The Ultimate Guide To Drafting A Stellar Statement Of Purpose (SOP)

The Ultimate Guide to Drafting a Stellar Statement of Purpose (SOP)

A Comprehensive Guide to Crafting a Winning SOP for your University Applications

Let’s first be very clear about the end goal behind the whole exercise of writing a Statement of Purpose (or Personal Statement, or Motivation Letter, or Letter of Intent as it is also called by various universities).

The end goal is –

To secure admits to the study programs that you are applying to

The reason we mention the end goal right at the start is because it is very easy to lose focus on this end goal due to the noise around the entire concept of the Statement of Purpose. Remember, the end goal is not to merely end up writing what eventually will turn out to be (in most cases) a 2-page essay spanning 7-8 paragraphs. It is to use the essay to unlock for yourself, the doors to the classrooms of your dream universities.

Since we are clear about what we are seeking to achieve through the SOP, put yourself in the shoes of the Admissions Committee of a university – For every study program for which around 100-120 seats on average are available, you receive a few thousand applications. And you have to sift through these applications to identify the best possible applicants to grant admits to for the respective study programs.

Does this task seem tedious? Boring? Frustrating? Intimidating? How much time would you spend reading each and every SOP? How will you rate one SOP against the other SOPs? Is it realistically possible to read each and every line of each SOP seriously?

By now, we are sure that you have figured out how challenging the task before the Admissions Committee is when it comes to judging Statements of Purpose.

Now think from your own position – that of an applicant. How would you stand out from the competition?

The answer is simple – you need to achieve two things through the SOP that you submit:

You need to grab the attention of the reader (Admissions Committee in our case) and make them want to read beyond the first few lines
You need to make the job of evaluating your SOP as easy as possible

The trick then, is to offer to the Admissions Committee, exactly what they might be looking for in the SOP, and not digress from the same. We’ll get to this bit in a while, but before that, there are a couple of important things to look at, namely how important the SOP is, and what common mistakes students make.

How important is the SOP in deciding the fate of your application?

Now, the commonly accepted answer is –

It is the most important document that can make or break your application.

And that’s true, which is why there’s also a huge hype around it. However, the latter bit is why it is important to put some things into perspective so that you have a realistic idea of the importance of the SOP.

For that, let’s understand how exactly the Admissions Committee actually decides on a particular application.

After you (along with a pool of hundreds, if not thousands, of other applicants) submit your application, the first step that the Admissions Committee undertakes is elimination or filtration. The applications are filtered on pre-decided criteria for each program such as a minimum CGPA, test scores (GRE/GMAT/TOEFL/IELTS, etc.), and at times, industry experience.

If your application makes it past this stage, ONLY THEN would the SOP (along with other documents such as LORs and Resume) come into play.

What this should tell you is that the SOP is no magic wand, which, on its own, can get you into any university you choose to apply to. Here’s a confirmation of the same. How strong your academic and professional background is, is very critical to securing admits. In fact, some professors on the Admissions Committee will simply not give much importance to the SOP, as is the case with Prof. Ben Y. Zhao. That is, unless your SOP truly stands out.

Now, if you can make your SOP stand out from the competition, THEN, it can suddenly become a very critical document, and in fact, can be the document that does earn you an admit. That is because, the SOP is one of the few spaces where you, the applicant, gets a free hand to tell the Admissions Committee about yourself. It helps the Admissions Committee know you beyond your resume – as a human.

Thus, a well-framed SOP (along with LORs and Resume) can play a decisive role in your SELECTION for the programs that you are applying to (provided you make it past the elimination criteria for those programs).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

We made the point on the importance of the SOP to stand out from the competition in the previous part. However, your SOP can also stand out for the wrong reasons. And that can kill your chances of securing admits. And therefore, it is not just important that your SOP stands out, it is also important that it stands out in the correct way.

Once we know what to avoid in the SOP, it will become easy to figure out what to include in it. And that is why, we focus on this bit before we begin discussing ingredients of the SOP and the structure.

Mistake #1: Getting too Personal

If you Google ‘SOP Samples’, you will find a large number of them starting with mentioning the candidate’s name, describing their childhood, family background, and so on. And that is something you should AVOID.

