SOP Question for English Majors

[rems]

Here's a question: When applying for an advanced degree in English Literature, how "well-written" does our SOP have to be? I'm only asking this as a theoretical idea, and I'm not really asking for advice. Rather, I'm asking what do you guys think? Do you think that our writing is expected to be "above" what a physics major could write? Or does it not matter one bit as long as it's tight and does the job? Or a better way of putting it would be to ask should it be written as a piece of technical writing or can it be a tad poetic at times?

Just curious to see what people think. I'm trying to figure out what kind of voice I want to use. I've outlined what I want to say, but now I have to make it sound good. Not sure if I want to go with "well-written" from a creative sense or just straight forward to get what I want to say across with no worries of how "good" the writing sounds. Think computer manual -- not literature but can tell you a lot.

[lolopixie]

Your SOP is one of the most critical parts of the application, if not THE most critical. It should be flawless. However, this is not a piece of creative writing. You do want to be straightforward and to the point, but it needs to be well written. Yes, it should be better than what a physics major could write.

[JeremiahParadise]

It's simple as that, it seems -- well put, lolopixie.

[Stately Plump]

It definitely isn't (and shouldn't be) a creative piece. But it also shouldn't be "computer manual" boring. Some schools wills mention that the SOP is the closest they'll get to an interview, so your voice should come through. It should be well-written, concise, detailed, captivating, informative, and unique (but not so unique that it sounds forced or "cute"; it will get tossed right in the trash if it gets anywhere near cloying). It should be word-perfect.

That's why it is among the most difficult pieces of writing you will ever do.

[rems]

I think "captivating" is a good word for this discussion, Stately Plump. I find the idea of the SOP interesting particularly regarding English Majors and the like because we are "writers," essentially, so we have to step it up a notch. Like, what we do is write, so our SOP is almost an audition piece unlike a physics major whose work would be tested in the lab -- our work is tested right there in the application. I've read multiple examples at this point, and some people write their SOP very stylized and "captivating" and some write them very straight forward, almost like a business proposal. Both probably get accepted.

So then what's the point of writing about this? Nothing -- I just find it interesting that in the Humanities we are judged by our writing all the time which can be very subjective. Especially considering the nature of our field: If you were a physics major who wanted to study something advanced and physical like and you needed certain equipment, you would apply to the school that had said equipment. There's your fit. BUT as an English and/or Humanities major, we can work anywhere. You can read anywhere, and especially now that collections and archives are being digitized, we can research anywhere. So how we defend where we want to go? How do we act like what we read is different than what other people read? How do I make myself stick out? How do I say "Pick me because I really want to do this!" louder than someone else? Do I attempt to be "captivating"? Do I attempt to be simple and straight forward? Ah, the existential crisis of PhD applications.

I'm not asking for an answer of any sort or advice. I'm just wondering if anyone else has the same concerns.

[slvitale]

Rems, I couldn't agree more with your final paragraph: aside from having a department with advisors working in your area of interest, there's not much that constitutes "fit" for a lit applicant. I can get a copy of Dickens at any university; A particle accelerator on the other hand might be a tad more difficult to come by.

[Stately Plump]

The real paradox of the whole process is that you have to complete graduate school (i.e., finish a dissertation) to fully understand what your research interests are and how they might best be served given X university's professors, advisors, resources, etc. You don't really know your fit until you're done and it's too late.

Keep faking it would, I suppose, be the advice.

[rems]

Keep faking it would, I suppose, be the advice.

Excellent advice! (not sarcastic)

I had a moment the other day where I was working on my SOP, and I typed, "I want to go to graduate school because...." Then I stared up from my computer, and thought: "I don't even know who I am anymore." Makes me laugh in retrospect.

I'm going to start a new thread called: "Complaints of the SOP" or something catchier because I realize that's what I should have done with this one hindsight being 20/20.

[rems]

In reference to the issue of "fit" above for English majors vs. people in the sciences, right now the "Art" forum boards right upon the Humanities boards here at Grad Cafe has the most recent topic as "Schools with Neon Bending Equipment." See what I'm saying?! I don't think I need neon bending equipment to study gender binaries... or at least I hope not.

[WendyMoira]

Here I am again, sucked in to the grad cafe. My cohort: don't you judge me! I was looking for info on TAships!

All right. That said, I have to add my two cents, since my experience differed so much from what was on this thread.

