How to write your Statement of Purpose

Interview processes for B-schools in India (MBA programs) are about to take off. Writing the SOP forms a very important part of the interview process.

Students have to fill up various forms for their applications and the most common question is the SOP, or the Statement of Purpose. There are also various other essays which are based on the SOP. 

Below are a few pointers about how to go about writing your SOP.

Writing the Statement of Purpose

The SOP or the Statement of Purpose is an essay required by the universities when you apply for their programs. The SOP is one of the most important aspects of your application. The statement of purpose is one of the most important tools that the college uses to understand you and hence, a lot of weight is attached to it.

Tips on WHAT to write in the Statement of Purpose

The SOP is usually around 700 to 800 words long and must include the following aspects:

• Details about your life that have made the person you are
• Professional and academic backgrounds, including publications, etc., if any
• Your achievements and failures – academic, professional, and personal
• Your strengths and weaknesses
• Your hobbies and extracurricular activities
• Your short-term and long-term goals
• How your past academic and professional experience is in sync with your goals
• The reason behind your pursuing this particular course (MS, MBA, etc.)
• How the course would help you achieve your goals
• Why you are motivated to choose this particular university
• How you can contribute positively to the university

Universities may ask for specific parts of or all of the above set of points. You should strictly follow any instructions mentioned regarding the format and/or which points to write the statement of purpose upon.

What NOT to write in the Statement of Purpose

It is advised not to include unwanted information. For example, mentioning unnecessary details about your family background is not warranted. If necessary, to suit the theme of the SOP, you may write in brief about your family background and how you were influenced by the same.

Similarly, writing about your trivial achievements is also a strict no. You must be able to identify your most important achievements and talk only about those. Also, you should include only those achievements for which you have proof (certificates, awards, etc.) and can substantiate the achievements if required.

Tips on HOW to write in the Statement of Purpose

Flow:

First of all, your statement of purpose should be interesting and should have a flow. It should NOT merely be a collection of bulleted points written in a paragraph. The language used should be simple, in active voice, and the idea should be easy to comprehend.

Also, events you describe in the SOP should follow the chronological order, presenting a very clear picture of you in the minds of the college admission team members.

Interesting read:

Since the admission team reads thousands of application essays, hence it is absolutely essential that you do not make the SOP very boring to read. The SOP should have a personal touch and should feel like your life story.

Clarity of thought:

The statement of purpose should very clearly explain your purpose convincingly – why you want to join the particular course from the particular university. The SOP should explain, how, through the course, you will be able to fulfill your career objective. Clarity of thought is the most important aspect of the SOP. 

Perfect fit:

The SOP should also make it very clear why you are suited for the particular course and why you would excel in it. You should elaborate your achievements and show how you are a perfect fit for the course given such achievements.

Well researched:

You should make it clear in the SOP that you have read a lot about the college you are applying to. Using specific college related examples helps a lot. Also, mentioning specific work done by professors of the college in the field you are interested in helps to prove to the admissions team that you are genuinely interested in the college.

You should check and re-check your SOP before the final submission. If required, have it analyzed by your professors or seniors or take professional help for the same. Also, never use the same SOP for all the colleges you apply to. Keeping the essence of the SOP the same, make sure that you change it according to the needs of the college you are applying to.

We, at CUBIX (https://cubixprep.com) have our interview preparation course having extensive workshops for Personal Interviews, case discussions, group discussions, & writing essays. We also help students in their college applications, & help them in editing their SOP, LOR and essays.

These pointers for SOP are applicable also for applications to colleges abroad. Hope the above pointers will help you in framing your SOP.

Happy reading - and writing too!

Best

Sujoy Kr Datta