SoP Advice Compilation

[mattecon]

Hi all, 

 

I thought it might be useful to have a PoliSci SoP specific thread.  

 

Chris Blattman, a political scientist at Columbia who I quite like, has the following advice: 

 

 

A word on personal statements

I must say a little more about personal statements, because they often miss the point, and this is unhelpful and even painful to admissions committees.

This is not an undergrad entry essay where you describe your life’s trails and tribulations. And please do not start with the story about an epiphany, such as the day that you knew you wanted to study the subject. Especially if it involves a child in a poor country. In my opinion, this is mostly irrelevant and largely cliche.

You are applying to be a professional researcher, and this is your cover letter. Personally, I like to see some of the following:

1. Your fields of interest
2. Who you would like to work with in the department and why this is a good fit
   • Make sure they actually are there and take students–that is, that they didn’t leave last year, are actually in the department you are applying to, and are tenure-track or tenured
3. Your career objective(s)
4. Concrete research ideas (this seems to be more important in political science, which likes to see if you can develop an interesting research question and propose a way to answer it)
5. Important highlights from your CV, including any strengths that distinguish you
6. Only if necessary: Information that might help us understand any apparent weaknesses or puzzles in your application (e.g. why you studied physics but now are doing politics, or what happened in that single bad semester, or what your foreign GPA means)

I’m pretty sure other professors will have different preferences here, so don’t take this as law. I think we’d all agree, however, that we need to know whether you will fit into the department and with whom, and it’s helpful when you give your view.

 

 

Like he says, this isn't law.  I thought it would be a useful framework for advice though.

 

What would you all add?  

 

General Advice?

 

Other professor entries, specific to PoliSci?

 

Anyone have some good example SoPs that they'd share?

 

Such an important part of the app.

 

 

 

[Poli92]

I'll just leave this here. 

 

[mattecon]

Whoops, even tried searching. Thanks!

[Poli92]

Not a problem. A thread like that needs bumped around this time anyways.