Fit exists, and fit is EVERYTHING. I applied last year and ended up at UT Austin. I had a few other comparable offers, one from a school that is better for my field, but I chose UT because departmental fit is crucial. I'll explain: each department has a different "model." For example, some schools follow a discipleship model, where incoming grad students often work with primarily one or two professors. In cases like this, those students go to that school for those professors. (FYI, UT is not one of these programs.) Some are more holistic and, for lack of a better word, social. Some departments encourage isolated study; some encourage collaboration and want your relationship with your cohort to be reminiscent of a support group. Some departments have graduate students teaching right away; some keep them on fellowship year one; some start first-years as TAs. Some departments are heavy on research, and expect their graduates to aim for R1 institutions on the job market; some schools are more geared toward teaching, and these departments want good scholars, but they also read heavily in your SoP and our LoRs for whether or not you'd make a good teacher. Some schools are more theory heavy than others. Some departments have firm requirements (i.e., you must take a course in each time period or focus, etc...) while others allow students to pretty much self-design their track. Schools have different procedures for master's reports, field exams and reading lists, and prospectus exams, and these different procedures reflect the different expectations of the program. Also really important, schools all have different levels of funding. Some English departments happen to be really valued (rare), and many are seen as superfluous after freshman comp is taught. A school that has more money will not only be able to make more offers, but they will also be able to fund students that, for example, might need long-distance archival research. ***And, most of all, departments have certain amounts of energy being directed at different interests. For example, I study childhood studies and children's lit in the long-19th century. There are very few schools that would work for me on a discipleship model. But, UT has a professor who actually studies Irish literature but is working on a book on the only child figure in literature and ecology; another professor, an Americanist, is working on domesticity and sentimentality in 19th century New England. A few years ago, I wouldn't have gotten into UT, but because the department now has a certain amount of enthusiasm related to my field, it's a great fit. OK, I'll stop there. I hope I've exhausted my point that fit actually does exist and it actually is extremely important. When I came to UT for recruitment, they explained why they chose who they chose, breaking down the process into four categories they look for. I also visited other schools, and it was blindingly obvious that they chose us for different reasons. To say these departments all have their own identity is a massive understatement. It's not about what kinds of machines they have; it's about the atmosphere of the department. Yes, you can read anywhere, but they're not only interested in what you're reading. Remember that grad school is a lifestyle, and you'll be doing a LOT more than just reading and writing. They're essentially choosing members of a team; they want to make sure you will belong among them. I think it would be a mistake to underestimate how important that is. In retrospect, I don't think it would be a mistake early on in the season (like in September or so) to send a polite email asking the DGS to describe their department. You might be surprised at all the nuances. I lucked out, but if I hadn't, I would have wished I'd done this so I'd have known, for example, that Chicago was a terrible choice for me. Anyway, I'll stop babbling about fit, but please, please, please don't overlook it. It is a real procedure, and they really can tell with a reasonable degree of accuracy who will work well in their department.

;:

On the SoP: They don't expect that you'll know exactly what you want to study. That requirement exists for a few reasons--A: you really should have a ballpark idea if you're headed for a PhD-- if you don't, you'll want to do more research before writing your SoP; lots of students grow and shift, but many, while making some focus changes, do stay in their original declared area. B: they use your description of your research interests to gauge how well you understand yourself as a scholar--even if you switch fields, they want to know that you can talk about scholarship (any scholarship), so they know you know what you're doing. C: not all departments, but many, do really choose you like choosing a baseball team--I know UT in fact told a few people they would need to adjust their interests this way or that way in order to really gel with the department. This is not to say they marry you to what you said in your SoP, but they do take you at your word and, to some extent, count on you studying what you say you want to study. I'm sure this varies by school too.

Make your SoP as flawless as you possibly can. The adcomm will be a team of people with advanced degrees, reading hundreds of applications. And remember, they're looking for teachers too. I'm sure a comma out of place here or there will go unnoticed, but they will absolutely not hire you to teach their undergrads if they don't think you have a command of writing. I would say your SoP should positively ring with your style. Since they can't interview you in person (in most cases), they use the SoP to try to figure out what your personality is like (see above diatribe on "fit").

The two most important aspects of the application are your writing sample and your SoP. And when I say they're the most important, what I mean is that they're almost the only parts of your app. In fact, I know someone who was accepted to a top-tier program when the DGS hadn't even seen the rest--no test scores, no transcripts, no LoRs, nothing. The professor read those two documents and didn't even seem to care that the rest of the app exists--and this isn't a crazy "the applicant was THAT good" story, at all--it was really coincidental. Again, I'm sure it varies by school, but honestly, there are people in my cohort who got 3s on their GRE writing and people who got 6s; I've heard of a guy who was in the 99th percentile on the subject test and I was...well, nowhere near that. One of my big regrets is how much emphasis I put on my test scores. Wasted valuable writing time.