For illustration purposes, we are including few such examples below:

Example 1: For Masters in Business Analytics

My name is Rakesh Kumar, and I was born and brought up in the Mandvi town. Since my early years, I have been captivated by the world of data and numbers. I vividly recall being in Class 6 or 7, discovering my passion for Mathematics. It thrilled me to no end, as it granted me the freedom to delve into the realm of numbers and wear the hat of an analytical thinker, unraveling complex problems and deriving precise solutions. As I matured, the allure of data continued to beckon me, leading me to pursue Statistics as my major in my undergraduate studies. Within the realm of Statistics, I discovered the art of deciphering and evaluating information, drawing meaningful insights from the available data and statistical methods. This journey has fueled my desire to explore the potential of data-driven decision-making and has inspired me to contribute my skills in a practical setting.

Example 2: For Masters in Literature

From a tender age, I have harbored an enduring fascination with the realm of books. My mother introduced me to my very first board book when I was just 1.5 years old, igniting a passion within me that has never waned. I voraciously devoured one book after another, driven by an unquenchable thirst for reading. Initially, it was a source of pure enjoyment, but as I matured, I gradually grasped the true purpose of books: to enlighten our minds and nurture them with knowledge. Thus, commenced my quest to explore the depths of this enigmatic world. Although I completed my undergraduate studies in English Literature, my pursuit did not culminate there. It is my fervent desire to now embark on a Master’s program in Literature at your esteemed university.

Example 3: For Masters in Petroleum Engineering

Oil runs not only in the veins of my family but also through the annals of our history. During my childhood, my grandfather regaled me with a captivating tale about our ancestral connection to the oil industry. It all began with my great-grandfather, who was employed by Imperial Oil in the 1940s. Tasked with the exploration of untapped oil reservoirs, his team faced numerous disappointments as their drilling efforts yielded nothing but soil. Faced with dwindling hope and financial pressures, my great-grandfather contemplated seeking alternative employment.

However, fate intervened when the team decided to venture nearly 100 km away from their previous drilling site—an area that remained unexplored and largely overlooked. My grandfather, then a teenager, accompanied his father on that fateful day, eager to learn and observe as the drill penetrated deeper into the earth. Anticipation hung thick in the air as they surpassed the usual depth at which oil was typically found. Suddenly, as if summoned by some mystical force, an eruption of black gold burst forth from the ground, drenching the derrick and crew in a torrential downpour. It was an awe-inspiring sight, akin to a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens. This serendipitous strike marked the beginning of an economic boom, propelling my family into the oil and petroleum industry, where we have remained ever since. The profound significance of that discovery continues to resonate, instilling a deep sense of connection and purpose within our family as we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of this vital sector.

Instead of us pointing out what the problem is with starting your SOP like this, we’d rather let MIT tell you. Read the following snippets:

Source: Statement of Purpose for Graduate School : Mechanical Engineering Communication Lab (mit.edu)

and

Source: What Is Your (Statement of) Purpose? : NSE Communication Lab (mit.edu)

Remember, story-telling ≠ writing a story. The Statement of Purpose is NOT a STORY, even if you (must) weave connections between the different aspects of your academic and professional life and your future goals.

Mistake #2: Justifying what you did in the Past rather than what you want to do in future

Again, many applicants make the mistake of treating the SOP as a place to justify their choices in the past rather than their plans for the future. What then results is mostly a reiteration of their past experiences which are already going to be covered in your resume. If you want to know how universities treat such SOPs, read the underlined parts in the following snippet:

Source: What’s a Good Statement of Purpose (stanford.edu)

Remember, this is not supposed to mean that you should avoid talking about your past experiences – it’s just that you need to strike the right balance so that you do not just end up describing your academic and professional milestones, but convey how they have led you to a carefully thoughtful decision regarding your future career plans. By highlighting the relevance and impact of your past achievements on your future plans, you can effectively demonstrate your preparedness and suitability for the desired program.

