Guide to Writing Effective Statement of Purpose

Statement of Purpose (SOP) requires a significant amount of time, commitment and direction to complete the application process. The Statement of Purpose is an essential part of your application to a university or college for a particular course.

It functions as a cover letter, but its main aim is to convince the selection committee that you have the right qualifications, professional goals and the motivation to pursue the course you are applying for.

As such, the SOP needs to be written effectively to guarantee placement if the program you are applying for. For that reason, the following guidelines on how to write an effective Statement of Purpose will help you get your purpose into a convincing SOP.

How to Write an Effective Statement of Purpose

Before writing your SOP, understand any instructions given. You may be required to specify why you want to enroll at this college and why this specific program. Ensure you answer these questions clearly and precisely and make the paragraph start with a sentence that shows you’re answering it.

If questions are asked, don’t assume to answer them. However, make sure you take careful consideration before giving information the questions need.

Nonetheless, most colleges or universities don’t give guidelines on how you should write your SOP. Perhaps, they want to see how intelligent you are to write it without instructions or requirements. In this case, these guidelines will suite you! or else talking to a SOP writing service for assistance

Grab the Attention of the Reader

When writing your statement of purpose, bear in mind that you aren’t the only one applying for the program. You may be competing among hundreds of applicants for only a handful of slots in the program. Therefore, the selection committee will read several pieces of Statement of Purpose.

If your SOP doesn’t stand out in a way that is authentic, original and interesting, your chance to get the admission will dwindle.

Some of the reasons why your SOP may fail to attract the committee’s attention are:

• Your SOP begins with a flattering statement about the college you’re applying. The committee already knows how good their university is, so no need to tell them.
• Your SOP gives the whole life history from birth, and by the time you reach your work academic and work experience, the interest is already lost. Leave out unnecessary information and provide the most relevant, especially from high school and university.
• It begins by explaining how you read about the program. Be sure to leave this kind of information out unless it has an important message.
• Starts by giving personal information that is found in the resume.
• Starts by second-guessing the reader’s mind.
• Begin with statements that go straight into the complexity of the program and start discussing the ambiguous areas of the theory.

How to Start Writing Winning SoP

Start your SOP with an attention-catching statement or fact about you or interest that makes you interesting and intelligent. Try to make a more general truth or saying and illustrates how it comes in handy to your situation.

Besides, you may consider using a famous quote that is relevant but keep it short and precise. Don’t just use a quote because you feel doing it like. Instead, make it if it is appropriate to your situation.

Take your time to think about your introducing paragraph. It is what the admission committee will read first so make sure you make a perfect impression of you.  If you make the first sentence dull, full of spelling mistakes and grammatically incorrect, the reader immediately forms a negative impression.  It will be difficult to dispel a negative impression once created in the introductory paragraph, even if the subsequent paragraphs are well-written.

• Structure of Your Statement of Purpose

An effective SOP should be well-structured with chronological events. Most SOPs often have the following structure.

• Starts with the Past

Be sure to include your past studies in high school, undergraduate even at the graduate level. Mention your work experience and how it has prepared you for the program you intend to study.

Your proposed program of study should be a logical follow-on from your previous studies, working experience to date and how it prepares you for your future career.

Your Future Career

Your future has to do with how your proposed program of study is essential and how it connects with your previous studies. Maybe you studied biochemistry, and now you have developed an interest in medieval history. You won’t be disqualified for this, however, you need to explain and demonstrate why the university should choose you and not someone you have always been interested in medieval history. Nonetheless, the best chance lies in showing that there is a meaningful progression in your career and that it is driven by your sense of purpose and academic and professional ambition.

How Much Details Should You Provide

• Mind the Word Limit

The colleges or universities usually provide a word limit or page limit to guide you in SOP writing. So make sure you abide by it. If they want two pages, make sure it is two pages. If you can’t keep the word limit, you will be sending a wrong notion that you may write a 150-page thesis when the limit is a 100 page.

Bear in mind that writing too much isn’t a way to become popular or appealing. If a limit is given, be sure to set yourself a personal limit of 10 to 15% less than that. Don’t feel pressured that you have to fill the word limit if a word limit of 1000 is set, you can say all you want in 800 words.

If a word limit isn’t given, you can set yourself a limit. Better yet is setting a limit in each section or points you want to write about. But be sure to balance all your statement.

• Be Selective

With a word limit in mind, you won’t have all the space to write everything. Therefore, you have to be selective with what you write. Write down all the necessary information, look through it again and sieve out the information that isn’t necessary. Keep in mind that your ability to select what to include and what to discard is an essential academic skill. Demonstrating the fact that you have this skill can be a great deal in your favour.

• Use the Right Language

When writing an SOP, you have to show a good command of the English language. Be sure to use a formal yet friendly language. So, avoid the slang language and use the right vocabulary appropriately to your field. Additionally, don’t try looking for complex-long words to impress with. Instead, use ordinary words that are easy to write and understand.

• Be Clear and Concise

When writing your statement of purpose, you must present yourself clearly and concisely. You don’t need to write those long-winded sentences but writing to communicate a message more efficiently and effectively.

After Writing

• Revise

Once you complete writing your draft, the next step is to revise. Revision means that you take your time and do a thorough spell-check. You can easily do this with an open mind after letting your draft rest for a day or two. Revise section by section and probably from bottom to top.

• Proofread

Once you have an exploratory draft with already revision, it is time to give attention to the details. Look at the grammatical errors, sentences structures, commas and typos that can risk your statement of purpose rejected. So, proofreading is a crucial stage in SOP writing.

You can ask someone else to proofread your statement of purpose. A different set of eyes will have a better look. So, trust someone with your document, get a second opinion and iron all the issues that might be therein.

Tips to Write a Successful Statement of Purpose

• Do not dwell incomplete family history, stick to more academic and work experience history.
• Steer away from sensitive financial information. In case you are applying for a scholarship, use a different document for the same.
• Use formal academic language.
• Don’t exceed the given word limit.
• Keep off too many technical terms
• Don’t use creative fonts or coloured papers
• Be honest in your statement of purpose.

With the guide and the tips, you are in a better position to right an effective statement of purpose