Statement of purpose: General or specific

[sylvestersteele]

Hi,
the problem: if I make my SoP too specific then I might not be accepted because the school may not have place in the particular area. And if I make it too general they may feel that I am not interested. Any tips on treading the fine line between the two?

Sylvester

[thathoo]

hi,
in general it is important that one customize their SOP for each university - make it look as if its tailored specifically to that univ. But the trick is to just devote 1 or 2 sentences about university professors/courses - not go over board with it - the thing here is to say that such professors are really interesting and you would love to work with them and others in the department - unless you are applying for a Phd in a very niche area - it should not get in the way of you getting admission there...just try to go about it on your own....write why that univ is special and what its dept is so good...just dont go over board...