How to Write Statement of Purpose (SOP)
by Road to Abroad Admissions Team
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What is Statement of Purpose (SOP)?
Statement of Purpose (SOP) is required by universities across the world as a part of application for undergraduate or post-graduate courses. In summary, SOP is a gist of who you are (mainly academically) and how you reached that point, why you want to study the particular course from the chosen university/ college and how this will help in achieving your future goals.
Why is SOP important?
A well-written SOP is very important for your admission. Needless to say, there are many aspects of a candidate’s application that are inspected before reaching a decision. While the academic record and other exam scorecards/academic transcripts are essentially objective in nature, an SOP is the only truly subjective aspect of your application. It is the only document that gives you the opportunity to highlight your unique characteristics.
What do colleges look for in an SOP?
Here are few things that the college review committee generally look for in a student’s SOP:
- Writing capability – Your SOP should be free from grammatical errors. The language should be simple but it should have a good vocabulary. Make sure not to use too many heavy words as sometimes overuse of rich vocabulary can make a sentence unnecessarily complicated.
- Being familiar with the university facilities and curriculum will help you a great deal. You need to be aware of the student programmes, faculty, internship opportunities, student facilities and societies, traditions etc that sets the university apart from others.
- Your motivation or inspiration to study a selected course should be clear, evident and justified. Keep it original, real, and free from any overbearing or arrogant statements. Try to provide examples wherever possible.
- Optional but recommended to mention how you will be able to contribute towards their community, be it through sports, community services, societies or clubs, and so on.
How long should a statement of purpose be?
Statement of Purpose should be 1-2 pages long, ideally wrapped in 800-1000 words. However, the length of this document may vary as per university-specific requirements. Some universities have a fixed length and pattern of SOPs required, which is fixed to 500 words only, even 200 words in some cases. Most of the universities accept generic length, which is 800-1000 words.
What should you write in the SOP?
As explained above, you have to discuss the reasons behind why you want to study the topic of your choice and how will this help in reaching your career goals. You must always stress your achievements, academic grades, and past work experience and how these things have prepared you to pursue further education in the chosen field. You must also discuss why you want to study at the chosen university and in the country where this university of located.
After reading this article, you would have understood the importance of SOP and how to write it. If you have are struggling with writing a good SOP, you can can contact our Team by clicking here. Road to Abroad has years of experience in helping students to draft excellent SOPs which leads to successful outcome at top universities.
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Hi, I have a question. Should I write about my achievements in the SOP?
Hi Jyoti. Yes, you should write about your past achievements in the Statement of Purpose (SOP). However, it has to be in the context of something. For example, if you have received any scholarship, then link it with your excellent academic performance. Do not include all the achievements as they will be listed in the CV. Here you have to pick only the most relevant ones, the ones which relate to the content of your SOP.
I am very confused about how to write a good SOP. Do you provide SOP editing services?
Hi Sunil, yes we provide SOP editing services and also guide you on how to write it. SOP is one of the key documents in PhD applications and must be written properly. Please email us for more details.
Should I include everything in my CV in the SOP. How do I choose? I think i need your help in this. Would be able to edit my draft?
Hi Yatin, It is difficult to answer this question without looking at your CV and knowing about the purpose of writing SOP. Yes, we will be able to edit your draft and get it reviewed from subject matter expert. Please drop us an email and we will be happy to help you.