SOP length?

[eisoj5]

My first SOP draft is 540ish words and comes out to just one page. I don't have any recent/relevant research background, and similarly I don't have recent faculty to reference, so it's mostly about my current employment. If I go on and on about work situations that illustrate my interests (and expand the SOP), is that too repetitive?

Thanks! Hopefully I can work up a slightly more creative second draft that'll be better/longer...

[Kitkat]

My 2 cents would possibly to mention what about the program interests you and why you think you would be a good addition there, even if you do not have specific people there you plan to work with. I know that in certain fields, mentioning specific people is not necessary, and in some cases strictly discouraged, but in this case you wouldn't be doing that. Just letting them know, why them as opposed to some other program. Also, do the programs ask what you plan/would like to do with this degree in the future? That is something else that you can talk about.

[fuzzylogician]

Relevant things to expand upon are less to do with your past (=work situations) and more to do with the future (=why this school, which faculty you would work with, what other resources in the program you find appealing, etc., as well as detailed descriptions of your current interests and how they fit with the school). It's hard to tell you what (if anything) you should add to your SOP without seeing it. 540 words for a first draft for someone with not a lot of experience doesn't sound too bad to me.

[runonsentence]

fuzzylogician is spot on. the SoP should be a "forward-looking" document, so your goals, interests, and career plans are the place to expand.

[InquilineKea]

Can you also mention what courses you might plan on taking once you're in the program? Obviously, it should be subsidiary to your research interests, but it still shows that you've researched the program really well and know what you're getting yourself into.

[zep]

I don't have any recent/relevant research background, and similarly I don't have recent faculty to reference, so it's mostly about my current employment.

I recommend discussing research that you hope to pursue with faculty in the department that you're applying to. (If you haven't figured out which faculty/projects are interesting to you, now's a good time to start.)