Tips to write a good Statement of Purpose - Fusion - WeRIndia

Statement of Purpose (SOP) is very crucial to pursue higher studies in abroad.

It is also referred to as the ‘personal statement’ in the UK.

SOP helps the educational institutes in analyzing the applicants whether they are really interested in the programme they have applied for, whether they are capable to complete the course and contribute substantially to the institute etc.

However, many students do not know how to write a good SOP, hence they depend on ghostwriters to write it.

Depending on others for writing an SOP is unethical, so write your SOP on your own.

Here are certain tips to write a successful SOP:

• SOP should be between 500 and 700 words.
• There are 8 Ps that are crucial in making an SOP special. These include personal touch, purpose, passion, preparedness, potential, plain English, planning and positivity.
• Personal touch in an SOP includes the academic performances and wishes of an applicant. The applicant has to describe in that statement how they are the right candidate for the chosen course. This helps the universities analyze the attitude of the applicant.
• Purpose includes why the applicant has chosen that course in that particular institute and what are their career goals. It should demonstrate the actual facts.
• Passion includes the aptitude of the applicants for the academic programme that has been chosen.  They should express their passion in a convincing and interesting manner.
• Preparedness reveals the readiness of the applicants. It is the willingness that turns passion into an action. This includes the things that have been done so far for the academic programme and how they have prepared for it.
• Potential is the ability to do something. The applicants should clearly express their potential for the successful completion of the programme they have chosen. They can also list some of their achievements to show their capability.
• Plain and simple English should be used to write an SOP. Don’t use chat language words.
• Planning reveals the plans of the applicants. The applicants should mention whether they have visited the website of the university and contacted any professors to know more about the programmes etc. which shows their planning.
• Positivity shows the optimistic nature of the applicants. They should state that how the university and the chosen course will help shaping their career in future in an optimistic way and end the SOP with a positive note.

Image Attribution: Beststatement, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:My_personal_Statement.jpg