Professors I want to work with?

[1Q84]

I'm really having trouble formulating my "professors I'd like to work with" paragraph. How does one start it without sounding like a toadying fool?! Is it weird to say, "I have been in correspondence with Professor X and I feel very strongly drawn to his/her work?"

[viggosloof28]

I'm really having trouble formulating my "professors I'd like to work with" paragraph. How does one start it without sounding like a toadying fool?! Is it weird to say, "I have been in correspondence with Professor X and I feel very strongly drawn to his/her work?"

I second this question. Also, if the department does not specify the format of the SOP, what is the standard? Should I format it like a letter to the members of the adcom, or should it read more like a short paper?

Any and all advice is much appreciated!

[mandarin.orange]

I second this question. Also, if the department does not specify the format of the SOP, what is the standard? Should I format it like a letter to the members of the adcom, or should it read more like a short paper?

Any and all advice is much appreciated!

For SOP format: I'd recommend the link I posted p. 4 to a prof's blog about this question. She's targeting science applicants with her advice, but I think it's more broadly applicable.

I highly recommend an internet search for Katherine Moore Sledge's SOP example. She's got a great ending paragraph about who she wants to work with, been in contact with, and why she's a good fit. It's not pandering at all; instead she conveys a sense of really having done her homework (familiarizing herself with prof's work and communicating with them), and a clear vision of what she wants to do.

[goodbye I]

I second this question. Also, if the department does not specify the format of the SOP, what is the standard? Should I format it like a letter to the members of the adcom, or should it read more like a short paper?

Any and all advice is much appreciated!

For most of the program's I am applying to I was dependent on certain faculty members' scholarly output for portions of my thesis or for term papers. This provided a segway for most of my 'professors I want to work with' paragraphs. I would say something like "In my thesis on Blah Blah Blah I was dependent on Dr. Blurgh's methodology in How to Get into Grad school for dirka dirka. I find his argument that la dee da is especially pertinent to my interests outlined above."

I think this provides a good opportunity not only to demonstrate you are familiar with their work, but that you have been influenced by it and believe your future output will mirror theirs in some way.

I'm interested to see what others did for this paragraph.

[Eigen]

If I recall, I used it as an opportunity to briefly talk about their work, and how it fit in with my interests.

[mandarin.orange]

For SOP format: I'd recommend the link I posted p. 4 to a prof's blog about this question.

I realize this is probably confusing...I thought I was in another thread at the time of posting. Here is the link I mentioned.

[viggosloof28]

Thanks so much for the link, mandarin.orange!