What should a Statement of Purpose (SOP) include?

A Statement of Purpose (SOP) should be engaging and informing so that it grabs the reader’s attention, in this case, the Admissions Committee (AdCom), and tells a motivational story about you. The SOP you write should be impactful as it is a crucial aspect of successful admission to any foreign university. Writing an SOP for universities abroad may seem like rocket science but it is not, once you have the basics clear. You should know what to include and what not to include in an SOP. 

A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is an important document in the application process for graduate programs. It provides admissions committees with insights into your motivations, aspirations, and suitability for the program you are applying to. While writing a SOP, one is required to be careful of its content and structure, as it should clearly articulate your goals, experiences, and reasons for choosing a particular field of study.

Before writing, one should be aware of what an SOP should include? A Statement of Purpose should include details about your academic and professional background, what is your accomplishments, you may emphasize your unique qualities, your value beyond scores, and why you would be a great fit for a specific college or university. A Statement of Purpose should also demonstrates what made you feel motivated to get enrolled for the course you are applied for. 

In your SOP, you may emphasize your unique qualities, your value beyond scores, and why you would be a great fit for a specific college or university. In this article, we have provided a brief overview of certain elements that one should include in his/her Statement of Purpose. In this article, we have provided a brief overview of certain elements that one should include in his/her Statement of Purpose.

What is a Statement of Purpose?

A Statement of Purpose is an essay that talks about your career path, professional contributions, interests, goals, and the motivation behind pursuing a particular course. It is a crucial component of your application and might as well fetch you a scholarship.

Importance of Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is the decision maker of your admission. It enables the admissions committee to evaluate your worldview, convictions, vision, professional aspirations, and subject matter expertise. All things considered, an effective SOP will convey your personality to the admissions committee.

Through an SOP, you can pitch your vision to the committee and compel them to believe that you are suitable for the course that you wish to pursue. A well-written SOP also reflects how well you can use your writing skills in expressing your thoughts. In all, an SOP tells your attitude, ambition, clarity of thought and personality. While your GPA and the test scores are objective, the SOP is the subjective part of your application. In addition, a well-written SOP might make you eligible for a scholarship as well.

What should a SOP contain?

When preparing your Statement of Purpose (SOP), it is essential to follow a structured format to effectively convey your academic journey, professional experience, and career aspirations. Your SOP should be well-organized, concise, and tailored to the specific program and institution you are applying to. To aid in this, referring to SOP samples can be incredibly beneficial. These samples provide a clear idea of how to structure your content and ensure you include all necessary elements.

There are some points that must be included in your SOP. A general SOP format consists of the following points:

• Introduction
• What do you want to study and why?
• Why this university?
• Why did you choose to study in this particular country?
• Special classes, special courses or projects that you have taken as per your interest.
• Any leadership experience or community service.
• Why you should be admitted to this course?
• What do you understand about the college culture and student community?
• Why do you think you are a great fit?
• What are your career goals?
• How is this course going to help in achieving your career goals?
• Your extra-curricular activities, interests and hobbies.
• Any unique quality or skillset that you possess, and how it can contribute to your goals/ course/ University.

What is the basic Statement of Purpose format?

Generally, a Statement of Purpose should have 5-7 paragraphs of about 150-200 words each. Given below is a basic SOP format.

• Paragraph 1: In this paragraph, introduce the academic field of interest and mention why it interests you. Also, mention what is your purpose in opting for this university or course.
• Paragraphs 2 & 3: These paragraphs should mention your past academic achievements. You can also mention your professional experience (if any). If you want to be admission to a UG or MBA course, do not forget to mention the extra-curricular activities.
• Paragraph 4: Here, specify why you want to study this particular course. You can also discuss your goals and future expectations from this particular course.
• Paragraph 5: In this paragraph, clearly specify your career goals. Mention, your long-term plans after the completion of your desired course
• Paragraph 6: Here, in this paragraph mention why have you selected this university for your education and what features suit you. Also, mention how studying here would help you in achieving your goals.
• Paragraph 7: This can be the last paragraph of your Statement of Purpose. Conclude your SOP by summing up what you have already mentioned.

What should be included in a statement of purpose?

Check the details about the points that must be included in your SOP. 

Background: Most of the time, this paragraph is mistaken for a self-introduction. Instead, it ought to go over what you are going to say in your statement of purpose. It should, in essence, introduce the academic field you have selected. In two to three sentences, sum up your past and make a connection to your future objectives. During the application screening process, universities search for unique qualities in you. Please include a tale about how you overcame all obstacles in your essay. Once more, don't go on and on about how lowly your upbringing was; instead, acknowledge it as true and concentrate on how you overcome it. For instance, if you belong to a rural area, mention how you beat your limitations (e.g. lack of access to infrastructure).

Extracurricular activities: It makes no difference whether you are not a state or national champion; instead, it is more significant to highlight the activities in which you have taken part. You can demonstrate your leadership skills through discussions, clubs, and other organizations, as well as through sports. Your ability to work both individually and in a team is a crucial component of your personality. Colleges are interested in learning if you work well in a group or on your own. These attributes also give the admissions committee valuable insight into your personality and aid in their decision-making. This is how you can mention extracurricular activities in a statement of purpose.

