Two SOP questions

[captiv8ed]

OK, we are at the down-to-the-wire, let's-stress-about-everything stage of the game.

1. How long is your fit paragraph?

2. Does this sound stupid or unnecessary:

I have also developed a professional relationship with Dr. X through the Really Awesome Board, and she has been very supportive during my decision and application process.

I have a couple of other profs whose work I am stating an interest in, but this prof has been more mentor-ish to me. I want to mention her, but I don't think that our research interests align closely enough for me to put her down in that fashion.

[eucalyptus]

1) My fit paragraphs range from 137 - 201 words (the latter is actually two paragraphs).

2) I think it sounds somewhat out of place and unnecessary. It's not related to your research plans and is not really a compelling reason to attend that school, so I'd leave it out.

[cheesethunder]

1) My fit paragraphs range from 137 - 201 words (the latter is actually two paragraphs).

2) I think it sounds somewhat out of place and unnecessary. It's not related to your research plans and is not really a compelling reason to attend that school, so I'd leave it out.

i don't get how people can make fit paragraphs work....haha everyone seems to do them yet when i tried to change 1 paragraph it felt off......like i wrote a new SOP for each school......because i tweaked how all my experiences were relevant to the research at the school and i had a differnt aim at each school. i love overthinking 2pg papers! haha.

[eucalyptus]

i don't get how people can make fit paragraphs work....haha everyone seems to do them yet when i tried to change 1 paragraph it felt off......like i wrote a new SOP for each school......because i tweaked how all my experiences were relevant to the research at the school and i had a differnt aim at each school. i love overthinking 2pg papers! haha.

Well, I did make substantial changes to the entire second half of my SOP for each school. I proposed slightly different research (or phrased it in a different way) at each place, and had a couple of paragraphs about prior experiences that I added/removed based on what I was proposing. I also made a few tweaks in wording. But there was still a distinct fit paragraph where I stopped talking solely about myself for once and wrote about the school I was applying to!

[pip]

Well, I did make substantial changes to the entire second half of my SOP for each school. I proposed slightly different research (or phrased it in a different way) at each place, and had a couple of paragraphs about prior experiences that I added/removed based on what I was proposing. I also made a few tweaks in wording. But there was still a distinct fit paragraph where I stopped talking solely about myself for once and wrote about the school I was applying to!

Yeah, I think it's hard to make the fit paragraph work without tweaking other aspects of the SoP as well. Even though I discussed all the same research background in my SoPs, for each school I wrote a few transition sentences leading into slightly different research proposals. The aspects of my research proposal I that tweaked were based on two things: my perception of the school's overarching research agenda, and how well the proposal utilized the department's distinct faculty strengths. This approach gave me a segue right into mentioning faculty I want to work with in a way that made it sound obvious all along.

It did kind of make me feel like I was pandering to schools, but I comforted myself knowing that I did not change basic elements of my proposal, and would be happy carrying out any version of the research I proposed.

[wolfentinus]

Mine ranged from 1 to 2 paragraphs. Usually 1 paragraph talked about the POI's interest and our match. I also mention that this match was confirmed through email correspondence (if he/she really said that there's a close match).

For some, I'll mention about the program in general, e.g. emphasis on multi-disciplinary research. Or some initiatives/programs/tracks that they have that I am interested in (e.g. neuroimaging track, or some initiatives/'programs' that allow for cross-disciplinary research).