Grad school SOP

Graduate School
1

<p>Fellow applicants:</p>

<p>How's the SOP writing going? </p>

<p>These are much different from college essays, I think--less "personal," but more "specific" (to the school, the professor, what I've done, what I've want to do). My college essays were about my as person; my SOP is about me as a researcher/future scholar-practitioner in my field. It's an interesting contrast.</p>

2

<p>I have yet to start mine…I don’t really know what to do. Do you know of a website that gives a good breakdown of what a grad school SoP should consist of? Any advice?</p>

3

<p>An SOP generally has four parts:</p>

<p>1) A delineation of your preparation for graduate study
2) Your intended area of study while in graduate school
3) Your explanation of why this particular program is a good fit for you
4) Your long-term goals</p>

<p>In other words, just ask yourself these questions, and answer them in writing. That will be your first draft.</p>

<p>1) How have I prepared myself for graduate school?
2) What do I want to do when I get there?<br>
3) Why is this particular program the right one for me?
4) What do I plan to do with my life, and how will this particular program and degree help me get there?</p>

4

<p>Actually, you can leave out #4 if you don’t really have room. Or so at least my professors at Michigan say. The most important you can discuss in your SOP is your research. Show how your brain works. Raise questions and provocative thoughts.</p>