How long should an SOP be?..

[Econ2006]

I think the SOP should ideally be 1-1.5 pages, and at most 2. For the programs that actually read the SOP before making an admissions decision, 3 pages would be much too long, even if there isn't an official word limit. You don't want to make their consideration of your app. a chore, so you should definitely cut it down a bit.

[jahizbarlas]

haha, ive heard about the mentioning dead prof in your SOP thing also.
in general, i hear from admissions people at my school that its almost always bad to mention names unless you really know the prof's research and can connect it to your specific interests.