<p>I am currently writing my statement of purpose (SOP) for top graduate schools in engineering majors in US. I am wondering should I include name of my potential advisor on my SOP (Is it a good idea to do that)? The problem is I am thinking if I do not include name of advisor it might be the sign I did not look at his/her research page and I am not very specific about my plan. On the other side, if I include name of potential advisor and my application is not competitive or he/she is not accepting any graduate student this might cause others not to look at my application since they might think I am not interested in their research.</p>
<p>It cannot hurt to do so but don’t focus on only one faculty member. Suggest 2 or 3 names in your SOP. Then they know you have done your homework.</p>
I did a paragraph with 3-5 members of their staff per university (based on the papers posted and what caught my interest). Part of doing all that research will help you “interview” them if you like what they have going on their besides just the name/location of their university. It’s the same way for graduate schools I tour; I understand they are interviewing me, but I am just as much interviewing them to see where I would love to attend.
As for choosing an adviser you usually can select a few as potentials. If you’re doing a thesis, I’ve heard a lot of people (for PhDs) say they didn’t always stay with their adviser for numerous reasons so it might not matter so much for that (though it will add time). Just do your research and be sure to interview their staff (feel free to email them and asks questions) as you will potentially be there 2-5 years and you want it to be an enjoyable experience!