ToomuchLes Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Nearly all the institutions that Im applying to have no word/character limit on the SOP, or Personal Statement. Currently, my SOP is four full pages long; however Im pretty sure I can cut it down to three. Nonetheless, whats the average length for a SOP? Is there a golden rule on the length? Is it better to be short or long? Any available information would be nice. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylogician Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I'd say the average length of my SOPs was between 700-900 words, about two pages. I've also written in the past that one of my favorite versions of the statement was created after I was forced to write a 500-word SOP--that forced me to really think about my ideas and communicate them very efficiently. After that, I added back some details I had to leave out of the short statement and ended up with something I was very happy with that was about 650 words long. I had BA and MA experience, RA experience (collaborations with 4 professors in two countries), TA experience, a thesis, and other projects to discuss, and I was able to do it in that short space, plus a significant chunk spent on current/future research interests and fit. Some details simply have to be left in your CV or up to your recommenders to discuss. I don't know your situation, but 4 full pages sounds like too much. I'd find a way to cut back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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