Please Help Me With My Pedantic and Longwinded Statement of Purpose

[tonights]

You heard me. I'm despairing over this thing. It seems really long, not concise and overly rambly. And after reading it 8 million times I have lost all capacity to judge it accurately. (I have NO idea how I am supposed to condense this to 500 words for Rutgers, additionally

Comments

[tonights]

They timed me with some sort of software at a temp agency once. I read a section of text and then answered questions about it, which measured my speed as well as retention (as a lot of people who read really fast have poor retention). I know there might be online samples of this software that you can play with to get ideas of how fast you are.

I actually toned down mine for this because if I put in 1000wpm I thought they would think it was bullshit. I'm not sure if I should put it in at all now, I just don't know how to fit it in correctly - but it's really something that contributes to my value as a student, so I'm fretting.

I hate my first paragraph as well but heck if I know what to do with it, to be honest.

[tonights]

Hooray, another freakish speedreader. XD At least grad school will let me put it to use - assuming anyone lets me in, of course.

You know what, my WPM IS on my CV already. I might just stick with sending along a copy of that and in the SOP, just leaving in the little bit about how my professor described reading as my superpower.

I feel so afraid that I'm going to leave stuff out - like the explanation of my GPA before I got into anthropology - and the adcoms are going to think that I'm trying to push it aside. I had no idea writing this sonovabitch was going to be so scary. I'm trying to compose an epiphany paragraph now.

[ladylucretia]

Where on your CV did you put your WPM? It never even occurred to me to list that, but I am also something of a speed reader. I would feel a little dubious using estimates from online tests though (I took several which put my WPM between 900-1200). Do you also list your typing speed? I type anywhere from 60-90 WPM depending on whether I'm copying or composing...I guess this would go under "special skills?"

[tonights]

That's exactly where I put it. A "skills" section right under the section on my technological and software expertise. My WPM, languages I'm fluent in, and typing skills are there. I'm pretty sure that's the appropriate place to list such a thing.

I wouldn't hesitate about putting down an online test estimate. It's not like you are overblowing or exaggerating a skill - you know you're a speedreader, and it's unlikely anyone will inquire how you got tested, don't you think?

[adequaticus]

tonights: "I can read 800 WPM"
jessiehl: "I can read at least 1000 WPM"
tonights: "Oh, I can read 1000 WPM too, but that's too insane for anyone to believe"
jessiehl: "Well, I was tested at 1600 WPM"

Sheesh, you two...you're both fast - there's no need to one up each other!

[tonights]

LOL! Well, I can't anyway. I definitely am not faster than 1000wpm.