SoP and personal statement, Ph.D. in English & Women's Studies
I can't figure out how to end my SoP. I know that it needs to be stronger, but I've been working on these for so long that I feel that I've lost all perspective. Any help would be appreciated.
( statement of purpose )
( statement of purpose )
-You can cut the first paragraph of the SOP, or at least move it to the personal statement, as it describes your background rather than your research interests. Your research skills and fitness for graduate school will be evident from how you articulate your interests and from your writing sample, transcripts, etc.--there's no need to address them directly in your SOP.
-What's now the second paragraph of the SOP is really strong, but what's missing here is a discussion of how you'll ground your interests in academic objects of study. What texts will you use to investigate these ideas? What period are you interested in studying? Do you hope to do ethnographic work? Do you hope to do historical work? What methodologies do you plan to use? The personal statement alludes to some of the (I'm sure extensive) reading you've done--bring that reading to bear on the SOP: gloss the available literature and show where the gaps are. Propose a research project with more specificity than you've done in this draft.
-The third paragraph shows your engagement with these issues outside the classroom, but can you point to work you've done within English or WS classes? Right now, this reads more like a sociology statement than a literature one.
-Are there specific faculty you'd like to work with? If so, name them and explain how their interests intersect with yours.
-The personal statement does exactly what a personal statement is supposed to do--nice job!
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