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SOP Tips

This document provides 11 tips for writing a powerful statement of purpose for graduate school applications. It begins by noting that most SOPs sound generic and do not stand out. It then lists common opening lines used in SOPs and argues they are overused. The document recommends answering questions admissions committees have about an applicant's background and goals. It stresses using storytelling techniques, quantifying experiences, and providing specific details to make the SOP engaging and memorable. An exclusive bonus is a sample SOP applicants can use as a framework.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
133 views11 pages

SOP Tips

This document provides 11 tips for writing a powerful statement of purpose for graduate school applications. It begins by noting that most SOPs sound generic and do not stand out. It then lists common opening lines used in SOPs and argues they are overused. The document recommends answering questions admissions committees have about an applicant's background and goals. It stresses using storytelling techniques, quantifying experiences, and providing specific details to make the SOP engaging and memorable. An exclusive bonus is a sample SOP applicants can use as a framework.

Uploaded by

vikasptk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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11 Tips for Writing a Powerful Statement of Purpose

[Sample SOP Included]

By Jitta Raghavender Rao • GradSchool Admissions • 48 Comments • Last

updated October 1, 2017

The Statement of Purpose is probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of graduate applications. Most
students pass it off like it is just another essay about themselves, and naturally, write monotonous stuff that

doesn’t stand out. That is why, the university admissions committee puts a hefty weight on statement of
purposes and their structure – they want to see whether you take the interest in letting them know how much
you want to study at their university.

Most Statements Of Purpose Start Off Like This:

“I am applying to the Master of Science program in Something Engineering at the University of Example because

I believe my technical skills will blossom at your program as it is a place where I will be challenged and where I

can develop my scientific and technical knowledge.”

Or Like This:

“I am honored to apply for the Master of Science program at the University of Example because for as long as I

can remember, I have had a love affair with science. Since I was a kid in school, I have known I wanted to be a
scientist/engineer.”

Now, almost 99% of the statements are structured similarly, and often times, students copy-paste, and edit
statement of purposes from their seniors or friends, making it sound even more generic or irrelevant to their

applications. If you want to stand out from the crowd; if you want the admissions committee to remember your

essay at the end of the day, even after going through hundreds of applications; if you want to gain that extra
advantage by being somewhat special and unique, you will have to draft a great statement of purpose. Great,

but original.
Exclusive Bonus: Download the sample Statement of Purpose and use it as a
framework to write yours.

How Can Your Statement Of Purpose Stand Out From The


Crowd?
How do you write a great statement of purpose that sounds original, but at the same time gives the admissions
committee what they are looking for? Simple. Basically, every university expects a student to answer to some

basic questions that the admissions committee has. They may not ask you openly, but these are generally what
they expect you to answer:

What you want to study at graduate school?

Why you want to study only this degree?

Why do you want to study at this particular college? What do you like in us?

Why did you choose to study in this particular country? What do you like about it?

How much and what kind of experience you have in your field?

Is your experience related to you choice of degree?

If you are already experienced, what additional skills are you planning to gain from the degree?

What you plan to do with your degree after graduation?

Would you choose to end up with a job or take up research?

What are your expectations from both the graduate program, and the university?

Would you like to study or do research under any particular professor? If yes, why only them?

How can you contribute to our university and our program? What specific skills do you bring to the table?

Apart from work and education, what are your hobbies, interests, and habits? What are you like, as a person?

What do you understand about our student community and culture? Why do you think you will fit in?

What is that one unique aspect/characteristic about you that we should know? Why does it matter to us or to
the fellow students of your class?

Now, these are the questions you will have to consider before starting off with your statement of purpose. Write
down answers separately to each of the questions asked above, and try to build a story that the admissions

committee would love to read. Remember, unlike an MBA program, you won’t be having any personal interviews

for a graduate program, so the only way to impress the admissions officers is by telling your story through

the statement of purpose. You will have to convey your story in the best possible way, such that the committee

finds you interesting enough. And if you are interesting enough to them, you will end up with not only an
admission, but also a decent scholarship as well.

Strategies to Write a Powerful Statement of Purpose


It is important that you follow a specific strategy when it comes to drafting your statement of purpose. Though

most students write whatever comes to their mind, or whatever they see on the internet, you are not most

people. You would want your statement of purpose to sound brilliant, and original. And for that, you’ll need

some strategies.

1. Write Stories. Not Statements


If given a choice, would you prefer reading a novel or a newspaper? A novel, without a doubt. Do you know why?

