"Subsequent career objectives"

[swisnieski]

Several of the grad schools to which I'm applying ask me to briefly discuss my future career objectives in my personal statement.

To be honest, most of my objectives are pretty mundane (I want to research and teach at the college level -- whoop-a-de-doo!). But I'd first like to serve a term in the Army and, if I like it well enough, possibly make a career out of it. I don't particularly want to spend my entire life in academia; it seems so onanistic just to get a degree so I can go on to teach other people how to get a degree. I'd like to give at least something back to the world beyond some interesting, if not entirely useful, research.

But that said, I'm given to understand many schools frown on military service. Yale, for instance, has not allowed an ROTC program on campus since Vietnam. I'm concerned that mentioning this in my personal statement will look poorly for me in admissions committees' eyes but, at the same time, not mentioning it would be dishonest.

What's a patriotic man to do?

Edited November 9, 2009 by swisnieski

[coyabean]

I really want to vote for "lie by omission" but I am afraid of some kind of SOP karmic boomerang. But not because its the military but because it doesn't speak to your academic career plans. I'm against all such mentions in SOPs unless its discipline-related like becoming a astronaut if your PhD is in some science. note my ignorance. LOL

But, I seriously cannot imagine anyone dinging an app for saying this. I can see some being snobby but I cannot see you being penalized. Don't forget that a large number of men, especically, in academia these days got there thanks to the GI Bill. Even if there is no resonance for your patriotism among the adcomm I think it could add to your diversity angle. Can't be too many military wannabes writing about that in their personal statements? And with two wars going on I think you'd find more soldier sympathy than not. Or, I like to think you would.

However, it's like a lot of things in that in might be best if shared on a "need to know" basis? Only you can make that call.

[KieBelle]

I think what the adcomm primarily wants to know is what you want to do with a degree from their school, not your entire life plan. I have several unrelated careers that I'd like to explore in my lifetime, but I don't feel the need to mention that in my SOP and I really don't think that counts as dishonesty. So I would only talk about your desire to teach, especially if your job in the military isn't going to be related to your degree.

That being said, I agree with coyabean that I don't think you would be denied admission for wanting to join the military. I just think it might be irrelevant--the sort of "extraneous info" that we're always advised should be left out of SOPs.