Failures: That is right. It is necessary! Many students wish to hide behind the trophies they have won and never talk about the failures that have made them what they are. If you flunked a paper, lost a tournament, or faced any personal accidents, don’t be ashamed to talk about them. The idea is to lay stress on your ability to rebound from situations and personal/ professional failures. They are interested in knowing how confident you are about winning and more importantly, how positive you are to failures and criticisms.

Work Experience – part-time, full-time, voluntary, etc.: Although candidates for MBA programs must submit proof of work experience, this requirement may not apply to other bachelor's or master's programs. You can, however, add any employment experience you have, even volunteer work. Don't assume it was a summer job that lasted just two months. The key is that you have to have gained some knowledge from the event; colleges would want to know everything about it.

Published works, papers submitted, and more: For students applying to Master's and doctoral programs, this is a crucial component. Have you ever submitted a piece for a magazine? Have you completed any research projects in your eleventh or twelfth grades? For that, did you turn in a research report? Include that if it was a significant component and you were able to receive some recognition, even if it was only internal. It discusses your capacity for methodical problem solving and goal-oriented thinking.

Short and long-term goals: This point can be a total game changer of your SOP as it reflects how focused you are regarding your career and what steps you have planned for your future. The short-term goals aim at the plans just after the completion of your course. You can describe the job profile in which you are interested, along with the names of companies where you would like to work. For the long-term goals, you can tell your plans for 10-15 years after the completion of the course. You can continue how the short-term goals will lead to the achievement of your long-term goals.

Why this particular university/ college: Give a compelling argument for why you want to take this course at this particular university. You can list a few particular attributes of the university that fit your professional needs. You might also list the names of the professors you believe will be excellent life mentors. Moreover, you can incorporate research, topics from the curriculum or electives, clubs, and university activities that pique your interest.

Note: Reviewing different SOP samples can give you important insights into the writing style, structure, and content that make a strong statement, which will help you make sure your SOP is effective.

We have given a prioritization matrix that can be used as a reference:

SOP key points

The following SOP points must be considered in order to write the best SOP:

• Weave the achievements of your life into a story, not statements.
• Do not go beyond the mentioned word limit.
• Be direct in addressing your life trajectory. Do not use flattering language.
• Try to avoid too many technical terms in your SOP.
• Do not lie in your SOP.
• Be specific with the timeline of events.
• Try to use a format yet conversational tone.
• Give a strong reason stating why you chose the particular course and university.
• Be willing to accept your mistakes and explain how you will work on improving them.
• Proofread and edit properly once the draft is ready.

SOP key points for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

What should an SOP contain? This question always remains in the minds of the applicants who are eyeing a particular university. Here are some points that you could in your SOPs.

Undergraduate	Postgraduate
Your purpose for choosing the program and opportunities you wish to explore	Your short-term and long-term personal and career goals
Your academic journey and achievements	Personal achievements
Motivation and career aspirations	Anecdotes of teamwork, leadership and other leadership qualities
Extra-curricular activities	Career expectations
Assignments undertaken during your studies	Noteworthy projects undertaken at work
Internships, if any	Volunteer work, if any

Common Pitfalls: What to avoid in an SOP?

Now that you are aware of what to include in an SOP format, it is equally important for you to understand what not to include in a statement of purpose. Here is an overview of the common mistakes you must avoid in an SOP:

• Exceeding the word limit: If a college or institution has set a word restriction for a SOP, you need to make sure you follow it. Exceeding the allotted word count demonstrates a lack of focus and a lack of ability to explain succinctly. If there isn't a word count specified, you might write your SOP in between 800 and 1,200 words.
• Procrastination: If you wait until the last minute and write your SOP just before the application deadline, you might come up with a poorly written document. You must have sufficient time to think, write, and revise your statement of purpose.
• Generic or vague content: Avoid using too clichéd language and generalisations. Instead, give precise details, evidence, and justifications that showcase your special skills and background.
• Using the same SOP for all applications: A customized SOP is required by each university and program to demonstrate your program fit. Your statement of purpose should be customized to the requirements of the program and the university. You must investigate the university, its faculties, research initiatives, and more in order to do this. You should also have a look at their mission and vision statements.
• Including test scores: You should not mention your scores of exams such as IELTS, GMAT, etc. They already form a part of your application. Avoid mentioning redundant information.
• Not following a structure: If your SOP is incoherent and the ideas mentioned in it do not flow in a logical order, the admissions committee might get confused while reading it. It is essential for you to write a well-organized and coherent SOP.
• Being dishonest or overconfident: Avoid making misleading claims or exaggerating your accomplishments. When outlining your credentials and goals, be sincere and modest.

By avoiding these common mistakes while preparing your statement of purpose format, you can ensure that your SOP effectively showcases your qualifications, motivations, and aspirations to the admissions committee.

Decoding SOP format: How do you write the best SOP?

Prior to writing, keep in mind that the secret to a successful SOP is to balance the material rather than stuff it full. In just a few words, you can express so much. Don't forget to keep it brief, straightforward, and purposeful. The core of your essay should be your life's mission, regardless of whether you are discussing topics like rescuing a stray puppy or educating the locals on water-saving methods. You have to state what matters to you and how driven you are to accomplish your goals.

While drafting your statement of purpose format, you should begin writing down the first ideas that occur to you and to arrange them according to relevance and importance. Make a list of the things that people find most admirable about you, and then begin to cross them off. This would make it easier for you to comprehend your reasoning for wanting to study overseas. Once you know what your goal is, just say it!