The other half of applying to grad school

requires writing an essay, or Statement of Purpose. Unlike a college app essay, this doesn't need to be perfectly written and brilliant. But, like a college app essay, it does need to get done. And it needs to explain, among other things, why one wants to go to the grad school to which one is applying. I'm going to write a first draft of mine this weekend. In preperation, I'm trying to make a list of reasons to go to grad school so I can decide which ones will work well in my statement. What I have so far:

10 9 Reasons to go to grad school
1) Real World sucks too cliche
2) Get to work with smart people cliche and also true of good, paying, real jobs
3) Don't want to pay off student loans precursor to funding insecurities - not good for career
4) Easier than thinking of something else lack of imagination - not good for career
5) Friends doing it ... friends jumping off cliff
6) Teach For America requires dealing with teenagers won't be considered for TA positions
7) Too attached to running water/iPod for Peace Corps superficial
8) Happiness requires endless stream of new things to complain about problem
9) Don't want opportunities for decent salary/free time/social life/semi-permanent job/sleep before mid-30s bitter


Conclusion: I should have written my statement last semester, before I burned out. Oops.