Brainstorming (Part 1): To get you thinking about specific graduate programs that might be of interest to you, respond to these questions for each graduate program to which you are applying.

This activity can also be downloaded: SoPBrainstormingQuestions [DOC]

Notice the brainstorming questions asked you to not only identify a program and faculty, but also explain why they are of interest to you. Your responses need to be specific to you and should move beyond “It’s a highly ranked program” or “I like the location.” A logical place to start is by connecting the professor’s research focus to your own research interests. This will require you to spend considerable time reading program and department websites to learn more about each program and faculty research. Once you find professors who are doing the research you’re interested in, you might want to read their recent publications. You might also ask your current professors or research mentors their advice given your interests, or you could network at conferences, follow listservs in your discipline’s academic associations or graduate professional societies to locate professors and programs.

In order to demonstrate this fit to program, there are three strategies that you can use; these three strategies are discussed in the following pages.