Totally burnt out writing SOPs

<p>So I'm applying to 9 different biological science programs and its a huge pain in the ass to customize each and every SOP (which is what I'm doing). I'm only done with 3 and I already feel burnt out. </p>

<p>For me, the research experience part is interchangable but the intro, ending, research interests etc isn't, and it gets a bit (actually, very) tideous researching the schools and tailoring your angle to the individual school. </p>

<p>Deadline's coming up soon and I almost feel like just throwing in the towel and writing a very general SOP for the other 6. But that's almost as good as admissions suicide. </p>

<p>Anyone else facing this problem? :(</p>

<p>Exact same issue! I dont have any advice..but I feel your pain. I usually work at it a few hours per night and spend the rest doing something fun... like studying for exams! </p>

<p>December cannot come soon enough.</p>

<p>Maybe I'm just not as ambitious as you or maybe it's different in highly-competitive fields but isn't 9 excessive? Can you see yourself going to all 9 of those schools? I think after a lot of searching that I only found 2 schools I had a decent interest in attending.</p>

<p>I definitely feel your pain!
Alot of J-Schools ask for a supplemental essays (usually an essay answer to a question) and so my writing load has essentially doubled. </p>

<p>I cannot speak to the SOP structure for science research majors, but what I did with mine was to dedicate two paragraphs to writing about the program and what I hope to obtain from it. </p>

<p>Use the intro to talk about your reasons for applying to graduate school in general and follow that up with how studying at that specific program will help you realize your ambitions- or something to that effect. </p>

<p>Use your conclusion to talk about the professors you are looking to work with etc. etc.</p>

<p>Yeah I can feel your pain. I did this over the last several weeks and it was awful. It will all pay off when you finish your PhD and get a great post doc making a cool 37,000.</p>

<p>haha was that a joke about the pay off when you get a postdoc position? Becuase like I mean i'm going to graduate school too but I definitely would make a lot more if I just got a job right now...</p>

<p>You might be surprised. Grad school stipends represent a very small drop from my current salary (though my current salary in an academic lab represents a very large drop from my previous salary in a biotech company)</p>

<p>Quick question: is it really <em>that</em> necessary to tailor a huge portion of your SOP to the different schools for a biosciences phd? I recently finished a working general SOP draft and was just hoping to change the last paragraph in whihch I talk about my interests and mention a few labs I am interested in.</p>

<p>Depends on your overall essay structure I guess. </p>

<p>I'm stating my purpose/interests in the intro, hence the need to customize more.</p>

<p>Is it appropriate to include some type of "story" about one's self in a biosciences SOP? For example, overcoming some type of hardship to get to where you're at today? As long as you tie it in to what motivates you vs. trying to make admissions feel sorry for you..?</p>

<p>then instead of tailoring your last paragraph to certain schools, why dont you tailor your introduction? Unless your research interests differ from program to program, I fail to see the process is more challenging than what was already outlined. </p>

<p>Try writing multiple essays for each program- Now that is challenging.</p>

<p>I'm in the same situation. Tired... too many other things going on.</p>