Because while a newspaper gives you mere news and some eye-catching headlines, a novel tells you a story; a

beautifully written piece of literature that you will be emotionally connected to. It brings those humanly

feelings out of you, and involves you in its storyline. You imagine yourself in place of the narrator/character, and
understand why he/she has done that, or taken such decisions. We remember stories much easier than

statements. Because stories connect to us, statements don’t.

For example, most people say this:

“I used to work in a multinational software company in the development team, and I had to do the same job every
day: code stuff. There was nothing new for me to learn at work, and there was nothing very exciting about going

to the office. One day I decided that I had to get out of there, so I applied to college to study higher courses and

get a better job.”

Doesn’t that sound like most stories? Albeit, a very normal story? Instead, how about saying this:

“Late in the night one Monday, I had found myself in the middle of a deserted office, and fifteen thousand lines of

code. Full of caffeine in my bloodstream, and an empty life beyond office, I realized that the computers started

coding my brain, and controlling my life. No longer wanting to let the machines feed on me, I decided that college
would be my salvation.”

Both the stories come to about four lines. But which narrative do you think will keep the admissions committee

reading? Which story do you think will be remembered by them even after reading 5000 applications?

Think again. Do you want your statement of purpose to read like a novel or a newspaper? If the former is
your answer, then you need to put in a lot of effort to tell your story. Think about ‘why’ you want to study what you

want to study. Is there a strong reason behind it? Is the reason emotional, economical, or any other? Think hard,
and you will find a connection. The reason might not seem obvious in plain sight, but when you think hard

enough, you will understand that there is strong reason why you want to study a particular course/degree.

Now, when you have found this strong reason, tell it as a story. Write a short, but great narrative about what
made you make this choice. About why you have chosen to study this course at this university. Impress the
committee with your creative storyline, and you will reap the benefits big time.
2. Quantify Your Stories
Even though we asked you to write a story, you will have to remember that your story should not read like a
thesis. It should rather serve as the best source of information about you. And when it comes to information,

numbers play a key role. Your story should be not only qualitative, but also quantitative. Which means, your
story must contain measurable quantities instead of just stories, so the reader can understand the depth of it.

For example, if you have worked for a local NGO teaching math to primary kids, you could say:

“During my engineering days, I helped a local NGO by joining as a math tutor, where I taught basic math

concepts to school children.”

Now even though this sounds really good, it doesn’t give the reader the entire picture and they certainly do not
know how much of an impact you made on those children. So, you could change that bit to something like this:

“During my second year of engineering, I joined ‘Teach Math’, a local NGO, where I was a part of the Math

tutoring team. For a period of 10 months, I taught basic math like algebra, geometry and arithmetic to more
than thirty 5th and 6th grade students. And every single student I taught to, secured an A in math that year. I’ve

never been prouder in my life.”

Do you see the difference? These numbers suddenly give a whole new perspective to the readers, and their
respect for you is suddenly multiplied. That’s the power of numbers; they add authenticity, and authority to

your stories. If you can quantify your stories properly, and show the results instead of just actions, the
committee will not forget your name. You can use the same strategy for the rest of your story, no matter what it is
about. Whether it is a research project you did, or a college fest you organized, or a college sports team you led,

whatever it is, add numbers to your stories, and make them sound more realistic, and more beautiful.

3. Be Specific
You have to make sure that whatever you say on your statement of purpose, you need to be very specific with it.
Don’t just say something because you think it will impress the admissions committee. Whatever you say, you

have to really dig into details. Be introspective. Don’t just say “I chose this degree because I love this field.”
Explain clearly why you love this field, what made you decide that you want to work in this field for the rest of

your life, what skills you are trying to amass, why it completes you as a person, etc.

Don’t beat around the bush like you normally would, when you talk to your friends. Don’t use ideal sentences like
‘I want to change the world’ or ‘I want to find my inner self’ or any of chose cheesy lines. Just be straightforward

and always to the point, but not so much as to come off as arrogant. Find your reasons and then find a nice,
memorable way to say it.

Grad school admissions officers require the statement of purpose not just because they want to find about you
and your dreams. More importantly, they want you to think for yourself, as to why you are taking such a life-
changing step; why you think this is the best thing that can happen to you; and why you think you truly need it to
succeed in life. The ‘why’ is always profoundly important, and also an extremely difficult question to answer,

which is why, if you can find answers to all the whys, then you are almost in.

