SOP length

[ashny]

If the university does not specify how long your statement of purpose should be, what is the maximum length you would write? Is 4 typed pages too long? Thanks.

[ManifestMidwest]

Try to keep it two or less, ideally size 12, Times New Roman, double-spaced.  The goal here is to be as concise as possible.  Explain briefly what you've done before, where you see it going in Grad School, and why the university you're applying to is the best place to go for that.

[ashny]

5 hours ago, ManifestMidwest said:

Try to keep it two or less, ideally size 12, Times New Roman, double-spaced.  The goal here is to be as concise as possible.  Explain briefly what you've done before, where you see it going in Grad School, and why the university you're applying to is the best place to go for that.

Thanks. Converting my font to Times New Roman really cut it down a lot.  I am now down to 3 pages. There is not much detail on the university website for me to say why they are the best place to apply, Do you know if that is really necessary to address in a SOP?

[ManifestMidwest]

On 1/12/2017 at 7:56 PM, ashny said:

Thanks. Converting my font to Times New Roman really cut it down a lot.  I am now down to 3 pages. There is not much detail on the university website for me to say why they are the best place to apply, Do you know if that is really necessary to address in a SOP?

It really depends on the university you're applying to.  Do you have another essay where you would clarify this?  If not, it must be done here.  I don't know which field you're in, but I'll name off a few examples from a variety of programs.  For one, the biggest reason why students apply to various schools is due to the faculty members that are there.  For example, I'm doing a PhD in history and the reason why I applied to my program is because of two faculty members who are quite high profile.  You could name different resources the university has (a specific library? technology that may be useful to scientific research? institutes or funding that the university has access to?), the location could be another reason to apply (for example, my colleague came to my university because Boston, and the Northeast more broadly, has a wealth of information on Irish-American immigration).

You may be able to think outside the box here, but your reasoning for applying to the university may make or break your application.  If it were earlier in the season, I would recommend getting in touch with professors you may be interested in working with.  You can still do this now, but it may be fruitless at this point.

[Paslp]

I'm applying to speech programs and for the applications that didn't specify a limit I wrote a 2 paged single spaced essay for each. I would not write anything too long because I have heard some schools may just skim through essays if they seem drawn out. Especially if they receive hundreds of applications. You could contact the schools and ask how many pages the essays usually are for there program.

If the program doesn't have many details online you could look at their graduate curriculum. That way you could mention something like "I look forward to required courses in pediatric dysphagia after volunteering at a children's hospital" and then describe a relevant experience. Looking at the differences in their curriculum versus other schools you are interested in will show that you've done research on their program and have specific interests in the field.

Just my 2 cents

Edited January 15, 2017 by Paslp

[amsullivan]

My undergrad professors told me no more than 1 page unless the school specified. 

[SpeechLaedy]

Most have 500-1000 word limits which is 1-2 pages double spaced 11/12 font (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri are the norm). So I would say try not to go over that since it seems they don't want to spend much time reading anything longer. But be careful! - the webpages with the application requirements don't always specify the details of the SOP. Make sure you create an account and look at the application itself then go to the Personal Statement tab most of them have; that's where you'll see all the details they need for it. I learned this the hard way and discovered a few days before a deadline that I had to write a totally new SOP for a school that did not mention a SOP at all on their requirements page. All the best!