Help with SoP

[chicamala21]

So I'm working on a first draft of my SoP. This is what I have as far as how my classes and internships have influenced my current interests; the rest of the statement will be specific to each school, which is what I'm having more problems with (but that's another story)

Comments

[etherealpearl]

I was definitely in the same boat: worked as an education/outreach assistant at an aquarium which turned me onto marine science and along with a invertebrate class narrowed my focus to inverts, did a summer REU where I was placed into a project (zooplankton behavior), completed a senior thesis on (potentially) symbiotic marine bacteria, and for grad school I am looking into marine/aquatic invasive invertebrates. Basically, I spinned my sop so that even though I had a lot of research in other areas and a definite lack of research in what I actually wanted to do I was familiar with molecular techniques (yeah pcr!), the necessary statistical techniques, and various field/collection methods.

For yours I would say definitely play up the similarities between the crabs and the fish, especially the research methods that could transfer over. Are you a senior this year? and if so are you already working in a lab? If you could possibly get into a fish lab you could take about the gradual evolution of your research interests - but regardless focus on the positives of your experience even if it wasn't exactly what you wanted to do or what you see yourself doing in the future (I managed to throw in a bunch of things in my sop that could be considered negatives that actually made me a better researcher). Your best bet for the aquarium bit would probably use it as a transition into your current interests (who dosen't like fish diversity ;P) but I would go in more than a sentence or so.

I'm going to start at Texas A&M in the fall (straight through phd rather than a masters first) which is quite exciting.

If you have any questions or need anyone to look over additional sop drafts feel free to pm me. I don't think there are a lot of marine science people in this community :)

[chicamala21]

Unfortunately I don't have the time or mobile access to the marine science campus for research (I work when I'm not in class), so this would be it (other than all the stuff I've done in classes, and unfortunately we don't have a fish biology class as far as I'm aware of) unless I switch jobs. It's just this feeling I have, like I went though my phases of marine mammals and corals, but this one has just stuck no matter what. But I do need a better reason than "I have a gut feeling".

But yea, I'll definitely focus on spinning everything so that it correlates with my interests.

[holdup123]

"gut feelings" are generally ok for masters programs. Most people (at least in the sciences) use them for spring boards to 1) gain research experience, 2) develop research interests, 3) see if they like grad school