POIs in the writing sample?

[unræd]

I realize these fora are pretty dead over the summer--everyone's already accepted/attending, or deep in their GRE flashcards, or blissfully not even planning their apps yet--but there's something I'd like to ask others' advice about.

 

So, as I've been simultaneously expanding/contracting my list of programs I'll be applying to in the fall, I'm running into a--well, I don't know if it will be a problem. It might be a good thing? Two of the programs I've recently added to my list both feature potential POIs who show up in my writing sample. (There's a third who was already on the list, but she's so superstar/probably-near-retirement-and-not-taking-on-students/teaching-at-a-ridiculous-reach-school anyway that I hadn't even considered it an issue with her, or even thought about it until this post.) One provides cogent discussion of the methodological basis I use in the paper's first half, the other treats a very closely related linguistic crux to the one I'm discussing.

 

This makes sense, I suppose--they're POIs for a reason. But including names in my SOP already feels grubbing and vaguely smarmy enough as it is; I'm worried that if these people show up in my writing sample, too, they'll think that I've just shoehorned their research into the thing in the app process (and I'm way, way too lazy to attempt something like that!), or chosen this sample just because it draws on their work--especially since it's not coterminous with all of the specific interests in my SOP.

 

Problem? Or over thinking? Should I acknowledge it when I talk about them in my fit paragraph in my SOP--"and her work on knottyproblem has provided" etc etc etc--or just leave it unsaid?

[ProfLorax]

Trust yourself! You put them into your writing sample for a reason. In your writing sample, adcomms are looking for writing, research, and argumentative skills. Do you have an original argument? Is it presented clearly? Do you enter the current academic conversation? They won't likely be closely reading your sample, so they probably won't even notice their work is being used. Just make sure their work is represented accurately and supports your argument; that's what really matters! 

[ComeBackZinc]

Think about it  from the opposite lens: would you really remove people from your writing sample because they may be at the departments you are applying to? That seems crazy to me. If they're the right people for your writing sample, then they're the write people. You're overthinking it.

[Dr. Old Bill]

I completely agree with the above two posters...but I understand your trepidation as well. For what it's worth, I have the same issue. One of my writing samples cites (two or three times, no less) a major professor at one of the places I'm applying to. The citation was in there before I even started seriously looking at grad schools, and I really wouldn't want to remove the citation in any circumstance. I don't think it's going to hurt or help my application, really. The professor is a leading scholar in her field, has several books about a topic I'm interested in, and is frankly an academic who should be frequently cited. I'm guessing the same will be true of your writing sample.

 

In other words, you're probably overthinking it, as ComeBackZinc suggests. But hey, 'tis the season for overthinking things...and it's probably better to overthink it and ask the question than underthink it and make a damaging error...

[unræd]

No, of course, you're all right! I'm hoping I'm just getting all the overthinking out of my system early on, in a sort of cleansing purge.

 

Thanks, proflorax, for reminding me what the damn purpose of the writing sample is, anyway. And ComeBackZinc's point is especially well-taken: what, if it were an issue, I'd remove them? Yeah, no--that's just plain crazy talk.

 

Wyatt's Torch--given your list and what I know of your interests, I've made a five-dollar bet (with myself) that yours is Helen Vendler. 

[Dr. Old Bill]

I suppose that's as good a guess as any...

 

 

 

Wyatt's Torch--given your list and what I know of your interests, I've made a five-dollar bet (with myself) that yours is Helen Vendler. 

Edited July 5, 2014 by Wyatt's Torch

[queennight]

Trust yourself! You put them into your writing sample for a reason. In your writing sample, adcomms are looking for writing, research, and argumentative skills. Do you have an original argument? Is it presented clearly? Do you enter the current academic conversation? They won't likely be closely reading your sample, so they probably won't even notice their work is being used. Just make sure their work is represented accurately and supports your argument; that's what really matters! 

 

 

Think about it  from the opposite lens: would you really remove people from your writing sample because they may be at the departments you are applying to? That seems crazy to me. If they're the right people for your writing sample, then they're the write people. You're overthinking it.

 

I have a general question in response to this issue then: is it too tacky to write (at the end of your SOP) "I'd love to work with ____ because I'm a fangirl of his/her work blah blah blah and they are the perfect professor for me and blah blah blah"?! This is basically what I did for my MA application last year and I got accepted, but I'm wondering whether or not this is too cliche and keenish for a formal Ph.D. application?

 

Is mentioning a professor from the certain school you're applying to a bad idea (as some seem to note about using professor's research in your own WS)? Any feedback on this from those who have already applied/are in the same boat as me (applying for 2015 fall)?

