If I want to study Shakespeare, how specific do I need to get in my MA application?

[alleviate]

My problem is that I feel like I want to study EVERYTHING having to do with the works of Shakespeare. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I will need to be more specific than that in my application.

Any suggestions or advice on how to narrow my focus? I also hear a lot about people changing their focus once they enter grad school, so I'm not putting a lot of stock in my initial direction. Would it make sense to tailor my interest to that of a potential supervisor's?

Thanks in advance This forum greatly contributes to the maintenance of my sanity.

[alleviate]

My impression is that I will need to get pretty damn specific...

Is it too narrow to say that I want to study the liminality within the plays? Is it too broad to say that I'm interested in the supernatural? Is there some secret wonderful place where I can find examples of SOPs relevant to my path? Apologies if they're on the gradcafe.com and I just haven't found them...

[Lycidas]

For your potential proposals of study, try and imagine/plot out where they would take you during your actual Master's study (I'm assuming that you're applying mostly to programs which require a written thesis). It's absolutely true that you may very well change the direction of your project one or more times during your study, but nonetheless imagine the course these projects may take can be helpful: do you see yourself being able to build on the scholarship of others? do you see yourself being able to generate a thesis-length work on that topic? or being unable to constrain yourself to an appropriate length, or not being able to achieve the depth required of a thesis? All of these things can be helpful to think about. A proposal to study the liminality within the plays would likely not be too narrow, imo.

Having research interests that are similar to a potential advisor will never hurt your application, this is for sure. However, two minor cautions: first, be careful not to tailor your proposal so much that you lose your own passion for it. This will only hurt you in the long run. Second, there is such a thing as being too close to your potential advisor's research interests. This is largely dependent on the advisor, but it does happen that if the subject is too close and the advisor too involved, the project can end up becoming more of the advisor's than the student's.

[Stately Plump]

You don't want to sound so specific that you come off as already knowing everything about your topic; if you give the impression that you could write your thesis right now, it can sound overconfident, like the program doesn't have much to teach you. If you are too broad, you will sound naive, like the "I want to study death in literature" comment in

You want to give them the impression that you are ready to begin graduate study (which, keep in mind, is not only the advanced study of your field, but often times the professional study of your field; you are being trained to become an expert and professional). Grad programs are not just looking for the "smartest" students (however they measure that...) but the students they think have the best chance of completing their program and moving on to bigger and better things. Remember that programs are not expecting you to have a graduate-level understanding of your field, but an advanced undergraduate-level understanding; trying to impress them with what you think is a graduate-level understanding will ultimately come off as naive and brash.

You could mention both liminality and the supernatural in your SOP, but you would have to clarify what you mean by each. More importantly, programs will probably want to see how you propose to study it. Do you have an interest in archival studies? Might you potentially need to travel to the Folger, e.g.?

It's a tricky process. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to talk honestly about your research interests; don't try to impress people, don't worry about potential advisors' interests. And just spend a paragraph talking about it. Perhaps an introductory paragraph, a paragraph talking about your interests, a paragraph about how/why you are prepared to undertake graduate study, a paragraph about why their program is a good fit, and a concluding paragraph.

[alleviate]

Thank you thank you thank you! Slowly this is making more sense to me

I would love to *need* to visit the Folger!

I just finished a Master's in Library and Information Studies... I feel like if I present that in a way that doesn't scream "I'm an expert at research" - it could help my chances.

Thanks again for the help, everyone!