SOP without research experience.

[Hanyuye]

Hi all,

I'll be asking all you great people shortly to edit my SoP. As I'm writing my first draft and almost done, I realized that I do have a specific interest in Biostatistics, which is its applications towards mental health, psychiatry and neuroscience. However, I have NO research experience in math nor statistics. I did complete a semester-long independent study thesis on the Japanese economy. This thesis taught me how delicate and diligent one must be to seek any information or question unanswered. How do I go about this issue that I have no research? Should I just include that I completed a semester long independent study and not explain the details? ( Which I'm more inclined to do so).

Best,

Han

[habanero]

Applying to graduate school to study Biostatistics without any math might be a bad idea. From UW's Biostatistics website:

Potential M.S. and Ph.D. students may enter the Graduate Program in Biostatistics from an undergraduate major in mathematics, statistics, or a biological sciences field. Students are occasionally admitted with backgrounds in other fields; however, all applicants should have the equivalent of 30 or more quarter credits in mathematics and statistics, which must include:

• 
  
  • approximately two years of calculus (must cover multivariate calculus)
    
  • one course in linear algebra
    
  • one course in probability theory
    

Edited October 15, 2011 by habanero

[fuzzylogician]

Describe your independent study and explain how it lead to your current research interests, developed them or helped narrow them. Since you don't have a lot of background, anything you can include that will convince the adcom you're serious and know what you're getting into will be greatly beneficial. And as habareno suggests, it's probably also a good idea to address your lack of background and explain how you're planning to overcome it. The adcom will be asking itself two questions -- (a) are you sure you want to do a graduate program in [field] (do you really know, given that you don't have a strong background); training a graduate student is a large time and money expense and it's not worth wasting on someone who will not fit well in the program or who will likely quit before graduating; and (b.) do you have enough knowledge and skills to complete the degree successfully and in a timely fashion, or does it look like it would be possible for you to catch up in a reasonable amount of time. Your SOP should convince the adcom that the answer to both of these questions is YES.

Edited October 16, 2011 by fuzzylogician

[Hanyuye]

Applying to graduate school to study Biostatistics without any math might be a bad idea. From UW's Biostatistics website:

Potential M.S. and Ph.D. students may enter the Graduate Program in Biostatistics from an undergraduate major in mathematics, statistics, or a biological sciences field. Students are occasionally admitted with backgrounds in other fields; however, all applicants should have the equivalent of 30

I took Calculus I, and Calculus II in high school and freshman year of college. Now I'm taking Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Advanced Math Proofs, Probability Theory and Math Analysis within Spring semester. I do have beyond the math minimum, but not much above it.

My independent thesis as I said was the Japanese economy from the Meiji Era to the 1980s, juxtaposition economic facts with film and urban studies at that time. When I did this thesis back in 2009, I had no idea about what I'm pursuing now. I've always been a serious student but my considering I have a tremendous amount of domestic distractions at home and family, my gpa struggled in the first two years. Then I emerged out of the darkness stronger and able to handle classes, focusing on priorities was much easier.

As for the adcoms, the recommendations that I'm receiving from my professors know I'm a serious student and know me personally. However, to convince the adcoms that I'm serious is troubling me. I know there's a Fit, Focus, and Future outline for SoP's. I am certain about the future and focus, but fit?? I can't describe myself as a proper column for their foundation.

[Hanyuye]

Also, don't take my tone as aggressive, I was just elaborating myself. Looking forward to your suggestions again!

[habanero]

I'm really sorry. I responded without reading closely enough! I thought you meant you had no math, not just no math research. I apologize if my answer seemed curt. It seems like you could spin your Japanese economy research into something useful for the admissions committee; after all, you were studying the economy! I think that programs generally just want some research. My research isn't in the specific subfield I'm applying to. They want to know that you are a serious student who will succeed, and some research experience does show that.

[ojha]

Hie,

I face the same situation.. I have never done any research but I intend to pursue PhD. How is ur sop going? I find mine to be pretty decent but not the phd kind....

[SeriousSillyPutty]

Yeah, the tricky thing with SOPs is that you want to address the holes they may see in your experience, but pointing out the holes yourself can make things look bad. Sometimes a difference in tone can help:

Instead of a tone that presents your experience as a substitute for what they're looking for, ("I haven't done biostats research, but I've done some economics and that's the same thing, right?") shoot for a tone that presents your experience as a confirmation of what you'd like to do moving forward: "My thesis on the Japanese economy taught me [all the stuff you said] and introduced me to how fascinating and insightful numbers can become once properly analyzed."

Not that you would ever say the first version, but you get the idea, I hope. In the second way you're still communicating to them that you have some experience with data analysis, and if they recognize the utility of that, great! But, if somebody doesn't think it's at all relevant, then your point still holds; people can argue about how much an experience "counts" but it's hard to argue about what you learned from it.

Good luck!

Edited October 13, 2012 by SeriousSillyPutty

[ojha]

that was nice and helpful....thank u!!