Anyway, I looking back on this post, it seems my tone might come off as a little aggressive and perhaps off-putting, but I hope you all don't read it that way, since I mean to be helpful. I'm only posting since I did get to speak with several programs and sort of "see behind the curtain." Again, my experience will still be different from everyone else's, but I remember how grueling and anguished the application process was, so I thought I would try to de-mystify it as much as possible. Keep your heads up, everyone. I promise, when you're in, all of this will seem like a bad dream.

Edited August 23, 2012 by aeplo

[rems]

Anyway, I looking back on this post, it seems my tone might come off as a little aggressive and perhaps off-putting, but I hope you all don't read it that way, since I mean to be helpful. I'm only posting since I did get to speak with several programs and sort of "see behind the curtain." Again, my experience will still be different from everyone else's, but I remember how grueling and anguished the application process was, so I thought I would try to de-mystify it as much as possible. Keep your heads up, everyone. I promise, when you're in, all of this will seem like a bad dream.

Not at all! That was great, and way more than I would have expected. I had never thought of department atmosphere before regarding fit... That's a good suggestion! I was mostly looking for profs who are doing work in my field, and I was getting frustrated with the whole "fit" idea because I couldn't figure out "fit" beyond that, and I wasn't sure if that's all they wanted. Besides emailing the DGS, do you have any other suggestions on how to determine a program's "atmosphere"? There's definitely not information about that on the websites really.

I do, really, appreciate your advice and you definitely didn't come off as aggressive by any means!

[WendyMoira]

Hey rems.

Hooray! Glad to be helpful. Maybe try to get in touch with current grad students? It may seem kind of forward, and I guess it is. But I know at least in our program, which is pretty benevolent, we'd love to talk about the department and its ethos, particularly because we do feel we fit here (one of my cohort is convinced our DGS has a white board somewhere with all our names, pictures, and specialties). So we'd be happy to help out someone who's trying to find out if they'd fit in too.

An easier way might be to cruise the old boards to see what recent admits were saying about each school just after recruitment weekend (which, granted, is the school putting its best foot forward...but still worthwhile). You might be able, to,find someone who posted that they were going to school X and then PM them now that they're actually there. Plus you'll, pick up a lot, reputation info, which, while not always true, can still be valid since you'd be leaving the program under that reputation, no matter how legitimate.

Also, you mentioned people that work in your field. I would definitely email those specific professos, too. For example, I emailed James Kincaid, who writes on Victorian children's lit and childhood studies, which is a big focus for me. I asked him if there were other people at USC with whom I might find an interest; he told me in the absolute kindest way imaginable that no, USC probably wasn't a good fit for me, as he will be retiring soon and no one else in his department shared his area. Then he suggested a few schools for me to consider. Pretty cool. Of course, it was a bummer because he's fantastic and his email made me want to study under him even more, but still.

It also helps to have a really clear idea of the lifestyle you want. It can seem like you just want to get in somewhere, anywhere, and be a grad student, but there are so many variations. Thinking in specifics will help you choose programs based on more than just profs, which can be daunting, and location, which isn't always realistic.

What's your focus, may I ask? And what programs do you already like?

[ghijklmn]

@ aeplo! Thanks for the great advice; I've been poring over program descriptions and faculty interests for awhile now, which definitely narrowed down my list.

Now, I just wanted an opinion on the writing sample, which you claim (and I believe) is of paramount importance. See, I haven't written any long papers of writing sample caliber on the topic I propose in my SOP (post-war comparative literature). The best pieces I've written (that meet the length requirement) aren't directly related to my topic, for example: a paper examining economic language and gender relations in Renaissance poetry, one discussing birth and motherhood in two dystopian works, and one that gives an analysis on Luther's "Bondage of the Will." Would submitting an unrelated essay be a major no-no? Or are they just looking for evidence of good writing and critical thought, regardless of topic?

Edited September 5, 2012 by maracujaschorle

[Stately Plump]

Would submitting an unrelated essay be a major no-no? Or are they just looking for evidence of good writing and critical thought, regardless of topic?

You will be best served by a paper related to your topic. I've heard of people who got in with unrelated papers, but the chances are the other applicants will have papers related to their research interests, and as such, their applications will appear stronger if you submit a paper on the Renaissance and propose to study post WWII lit.

[Two Espressos]

You will be best served by a paper related to your topic. I've heard of people who got in with unrelated papers, but the chances are the other applicants will have papers related to their research interests, and as such, their applications will appear stronger if you submit a paper on the Renaissance and propose to study post WWII lit.