4. Customize Your Essay


One of the biggest mistakes students make is to prepare a basic template for their statement of purpose, and if
they are applying to more than one university, they simply change the relevant names and details. But the rest of

the statement is an exact copy. This is never a good idea, because though they might seem quite similar to each
other, every university is vastly different from the others. Each of them has a diverse set of characteristics that
define them, and their cultures, methodologies, visions, values, mottos, strengths, weaknesses, etc., vary

greatly. These things are much more important than the departments, or university rankings, or number of
Ph.D.’s or other materialistic qualities.

So, if you are applying to multiple universities, you need to factor in all these qualities of every university, and

customize your statement accordingly. Mere changes in names and details won’t suffice. You need to tailor your
essay such that the admissions officers think you will fit in well into their community. Remember, every student
community is like a family, and if you give hints that you cannot fit into a family or their culture, you may not be

welcomed easily.

Speaking of cultures, different countries obviously have different cultures, but even a big country like the US has
different cultures in different parts of the country. So, before you begin writing, try and research the general

culture within the region in which your target university is, and learn something about it. It may also help in aiding
your decision process; if a culture doesn’t attract you much, then there’s no point in wasting an

application.

5. Use a Formal But Conversational Tone


Nearly all statements or essays come under two categories: The super formal, and the super friendly. The first
category is when you write a statement of purpose that is so formal, it looks like you are writing to your lieutenant

in the military. The second one, of course, looks like a casual email to a friend. Now, when asked which one
seems like a better choice, most students say the formal way is the way to go, and super friendliness is a big no.
And still, a minor set of applicants think they can outsmart the admissions committee by sounding friendly,

welcoming, and funny.

But, on further reflection, you would understand that neither of the approaches is ideal. And you are right,
neither of them is right. Like we talked about it already, your statement of purpose should read like a novel:

slightly formal language, but still a tinge of fun and uniqueness. That is what you need. A conversational tone is
the best and the safest way to go. Write like you are talking to someone, but avoid using casual
language. Imagine you are talking to your dean, or the director of your college. What would your language
be like? That’s how your statement of purpose should sound.

Now, occasional humor is okay, but you shouldn’t try to sound too funny or too smart. No intentional jokes or
funny lines should find their way into your statement. After all, it’s a statement of purpose, and the purpose is to

pursue a graduate degree, not to impress people with your sense of humor. So, if what you write brings a smile
on the readers face, then it’s perfectly alright. But it shouldn’t make them throw away your

application because you didn’t seem serious enough to them.

6. Decide How You Want To Portray Yourself. And Learn


How to Portray Indirectly.
You must see that the statement of purpose serves as a medium to convey your attitude, your personality and
your character. Alright, those are some heavy words, and it can actually be difficult to them on paper. So, what

you can do is, learn what your statement of purpose should portray you as, in terms of a few criteria, which

tell the admissions committee that you are:

1. Very passionate about the field of study you have chosen.

2. An Intelligent student who can withstand the academic workload of a graduate program.

3. Well-prepared academically and personally, and eager to study new courses.

4. Able to take on the challenges of studying at an international graduate school.

5. Able to build and maintain a good rapport with professors and fellow grad students.

6. Able to finish the graduate degree within time, and graduate with a good percentage.

7. A potential remarkable representative of that grad school in your future career.

8. A successful alumni of the grad school who in the future can help in recruiting graduates.

9. A responsible alumni who in the future will help raise funds for the grad school, to spend on research,
infrastructure, facilities, student scholarships, etc.

These are basically the parameters that grad school admissions officers look at, when they decide who is joining

their class. Now, I know that the statement of purpose can only be as long as 1000 words, and that there’s quite

a lot to cover in that little space.

This is where your writing skills should come in. You simply can’t just go ahead and write “I am very passionate
about the field of study I have chosen.” That is the last think you would want to write. What you should instead

write is, a sentence that indirectly means the same. You will have to choose your words wisely so as to indirectly

communicate your “passion”. You can use brief examples to show why you are so passionate about it. For
example, you can say something like:

“My grandfather was a car mechanic. I remember when I was nine, he took me to his garage for the first time and

showed me how he could repair my damaged bicycle so I could ride it again. When he passed away a few years
later, he left me the entire garage. It was a turning point in my life. Some of my best days were spent inside the
garage, where after coming back from school, I tried fixing various appliances in the house. That was what led

me to choose to be a Mechanical Engineer.”

