Statement of Purpose or SOP is a crucial piece of your application process while applying to study at any university abroad. Writing the ideal statement of purpose, however, is tough. How do you start? What are the questions that you need to address? Today, we have collected a few tips for writing the ideal SOP that will help you stand out from the crowd.
What is A Statement of Purpose?
An Ideal Statement of Purpose is an essay that you wrote about your educational background, accomplishments, and targets. It is also where you will explain why you would like to study your chosen program at your school. Your Statement of Purpose is the best way to stand out from the many applications schools get on a daily basis and helps you distinguish yourself from your other grades (after all you are more than just your GPA!). An SOP does exactly this by highlighting your extracurricular activities, achievements, and interests outside of academics to assist the university to determine whether it's an excellent fit for you. This could also be a fun and creative activity and help you showcase your writing skills.
Structure of an Ideal SOP: The Questions That Your SOP Should Answer
How do you craft a great application essay that follows all the prerequisites for the enrollment committee while remaining unique and innovative? Simple. Almost all colleges expect a student to answer common questions that the admissions committee has. Keeping these basic questions in mind, your SOP should follow a particular structure with a thought flow so that your writing makes the utmost sense to the admission committee.
Paragraph 1: Your Story
Give a quick introduction to who you are, your personal background and which program you're applying for. Next, provide an overview of what you will talk about in your Ideal Statement of Purpose in the two or three accompanying sentences.
Paragraph 2: Your Inspiration
In the second paragraph, reflect on the events that inspired you to pursue the program you selected. Are you inspired by the medical career of your parents and want to emulate them? Were your interests in anthropology sparked by your museum trip?
Your inspiration should be unique to your experience and relevant to your desired field of study.
Paragraph 3: Things You Can Bring To the Table
This is where you can recount experiences that relate to your course of interest, such as any extracurricular activities, work, sports, or clubs that may help enhance your studies in the future. Remember to include a select few activities that are relevant and helped you boost your skills.
Paragraph 4: Your Choice of School/University and/or Country
Here, discuss why you have chosen the particular college or institution and what you find valuable about it. Mentioning the scholars you want to work with is also a good idea. Additionally, state what you like about the country for a more impactful SOP.
Paragraph 5: Your Future Plans
This is where you outline your next steps and what you plan to gain from this experience. Here you clearly state your career goals, your ideas about contributing to society, and if you wish to return home or pursue work internationally.
Strategies to Write the Best SOP
1. Craft Stories and Not Statements
Make your SOP sound like a story because that will build an intimate connection with the readers. When you write stories about your decision to study, it will make them pay heed to your writing. So, think hard, and you will find a connection between your experience and your desire to study. Once you’ve found that, tell a story in words and see what great changes they bring.
2. Substantiate with Numbers and Figures
Basically, quantify and provide measurements that will give your story a certain depth. For example, if you have taught at an NGO, mention the years of experience, the ages of children you have taught, and their grades. In other words, paint a story with numbers and statistics which show the length and breadth of your experience.
3. Be Specific.
While being creative, do not forget to go deep into the details. You can mention a limited number of experiences but always make them relevant and laden with details. What this helps with is convincing the admission officers about your own conviction in your decisions and how well you can express them.
4. Be Formal Yet Conversational
As we mentioned already, your statement of objective should seem like a story, using slightly formal language, but at the same time having a dash of individuality and fun. A conversational voice is a safest and most practical way to accomplish this. Use occasional humor but do not overdo it as you can come across as too casual.
5. Properly Address Your Problems
It is natural to have gap years, work-related issues, or other such problems. Your SOP is a great way to address these issues and reassure the administration about your background and intent. An honest and mature way of stating the reasons and how you overcame them would only add value to your experience as an individual and an adult.
6. Be Yourself
A very buzzword-like phrase but the relevance of this never gets old. Find materials from your own life and honestly narrate them instead of making up extraordinary stories. Even a normal but honest SOP can you a long way because the graduate officers will know that they are YOURS and relevant to your degree.
Writing the perfect SOP can be challenging but do not worry – our team at VCANXL will help you with the basic structure and share some proven tips that will highlight all your strengths. Visit our website for more details and assistance.
