- #1
redflactober
- 12
- 5
Hello. I'm an undergrad at FSU and want to apply for experimental Biophysics in physics departments of schools in the Northeast (and 2 in Oregon). You might have seen me stressing on a separate post here recently.
I've had my SOP critiqued by my professor, she's on my school's admissions committee. My first draft she said spoke too little about my previous research. She said I need to talk more about it, so I can show that I understood the scope of what I was doing, and not just turning knobs. She said this would get the committee to seriously consider the fact that I want to change fields into Biophysics. When speaking on my research, I followed GARI protocol (Goals, Approaches, Results, and Implications) and tried to only include information that would be relevant and add value. I am worried that maybe I speak too much about my research, and am thinking about trying to condense the topic even further. I have ~480 words specifically talking about my research. The remaining 400 words are trying to convey how my research prepared me for grad studies, what I am interested in, why I want to go to [insert school], who I want to work with and why, as well as why going to [insert school] is important for my future goals.
A few more words on what advice I was given: she wanted me to make my intro paragraph much shorter and more of an overview of what I've done, because I previously opened with ultra specific info about what I want to study and why, which she said should be more vague and should come in some detail later in the statement. I was previously opening with "being perplexed at how intermolecular forces, fluctuations, and crowding scale into mesoscopic behavior that we see inside cells" because that's genuinely what I am interested in. She said that's fine and all, but there's no guarantees anyone on the committee will be a biophysicist or care that much about the specifics of my interests. She said I have to open short and to the point so I don't lose anyone's attention. She said to overall try and maximize talk on my research and why it prepares me.
If I could please have some feedback from someone who has maybe been on an admissions committee or knows about the process internally, it would ease my anxiety and I would greatly appreciate it. I suspect I should do some shuffling or some more edits before my first deadlines arrive on Dec 1, but I find I need outside perspective.
This version of my SOP is for Northeastern:
______________________________________________________________________________
As a physics major applying from Florida State University (FSU), I have a solid background in core physics classes. I’m also taking electives in fluid mechanics, condensed matter, and machine learning. At FSU, I have researched experimental Condensed Matter and Nuclear Structure. I believe my experiences will help me transition into Biophysics at Northeastern, where I’m interested in the physical principles governing intracellular organization.
I began my undergraduate research in Prof. Stephen Hill’s Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR) Group, where we ask a central question in molecular magnetism: how can we design molecules whose magnetic moments remain bistable near room temperature, despite thermal fluctuations and quantum tunneling? Solving this problem could enable true single-molecule magnets (SMMs) to store classical bits at the molecular scale. Arrays of such SMMs could in principle reach information densities exceeding 100 ##\frac{Tb}{in^2}##, two orders of magnitude above current hard-drive technology.
The challenge is that the magnetic moment of a molecule will eventually flip or “relax” when thermal energy becomes comparable to a magnetic anisotropy energy barrier which opposes reversal. Even below this temperature, relaxation can still occur through quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM) when external magnetic fields align spin levels into resonance. Thus, the design goal becomes maximizing the anisotropy barrier and suppressing tunneling, both of which depend on the electronic structure of the SMMs metallic center and ligand geometry.
I focused on characterizing this energy landscape by measuring magnetic anisotropy in lanthanide coordination complexes. I mounted single crystals into electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probes, wrote automated rotation and field-sweep measurement routines using Python, then identified EPR transitions by monitoring changes in transmitted microwave power when the sample absorbed resonant radiation. To extract anisotropy parameters, I fitted the angular dependence of these resonances to an appropriate spin Hamiltonian model. These measurements helped our collaborators determine whether new molecular structures increase the magnetic anisotropy barrier. This work culminated in a poster presentation at SERMACS 2024, where I outlined our EPR measurement protocol.
To broaden my perspective on how different fields handle data analysis and uncertainty, I joined Prof. Ingo Wiedenhöver’s Nuclear Astrophysics Group. My thesis aims to reduce uncertainty in models of Type I X-ray bursts, which depend sensitively on the structure of short-lived nuclei created during the explosion. I focused on key excited states in one such nucleus, ##^{30}Si##, which we created in the lab by sending a beam of deuterons onto a thin ##^{29}Si## target.
We detected outgoing protons with the Super Enge Split-Pole Spectrograph. The spectrograph bends the trajectory of each proton through a magnetic field according to its momentum, while the focal-plane detector records both the particle’s position and energy loss. Using data-analysis tools I wrote in Rust, I converted these raw detector signals into proton momenta and then into excitation-energy spectra of ##^{30}Si## using two-body reaction kinematics.
To probe the structure of each excited state, I repeated these measurements at several spectrograph angles, then extracted the proton yield at each angle to build angular-distribution curves. The shapes of these distributions reveal the orbital angular momentum carried by the transferred neutron, allowing me to make spin-parity assignments for the ##^{30}Si## levels. These assignments are key inputs for constraining the astrophysical reaction rate. I believe several of these assignments may be new, and hope to publish this work after defending my thesis in Spring 2026.
