A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is one of the most important documents in your application as it tells the committee who you are, why you want to study at their university, your previous experiences and your future plans.
A Statement of Purpose, or Personal Statement, is an essay that many universities require you to submit as part of your application.
The process is quite similar to writing a cover letter for a job application, but more oriented towards an academic style of writing.
Format and structure
It’s best to keep a classic format and I highly suggest you use that one for all other documents as well. I use Times New Roman font, size 12, 1.5 line spacing and justified margins in all my documents.
Make it a habit that the first thing you do when you enter a writing program is to set the format. If all your documents use the same font and format, you will seem like an organised person and your text will look clean and well designed.
As for the structure, a Statement of Purpose has a few paragraphs like any other essay. It starts with an introduction, followed by three or four short paragraphs that tell more about you.
Try to keep your Statement or Purpose short and coherent. One page or one and a half max. Keep in mind there are hundreds of other letters from hundreds of other students to go through, and there’s a chance that if you submit a three- or four-page essay, no one is going to take the time to read it all.
One page in that format has approximately 400 words. So, it’s important to try and plan in advance how you want to divide your paragraphs and how to highlight the most important facts.
Content of paragraphs
To be fair, most of the introductions look the same. Many students start their essay with ‘I am applying to this program because I love…’ or ‘I’m writing to express my interest in this and this’. While it’s good to check for online examples, whatever you do don’t copy-paste it!
Instead of writing generic first sentences, try to start your essay with something original. You can start with a short story that led you to apply for that university or an important and relevant personal story. Keep in mind that an introduction is like a first impression – you want to keep the reader intrigued.
If you are applying to more than one university, of course you are not going to write five different stories and five different essays. But, it’s very important you do not copy-paste them from the first to the last sentence.
Also, don’t write that you would be delighted to study at this university and that this program is the best in the world. Use the specific names of universities and their specific courses. If you can, use specific names of professors you would like to work with. Use as much detail as you can as it shows that you have taken the time to research the course and university.
Your second paragraph should explain why you want to do this course. After expressing initial interest in the introduction, try to elaborate it in more detail and give exact reasons for pursuing that course.
The third paragraph should contain your previous experiences in the field. Maybe mention some projects you have been working on, some essays that required experiments or fieldwork, data analysis or anything relevant to the course you want to study in. You can also mention some professors you have worked with or that have taught you, especially if they are well known in the field.
Feel free to connect the second and third paragraphs. You can write them as one paragraph or switch the order. The way you choose to order these two paragraphs are not that important, and it is perfectly normal that you connect why you want to do this course with what you previously did.
The fourth and preferably last paragraph should describe your future aspirations such as your plans and your dreams. Try to be specific here, which means avoid saying broad statements like I want to work in a hospital, but try to include more detail such as where, why and how is this course will help you get there.
For me, the hardest part was finding a way to talk about my successes, achievements, aspirations and career plans without sounding like I’m bragging. It can be tricky to highlight your strengths and virtues while trying to be modest and humble at the same time.
If you have some space left, and depending on the program you are applying for, you can mention some extracurricular activities that are connected to the course or highlight your skills in any way. But be cautious in what skills you choose to highlight, playing the piano can be a great advantage if you want to be a teacher, but not so relevant if you want to be a pilot.
The format of how to structure your Statement of Purpose can be understood as past – present – future. You begin by describing your previous experiences, then how well you fit within that program, and finally how you see yourself benefitting from this program in the future.
Style of writing
The style of writing you’re using is very important. You have approximately 400–500 words to convince someone you are a great prospective student. Not only that, but you have writing skills that you will use in your future education.
Balance is essential. You cannot write in a friendly conversational way as you are writing to the admission committee who might be your future professors. On the other hand, you don’t want to sound too formal because that may seem like you don’t really care.
Try to find something in between. Use a personal style in one part of the essay to show that you’re human and that you care about being accepted into the course, but stick to strong, clear and concise writing. Write in a positive and confident tone and avoid repetitive words and casual language.
Last but not least, check for spelling and grammar errors. You are applying for an academic course so you will need to show you are able to use English throughout your studies, and a Statement of Purpose is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and skills.
After you’ve finished writing your first draft, leave it for a few days. Then come back and edit it, re-edit it and proofread it. Writing the whole essay all at once can be exhausting and maybe after a few days you will realise that you used the word ‘great’ or ‘very’ too many times. That’s normal. That’s why you should ask someone to read it or read it yourself again after a few days.
Feel free to read some examples on the internet. Pick some ideas and some keywords. Maybe it will help you see what you don’t want your Statement of Purpose to look like. Maybe it will inspire you. But make sure you are as original as you can be, so when you are looking at examples online remember that it’s important to only copy the structure, not the content. Good luck!
