Statement of Purpose: What to write??

It's that time of the year when the majority of master's applicants are preparing to apply for the next round of intake and are going helter-skelter (online) figuring out when to write tests, when to start the application process, whom to ask for recommendation letters (nasty stuff) and of course, the nastiest, how to begin writing the STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP). Writing an SOP is definitely not simple for the majority of us. But, what I realized was many of the students did a wonderful job when they were given a framework as to what should go on to an SOP (and what shouldn't). After reviewing thousands of SOPs and reading books on the topic, here's a broad understanding I've developed that will help you draft your essays-

The role of Statement of Purpose (or Personal essays, letter of intent, etc..) in your application is to introduce yourself and your background to the admission committee. By reading your SOP, the University Admission Committee is going to qualitatively evaluate why you are a right fit for their master’s program. They’re also going to evaluate your understanding of the course and its curriculum, and how it is going to help you in your career.??

A well-written SOP addresses the majority of the points mentioned below- but in a story format.??

The Core of Your SOP-

Answers to the following questions should make the core of your Statement of Purpose-

1. Why do you want to pursue Masters in your field?

? Motivation, Passion, Understanding- You can elaborate on what motivates you to pursue a master’s in your field. Your passion and understanding of the field you are in.

? Goals- You can mention your goals in this particular field, and what role will a Masters's degree play in helping you achieve those goals.

2. How are you qualified to pursue Master’s?

This section is to show the committee your qualification to pursue the Master’s degree.

Background- Academics, Work/Internship Experience, and skills gained in them. Here you can talk about what you learned through your Academics and work experiences so far.

- Be specific about what you have done in your projects. research or work and what knowledge/skills you have gained through them.

- You can mention extra-curricular as long as they’re relevant to your field OR if you’re trying to highlight a particular aspect of your personality (like leadership skills, multi-tasking skills, etc..).

It’s not compulsory that you should mention social service unless it is relevant to the field you’re applying to.

Achievements - You can also talk about any achievements in work or study- if possible, you can give specific details about the difference your work has made in a particular project or assignment or work. Specific details such as "10% cost savings, 25% time savings, 2% revenue growth, etc." will go a long way!

3. Why this University? (This keeps changing for every University you are applying to).

a. Why are you applying to this particular program?

b. What are some specific things that attract you to apply to the particular program (of the university)? This can be –

- Specific aspects of the Course & Curriculum

- Faculty profile and/or research work that impressed you.

- Ongoing Research work you want to be part of.

- Other differentiating aspects – Career services & Placement record, Location, Diversity, etc..

c. How will the particular program offered by the university help you reach your career goals mentioned?

Please remember you can write your SOP in any order of answering the above three segments, there is no exact format you have to stick to. Also, just mentioning your qualifications or achievements is not enough since that is already mentioned in your Resume.

You need to give the admission committee a deeper insight into your skills and experiences, which your Resume can’t give.

Additional Information-

Apart from the Core information provided above, some universities might ask you to address the following aspects... if the university doesn’t, you can skip it. But, if you feel something is relevant to you, do address them.

"Any inconsistencies you want to address/explain to the admission committee? Or anything else you want the admission committee to know?"

• Very Low Academics/low GRE/GMAT scores etc.
• Gaps in Academics or Career.
• Any health issues, accidents, unfortunate events that affected your Academics or Work.
• Shifting fields, having no relevant academic/work experience on paper.
• Challenges you faced because of your background- academic, economical, availability of resources, demographic, etc.
• Any other unusual things about your profile that you want to explain.

Finally, treat the above points as a checklist, more than a framework, and go about drafting the essays. Remember, you don't have to sound too artistic, eloquent (straight out of Downtown Abbey), or like anyone else who you are not. Just make sure your language is professional and understandable.

Watch out for my next article on Statement of Purpose where I'll be writing about "What Shouldn't go on to your SOP". I personally believe knowing the Dont's is as important as knowing the Dos.