PhD Statement of Purpose

[Sihara]

Hey guys,

After lurking around the board for a bit, I finally decided to bite the bullet and register since this seems like a really supportive community!

I've been brainstorming for my SoP and am curious how you all have approached it/plan to approach it. In particular:

1) When discussing current research interests, how much detail have you gone into? I'm concerned about going into too much detail, accidentally mentioning something that is not exactly accurate or feasible (since, after all, I have yet to research the specific problem in great depth), and appearing as though I lack knowledge. For a PhD application, is it best to keep this discussion focused but general, or is it best to go into as much detail as possible (e.g. briefly mention specific texts, previous academic perspectives, etc.)?

2) If you have several ideas for future research in mind, how do you decide which two (or so) to focus on?

Is anyone willing to share an excerpt as an example? Thanks so much in advance for any thoughts!

[marXian]

After talking to a few different professors (at different institutions), focused but general is certainly the way to go. To put it as concisely as possible, if you're too general, the committee doesn't know what you're really interested in and has no idea who you'd be a good fit with, but if you're too detailed (this is strictly speaking for American schools--the UK system is completely different) then the committee will, as one prof of mine put it, feel that you have nothing left to learn and wish you well on your nearly completed dissertation by throwing your app into the trash pile. In other words, the expectation at most American schools is that you're still figuring out the finer details of your project, though you know more specifically what you'd like to focus on.

The degree to which this varies probably depends on whether or not the school typically admits students fresh out of their BA, or if they tend to only admit students that have already completed an MA and expect a high level of competence. There's certainly more to be said, but that's a start.

[MsBOOM]

^JDHarrison hit the nail on the head. Give a general idea of your interests and what you hope to accomplish here and there, but nothing too precise.