(no subject)
I've been trying to write emails to profs but I am terrible at it. How much information is necessary? I am just asking if I can meet with them to talk about research and the graduate program, but after the last response I almost feel I should include the fact that I was rejected last time and this is the only place I'm applying to this year. On the other hand, this seems like personal information (why let them know I'm a reject, and open up the possibility of them thinking less of me?). So now I'm totally not sure what to say. I just know I don't want to get another "you can meet with me when you've already been accepted" response.
I'm also stuck on my stupid statement of purpose. It sounds like crap. It's all true but I can't make it sound nice. Any advice would be appreciated.
In high school, I dreamed of joining the Peace Corps and using science to help people. As a sophomore I had already decided that I would study chemistry in college and I hoped to join the Peace Corps soon afterward. In college, however, I met my future husband and decided to follow him to Austin after my graduation. Since I made that decision a year ago it has been my desire to continue my study of chemistry at the University of Texas.
In the past four years, I focused my studies on organic chemistry. I chose to do research the summer after my sophomore year, as an NSF-REU student, on a project involving the synthesis of ligands for chiral titanium complexes. I spent most of the summer attempting to synthesize a tri-dentate ligand starting from an amino acid. The following summer I continued work on this project, this time focusing on bi-dentate ligands and the synthesis of titanium complexes. I carried this research over into my senior year as my thesis project. I worked on forming new ligands and using the titanium complexes in catalysis. Organic synthesis remained the largest part of my research. It was was also the most interesting part as I enjoyed figuring out how to make reactions work better and what happened when a reaction did not proceed as expected. I was always excited when I synthesized a molecule that had never existed before.
I also took extra organic chemistry and biochemistry classes when I discovered that I wanted to pursue study in these fields in graduate school. I am interested in creating organic molecules for use in biological systems. I hope to do research, after my graduation, in medicinal chemistry as it combines my interest in organic chemistry with the goal of making molecules or discoveries that will benefit people.
I'm also stuck on my stupid statement of purpose. It sounds like crap. It's all true but I can't make it sound nice. Any advice would be appreciated.
In high school, I dreamed of joining the Peace Corps and using science to help people. As a sophomore I had already decided that I would study chemistry in college and I hoped to join the Peace Corps soon afterward. In college, however, I met my future husband and decided to follow him to Austin after my graduation. Since I made that decision a year ago it has been my desire to continue my study of chemistry at the University of Texas.
In the past four years, I focused my studies on organic chemistry. I chose to do research the summer after my sophomore year, as an NSF-REU student, on a project involving the synthesis of ligands for chiral titanium complexes. I spent most of the summer attempting to synthesize a tri-dentate ligand starting from an amino acid. The following summer I continued work on this project, this time focusing on bi-dentate ligands and the synthesis of titanium complexes. I carried this research over into my senior year as my thesis project. I worked on forming new ligands and using the titanium complexes in catalysis. Organic synthesis remained the largest part of my research. It was was also the most interesting part as I enjoyed figuring out how to make reactions work better and what happened when a reaction did not proceed as expected. I was always excited when I synthesized a molecule that had never existed before.
I also took extra organic chemistry and biochemistry classes when I discovered that I wanted to pursue study in these fields in graduate school. I am interested in creating organic molecules for use in biological systems. I hope to do research, after my graduation, in medicinal chemistry as it combines my interest in organic chemistry with the goal of making molecules or discoveries that will benefit people.