Mistake #3: Beating around the bush while talking about Future Plans

We now come to another mistake that a lot of students make. While writing about their plans after graduation, they tend to be very vague. Consider this example of a student applying for Integrated Product Design:

I aspire to be an innovative designer, dedicated to promoting equity and community engagement. Pursuing my studies at the University of PeXXXXXX presents an invaluable opportunity for me to evolve into a versatile problem solver capable of making a significant impact across various domains. The M:IPD program at PeXXXXXX, with its multidisciplinary approach and vibrant community, holds immense appeal to me. What sets Penn apart is its ability to nurture individuals like me, who possess diverse interests and talents. From my passion for studying social policy to my proficiency in playing multiple musical instruments and excelling in elite fencing, I thrive in environments that not only embrace but amplify a wide range of pursuits. I am seeking a learning community that converges at the intersection of my multidisciplinary interests. Through the M:IPD program, I believe I can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to become a more effective and versatile designer, capable of addressing complex challenges from various angles. I am excited by the prospect of immersing myself in Penn’s collaborative environment and leveraging the wealth of resources the university offers to shape my professional journey. PeXXXXXX represents a beacon of multidimensional learning and growth that resonates deeply with my ambitions. I am confident that by becoming a member of the PeXXXXXX community, I can continue to pursue my passion for innovation, equity, and community impact while embracing the limitless opportunities for personal and professional development that lie ahead. Together with the exceptional faculty, fellow students, and the rich academic and extracurricular offerings at PeXXXXXX, I am eager to embark on this transformative educational journey, where I can unleash my full potential as a designer committed to making a positive difference in the world.

There are multiple issues with the way the student has portrayed her career goals. Firstly, the lack of specifics of what she wants to do after graduation. Simply stating that she wants to be an innovative designer wanting to make a positive difference does not amount to anything – it doesn’t inform the reader about the kind of products she wants to work on designing, what would be the innovative approaches she wants to adopt, and what is the positive difference that the products that she designs could make. The other issue is, the description of her future plans is scattered across the paragraph and is interspersed with other details. Which, in itself, may not be a major problem, but it is a better practice to have a description of future plans in one consolidated paragraph prior to which you can talk about what led you to conclude that that is what you want to do in your career.

Mistake #4: Saying ‘I’m eligible’ to suggest ‘I’m suitable’

Oftentimes, you would see universities mentioning the eligibility criteria for different programs on their website. What we have seen students do is to think that if they meet those criteria, they deserve a seat for the program. Consider this example:

Having recently completed my studies at DEF College and possessing a lifelong commitment to the medical industry, I am enthusiastic about applying to the medical program at ABC University. My profound interest in patient care and medicine has been nurtured throughout my life, driving my passion for the healthcare field. Through active involvement in DEF College’s pre-med society and pursuing ongoing education in my chosen field, I am eager to enhance my skills and work towards my goal of becoming a pediatrician. Meeting all the program’s prerequisites, I have gained valuable experience through various internships, including placements at PQR Hospital and the MNO Clinic. Furthermore, I have dedicated my time to volunteer work with XYZ Community Pediatrics and Children’s Care, where I have begun to develop proficiencies in patient advocacy and effective communication.

Remember the elimination-selection bit that we covered earlier in this article? Being eligible for a program means your application will be considered, not ignored. That, however, does not necessarily mean you will be selected for the program that you are applying to. For ensuring your selection, you need to make a far stronger case for yourself.

Mistake #5: ‘Strong’ SOP = ‘Good’ Words

Next, we come to another common misconception that applicants have while they draft their SOP. The prevalent belief on most college campuses (often wrong advice passed down over the years through discussions in college canteens) is that the key to making an SOP ‘strong’ is to use overly complicated words and sentence structures. This could not be farther from reality. Yes, you might have memorized over 3500 words for your GRE or GMAT. But the SOP is NOT a place for you to flaunt your newly acquired vocabulary prowess. It is one thing to use apt terminology (you really cannot have substitutes for jargon such as K-Means clustering, Bode plot, Bernouli’s principle, etc.), but the use of unnecessarily highfalutin language could make your SOP seem repulsive to the reader.