STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is referred to as a personal statement which is a critical piece of essay which helps the Admission Committee of Educational organisations in knowing who the person is, and, what are the personal and academic interests of the person. It is a reflection of the applicant which can help the students in securing their place in a University abroad. The SOP is an important document that describes your talent and the personality traits that cannot be covered through the academic records. Not only does this give students the opportunity to impress the admission Committee, however students can also reveal their creativity through this paper. A strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission. SOP understands the life of the applicant and their motivation to choose their area of study. It puts forward the personality of the person. The essay contains everything about the life of the candidate. About what was done by the applicant, what is the applicant doing in present and what is the future agenda of the applicant, it is all present in the SOP. when the statement is made, it is to be kept in mind that the essay is easy to understand and is approachable. Where the academic documents prove the academic nature of the applicant, on the other hand, SOP boasts the talents and personality of the applicant.
The statement is about 500-1000 words long and is advised to not exceed this word limit. This document must be in a readable size. Statement of Purpose should be 1-2 pages long and everything must be put together with all the information. SOP shall be free of all kinds of grammatical errors along with a good vocabulary which is easily understandable and leaves a positive impact. It gives a view of the personality of the student's academic performance outside of the academic institutions. It helps the admission committee to know if the applicant can be a good fit for the institution.
HOW TO WRITE A GOOD STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:
Statement of Purpose is an important document which can be a deciding factor in the admission of the applicant. And this should be treated with equal importance as other documents. This document must contain the following qualities:
1. Students must highlight the qualities that can make them stand out from the rest of the applicants. The SOP includes students' involvement with society, extracurricular achievements, etc. With the goals, interests and achievements of the student on the document, it helps the committee in getting to know the applicant on a personal basis.
2. One must not exceed the word limits, since the document shall be in the readable size.
3. There shall be no lies on the Statement of Purpose. Since dishonesty may lead to rejection of the students.
4. Students must mention their experiences and highlight them to the best. It gives the applicant a lot more weight in comparison to the other applicants.
HOW TO WRITE A SOP:
1. PRE-PLANNING: Since SOP is one of the most important documents, students must plan everything about the document beforehand.One should create an outline of the document and work according to the planning. Introductions shall be made in a way that it can make lasting impressions on the committee. All the below questions must be covered:
1. Why do I want to pursue this degree?
2. What courses or program features excite me the most?
3. Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally? How do I wish to use this degree?
4. How will my experiences add value to the program?
An outline that is created by the students helps in creating a trusted roadmap, so that the SOP comes out well-organised.
2. RESEARCH: Students must do a thorough research about all that is to be written in the outline created by the students. Also proper research must be done regarding the University the applicant has applied to and their achievements. The SOP must reflect the research you have done about the course and University.
3. CREATE THE ROUGH DRAFT: One must be sure that SOP has a clear introduction and conclusion. It can be a rough draft at first since creating a final draft requires a lot more attention. Creating a rough draft is the best at first. All through the rough draft, one must focus on the relevance of the information that is provided in the statement.
4. REVIEWING FINAL DRAFT: Once you have drafted your SOP, you need to make sure to make the changes accordingly and go through it carefully. Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If written far more than this, read through the statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Remove the unnecessary details that are not relevant to your admission. One makes sure to remain focused throughout so as to make a powerful statement.
SOP SAMPLE:
My name is Shubham. I wish to pursue a Masters in Communication from your University. I was born and brought up in Chandigarh, which is a big city and quite popular in the terms of. Through this statement, I wish to give you the list of my academic qualities, professional experience and objectives for graduation study. I hope this statement of purpose helps me get admission at your esteemed University.
I completed my schooling at Government Model Senior Secondary School, MHC, Manimajra, Chandigarh. I scored 78% in my SSc examinations. Then I joined Intermediate English Honors as my majors. Your program is my first choice for a variety of reasons including its long and successful history and its sheer excellence – as well as its location.
I was heavily involved with the student union throughout my four years of study and served as President of each of the residence houses in which I lived, as well as Senior Class President.
( After this students can add about their interests and their hobbies, which can give a glimpse to the committee regarding the personality of the applicant)
You can end this with: "I’m happy to expand on any of my coursework, work experience, or goals if needed. I look forward to hearing from you"
Thank you for your time,
Shubham
It generally looks just like a letter to the admission committee.
FAQs
1. How do I write a perfect graduate SOP?
Ans. One can only follow certain guidelines to write a good draft of an SOP and the rest is up to Adcom to review and accept your profile. However, if you are looking for just the guidelines for graduate (MS) SOPs, you may refer to Writing SOPs for MS Courses with samples. There are a few important points that you should keep in mind while writing an SOP. These include:
1. Write original content and do not copy anyone’s SOP.
2. Make sure that there is Logic, Coherence, and Cohesion in your SOP. All the events that you mention should be connected to each other in a seamless flow. There should not be any randomness in your SOP.
3. Make sure to research the course, university, city, and country where you are applying.
2. How do I polish my SOP?
Ans. After finalising SOP Draft,give it a double-check for grammatical and formatting mistakes. Your next step should be to analyse and critique your essay. Accordingly, you can make some changes but do not overdo it or deviate from the format. Lastly, check for spacing errors and save the final SOP which you will be using for the application process.
3. Can I add my name in my SOP?
Ans. Your name does not have to appear in the statement of purpose. The reason for this is that your SOP is a part of a series of documents used for your application that already carries your name. However, if there are certain instructions from the university that you should include your name, then mention it.
