How soon did you start working on your apps?

[glasscandie]

I'm applying for the fall 2010, but I'd really like to have my applications done by September/October 2009 so I'm not rushing around at the last minute. I already have my list of schools finalized (sort of), and I've been in contact with professors I want to work with for a few months now. So, when did your apps come out? And when did you start working on it?

[weeble]

Apps for my programs (social psych phd) came out in August and September. Due dates for the programs I'm applying to are between Dec 1 and Jan 15. I started seriously working on them around the end of October.

I would definitely recommend looking at this years app for the programs on your list so that you can get a head start with the statement of purpose and personal statement. I wish I'd started those sooner.

[glasscandie]

I did start working on my SOP, thanks for that tip. I'm finding that it's really difficult for me to write, especially trying to keep it within 2 pages. I don't know how I'm going to describe all my research experience in it, plus my future goals, plus why I want to go to XYZ school.

[miratrix]

I had my list of schools "finalized" a year ago too, and now there are only two of the original schools on the list, with five new additions. A lot can change in a year as your interests and level of knowledge about the schools develop.

I started thinking a lot about applications in October and sent out recommendation requests and transcript orders, but I didn't really start to work on them until November, which is when I finalized my list at last. My due dates range from Dec. 15 to Mar. 1, and so far one's in on time, three are in early, and three have yet to be done. It's going to be a push finishing the statement of purpose for one of them over Christmas (it's a different kind of program than the others, so I can't reuse), but other than that nothing's last minute and I've had plenty of time.

[torakichi]

I did start working on my SOP, thanks for that tip. I'm finding that it's really difficult for me to write, especially trying to keep it within 2 pages. I don't know how I'm going to describe all my research experience in it, plus my future goals, plus why I want to go to XYZ school.

If they ask you for a CV/resume, you can probably avoid repeating some of the information that will also appear in there.

Also, you can always ask your LoR writers to highlight some specific areas of your profile in their letters, if you feel you don't have enough space to do so in the statement.

[dowjonesindustrial]

I knew what I wanted my writing sample to be in advance, and since I was a graduating senior, took the opportunity to have a professor look over it in detail.

I also spent the entire summer working through drafts of my SOP, because that was by far and away the biggest challenge for me.

Additionally, if you have a subject test to study for, don't slight the time you need to earn a satisfactory score. Plan out weeks (months?) of studying if it's what you need.

With all this in the work from May through September, by the time the apps come online you'll be ready to tend to the needs of individual applications.

[rising_star]

I started my applications in October, both cycles. Worked out just fine for me.

I would caution against having everything finalized too soon simply because faculty move from one institution to another, faculty decide not to take students, grants don't get renewed so there's no funding, etc.

[weeble]

Check out the community "applyingtograd" on livejournal for help with SoPs.

[Astaroth]

I started thinking about applications and looking at schools around August. I started preparing for the GRE in September, and took it at the beginning of October. Throughout October I basically went through a long process of looking closely at every school and evaluating my shot at each one so that I could narrow them down to 7 or 8 choices. I then updated my CV, wrote my SoP and filled in all my applications in November. I did have some problems with a particularly busy recommender who needed lots of reminders to fill in their reference so give your recommenders as much warning as you can, preferably a month before the first deadline.

Keep in mind that your SoP should reflect you as closely as possible, and therefore should be kept up to date. You will most likely be a very different person by the time you'll actually submit your SoP, so I'm not sure there's much point in working on it now. I wouldn't really even bother thinking about it before, say, August, and that's still playing it quite safe. Just to give you an idea, if I were to re-write my SoP now, only weeks after having filled in all my applications, I'd say it would be about 10-20% different. This is mostly because I'm halfway through my final year, which is easily the most stimulating and exciting time in academia for most people. My interests are being re-shaped and augmented on a daily basis. Your situation may be different, but it's something to keep in mind. Your CV is definitely worth getting to work on now, though.