Tips to write a powerful and effective Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose is the most important part of the application form. The admission committee puts a hefty weight on the statement of purposes and their structure – they want to see whether you take the interest in letting them know how much you want to study at their university.
A statement of purpose is essentially an essay stating the purpose of applying to the particular course at that University. It gives an individual to showcase their reasons and skills that are related to the course.
Here are 5 tips to keep in mind while writing your statement of purpose:
1. Framework
The framework of the statement of purpose is important to have an effective essay. The structure is crucial as the admission depends on the content of the SOP as well as the presentation. Below is the basic structure that one must follow:
Introduction: This is where you start with the motivation behind choosing the course followed and given an insight into how the course is personally relevant to you.
Main Body: This is the area where you display your former knowledge and skills related to the subject. It can be about the projects you took up in your previous education or internships from the past. Then the reason for studying the course and why you choose that University, can either be due to a particular professor or a unique subject. Also the goal of studying the course and how it will help you in the future. The main body is generally around 4- 6 paragraphs.
Conclusion: This is where you summarise the content and end with a positive note. Here you try to connect your skills, goals, and choice of course.
2. Personal Stories
The content within the essay is also important, writing generic statements from the internet does not add value and may cause a withdrawal of the application. For instance, if you have read a book and that has been one of the factors that motivated you to study the course further. You would have to give an analysis and logical reasoning as to how the book helped. Just writing you read this book may be counted as a negative point. While few may use this essay as an opportunity to write about their background and community, this is not the essay to do. Many Universities have separate sections in the application form regarding the background of the person. So don’t waste this space talking about factors that don’t hold value to the admissions committee in relation to the statement of purpose.
3. 5W’s and 1 H
This is a concept that one should follow when writing their SOP so that they don't miss out on any point.
The 5W’s are: What, Why, When, Where and Who and the H is How
Answering these question words help in filling all the essential elements in the SOP. Like, use What to answer - the course you have taken up, Why- The reason for the course and so on.
4. Points to address specifically
The following points one must address:
The motivation for undertaking the program
Academic interests, strengths, and background relevant to the course,
Any professional aspirations, and how academic work within the program might help you realize such aspirations
Other relevant information, such as additional reading or research, work or other relevant experience that has informed your decision to apply for the particular program
Discussing the following points in your statement adds value and shows the admission committee your passion and interest in studying the course.
5. Tone
While your statement holds all the above points, one should not forget about the tone and language used. Be clear and specific with your style of writing the admission committee judge your essay based on the way you start and language used. If the language is informal and too casual it shows your lack of seriousness and haste in writing your essay. While being formal, try to use a conversationalist tone that keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know more about you. Just writing facts about yourself in a very monotonous tone doesn’t help much as well.
To Conclude
Take some time preparing your statement, prepare many drafts, start with just the points you want to add followed by the structure and then start writing your statement as a whole. Many students that have been admitted to Ivy League Universities have mentioned that it took them 3 to 4 drafts to get the final version of the statement. Usually, one SOP can be used to apply to multiple Universities. It is recommended that before starting any application form, prepare your essay so that you can finish your application process on time.
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