How to write your Statement of Purpose?

Applications sent to universities act as the very first impressions you make on the admissions committees. These applications are expected to portray your qualifications, experience, personalities, interests, competency and potentials. On paper, your Curriculum Vitae (CV) has to be overachieving, your Letters of Recommendation (LOR) have to be glowing and your Statement of Purpose (SOP) spot on. Thus, it is important to spend extra time to perfect these essays.

Your SOP is an extremely important, if not the most important, essay in your application docket. It describes your academic and professional journey that has led to interest in your selected field and pursuit in your chosen subject matter. In an average of 750 words, you must be able to prove why you’re a great fit to their university and convince them why you want to study the course you applied for. This can be difficult for a myriad of reasons ranging from language fluency and quality writing to lack of inspiration and/or clarity.

Here are a few tips that can help you write an excellent SOP:

1. Structure Your Essay
Writing your SOP can seem like an intimidating task, but you can tackle it by making a structural outline of the content you would like to include. Begin with an introduction and then answering pertinent questions such as:

• What do you want to study?
• Why this course/program?
• Why your chosen university?
• Why this particular country?
• What experience you have in this field & what did you learn from it?
• Additional projects, reports, special courses, community service initiatives that you may have undertaken
• Why should you be admitted into this university and program?
• What are your career goals (5-year goals)?
• What are your interests and hobbies?
• Any information that can make your stand out

Avoid common beginnings such as “Since my childhood…”. Instead use specific terms – “I was first exposed to statistics in school.” Make sure you end the essay abruptly. Incorporate a well-rounded and impactful conclusion.

Pro Tip: Don’t write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Write honestly and passionately to make an impact.

2. Self-Reflect
You must use an introspective and self-reflective tone when writing your SOP. Go over important events in your life that influenced your ideals, thoughts and personality, while trying to incorporate the epiphanies and lessons you learnt along the way. You must ensure that you do not digress and that your content is relevant. The idea is to give a glimpse of your motivations and aspirations to your admissions officers through the lens of your SOP.

Pro Tip: Don’t just include your strengths. Talk about your failures and weaknesses to prove resilience and hard work.

3. Start Early
Since your SOP is the single-most important document in your application, it deserves every possible second of your time. Do not aim to finish writing it in a couple of days as the hastiness and last-minute work will be evident to admissions officers who read hundreds of SOPs every day. To be able to stand out and memorable, dwell on every word and sentence that you write. Add uniqueness to make it personal and passionate. Write multiple drafts and keep perfecting each one. Once you’re convinced that you have your final draft, sleep on it for a day or two and read it again. If there are no more edits, you can be certain that your SOP is ready.

Pro Tip: Before submitting your SOP, hand it over to an objective third-person to read it. Get their feedback to ensure that it has the impact that you were aiming for.

4. Writing Style
Your SOP must have a formal but conversational tone. A fool-proof strategy is to write a story and not a statement. Avoid forcing big words or using flowery language to showcase your vocabulary prowess. The aim is to use simple and relevant words to express bigger ideas. Also, use active voice instead of passive to prevent complicated tongue twisters and unnecessarily long sentences. Unless your university mentions otherwise, you SOP should be concise and fit everything you have to say in 500-750 words.

Pro Tip: Read your SOP out loud in order to recognize monotonous and repetitive language.

5. Quantify Your Stories
Descriptive words are often vague and ambiguous. They fail to provide a clear picture. Hence, while relaying your achievements and experiences, try and provide as many quantifiable details as possible. Include the durations, grades and growth percentages. These numbers will paint a whole new picture, one that is definitive and measurable.

Pro Tip: A combination of numbers and stories will result in an unbeatable SOP.

Statement of Purpose for Visa Application

When applying for a student visa to the country of your choice, you must be on top of every detail regarding your application. One such detail is the SOP stating the reason behind you travel and stay in that country. As an applicant, you must provide proof that you do not wish to settle in the country you’re hoping to finish your further education in.

This can be achieved by writing a Personal Statement or a Statement of Purpose highlighting your professional plans after graduation in your home country. It could be resuming a job you took a hiatus from to complete your degree or ambitious goals to hope to achieve in the field you have studied in. Either way, you must have a job or at least a plan to get a job waiting for you to ensure that you will be leaving the host country on completing your degree.

You do not need extraordinary writing skills or an overreaching vocabulary to write an impressive SOP. Keep in mind the motivation and purpose behind writing your personal statement and what drives you to achieve your goals. Writing an honest, reflective and passionate SOP will go a long way in securing an offer at your dream university.