SOP draft(s)

[StarkResilient89]

Hi Everyone, 

 

At the moment, I've started on the first draft of my SOP, but I haven't gotten too far yet with it (~40% done) because

 

a) I'm unsure about the proper format of such essays (it's been 4 years since I graduated college);

I'm even less sure about how to frame my thoughts and tell a convincing story 

 

That said, does anyone know where I can find good samples of great SOPs online? I've been looking almost everywhere, but I haven't had much luck yet. Or even better, would anyone be willing to look over my draft and critique it when it's done? I'll gladly do the same for your SOPs, however much I can. 

 

To give you the obligatory background info in short form: 

- I graduated from a top 30 US university in 2011 with a B.A. in History and minor in International Studies, 3.31 GPA

- ~4 years of paralegal work experience, including a significant amount of environmental litigation at a private law firm
- Aiming to go for an MPA in environmental policy (Heinz, Maxwell, Harris, SUNY Albany, Cornell CIPA, NYU Wagner, UMaryland, maybe Duke)

- GRE scores: (V: 163, M: 160, AW: 5.5)

- Took macroecon in college (B-), just finished statistics now (pretty sure I'll get at least an A), and hoping to take microecon sometime in the spring, if not before fall 2015 when I aim to enroll 

 

This is easily the worst case of writer's block I've had in years, so any helpful feedback would be appreciated. 

 

Cheers, and good luck! 

[Gov2School]

I don't know where/if you can find sample SOPs online, but last year HKS did an AMAZING series on their admissions blog where they posted notes that their admissions officers had taken on student's SOPs.  Not the actual SOPs themselves, just the officers comments/reactions.   The tips they give (for example: do NOT use famous quotations) are useful and pretty universally applicable.  You should be following the admissions blogs of the programs you're interested in (most schools have them) and if they give tips/comments on essays there, definitely take note.