I'm freaking out a bit: I'm applying for MPAs/MPPs in enviro policy, to various very well regarded schools. I wrote my SOP, sent it to a couple of good friends, family, and professors to read (including an MIT and Princeton alum), all of whom liked it. Not trying to name-drop, just saying they've been through the process lol.
I had a para in there that was admittedly somewhat generic because it talked about faculty at University XYZ and their legacy, intellectual attitudes and so forth. I initially had nothing, then thought I should say SOMETHING and added it in. There wasn't a whole lot I could have said specifically about the school - it's a professional degree (much like law), no thesis, and when you apply to Harvard you don't need to explain why you are applying to Harvard, so I just said basically that I wanted to go there because of its [legacy, faculty, intellectual wealth, etc]. (Not that I applied to Harvard!)
Now I'm a little worried. The generic para was in there when I sent it for review, and not one person mentioned anything, so I left it in the app submissions, but now it's struck me that it might be SOP suicide? It's a paragraph and not as generic as a one-sentencer would be, so maybe it doesn't stick out as a generic para with flashing neon lights, but it's still not really specific.
Are admissions committees likely to discard what is otherwise, IMO, a really strong SOP just on the basis of this? Or will it really not make any difference to the overall app? I'm counting on my SOP and LORs to carry a lot of weight... really hoping this hasn't sunk it.
... Help?
