SoP and personal statement, Ph.D. in English & Women's Studies

[speaksoftlylove]

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.

Comments

[acommonreader]

I think that your Statement of Purpose might become stronger, actually, if you develop a point near the middle of it. When you come to speak of "these issues," I find myself unclear on what exactly they are, even though I can tell that they very loosely relate to ethnic identity and, from what you say later, reproductive rights.

I need to know just what questions your future research and work will attempt to address, and your larger project needs to become much more precisely linked to Latina identity/culture and reproductive rights/pressures.

This can easily be tackled by simply adding two or three of the major questions that you would like to give your attention before the line in which you mention "these issues," and that will let me know just what issues you mean.

Otherwise, I think that your writing is very clear, and mature sounding, and I like what you are doing in that first piece.

[speaksoftlylove]

Thanks so much for the feedback. I added this sentence where you suggested,

" Specifically, my research and career would address the cultural and religious pressures placed on Catholic Latinas, such as church dogma that prevents a sacramental marriage in any cases where the couple does not plan to have children. "

Obviously that's rough, and I'll refine it, but is that what you had in mind?

Thanks again!

[acommonreader]

That is a little rough, yes, but works to do exactly what I meant. Good!

[greekdaph]

Some quick comments (since I'm supposed to be writing a paper--eek

[indigo_black]

What part of your project do you envision conducting in English? How will the English faculty benefit your work? In short, why are you appyling for a joint English and WS PhD when your SoP doesn't link your project to English at all? The joint program at UMich, if I remember rightly, asks that you plan to work in both fields. Otherwise you might as well just apply to WS PhD programs. I think to make this SoP stronger, you need to demonstrate why your project would benefit from the expertise of both departments, and perhaps also outline your experience in both WS and English.

(where does english come in?)

[seasontoseason]

seconded.
I'd like to know what literature / theorists you are interested in more than (to be frank) I am interested in how your personal life experience has led you to this path. It's not bad to give some indication of why this area is what you want to dedicate your life to (personal reasons), obviously, but I think you should do more into what about the subject stimulates you intellectually, how it relates to the field(s), etc.

[circumfession]

This. This was exactly the question that I had in mind. English is generally considered a big-tent field (especially at Michigan), but there's no reference to anything that might pass as a text (which for my field, often broadens to include hypertext, visual studies, cultural studies, etc).

[notbettydraper]

Yup. Had the same question.