Across both projects I learned how to review literature, operate ultra-precise cryogenic and spectroscopic equipment, diagnose systematic effects, extract physical information from large, particle-ID or magnetic spectra datasets, propagate uncertainties through to results, and communicate my findings. These experiences have been invaluable in developing a basic research skillset, and I’ve found that I enjoy working as part of a team. I have also worked as an undergraduate TA in General Physics classes over the past four semesters, and enjoy exploring physics pedagogically.
Unfortunately, FSU lacked biophysics opportunities, though my interests have still landed in this field. A physical approach to the complexity of biology is exciting to me, while also helping routes to new discoveries in therapeutics or bio-inspired materials. I’m interested in working with Prof. Liao because her research on dendrite branching aligns with my focus on cellular organization. Specifically, in connecting properties of cytoskeletal transport to systematic narrowing of the dendrites, I’m motivated to assist in developing imaging techniques and machine learning algorithms for analysis. Professor Stevenson’s recent work on the effect of confinement geometry on lipid diffusion also interests me. I was excited to see his NIH Award supporting NV center based nanoscale magnetic resonance for probing membrane dynamics. With my background in EPR and interest in intracellular processes, I would be equally eager to contribute in interpreting membrane physics from magnetic spectra.
Northeastern is an ideal place to pursue my interests because it hosts meaningful dialogue between the life and physical sciences, where I can learn from what others are asking while providing my perspective from physics. The research environment at Northeastern stands out because of its close collaboration between theory and experiment, providing training that mirrors the interdisciplinary research culture in which I want to work. After graduate school I aspire to study the physical principles governing intracellular organization across scales through quantitative experiments and computation at a national laboratory or in academia.
With a strong foundation in basic theory, research, and teaching, I hope to bring my skillset to your school. I believe I am going to be a great asset in the graduate program.
______________________________________________________________________________
I Will be applying to:
Northeastern
Tufts
Carnegie Mellon
UPenn
Boston U
Syracuse U
Umass Amherst
Yale
UPittsburgh
NYU
Rutgers
UBuffalo
UVermont
UOregon
Brandeis
URhode Island
Clark University
Worcester Polytechnic
Wesleyan
Rochester Institute of Tech.
FSU (Home school)
Oregon State
(We can debate if Pittsburgh is the NE, but eh, its close enough. Did I miss any stellar biophysics research in physics programs specifically in the NE that I should consider? I am not applying to Cornell, MIT, Harvard, or Stony Brook)
I've had my SOP critiqued by my professor, she's on my school's admissions committee. My first draft she said spoke too little about my previous research. She said I need to talk more about it, so I can show that I understood the scope of what I was doing, and not just turning knobs. She said this would get the committee to seriously consider the fact that I want to change fields into Biophysics. When speaking on my research, I followed GARI protocol (Goals, Approaches, Results, and Implications) and tried to only include information that would be relevant and add value. I am worried that maybe I speak too much about my research, and am thinking about trying to condense the topic even further. I have ~480 words specifically talking about my research. The remaining 400 words are trying to convey how my research prepared me for grad studies, what I am interested in, why I want to go to [insert school], who I want to work with and why, as well as why going to [insert school] is important for my future goals.
A few more words on what advice I was given: she wanted me to make my intro paragraph much shorter and more of an overview of what I've done, because I previously opened with ultra specific info about what I want to study and why, which she said should be more vague and should come in some detail later in the statement. I was previously opening with "being perplexed at how intermolecular forces, fluctuations, and crowding scale into mesoscopic behavior that we see inside cells" because that's genuinely what I am interested in. She said that's fine and all, but there's no guarantees anyone on the committee will be a biophysicist or care that much about the specifics of my interests. She said I have to open short and to the point so I don't lose anyone's attention. She said to overall try and maximize talk on my research and why it prepares me.
If I could please have some feedback from someone who has maybe been on an admissions committee or knows about the process internally, it would ease my anxiety and I would greatly appreciate it. I suspect I should do some shuffling or some more edits before my first deadlines arrive on Dec 1, but I find I need outside perspective.
This version of my SOP is for Northeastern:
______________________________________________________________________________
As a physics major applying from Florida State University (FSU), I have a solid background in core physics classes. I’m also taking electives in fluid mechanics, condensed matter, and machine learning. At FSU, I have researched experimental Condensed Matter and Nuclear Structure. I believe my experiences will help me transition into Biophysics at Northeastern, where I’m interested in the physical principles governing intracellular organization.
I began my undergraduate research in Prof. Stephen Hill’s Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR) Group, where we ask a central question in molecular magnetism: how can we design molecules whose magnetic moments remain bistable near room temperature, despite thermal fluctuations and quantum tunneling? Solving this problem could enable true single-molecule magnets (SMMs) to store classical bits at the molecular scale. Arrays of such SMMs could in principle reach information densities exceeding 100 ##\frac{Tb}{in^2}##, two orders of magnitude above current hard-drive technology.
