importance of fit paragraph?

[JennyFieldsOriginal]

this could be paranoia here, but my fit paragraphs just don't sound quite like i want them to, and i'm afraid they are going to tank my whole application. is this a real possibility or late in the game nuttiness?

[rising_star]

I think it's a real possibility. You have to show the department that they are the right place for you to study. If you can't do that, why should they accept you?

[JennyFieldsOriginal]

that's definitely a good point. that's why i'm so nervous.

i'm also starting to feel a little funny because at my school there are sample SOPs availible that got people in (to the english lit phd program) and a lot of them don't have fit paragraphs at all. some don't mention the name of the university or any scholars in the department. one of the ones the professors on the committee sounded like they were really crazy about didn't mention the name of the university or a single scholar from my school.

i'm still going to agonize over my fit paragraphs, but i'm beginning to think the committee is going to have the conversation they have about you based on what you say in the statement in general, and that you're not going to bring a whole lot up that they haven't already considered.

who knows though. (clearly not me)

[Eyetea]

Personally, I feel that the 'fit' paragraph just shows that you have done a background check on the department/university and your hunger to get in. Sometimes things don't always look right to us. Remember, if you try to tweak it too much, you might end up sounding desperate!

[coyabean]

that's definitely a good point. that's why i'm so nervous.

i'm also starting to feel a little funny because at my school there are sample SOPs availible that got people in (to the english lit phd program) and a lot of them don't have fit paragraphs at all. some don't mention the name of the university or any scholars in the department. one of the ones the professors on the committee sounded like they were really crazy about didn't mention the name of the university or a single scholar from my school.

i'm still going to agonize over my fit paragraphs, but i'm beginning to think the committee is going to have the conversation they have about you based on what you say in the statement in general, and that you're not going to bring a whole lot up that they haven't already considered.

who knows though. (clearly not me)

It sounds to me as if those SOPs have been scrubbed for identifying information?

Fit is kind of key. Think of it like dating -- my standard app analogy, btw. Would you want to date someone who cannot remember your name or shows no interest in getting to know you? Same with schools. The fit paragraph is about showing you've done your homework, you picked them for a reason and that if they take a risk on paying you to come there you'll at least pretend to be happy.

So, try to make the fit work. Now, I've found that the easier I found it to write the fit sections of my SOP the more prepared I was to apply to that school. If I had problems writing it then it usually meant I needed to reevaluate why I was applying to that school.