The above paragraph speaks volumes about you as a person and your passion for Mechanical Engineering

without you actually saying it. Any admissions officer in the world wouldn’t reject an applicant with such a

deep reason, and such a wonderful story behind him/her. Now, remember, you don’t have to lie. Try and
remember stories from your life that have shaped your decisions. And connect them beautifully to your goals and

dreams.

Now similarly, your “intelligence” can be conveyed by how you write. The quality of the statement of

purpose, the organization, expression, etc. of your statement tells how intelligent you are. Demonstrating
knowledge of the field, and using related jargon shows that you are “well-prepared”. Showing what you have

done already describes your ability “to take on the challenges of grad school”. Your grades and your previous

performance prove your ability “to finish the graduate program in time”. Being a “future remarkable alumni” can
be implied by your being a commendable representative of your previous institutions, like your high school, or

undergraduate school. Similarly, you will have to try and represent all the qualities mentioned above in an

indirect, but powerful way.

7. Don’t Create Stories. Be Yourself


Because we asked you to write stories, there would naturally be an inclination to “create” stories out of thin air.

Do not do this at all. Write great stories only if you have great stories. Some people might come from normal
backgrounds, who had normal lives, and probably didn’t achieve anything spectacular. It’s completely okay. If

you don’t have anything great to write, don’t write it. Be normal, and write normal stories. It is better to be

normal than to pretend to be someone you are not. The admissions officers are expert psychologists, and they
can spot a true applicant from a false applicant with just one reading.

So, you will badly hurt your chances of getting into your dream school if you try to be someone else. Just be
yourself, and write only about the things that have happened to you, and the things that you are passionate

about. Saying “I love research” just because you think they will like it, isn’t going to help you a lot. Whatever you

say just for the sake of it, won’t appeal much to the committee, as they would look for relevant evidences in
your stories and in your past. So, don’t even think about fooling the committee with a false storyline. Try and

be yourself throughout the essay.

8. Address Your Problems


The Statement of Purpose is a great opportunity for you to address some of your problems. If you have had any

problematic academic background, or a gap year in your career, or if you had any work-related problems, you

can address them on the statement of purpose in order to reassure the admissions committee. You must try and
be as honest as possible, and talk about your problems in a matured manner. Instead of trying to defend
yourself, you can point out the actual reasons that led to the problems, but more importantly, you should highlight

‘how’ you overcame the situation, and ‘what’ you have learnt from the experience.

For example, let’s say that you got all C’s or all D’s in one semester. This normally isn’t the kind of academic

profile a good grad school would want from you, unless there is a strong reason behind it. So, take some time
and dedicate a few lines to explain whatever happened. If you had a health problem during your semester

exams, or if you faced any emotional setback during that time, if you experience any personal loss, or if you had

to take up additional family responsibilities other than studying, you can mention that in your statement.

But, more importantly, you should not forget to demonstrate how your grades have been steadily improving since

then, and that you now have a decent grade-point average in the discipline. If you can spin this story well enough
for the committee to empathize with you, then your story will enhance the admissions committee’s image of

you as a matured student, with the abilities to “take on additional challenges” and “to finish on time”, even when

things are against you.

9. Do Your Homework
This is one very important point you should exercise while you are writing a statement of purpose. You should be
thorough with the details of all the universities you are applying to, and list down all the things you like about

each university, before you write the essays. Most students simply write generic sentences like “I am impressed

by the importance your university gives to research” or “I would like to study here because you have 100 Ph.D.’s

and 20 Nobel prize winners.” etc. No, that is not how you do it. The admissions committee knows how great their
college is; you don’t have to remind them again and again. But, you should let them know what exactly you

like about them, that you so badly want to be there. The specifics are really important. For example, you could

say something like this. (Excuse the random jargon, it is only to give you an idea.)

“I would fully utilize the resources that the Wallenberg Hall provides, as I am particularly interested in the field of
molecular chemistry. The special 24/7 laboratories provided for student research on molecular processing is

exactly the kind of opportunity I am looking for, as I could totally see myself working in the labs day and night.”

And something like:

“I especially want to study under Dr. Mark Adams, Ph.D., as I have been an avid follower and admirer of his work

in the field of quantum chemistry, which is not only the field I would choose for my research study, but also is a

topic that I am zealous about, personally. I would be more than honoured if I can earn a spot in his research
group.”

Do you see how professional it sounds? Such things show how well prepared you are, and how eager you are to

study at that university. Now, to write something like this, you obviously need to do lots of research both
online and offline, and be very thorough about the college, its facilities, courses, and professors. Yes, it is very

difficult, but believe me, it is completely worth all the hard work.

