<p>When I'm writing the statement of interest, do I want catchy, unique paper that is interesting and highlights one aspect of my career (think undergrad app) or something that gives an overview of my career (which would probably be a bit more dull)?</p>
<p>Is there a significant difference between undergrad essay and statement of interest?</p>
<p>some general thoughts:</p>
<p>i wouldn't rehash your CV. discuss your experiences that are most relevant to grad school. if something is only minimally relevant, i'd leave it out (leave it to ur CV to tell them).</p>
<p>in discussing ur experiences, try to show your interest/passion in the topic. your SOP is your way of showing the adcom that u are really into doing grad school. show enthusiasm, explain the difficulty/lessons u had working through a research project, or the efforts made at writing/publishing a paper. </p>
<p>ultimately, your SOP should try to do two things.</p>
<ol>
<li> show your interest in doing grad work</li>
<li> show your ability to do grad work</li>
</ol>
<p>the goal of your SOP is for someone to be able to read it and conclude two things:</p>
<ol>
<li> wow, this person is definitely interested in doing grad work.</li>
<li> wow, this person is definitely ready to do grad work.</li>
</ol>
<p>there was a post in another thread where someone felt a poor SOP would leave u out, whereas an exceptional SOP wouldn't really make a big difference (compared to an average SOP). i certainly disagree with that assessment. an exceptional SOP with otherwise ordinary marks, i am almost sure, would be accepted ahead of a so-so SOP with outstanding marks).</p>
<p>write an outstanding SOP. write several drafts. give urself at least a month with it.</p>
<p>Absolutely. The SOP should do what 14<em>of</em>spades mentioned, and I would argue that another primary function would be to put any bits of information that are on your CV or transcripts into context. For instance, people see on my CV that I was president of a professional fraternity and continue to be active in the alumni group, and see that I'm now applying for teaching assistanceships. In my CV it's my job to talk about how my experience helping out younger members of the fraternity to learn really excited an interest in teaching, and that one of my primary objectives for getting a graduate degree is to prepare myself to teach at the university level in the future.</p>
<p>Yes, the SOP is incredibly important. That and your letters will determine whether you get into grad school or not. You don't want to do either of the two things you mentioned. You need to show why you want to go to grad school, what you want to do with your degree, what you plan on studying (and if possible, who you would like to study with), and what research experience (or applicable work experience) you have. That's it. Avoid at all costs the creative, cutesy stuff of the undergrad essay, and do not rewrite your CV in paragraph form. There's a ton of good advice on the SOP online - run a search on Google or something. It will help tremendously.</p>
<p>I agree with the above posters.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is there a significant difference between undergrad essay and statement of interest?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The grad. school SOP (especially for a Ph.D. program) is NOTHING like the undergrad essay. In an undergrad essay, you want to show that you're creative, unique, charismatic, etc. because colleges want a diverse, well-rounded, and interesting undergraduate student body. For graduate schools (I can only speak about Ph.D. programs from personal experience), they want someone who can do serious top-notch research, so your SOP should show your research experiences and potential.</p>
<p>Also, bear in mind who reads your grad school SOP - professors and graduate students who want to recruit smart and productive colleagues. Who reads your undergraduate essay? Admissions counselors who want to recruit a vibrant and healthy student body.</p>
<p>See here for more details:
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/pgbovine/www/grad-school-app-tips.htm%5B/url%5D">http://web.mit.edu/pgbovine/www/grad-school-app-tips.htm</a></p>