose future plans. I also think that writing a clear and professional essay will make you stand out among the many essays that expand too much on the past or tell anecdotes and stories or use vague language or repeat information found elsewhere in the SOP.