Study abroad application writing
- Statement of purpose (SOP)
- Letter of recommendation (LOR)
- Admission Essay
- Student CV
- Student Visa
Statement of Purpose (SOP): All you need to know!
Statement of Purpose is a long essay that is often asked by universities abroad. The essay, usually about 1000 words, seeks to understand the candidate’s life, the motivations for the chosen career path and his/her goals.
There are many elements to a Statement of Purpose or an SOP as it is famously referred to. Universities could ask question-based essays or simply to present your statement of purpose. Until and unless categorically asked, an SOP must include your goals, the career path you have taken up so far as well as your academic progress. Other elements that are further important to the SOP are also the personal motivations that lead you to choose the university/course you have applied to as well as how you intend to use that experience to achieve that goal.
As is often pointed out, a well-written essay/ statement of purpose is extremely critical to your admission. Needless to say, there are many aspects of a candidate’s application that are inspected before finalizing a decision. While the academic record and other exam score cards are essentially objective in nature, am SOP is the only truly subjective aspect of your application. It is, simply put, the only document in your application that gives you the opportunity to prove that you have something unique that makes you stand out from the crowd. As such, it is the document of your application docket that can hugely determine your admission.
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How to Write a Winning SOP
Now that we have assessed how important your SOP is, we come to the important part – how to write an SOP and more importantly, how to write a winning SOP. There are obviously the basics about the SOP, as to what all you need to keep in mind like the general word limit, the format, etc. What is important to note is that you must, at all times remember which course you are writing the SOP for? Specifically speaking, an SOP for an MBA Application would be rather different from an SOP for a Masters course like an MS or an MSc. Similarly, an SOP for a Bachelor Course would be widely different from any of the two. Continue reading how to write a winning statement of purpose.
Also, Read
- How to Write an SOP for MBA
- How to write an SOP for MS
- How to write an SOP for UG Courses
What to Include in an SOP
While understanding how to write an SOP, we come across various questions. To sum up your entire life and career in 100 words can be a tiresome exercise. With the word constraints rather important, what is important to understand at the onset is what to include in your SOP.
Must Reads
- What to include in an MBA SOP
- What to include in an MS SOP
- What to include in UG SOP
Axiom helps students apply to 300+ universities worldwide with free SOP/LOR editing services. To know more details and get a free profile evaluation, check out our counseling page.
What not to include in an SOP
Remember that there is no exhaustive list of what all you can include in an SOP. What you need to remember is that in such a case, it becomes equally important to understand what all you must not include in your SOP. For instance, should you talk about your family? What about your school life? Every organization I have ever worked with? All my extracurricular achievements? How to know the most important question – what not to include in your SOP?
Sample Format for Statement of Purpose
Getting started, we have understood what all to do while writing an SOP. We have also included a list of what to include and what to leave. Now it is the time to put it in the right format.
Most universities across the globe have a standard format/ template that is acceptable. Learn about the standard template of a statement of purpose.
Also Available
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- Sample SOP for MS in Mechanical Engineering
- Sample SOP for MS in Electrical Engineering
- Sample SOP for MS in Civil Engineering
- Sample SOP for Masters in Information Systems
- Sample SOP for Masters in Telecommunications Engineering
- Sample SOP for MBA
Axiom helps students apply to 300+ universities worldwide with free SOP/LOR editing services. To know more details and get a free profile evaluation, check out our counseling page.