10. Proofread, Edit, and Re-edit. Ask Friends and Family To


Grade Your Essay
Another mistake students make is, they try and keep their essays to themselves. Maybe they are shy, or maybe

they think their friends and family aren’t necessarily experts on the subject. So they think there’s no point in

asking friends and family to critique on their essays. Wrong. Your statement of purpose speaks about you as a

student, as an individual. Yes, there is technical slang involved, and yes your family members may not be experts
on that. But, they sure are experts on ‘you’.

Which is exactly why you should approach them. They can not only give you additional points to add, but they

can give you valuable stories about your childhood or schooling days, which you probably won’t remember.

Plus, it’s very easy to say something about others, but at the same time, it’s painfully difficult to describe yourself
to someone. Which is why someone very close to you, like friends and family, can describe you accurately. You

will get new perspectives on your stories, which sometimes are better than your own versions, and including

them in your statement of purpose will do you a lot of good.

Also, remember to proofread your statement time and again, and keep on re-editing content until you, your family

and friends think you have the best statement in the world. Remember that your statement of purpose is
a literary picture of ‘you’ as a person, and it is representing on your behalf. So, make it a top priority to avoid

typos, misplaced commas and semicolons, overused quotes, being too wordy, using too many complex words

and sentences, and being too straightforward. Be careful. Be a perfectionist when it comes to writing. It
shows how much you care about going to a particular college. And, once you are done with everything, do not

forget to ask your friends and family to grade your statement of purpose, and ask them to criticize it accurately,

so you can avoid submitting a less than perfect copy of your statement.

11. Take Advice From Professors.


If you know a professor at your undergrad institution, don’t hesitate to approach him/her for advice regarding your

statement of purpose. They are of course very experienced prospects, and they might have seen thousands of
statement of purposes and students in their careers. So, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for their opinion. Plus, since unlike

your family, they are technically sound, they can also provide you valuable insights on how to project your

technical expertise and project works in the statement.

After all, a professor knows what another professor looks for in a prospective student, so it would only help
if you approach your college professors. And, if they are really close to you, you can also ask them for a really

good letter of recommendation. So whichever way you look at it, there are only benefits for you.

Checklist for a Powerful Statement of Purpose


Here’s a basic checklist designed to help you draft a flawless Statement of Purpose. Make sure you write in an

organized manner, and cover your points in a proper order. We have given this checklist so that you can write

your statement of purpose without confusing yourself and the readers. Following a meticulous order like this
will make your statement of purpose a lot better to read and understand about you and your story. Feel free

to add anything else to the list if you think it will boost your chances, but remember to not write too much

because you would then be exceeding the word limit.

Organization:

Introducing yourself in a unique manner.

Demonstrating your passion for the field.

Story about your background or experience in the field you’ve chosen.

Description of your academic background in the field you’ve chosen.

Specific classes or special courses you have taken, that are related to your field of interest.

Some of the professors you have studied under, especially if they are well-known in that field.

Co-curricular and Extracurricular activities in the field of you interest.

Publications or other professional accomplishments in the field (perhaps conference presentations or public
readings)

Any community service or leadership experience while in college.

Explanations about problems in background (if needed)

Explanation of why you have chosen the specific grad school and other related questions as discussed in the
beginning of this article.

Mention what you like about the university you are applying for, and why: facilities, infrastructure, etc.

Mention names of one or two professors in that school and what you know of and appreciate about their work,
and why you want to study or work under their guidance.

Specific features of the grad program and the university, which attract you personally. And why.

Get advice from several of your professors, family, and close friends. Ask for stories about yourself.

Proofread and edit; ask friends and family to proofread for you as well.

Now Its Your Turn


So, those are some strategies and tips for you to write a powerful statement of purpose, impress the committee,

and thereby ace the admissions process. Make sure you do every one of these things, and you won’t be far away
from the college of your dreams.

Do you have any strategies that worked well for you? Do let us know in the comments section.

We almost forgot! We are giving away a sample Statement of Purpose for download, so you can get an actual

glimpse of how the aforementioned tips and strategies have been incorporated in a real Statement Of Purpose.

But remember, this should serve only as an inspiration to your own Statement of Purpose, but not a source to
copy from. Close to 10000 students check this space regularly, and if every single one of them uses the same

phrases in their own statement of purposes, very soon, everyone will be held for plagiarism. So, try and copy

only the framework and the organization, but not the actual content. Happy Writing!

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