I'll go further than Stately Plump and assert that you should definitely avoid applying with a paper that is irrelevant to your area of interest.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Two Espressos

[ghijklmn]

*sigh* That's what I was afraid of. I guess I'll try to write a new paper, but that'll be hard without access to a university library anymore. Why oh why didn't I think of this earlier?!

[Imogene]

Wow, aeplo, that may be the most enlightening post I've read in this forum yet. Thank you for taking the time to share all that. I think what's so frustrating about the application process is that it's so hard to find out about those things that really define "fit" - the atmosphere, model, goals of the department - without some kind of personal contact. I've always had the "stand on your credentials/work" mentality rather than the "networking" mentality when it comes to professional advancement, so it doesn't come naturally for me to reach out to POIs and DGSs and current grad students - even just for information-gathering. It seems there's this mental block for me to reach out to these folks, especially considering all the other people who may be reaching out to them about this kind of thing. A part of me is worried about doing more harm than good (will I wind up on a blacklist of folks who annoyed the faculty?).

I guess there's no real question here, because I know what I'm talking about here is borderline irrational/phobia, but I just wanted to say that aeplo's post was really important for someone like me who needs to understand the various reasons it's actually important to reach out to the programs you're interested in to find out if a) the program/ POI is/are even what you think they are b ) whether there's any room for you and your interests for the next 4-7 years

[rems]

It also helps to have a really clear idea of the lifestyle you want. It can seem like you just want to get in somewhere, anywhere, and be a grad student, but there are so many variations. Thinking in specifics will help you choose programs based on more than just profs, which can be daunting, and location, which isn't always realistic.

What's your focus, may I ask? And what programs do you already like?

Thank you so much again for your advice! You have really gone above and beyond what I would expect!

My focus is primarily on urban environments in literature, James Joyce, and Irish literature. I also study so-called "low-culture" in reference to popular culture and the evolution of the grotesque (think the The Walking Dead). So I've been looking for programs who have professors who work primarily in urban studies and/or Joyce. The programs I'm strongly considering at the moment are Wisconsin-Madison, Buffalo, Michigan Ann Arbor, Austin, and Chapel Hill. There's a prof at Brown who looks really promising, but I'm not betting the family farm on getting accepted there

I think I might contact some current grad students at the programs I'm really interested in to ask about the culture of the department. I have a feeling that they might be able to answer questions about the "feel" of the department as a graduate student than a prof can. From my experience, different profs see aspects of the department in different ways so depending on which one you ask you'll get different answers.

Thanks, again, for all your advice! You have been a huge help!

I'll go further than Stately Plump and assert that you should definitely avoid applying with a paper that is irrelevant to your area of interest.

DITTO. I read a post on here awhile ago about a student not getting into Buffalo because they were applying for poetics and sent a writing sample that had nothing to do with poetics. I might be mixing that up... I am referencing a post I read a while ago. That being said, you should most def send in a sample that coincides with your SOP.

Sorry to hear about the library situation! You might still have access to online journals and archives if you're an alumni. At least, my school still grants access via the internet as long as you still have your log in -- I don't think they expire. Maybe that would be something to look into..?

[ghijklmn]

So I asked the graduate admissions coordinator at Stanford about whether I should write a new paper, and this was her response:

I think you have the right idea of the writing sample's purpose: to show the quality of your thought, critical assimilation and originality, and writing skills. You can explain the paper's importance in your development in your Statement of Purpose, as well as what prompted your focus on post-war literature. No need to write a new paper!

Do you think it's more something like Stately Plump said, then - that an unrelated paper may hurt me by virtue of other applications simply being stronger? Regardless... it obviously could only help to write an insightful new paper about my topic of interest. I'm trying, but if it doesn't turn out being better than my other papers, I won't submit it.

Unfortunately, I lost my library access when I graduated. Never thought I'd miss that place so much!

Edited September 9, 2012 by maracujaschorle

[GuateAmfeminist]

do you have any good professor friends from your last institution that you've kept in touch with? If you have a good relationship, they may let you use their account (I know I had a professor who offered to, in case I needed it). Just a suggestion.

[practical cat]

rems, I did my undergrad at Michigan and we have similar research interests. I would be willing to answer (or attempt to answer) any questions you may have about the department should you prefer to go through gradcafe over cold-emailing grad students.

[rems]

You're awesome! I'll PM you. Thanks!

[chalkboardsonata]

Actually, that makes 3 of us with similar research interests, minus the Joyce and Irish literature, plus literary representation of urbanization. If you wouldn't mind another, I'd like to send you message too, "girl who wears glass," because I'm also interested in Michigan.

[practical cat]

I'm happy to talk about Michigan with anyone who cares to PM!