descent’s last login was Monday, October 8 2007.
Are you applying to a program in English or the humanities? I would probably mention something about your research interests, scholarly work (perhaps a bit about a Master's thesis or conference presentations and pulications--if applicable). If you are applying for a teaching assistantship, you might also want to spend some time discussing pedagogy, classroom experience, and your teaching philosophy.You should probably also mention something about why you would be a good fit in the program. Take a look at each program's mission statements and how it relates to your academic goals. Are there particular scholars you want to work with? How might your research contribute to the program?Hope this helps.
What programs are you interested in? You might want to take a look at the Chronicle of Higher Education to get a sense of various programs and their strengths.