SOP review needed

[8hesaid]

Anyone willing to review the first draft of my SOP? At 800 words, it's not terribly long. I don't know too many people involved in urban planning and/or received MPLs who could review it and tell me if I am on the right track, so it would be much appreciated if someone from Cyburbia could take a look.

[csld09]

8hesaid, I think people are a bit reluctant to offer help here because the SOP/SOI is something that is really supposed to come from you and you alone. The SOP is the only dynamic part of your application: GPA/GRE/recs/resume? Those are about the past. The SOP is about your interests as you see them now, planning as you see it now, challenges as you see them now, the school's program as you see it now, and how you see all those things coming together in the future.

I understand wanting to get some help, I really do. You can talk about anything, so where do you begin?! Kind of an overwhelming task, but you're supposed to struggle with it. It gives you a clearer sense of what really matters to you. Having said that, I think one of the best ways to make some sense of things is to read what people have written here. There are tens of thousands of posts on thousands of topics, and you can get a sense of relevant issues as you read through the threads. Not only will you be listening in on conversations about the field, you'll be giving yourself the opportunity to get involved and put your opinions out there. Application deadlines are more than a few months away. Start reading, thinking, and contributing now, and you should be ready to write something strong by the end of the year.

[8hesaid]

8hesaid, I think people are a bit reluctant to offer help here because the SOP/SOI is something that is really supposed to come from you and you alone. The SOP is the only dynamic part of your application: GPA/GRE/recs/resume? Those are about the past. The SOP is about your interests as you see them now, planning as you see it now, challenges as you see them now, the school's program as you see it now, and how you see all those things coming together in the future.

I understand wanting to get some help, I really do. You can talk about anything, so where do you begin?! Kind of an overwhelming task, but you're supposed to struggle with it. It gives you a clearer sense of what really matters to you. Having said that, I think one of the best ways to make some sense of things is to read what people have written here. There are tens of thousands of posts on thousands of topics, and you can get a sense of relevant issues as you read through the threads. Not only will you be listening in on conversations about the field, you'll be giving yourself the opportunity to get involved and put your opinions out there. Application deadlines are more than a few months away. Start reading, thinking, and contributing now, and you should be ready to write something strong by the end of the year.

Good advice but it's still helpful to get some feedback.