How appropriate is your Statement of Purpose (SOP)
You must have been searching for articles to provide you with tips on how to write a successful SOP. You must have even encountered a few very good articles on what all should an SOP consist of and other relevant details. All of them provide you with excellent tips and useful points.
Here, I would like to talk ONLY about how appropriate is your SOP after having all those relevant details. What does it sound like? I’m here to provide you with that one trick that can help you to come up with an SOP that has all that relevant data along with the crucial success mantra.
So, let’s get started!
Statement of Purpose (SOP) precisely means providing the purpose of applying for a particular course in a University/College stating what brought you to think of this course and why are you interested in pursuing a course in a particular University/College.
Now, as this is the crucial step to getting through the application process successfully; most of us spend a lot of time building this SOP.
Few common mistakes made while preparing SOP are:
1. Using a heavy line of opening: Here, most of us assume that; the fancier the SOP is the more it is successful. We tend to start the SOP with heavy sentences like, “ I have always aspired to be so on so and that is what dragged me to do this; kind of sentences. I would say — A big NO.
2. Haphazard content: In order to show our interest, most of us try to provide information that is more than needed. We tend to overwrite each and every detail without knowing its relevance. I would say -a WASTE of time.
3. Faking the need: In the process of providing justification for the selection of a particular course, most of us go beyond the line and exaggerate our interest on the subject trying to link with our background educational qualification. I would say — NOT Needed.
4. Closing ceremony: Finally, we end up writing like — “By graduating in this course from your University, I want to serve my nation with the knowledge gained in your university” kind of sentences.” — I would say — BOGUS.
Let me explain why –
The first thing we need to remember is that the person who is evaluating the SOP is just like us. Moreover, He/she might have been doing this job for long and must have read loads of SOP’s and it’s very easy for them to identify how genuine is one’s SOP.
So, it is really important for us to be simple and veritable. Do not do any of the above said mistakes as this shows your greediness to get into something rather what’s your interest.
Let me share my experience:
Recently, a couple of my friends has approached me to evaluate their SOP informally before they submit it to the University/College. I not at all experienced in this field, could easily identify their haul but not what their desire is. The person who is been evaluating the SOP since long can definitely see it.
So, I started to observe where have they gone wrong and then I realized that they have provided all the information that is needed for their application to crack through, but; they were essentially missing one major ingredient which had soured down. That major ingredient is the “soul”. I would simply put it as their SOP’s have sounded like an essay but not SOP which I have defined above.
You must be wondering; What is the soul of an SOP? How can I come up with it? Well! Here comes the success mantra which I have talked about which can get you the soul of your SOP.
Do remember one thing, your SOP does not necessarily have to show the positive or successful side of yours. It just has to be realistic. That’s it.
In order to get this success mantra you need to follow just three steps for which you would be requiring:
· A voice recorder
· A notes to pen down the important points.
Now, As you are already clear with the University/College and the course which you are opting for. The only thing you need to do is simply joining the dots.
The process is as follows — Sit alone in a peaceful atmosphere where you could concentrate on yourself without being distracted by the surroundings. Make sure you will not be disturbed at all by any means either a phone call or a friend stopping by or any til you finish.
1. Note down the major spark points which lead you to decide on taking up this course — Just think what brought you down here along with all the relevant details for the application.
2. Record your need — Go back to the past, right from childhood and start to narrate all those important things or breakthrough which you have experienced to date. Along, you can even record all your favorite or tragic incidents which made you the person who you are now. Finally, tape down even what excites you the most which kept you going and what is it that is your dream for your future.
3. Scoop both the above points: Now, once you have unfolded your own story and by collaborating the narration with the spark points, you will realize that both of them have already started to connect the dots by providing you with the real story of yours without any drama.
Simple and Pure SOP with all that is needed will be fixed on its own. You will start to realize that the SOP actually talks about you and your passion for this course without any impersonation.
That’s it. you are all set!
Hope this article was helpful to you to come up with a good SOP and I wish all the good luck for your application.