Quoting a prominent person in the field to which you are applying into in a LOI

[gatorgrad]

I am applying to psychology MA programs - counseling and experimental. Most of the LOI instructions say something along the lines of "In your letter of intent, you should identify what area of psychology you are applying to, as well as any subfield or particular topic(s) within that area that you would like to focus on. You should address which faculty member(s) you would be interested in working with, based on their research interests. You can also mention any class or applied research project that demonstrates your interest in this area of study."

 

Is quoting an author who truly inspired you to pursue the field tacky? It would be a 1-2 line quote at most, and I would cite it properly in APA, of course. 

 

Thanks!

[toby42]

And how to cite it? Do you think that's absolutely necessary in an SoP?

[Lulu_]

I read that adcoms don't want to see other people's words. They would rather you communicate what you mean in your own writing. Also, they will roll their eyes when they read a quote. If you're going to use someone else's words you better analyze them correctly and make them a valuable part of your SOP.

[Lisa44201]

Do not open with a quote. Hundreds of applicants open with quotes. Be different.

[sarab]

I included a quote but just to explain a fact of why something is important to address in my proposed project. Maybe you could say "the work and theoretical frameworks of Dr. ___ have influenced me... etc"