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[tritiummy]

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, I didn't have any success looking for it.

To what degree is biography acceptable content for a statement of purpose?  Obviously, if one's background is significantly relevant to one's approach to scholarship, okay, but in general, are committee members expecting to see biographical information in a statement of purpose or is it generally just an expository statement of research interests, goals, methods and ways of thinking?

Any insights would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

* Edit:  I should be more specific.  This is for PhD admissions in the humanities.  Thanks

[smallways]

I'm a Canadian, and my general sense is that personal information is less acceptable here than down south, but here are my two cents. My statement of purpose was all about research, and I had 100% admits. The only personal information it had was about my academic background. I took my research grant proposal from that year, slapped a paragraph about fit on the end, and sent it out.
The personal characteristics that many people try to show through personal anecdotes--dedication, energy, curiosity--can be shown through your research goals as well as other parts of your application. It must be better to err on the side of impersonal and come across as a little cold, but well prepared, than to err on the side of too personal and come across as nice, but dim.

[verysneaky]

I'm an American, and I have to agree with Smallways. Biographical information has little to no place in an SOP unless it's "significantly relevant to one's approach to scholarship," as you say, and even in that case it should be extremely limited.

[goldenapple]

Your biography might be relevant if, say, you were lived for a long period in a particular part of the world where you plan to do research, but because you were only in grade school then, there's no evidence of this on your cv. You would thus explain that you speak the language fluently and are familiar with the region, etc.

In other words, do you have a skill or particular qualification that is part of your biography, but not part of your academic or employment history? If you do, then include that kind of biographical information.

[jacaranda_]

I'm an American, and I have to agree with Smallways. Biographical information has little to no place in an SOP unless it's "significantly relevant to one's approach to scholarship," as you say, and even in that case it should be extremely limited.

Yes (from an American, in the humanities).

[smallways]

Cool, then. Guess it's not so much a Canadian/American thing as it is a sane people/idiots on grad app boards thing.

[seniorscholar]

Indeed, biographical information often sends up a red flag, since it tends to be introduced to explain away something negative in the application (GRE scores, GPA, number of incompletes, etc.). If there is something of that sort in your application packet that needs explaining, ask one of the faculty members writing a letter of reference to drop it casually, as in "applicant was always prompt with work except during the semester in which there was a serious illness in the immediate family; I suggested taking incompletes rather than trying to get final papers in on time during an unusually trying month."

Or as someone else suggested, biographical information might be useful if some experience not visible on your other materials (such as growing up bilingual because of your mother's first language) has a bearing on your ability to do certain research.

[tritiummy]

My thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts.  My suspicions on this were more or less confirmed.

Of course, some programs do specifically ask for a personal statement in addition to an SoP, but in my case that's 1 out of 8 programs to which I'm applying. 

Another, somewhat unrelated query for anyone who happens to read this:

When programs ask for, say, a 20-page writing sample, are they expecting 20 double- or single-spaced pages?  I would ask my profs by it seems pedantic to barrage them with emails about something so trivial.  Then again, getting the trivial things right is obviously a good idea when the competition is fierce.

Thanks again.

[jacaranda_]

Double-spaced!

(and look up the word "pedantic")

[tritiummy]

I meant pedantic in the colloquial sense of "overly concerned with minute details."

[jacaranda_]

I meant pedantic in the colloquial sense of "overly concerned with minute details."

I think the adjective you need is "high maintenance."  ;-)

But really, that's not the proper use of "pedantic."  Not to be, um, pedantic or anything. 

Heh.

[tritiummy]

Though I should know better than to take the bait, I have to respond by asking what you feel you are accomplishing by leaving sardonic responses.  These were really simple questions.  And it's ironic that you're fretting over my use of pedantic (though you seem to see be aware of the irony), which, if perhaps not the best word, is not really wrong either.

No one is forcing you to answer my "high maintenance" questions.

[tinyzombie]

Though I should know better than to take the bait, I have to respond by asking what you feel you are accomplishing by leaving sardonic responses.  These were really simple questions.  And it's ironic that you're fretting over my use of pedantic (though you seem to see be aware of the irony), which, if perhaps not the best word, is not really wrong either.

No one is forcing you to answer my "high maintenance" questions.

Sardonic ain't nothin.'

Welcome to the fora.

[jacaranda_]

Though I should know better than to take the bait, I have to respond by asking what you feel you are accomplishing by leaving sardonic responses.  These were really simple questions.  And it's ironic that you're fretting over my use of pedantic (though you seem to see be aware of the irony), which, if perhaps not the best word, is not really wrong either.

No one is forcing you to answer my "high maintenance" questions.

Punkin, you really need to grow a thicker skin if you want to hang around (or survive academia).  I was just ribbing you.  Did you not see my winky little emoticon?

[msparticularity]

Though I should know better than to take the bait, I have to respond by asking what you feel you are accomplishing by leaving sardonic responses.  These were really simple questions.  And it's ironic that you're fretting over my use of pedantic (though you seem to see be aware of the irony), which, if perhaps not the best word, is not really wrong either.

No one is forcing you to answer my "high maintenance" questions.

Punkin, you really need to grow a thicker skin if you want to hang around (or survive academia).  I was just ribbing you.  Did you not see my winky little emoticon?

The other thing to remember is that this is an academic community, and many of us here really are pedantic about the things that can make one stand out (in a bad way) in academia. Your use of "pedantic" signaled that, while you had read the definition, you really weren't quite conversant with it in actual use. This, like difficulties with standard written English, can indicate to grad admissions committees and SCs that a person is not quite as literate (in that stuffy academic way) as is desirable.

In a weird kind of way, it's a loving gesture--like your mom nagging you to eat your veggies because they're good for you. :)