research interests too narrow?

[bolzanoweierstrass]

Faculty members in statistics and biostatistics departments often have specialized research/application areas. This can make the SOP difficult, since expressing very specific interests limits the odds of admission, while failing to describe coherent/cohesive interests is perhaps a red flag. 

 

I'm very interested in attending University X (who I haven't yet heard back from). I suspect that my narrow SOP negatively affected my chances of admission (only a small number of faculty are in the particular research/application area "Z"). Can anything be done at this point in the application process (e.g., contacting an admissions officer) given that I am more interested in attending University X than in studying research/application area "Z" elsewhere? 

 

[epimeleia_heautou]

I'm just a fellow applicant with no special relation to any admissions committee. That being said, my understanding is that adcoms generally read interests listed in a SOP as "potential" interests and expect that they will likely change throughout graduate study. See I think that the foremost potential danger of stating a specific interest is less that you'll seem narrow-minded and more that you may inadvertently say something about the topic that strikes the reader as wrong or ignorant.
 
Unless you went out of your way in your SOP to seem particularly obstinate about your research interests, I don't think the adcoms will hold your SOP against you. And, even if they do, it seems unlikely that this particular feature of your application will be the deciding factor that makes or breaks your application. I suspect that contacting the department is not a good move, as you may risk coming off as "high-maintainence" or "pushy". However, that's just my gut feeling, so take it with a grain of salt.
 
Finally, I think you've set up a false dichotomy there in your second sentence; "incoherent" doesn't strike me the opposite of "specific."
 
Best of luck!

 

EDIT: Link formatting -- didn't realize that TGC forums don't support html.

Edited February 2, 2015 by epimeleia_heautou

[cyberwulf]

As I've stated before, the SOP usually doesn't carry much weight so I think it's unlikely the main reason for your (thus far) disappointing result.

 

I wouldn't bother contacting the department, as you're in a bit of a fix regardless of how they view SOPs: If they don't give them much weight, then your plea will fall on deaf ears, and if they do consider them to be important, trying to "broaden" your SOP post-hoc sends the wrong message (i.e., "I'll write whatever you want to hear").

[Ranger]

You are just having the post application submission panic! Try to be less anxious because you can't do anything about it now.

 

Also, for most admission committees, it is often enough to read that you have given thought to what you want to do. Nothing is set in stone. You aren't a tenured professor and you are not expected to be an expert. They want to make sure they don't waste their time and money on you. You are starting a grad program and have the right to change your mind if you want. Admission committees usually have understanding people on them.

 

So, don't worry about it anymore. Wait for X to accept you.