[ComeBackZinc]

Many people consider it standard practice to discuss potential faculty mentors in a statement of purpose. I did, myself. You have to be quite careful. Here's what I would do: offer a logical and straightforward summary of your particular research interests and lead up to that professor's particular work. Be specific in why that prof makes sense for you, and make sure you emphasize the published work and not the person. In other words, my interest in X clearly dovetails with article Y by Dr. Z, for this reason. Don't talk about his or her eminence or otherwise offer praise, which will inevitably be seen as a suck up. (Don't do this in general, by the way, not just about scholars at the school you're applying to.) Just "I want to study this, through this lens, because of this, and Prof Perfect's book Cool Book connects with that kind of work perfectly because it argues blah blah blah."

[unræd]

Is mentioning a professor from the certain school you're applying to a bad idea (as some seem to note about using professor's research in your own WS)? Any feedback on this from those who have already applied/are in the same boat as me (applying for 2015 fall)?

 

Oh, no--my "including names in my SOP already feels grubbing and vaguely smarmy enough as it is" above was not at all meant as a comment that including them actually is grubbing and smarmy, just that it feels that way to my default state of taciturn midwestern reserve! I very much see how it could be taken that way, though, and it's not at all what I intended--sorry! 

 

As ComeBackZinc says (and he'd definitely know better than I) it does seem to be standard practice, and I'm doing it with the vast majority of my applications, too.  One of my letter writers often sits on the department's admissions committee, and during our long talk about SOPs his advice was that while it is occasionally controversial (I saw on another board here that Stanford, for one, hates it?), I should definitely include names--with (again, as ComeBackZinc says) the understanding it has to be done carefully (you need to have actual ways your research intersects), and it has to not be fawning (fear of appearing which is partially what inspired my comment above). 

[queennight]

Oh, no--my "including names in my SOP already feels grubbing and vaguely smarmy enough as it is" above was not at all meant as a comment that including them actually is grubbing and smarmy, just that it feels that way to my default state of taciturn midwestern reserve! I very much see how it could be taken that way, though, and it's not at all what I intended--sorry! 

 

As ComeBackZinc says (and he'd definitely know better than I) it does seem to be standard practice, and I'm doing it with the vast majority of my applications, too.  One of my letter writers often sits on the department's admissions committee, and during our long talk about SOPs his advice was that while it is occasionally controversial (I saw on another board here that Stanford, for one, hates it?), I should definitely include names--with (again, as ComeBackZinc says) the understanding it has to be done carefully (you need to have actual ways your research intersects), and it has to not be fawning (fear of appearing which is partially what inspired my comment above). 

 

 

Many people consider it standard practice to discuss potential faculty mentors in a statement of purpose. I did, myself. You have to be quite careful. Here's what I would do: offer a logical and straightforward summary of your particular research interests and lead up to that professor's particular work. Be specific in why that prof makes sense for you, and make sure you emphasize the published work and not the person. In other words, my interest in X clearly dovetails with article Y by Dr. Z, for this reason. Don't talk about his or her eminence or otherwise offer praise, which will inevitably be seen as a suck up. (Don't do this in general, by the way, not just about scholars at the school you're applying to.) Just "I want to study this, through this lens, because of this, and Prof Perfect's book Cool Book connects with that kind of work perfectly because it argues blah blah blah."

 

Thanks for all of this advice! Yeah - I'm finding balancing the whole drooling-adoration-thing difficult with presenting a serious potential dissertation topic, but I guess I should learn to reign my enthusiasm in.

 

I also have one last question (that will probably vary a little bit): how much in regards to the SOP should be dedicated to your own backstory? I'm worried that rambling on about my changes in major might be seen as useless to the committees, but at the same time I'm worried that if I shorten down an explanation of my academic history it won't be as explicative as it should be. Such a tough call! I'm thinking maybe around 300/400 words max (to work experience, why I enjoy English, etc.) - does that sound reasonable?

[Dr. Old Bill]

From what I've read (and as usual, the local experts can confirm or deny this), it's a bit of a death knell to talk about why you love English, UNLESS it has specific and direct relevance to your course of study. For instance, if you are saying you love English because a close encounter with a dictionary cured dyslexia or something, then it's probably worthwhile. But if you're just saying that you love English because it allows you to escape into new worlds, or better relate to society or something along those lines, then it will likely be seen as trite and hackneyed.

 

I sent a first pass of my SOP to a couple of folks and they both suggested that I cut down the personal backstory, even though the backstory was "only" about 300-400 words as you mention. So I'm guessing 200 should be the max. Also, it's worth noting that some institutions expressly prefer personal information to be greatly minimized. Harvard, for example, makes a point of it, saying outright that "the Statement of Purpose is not a personal statement and should not be heavily weighted down with autobiographical anecdotes." I'm assuming that this doesn't mean you can't talk about how you came to a certain research interest...but I think it's fairly clear that they don't want to read musings on how and why a particular applicant loves English.

 

Hope this helps!

[rhetoricus aesalon]

The SOP is a forward-looking document, so back-story usually has no place in it. It has one purpose in my view, and that is to show your research interests fit into the program and will be supported adequately by the resources of the department. Speaking about why you fell in love with your field, while poignant, is white noise here. Focus instead on your research and why that research needs to be done at XYZ University.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Chadillac