SOP Help for Experimental Psych programs

[mj53]

How important is it to have a very specific idea of my career goals prepared and put into the SOP for the work I want to do? Ultimately I'd like to do research and I have a rough idea of what I'd like to do it in (I'd like to be involved in the neurological or social processes that trigger aggressive behavior) so do I need to be super specific about what I specifically want to research because Im having a good bit of trouble there.

Right now my SOPs have more a of a broadly defined idea about the research I'd like to do and how the research at their program interests me.

I am applying to both terminal Masters and PhD schools as well and they all sort of have the same format with various details switched about in each of them, but all in all not a very specific thesis type statement in them.

Am I screwed without one? Basically my format is:

1. Intro with why Im interested in this field and that I'd like to be involved in research in my career (kind of put in more vague terms rather than a specific I want to be heavily involved in this one particular thing kind of terms....which is the best way I have to describe my career goals at the moment)

2. About the Professors I think I would best fit with and why I like their research.

3. A little background about my time as an undergrad where I mention one or two classes I took that I think specifically will sere me well moving forward in the current program Im applying to. And a very very brief section about any societies I've been in and honors accumulated in my undergrad career and computer programs im familiar with (this is basically two quick sentences because I didn't want to waste too much time on it)

4. My time spent as a research assistant (which unfortunately has little to do with aggression. It dealt more with memory but it was the best I could do at the time when I was looking for research)

5. About my current job, as a testing assistant at a neuropsychology center where I get hands on experience with individuals suffering from a wide array of disabilities/mental illnesses.

6. Conclusion where I go back over what I want to do career wise, again in sort of a broad way, how I fit in their program, and how I hope to be part of their program

Any input in appreciated. It's all still a little rough. I'd like to condense Paragraph 3 more and expand on paragraph 5 for sure. All in all it's about two pages single spaced.

Edited August 22, 2011 by mj53

[neuropsych76]

I would definitely try to make your research goals as specific as possible. Your outline seems fine but schools want to know that you are a good fit for them.

Good luck!

[mj53]

I would definitely try to make your research goals as specific as possible. Your outline seems fine but schools want to know that you are a good fit for them.

Good luck!

Im actually thinking about dropping paragraph 2 (one about which professor I fit with best), down to #5 and slide everything up one. That way I can talk about things I've done first, then when talking about the professors I can mention back to things I've already done/seen and how it fits with their research.

I thought about the format a lot tonight on my rough drafts and that's what I want to change the most. Now I just need to go through and expand a little more in some areas and condense some other areas and I think my SOPs will be good to go.

I'll try to get more specific on my career goals. I'd really like to but I feel like Im almost lying to them if I go too specific cause Im just not at that point in my life where I can say that and that alone is what I want to research. I just know the field I want to research and for someone without a masters is it really that big of a deal? I just assumed grad school is where I would get more guidance to narrow it down specifically.

Edited August 22, 2011 by mj53

[LuckyCat]

If you can add in a research question that you're really passionate about, that will help to provide more specificity about your research interests. And, it'll help the adcom determine if you're a good research fit for their program, which is something that they pay a lot of attention to after ensuring you have the basic credentials.

Most psych applicants don't end up studying the exact question that they talk about in their SOPs; it is sometimes a variant of that question or something altogether unrelated. Professors understand this and will not hold you to it. GL!