Students planning to study abroad often grapple with writing SOPs. An SOP i.e. a statement of Purpose is one of the most influential part of your college application process (apart from your score) especially in countries outside India like US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia & Singapore. It can decide whether you get accepted into a college of your choice or not.
Your SOP is your voice that tells the admission committee of your dream college about your education and career goals, your future plans and aspirations. As its name signifies, a statement of purpose should state the purpose behind your application to a particular college.
Students often get confused between college essays and a Statement of Purpose. Although both the terms are often interchangeable, a college essay is required for graduate admissions and is more explanatory covering broader topics, about you, your interests and hobbies, people/incidents that have influenced you etc. while a statement of purpose is generally required for graduate and PhD applications and should essentially cover your educational and professional background and discuss your career goals
Points need to be looked into while making the SOP
Make sure that your grammar is impeccable. Brush up the syntaxes, read up some quality articles and write short sentences. Use all the words carefully.
Answer all the questions asked, as honestly as you can.
Tell about your aspirations and expectations, and how do you think that the course is going to help you.
The SOP must be subtle or to the point, it must be well written, thoughtful, polished essay, to be successful
Academic and extra-curricular records of the past.
The SOP must convince the Admissions committee about the student's thirst for knowledge that could add value to the SOP.
A good SOP will certainly improve the chances of getting admission to the University, and even compensate for weaker portions of the application such as less-than-perfect grades.
A bad SOP, on the other hand, has the potential to drag down an otherwise strong application.
A Good SOP needs care, attention, patience, enough time to write several drafts.
SOP has to be prepared with honest and do not try to be something which is not real.
Do not- we repeat, DO NOT- copy-paste your SOP from just anywhere from the ‘net. Trust us, the Universities will know. Even if you want to put in some quote, always mention the author.
Keep the SOP crisp, tidy and to the point. 500-750 words are more than enough. Put your point across as neatly as you can.
