Good Practices for Writing Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is often the only thing that you can control during the application and admission process to a University. You might have heard this time and again and for a good reason. Your GPA scores and your past grades cannot be changed much at the time of applying for a University and your interests are likely to change during the course of your education. Although you can prepare to some extent and decide when you want to appear for the GRE exam, you still can be affected adversely by the situation on the day of the exam and since most people don’t take more than one or two shots at it, it is not entirely in your hand. The Statement of Purpose then becomes the sole communication point between you and the people who are considering your application for a University.

There are certain best practices for writing a Statement of Purpose and you must understand that it is the letter that determines whether you will get a chance to study or not in the University of your choice. Hence it must be taken with a fair bit of seriousness.

The first thing to do before writing your SoP is to do a thorough research about the field you want to choose for your higher education. You must also pick your top 5 favorite universities that you would want to apply for and check out more about the departments related to your field of interest and the faculty. Knowing about the research topics available and the potential for work could give you an idea as to what you should apply for. Greater the clarity of what you want to do, better is your chance to get through the application process.

The SoP need not be lifeless and full of facts. One way in which you can make the statement of purpose interesting is by narrating anecdotes and stories that will highlight your decision making process. You must prove, through your SoP that the field you have chosen for further study hasn’t been picked out of sheer fancy. Rather, it should portray that your decision is a well informed one which you have arrived at after a series of experiences. It should throw light upon your thinking process and how you learn from what life throws at your.

Many times, the SoP is very impressive because the student brings focus on to the advantages of a field of research or study. As an example, if your research can help in the development of a backward or underdeveloped region, either through internet connectivity, cable connectivity, cheaper electricity or a thousand other enhancements, you stand a better chance at getting admission. This is because Universities will support students who know why they want to pursue a particular course they have chosen. The SoP will be your only chance to express this mission and how you have arrived at it. Your past research experiences, internships, summer jobs and projects could also be stated to add more weight to your decision and your interest in the particular field.

Category: Career Guide