words limit for the Statement of Purpose

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IbypassYou

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Hi guys,
do you know if there is a specific word limit for the SOP of the following Universities?
Harvard
Berkeley (I think is 750)
Columbia (somebody at the SOPHAS virtual fair said about 500)
Yale

thanks and good luck
 
The websites for these schools of PH will have this information.
 
Hey guys,
Harvard says 600 max and Berkely 750, but nothing on Yale and COlumbia websites...
 
I had this question also, so I just asked. This is the response.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding Yale's MPH program and our Health Management track. In order to answer your question, I want to clarify that by SOP you are referring to your personal statement???? If so, the length should be no longer than two pages.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming two pages is double spaced, so around 500. Hope this helps.
 
Thank you Healthdisparity,
this is helpful. Are you applying to Yale - Management? I was interested too, but they told me that a succesful applicant should have some previous experience in economics.. I'm a physician, so I will apply for the Advanced Professional in Health Policy and Administration...


healthdisparity said:
I had this question also, so I just asked. This is the response.



I'm assuming two pages is double spaced, so around 500. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not sure if Columbia will be the same as last year, but it was a 500 word limit.
 
Thank you Ebp, it can be 500 words, indeed somebody was saying this at the Virtual Fair.. seems a little bit too limited...


ebp said:
I'm not sure if Columbia will be the same as last year, but it was a 500 word limit.
Click to expand...
 
Icic... 500? Isn't it too limited to write. If I was a genius and only one big great achievement could prove my capacity, 500 should have been more than enough. But be a decent girl, I am gonna tell about my research + voluntary experience..how am I squeeze it into 500 words

Could you guys share how you are going to squeeze your SoP into 500 words?
 
Porcupine said:
Icic... 500? Isn't it too limited to write. If I was a genius and only one big great achievement could prove my capacity, 500 should have been more than enough. But be a decent girl, I am gonna tell about my research + voluntary experience..how am I squeeze it into 500 words

Could you guys share how you are going to squeeze your SoP into 500 words?
Click to expand...

talk about one significant experience 😛
 
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Just get into the meat of it. No fancy intros, no fancy conclusions, just get to the point. These AdComs are reading over a thousand applications. They will probably spend 2 minutes reading it, so make it to the point.
 
Porcupine said:
Icic... 500? Isn't it too limited to write. If I was a genius and only one big great achievement could prove my capacity, 500 should have been more than enough. But be a decent girl, I am gonna tell about my research + voluntary experience..how am I squeeze it into 500 words

Could you guys share how you are going to squeeze your SoP into 500 words?
Click to expand...

It was hard, but I just had to make sure I took out all the fluff/flowery writing and any unnecessary words. You have to keep it simple, to the point, and only include what's most relevant. When you think about it, it makes sense why they do it that way.
 
healthdisparity said:
I had this question also, so I just asked. This is the response.



I'm assuming two pages is double spaced, so around 500. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
It says nothing on their website or on the sophas website. Only HSPH demands 600 words. Has anybody else confirmed it for Yale MPH?
 
Thanks guys for the tips... so no fancy stuff, no florid words, get to the point 🙂
 
i mailed yale admissions n they replied back saying that they have no word limit but they advised me to contain it to a page with single spacing..
 
thank you Headstrong,
I guess it is about 600 words. However I don't think that the point is 500 or 600, I don't believe they check the number, but just they want not too long, rhetorical etc...
Has anyone confirmation from Columbia?
thaks


headstrong111 said:
i mailed yale admissions n they replied back saying that they have no word limit but they advised me to contain it to a page with single spacing..
Click to expand...
 
IbypassYou said:
thank you Headstrong,
I guess it is about 600 words. However I don't think that the point is 500 or 600, I don't believe they check the number, but just they want not too long, rhetorical etc...
Has anyone confirmation from Columbia?
thaks
Click to expand...
Dint ask columbia sorry.. not applying to it. I'm contemplating shortening my SOP which is around 1100 words to around 650. As it is, they probably dont give much time to it newz..
 
SOPHAS had a SOP wordlimit is 1500 words!!! u will find a word counter when u upload ur sop to sophas..
 
IbypassYou said:
thank you Headstrong,
I guess it is about 600 words. However I don't think that the point is 500 or 600, I don't believe they check the number, but just they want not too long, rhetorical etc...
Has anyone confirmation from Columbia?
thaks
Click to expand...

As I said earlier, when I applied to Columbia last year, their word limit was 500 words. Are they on SOPHAS now? Last year they weren't, and they had the word limit posted in their application system.
 
ebp said:
As I said earlier, when I applied to Columbia last year, their word limit was 500 words. Are they on SOPHAS now? Last year they weren't, and they had the word limit posted in their application system.
Click to expand...

from mailman:

"Good Morning,

Yes, we will be using SOPHAS for the 2012 admissions process. Our application should be made available between now and the end of this month."
 
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Veggie Monster said:
from mailman:

"Good Morning,

Yes, we will be using SOPHAS for the 2012 admissions process. Our application should be made available between now and the end of this month."
Click to expand...

Well, that's nice for you all, one less step. Hopefully you can do the SOPHAS 1500 word limit vs the Columbia 500 - it was tough to narrow down.
 
iono about you guys but i can barely reach up to 500 words in my SOP/PS. 😴

it's exactly at 448.

veggie monster don't like fluff!
 
SOP information

Just as an FYI, while I recall from applying last year that SOPHAS stated a 1500 word limit, there was also a character limit that came into play. I just looked at my word version and it is 1100 words. I started with 1400 or something and I had to edit it down because of the character count. It is two pages, single spaced in 12 point font.
 
I just recieved an email from one of the Advisors at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and she confirmed that the word limit for the SOP is 500 words.
 
Thank you KeatingR

Does anybody know when Columbia is going to open their application? They will go through Sophas but so far Columbia is not within the schools in the School Designation Section and their website just says beginning of october...

KeatingR said:
I just recieved an email from one of the Advisors at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health and she confirmed that the word limit for the SOP is 500 words.
Click to expand...
 
IbypassYou said:
Thank you KeatingR

Does anybody know when Columbia is going to open their application? They will go through Sophas but so far Columbia is not within the schools in the School Designation Section and their website just says beginning of october...
Click to expand...

i guess we just gotta wait haha
 
ehi Veggie Monster,
do you know if we can e-submit our application through SOPHAS to some univeristies and then add Columbia later on, when they finally open?


Veggie Monster said:
i guess we just gotta wait haha
Click to expand...
 
IbypassYou said:
ehi Veggie Monster,
do you know if we can e-submit our application through SOPHAS to some univeristies and then add Columbia later on, when they finally open?
Click to expand...

Columbia should be on there early next month (like in the next week or so), but you can add other schools after you submit if you're ready to submit now and don't want to wait.
 
OneDay81 said:
Columbia should be on there early next month (like in the next week or so), but you can add other schools after you submit if you're ready to submit now and don't want to wait.
Click to expand...

Thanh you! I don't know, maybe I will wait another week, then I guess we must submit...
 
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