The challenge is that the magnetic moment of a molecule will eventually flip or “relax” when thermal energy becomes comparable to a magnetic anisotropy energy barrier which opposes reversal. Even below this temperature, relaxation can still occur through quantum tunneling of magnetization (QTM) when external magnetic fields align spin levels into resonance. Thus, the design goal becomes maximizing the anisotropy barrier and suppressing tunneling, both of which depend on the electronic structure of the SMMs metallic center and ligand geometry.
I focused on characterizing this energy landscape by measuring magnetic anisotropy in lanthanide coordination complexes. I mounted single crystals into electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probes, wrote automated rotation and field-sweep measurement routines using Python, then identified EPR transitions by monitoring changes in transmitted microwave power when the sample absorbed resonant radiation. To extract anisotropy parameters, I fitted the angular dependence of these resonances to an appropriate spin Hamiltonian model. These measurements helped our collaborators determine whether new molecular structures increase the magnetic anisotropy barrier. This work culminated in a poster presentation at SERMACS 2024, where I outlined our EPR measurement protocol.
To broaden my perspective on how different fields handle data analysis and uncertainty, I joined Prof. Ingo Wiedenhöver’s Nuclear Astrophysics Group. My thesis aims to reduce uncertainty in models of Type I X-ray bursts, which depend sensitively on the structure of short-lived nuclei created during the explosion. I focused on key excited states in one such nucleus, ##^{30}Si##, which we created in the lab by sending a beam of deuterons onto a thin ##^{29}Si## target.
We detected outgoing protons with the Super Enge Split-Pole Spectrograph. The spectrograph bends the trajectory of each proton through a magnetic field according to its momentum, while the focal-plane detector records both the particle’s position and energy loss. Using data-analysis tools I wrote in Rust, I converted these raw detector signals into proton momenta and then into excitation-energy spectra of ##^{30}Si## using two-body reaction kinematics.
To probe the structure of each excited state, I repeated these measurements at several spectrograph angles, then extracted the proton yield at each angle to build angular-distribution curves. The shapes of these distributions reveal the orbital angular momentum carried by the transferred neutron, allowing me to make spin-parity assignments for the ##^{30}Si## levels. These assignments are key inputs for constraining the astrophysical reaction rate. I believe several of these assignments may be new, and hope to publish this work after defending my thesis in Spring 2026.
Across both projects I learned how to review literature, operate ultra-precise cryogenic and spectroscopic equipment, diagnose systematic effects, extract physical information from large, particle-ID or magnetic spectra datasets, propagate uncertainties through to results, and communicate my findings. These experiences have been invaluable in developing a basic research skillset, and I’ve found that I enjoy working as part of a team. I have also worked as an undergraduate TA in General Physics classes over the past four semesters, and enjoy exploring physics pedagogically.
Unfortunately, FSU lacked biophysics opportunities, though my interests have still landed in this field. A physical approach to the complexity of biology is exciting to me, while also helping routes to new discoveries in therapeutics or bio-inspired materials. I’m interested in working with Prof. Liao because her research on dendrite branching aligns with my focus on cellular organization. Specifically, in connecting properties of cytoskeletal transport to systematic narrowing of the dendrites, I’m motivated to assist in developing imaging techniques and machine learning algorithms for analysis. Professor Stevenson’s recent work on the effect of confinement geometry on lipid diffusion also interests me. I was excited to see his NIH Award supporting NV center based nanoscale magnetic resonance for probing membrane dynamics. With my background in EPR and interest in intracellular processes, I would be equally eager to contribute in interpreting membrane physics from magnetic spectra.
Northeastern is an ideal place to pursue my interests because it hosts meaningful dialogue between the life and physical sciences, where I can learn from what others are asking while providing my perspective from physics. The research environment at Northeastern stands out because of its close collaboration between theory and experiment, providing training that mirrors the interdisciplinary research culture in which I want to work. After graduate school I aspire to study the physical principles governing intracellular organization across scales through quantitative experiments and computation at a national laboratory or in academia.
With a strong foundation in basic theory, research, and teaching, I hope to bring my skillset to your school. I believe I am going to be a great asset in the graduate program.
______________________________________________________________________________
I Will be applying to:
Northeastern
Tufts
Carnegie Mellon
UPenn
Boston U
Syracuse U
Umass Amherst
Yale
UPittsburgh
NYU
Rutgers
UBuffalo
UVermont
UOregon
Brandeis
URhode Island
Clark University
Worcester Polytechnic
Wesleyan
Rochester Institute of Tech.
FSU (Home school)
Oregon State
(We can debate if Pittsburgh is the NE, but eh, its close enough. Did I miss any stellar biophysics research in physics programs specifically in the NE that I should consider? I am not applying to Cornell, MIT, Harvard, or Stony Brook)
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