Others have suggested that I show how I've overcome it, grown stronger, and how it supports a valuable lesson. But I worry that it might sound like an excuse? 100% correct. Though this is usually tricky to pull off. The CDC says that up to 11% of US children aged 4-17 have diagnosed ADHD. …
Graduate School Applications
Is mentioning extracurriculars in the SOP not advised?
I'm literally using your website as a general guideline to re-write my SOP. It's kinda weird that after finishing I noticed that there's barely any mention of co/extra-curriculars? Is mentioning them in the Resume sufficient? People tend to lean towards including them into the SOP; is that not …
How to write a 250-word SOP for a master’s program?!
I'm wondering how one can ever fit all pertinent information and still stay interesting in 250 words? I'm applying for an MS applied economics program. Great question! The key to making the SOP Script work with a super-short word limit is to compress the first section into one boldly airtight …
Got rejected from every school I applied to! What should I do next?
Just got the final rejection today. Won't stop trying though. Fall 21 here we come! I plan to get some work experience, refine the SOP, and probably retake the GRE. “Get some work experience... Refine the SOP, Probably retake the GRE.” These are all fine ideas, but to me they seem to represent a …
Will a C+ grade keep me out of grad school?
I’m a second semester junior double major in applied physics and computer science at an Ivy League school. Last semester, I got a C+ in computational physics. I was taking a ton of credits at the time, way more than I should’ve. This course took the brunt of it all. Now I’m worried that I won’t …
Should I take part-time classes to finish my prerequisites for graduate school?
I’ve been researching grad schools and I’m missing a few prerequisites and cannot find the answer to this question on admission sites or on reddit. A little background—I graduated in 2018 with a BS in Psychology, worked in ABA therapy with the intent to get my masters in that, but have since …
Cheating is rampant now
How will universities respond with so many students cheating in online tests and Zoom classes? The same way they always have: by completely ignoring it. All of the various tests have had incredibly high cheating rates internationally for years. One of my high school students explained to me just …
Is it okay to reference TED Talks as an inspiration source?
Like, literally referring to a specific ted talk video on you tube by a scientist? If so, do I attach a reference at the end of the letter? Absolutely not. TED Talks are consumer products designed specifically to be inspirational to laymen. I won’t even let my high school applicants write about …
Do grad schools look at your extracurriculars?
Potentially double majoring in Bio + Math. Do grad schools only care about your LOR's, GPA, GRE, and research experience? I'm a rising sophomore, and I'm contemplating on pursuing a master's in Epidemiology or Stats later on. Also, will teaching positions or leadership positions help my application …
Statement of Purpose v. Resume? What’s the difference?
A resume is an organized info dump, presented in such a way that readers can quickly find any evidence or detail they might go looking for (e.g. date of publication in a journal, or your length of employment at a job). Think of it as the card catalog at the library. An SOP is a story. It …