Clinical Psychology Personal Statement Criteria
Eight public psychology sources - two faculty, six programs - on what a clinical psychology personal statement gets read for, and who reads it.
11 min read
Faculty Insights
Economics PhD Statement of Purpose Guide
Economics PhD statement of purpose advice from faculty and departments: math preparation first, provisional research plans, and whether to name faculty.
10 min read
Statement of Purpose Structure: A Blueprint
Faculty publish contradictory statement of purpose structure advice: three acts or a cover letter. Here is a paragraph plan that survives either reader.
10 min read
SOP Length: 500 Words vs 3 Pages, Both Official
UCLA sociology caps the statement at 500 words. Pittsburgh biology suggests two to three pages. Both are current, official, department-published advice.
8 min read
Research Proposal or Life Story in Your SOP?
A history department wants your dissertation project. A Stanford economist says a thesis proposal is not necessary. How professors actually read the SOP.
8 min read
Should You Name a Professor in Your SOP?
One physics department urges contacting faculty before you apply. One English department says do not. Both are right, for their own admissions model.
9 min read
What CS Professors Look For in an SOP
Eight public computer science sources - four named faculty, four departments - on what the SOP is for, what to cut, and where they still disagree.
10 min read
How to Find and Contact a PhD Supervisor: Email Templates, Timing, and What Faculty Actually Think
Faculty get hundreds of cold emails from PhD applicants. Learn when to reach out, what to write, and what professors at MIT, Oxford, and Cambridge actually look for—with real email templates and common mistakes to avoid.
16 min read
Research Track vs Coursework Track: How Your MS Statement of Purpose Should Differ
Thesis-based and coursework-based master's programs evaluate statements completely differently. Learn who reads your statement, what they're looking for, and how to optimize for each track.
9 min read
PhD Statement of Purpose by Discipline: How STEM, Humanities, and Business Schools Evaluate Differently
The same 'PhD statement of purpose' means completely different things in CS vs English vs Economics. Learn what MIT EECS, UChicago Sociology, and MIT Sloan PhD actually look for, with faculty quotes and specific evaluation criteria.
10 min read
How Many Professors to Name in Your SOP? The 2-3 Rule
Name too many and you look unfocused. Name one and it's risky. The 2-3 professor rule, with examples from MIT, Stanford, and Berkeley admissions.
13 min read
What Faculty Look for in a Statement of Purpose: Insights from 12+ Professors
Skip the counselor advice. Here's what professors from Cornell, CMU, MIT, Berkeley, and other top schools actually scan for in your SoP - including the brutal 10-second rule and why your childhood computer story needs to go.
13 min read