Need emergency advice for statement of purpose

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of exceeding the specified length for a statement of purpose in a PhD application for a physics program. Participants express concerns about the potential impact on the application due to the length exceeding two pages.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that having a statement longer than two pages may not look favorable to the admissions committee.
  • Another participant suggests that it should not take more than two pages to explain one's motivation for attending the program.
  • Concerns are raised about the risk of the application being disregarded during the review process if it does not conform to the length requirement.
  • There is a discussion about the interpretation of "2.2 pages," with one participant arguing that it indicates an inability to follow directions.
  • Another participant clarifies that 2.2 pages means slightly over two pages, suggesting it could be perceived as a minor infraction.
  • It is mentioned that exceeding the limit by just two lines could still send a negative message to the admissions committee.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that exceeding the two-page limit is problematic, though there is some debate about the severity of the consequences and the interpretation of the length.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the exact impact of the length on the application process and the varying interpretations of what constitutes adherence to the guidelines.

xdrgnh
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For my application for a PhD program in physics they requested a statement of purpose of no more then two pages. My application is due tomorrow and my statement of purpose is 2.5 page in Microsoft office and 2.2 pages in open office. Will I lost a lot of points with the admission committee because my statement of purpose is slightly longer then two pages?
 
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I got it to 2.2 pages on Microsoft word.
 
Yes it won't look good to them that you have more than 2 pages. Shorten it up even more!
 
It shouldn't take you more than 2 pages to tell someone why you want to attend their program.

If you can't conform to that request, there's a risk (although small) that your application won't even make it through the faculty of graduate studies QA review. Alternatively, it might get cut off at two pages. Alternatively, if you're applying to a department that has a lot of applications, the people on the admissions committee may not bother with reading the whole thing.
 
What does 2.2 pages mean? It means you can't follow directions. Not what you want.
 
It means 2 pages plus 2 extra lines 2.2 pages. I guess it's more like 2.1 or 2.05 pages.
 
I think Vanadium's question was rhetorical. Either way you are over their requested limit by 2 lines. You should limit it to 2 pages.
 
Right. It's rhetorical, and it sends the wrong message.
 

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