Tuesday 8 March 2016

graduate admissions - How to show that the department fits my research goal?


In the question about choosing research ideas to include in a statement of purpose, JeffE advised how to write the last paragraph of the SOP:



How does my department fit your research goals? (If the rest of your statement is well-written, the reader already knows the answer to this question, but you also need convince the reader that you know.)



What should I really say here, without having repetition? This is the sum up part, which doesn't need to explain again, and should be short. I would add that this part also needs to raise the emotion of the readers. They have used their rationale enough in the main part. Whether I succeed in satisfying them or not, I have already tried my best, and there is no need to prove that I'm good anymore.


Or, as JeffE says, I need to convince the reader that I know I'm good*. My preference is to make the scarcity here, because the feeling of losing is one of the most strongest emotions. However, when I have the draft proofed, it is highly criticized that it is hubris, or at least unnecessary. I have given my rationale, but no one respond. Here is the draft:



To sum up, I hope that If I get admitted, I will be a valuable asset to the lab, the department, and the university. I will be a new researcher with a compelling plan to maturing the theory; a new student who can enrich the diversity of the X department; and a future scientist working to accomplish the Y school’s vision: create a better world.




So:



  1. How to write this part?

  2. Should I use this part to raise their emotions?

  3. Should I use scarcity to raise their emotion?



*Emboldening is only to emphasize the needed words, not to be hubris.



Answer






How does my department fit your research goals? (If the rest of your statement is well-written, the reader already knows the answer to this question, but you also need convince the reader that you know.)



This is the sum up part, which doesn't need to explain again, and should be short. I would add that this part also needs to raise the emotion of the readers.



No, this is not the sum up part. No, this part does not need to raise emotions. This part needs to explain why my department in particular fits your research goals. For example:




  • Your research interests are a good match with a particular research group or individual faculty member(s) in the department. If that's the case, name the faculty/group and explain why you and they are a good fit. Do not simply claim that you're a good fit; provide specific, credible, technical evidence.





  • The department has (access to) specific equipment or other resources that are necessary for your research interests, and that you can use well. For example, maybe you need a robotics lab, or easy access to a supercomputer, or well-established connections with industry or specific funding agencies.





To sum up, I hope that If I get admitted, I will be a valuable asset to the lab, the department, and the university. I will be a new researcher with a compelling plan to maturing the theory; a new student who can enrich the diversity of the X department; and a future scientist working to accomplish the Y school’s vision: create a better world.



This paragraph is fluff. It says nothing about you, nothing about the department, and certainly nothing about how the department fits your research goals. Delete it.


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