The Statement of Purpose otherwise known as the personal statement is one key aspect of your application. This is because it offers a great chance to showcase your potential and demonstrates your possession of the essential qualities and skillsets needed for the particular programme you are applying for. In other words, a good SOP has the ability of projecting you as the right fit for the academic programme you are applying to, especially if your academic profiles are quite weak.
Right before we delve into what you need to know in order to write a perfect and powerful statement of purpose, the following are some questions an effective SOP should answer;
● Who am I?
This includes your personal details like your name and facts about yourself like the college/university which you graduated from.
● What do I want to be?
This involves you discussing your long-term goals and connecting them with your intention of pursuing the academic program you are applying to.
● Why do I want to study in this field?
This involves you sharing every reason why you choose to pursue this path. You should avoid adding the financial advantages of your preferred career pathway to your reasons as this could be a turn off and could possibly lead to your application getting rejected.
● What kind of value do I want to contribute to humanity through my field?
Presenting your understanding of your preferred field and how you want to contribute to that field and the society at large, is an essential part in your SOP. You can explain your background in 2-4 lines and link it to your career goals
● Is this the right place for me to study my desired programme?
Why are you interested in studying at the University of X? Is it first-rate? Is the system conducive for your field of study? You could also mention one or more professors who are related to your field of study. This would reflect your intentionality about studying in that college and could pass you as a serious applicant.
Remember that it is called a Personal Statement. So, it must be about you. You have to be clear about who you are, what you do, what you want to do, how you will benefit from the school and how the school will benefit from you. Do not spare any detail. Go all out.
How do you write a perfect, strong and appealing Statement of Purpose?
Writing your SOP with the aim of making it stand out from the crowd should be your first priority when putting together your application.
Every year, the admissions committee of your dream college are inevitably loaded with applications from thousands of applicants like you who want to study at their school too. How then do you write a brilliant essay capable of holding their attention and impressionable enough to stay on the minds of the board members?
We have curated a list of some certain strategies you can apply, to help you create a brilliant and original statement of purpose.
● Be creative. Write stories instead of statements.
Why are you interested in your field of study? What are your reasons? Are they emotional, societal or economical? You should be able to find a connection and a strong reason why you have chosen your pathway. When you have thought this through, you can now go ahead to create a short and creative narrative about why you have chosen to study your course or degree.
Infusing real life situations into your essay would help to make you appear more intelligent and interesting. You can also try inserting a general saying or quote someone famous. However, it is essential to keep it short and relevant so as to avoid vagueness.
● Quantify Your Stories
Consider these two examples:
1. ‘I volunteered as a Care Assistant for a NGO owned care home where I assisted in caring for elderly people’
2. ‘For a period of six months, I volunteered as a Care Assistant for a NGO owned care home where I helped assist clients with personal care tasks, such as washing, dressing, eating and toileting. I also helped perform light housekeeping tasks, such as dusting, vacuuming and changing bed clothes.’
While both examples are basically saying the same thing, the first example does not paint the whole picture like the second one does. Quantifying your stories adds authenticity and authority to your narrative.
● Maintain a formal but conversational tone.
Keep your tone engaging and conversational but avoid using casual language. Maintaining formal language but still employing a slightly fun and conversational tone is the safest way to go in writing your SOP.
● Customise your essay.
The worst mistake you can ever make in writing your essay is using a basic template for multiple applications. Every college has its set of characteristics, cultural background, visions and values and methodologies that define them. And this varies greatly. When applying to multiple schools, it is important that you keep these differences in mind and tailor your essay to suit each respective school. Make research about your target university, the culture prevalent in the region where it is situated and find out how it all fits and aids your decision process. Each essay must answer the questions above. That way, you will maintain a seamless flow.
● Proofread, Edit, and Re-edit your essay with your Friends and Family.
Share your essay with family and friends. They often have a different perspective of you that you might not know of and since your statement of purpose is about you and your interests and values, this could help you build additional points. They can also come up with better versions for your stories and lend an extra eye especially with the proofreading and editing process.
There you have it. These are some of the strategies you should employ in order to write a perfect statement of purpose, brilliant enough to impress the committee and get you that acceptance that you deserve.
Are there other strategies you would like to share? Kindly let us know in the comment section.
By
Ruona Idjenughwa
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