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It
is vital to submit your application with a Statement of Purpose (SOP) when you
plan to study abroad to pursue various programs.
What is SOP?
It
is a document that states your purpose for applying to the particular
university and the course. Also known as a letter of intent or research
statement, it captures information such as who you are, what you want to
become, how ready you are to pursue a specific course from the chosen
university, etc. A well-written SOP must include:
Importance of
SOP
The Statement of Purpose is the decision maker of your application as it sketches the roadmap to your career path and goals and grants you admission to your chosen institute and the course. It is an opportunity to present your profile impressively to the admission committee and give them strong reasons to choose you over other aspirants.
Tips for writing
a Statement of Purpose
A
well-written SOP portrays your personality traits, which are hard to evaluate
with your academic achievements. Therefore, make genuine efforts to make your
SOP stand out from the crowd by following these tips:
Answer defining questions: The admission
committee of every university expects that students must cover some basic yet
useful information in their SOPs.
Thus, try to include answers to the following questions in your SOP:
Kindly note this is not an exhaustive list of
questions.
Craft your unique story, don’t copy – After gathering the
relevant information, it’s time to narrate
your unique story in your own words. Strengthen
your story by quantifying the facts. For instance, highlight your work
experience by stating, “I have worked for 10
months as a Math tutor in the local NGO and taught basic math concepts to
over 50 students of 4th
and 5th grade.”
A copied SOP is a
recipe for disaster. Therefore, do not try to impress the admission committee
by copying the general SOP template and simply replacing your details, as this
will make them lose their interest and hamper your chances of getting admission
to your dream college. Exhibit your communication skills by writing original
and unique SOP instead.
Research university details – List important things
about the university, such as the study program, the department, internship
opportunities offered, and the student-faculty ratio, to name a few, in your SOP
to convince the admission committee that you have not applied to the specific
university randomly. If you are
applying to multiple universities, a one-size-fits-all SOP will not work. Create a unique SOP for each
university by sharing university-specific facts.
Maintaining a formal yet conversational tone – Your SOP should read neither like a thesis nor
a comic book. Thus, you have to maintain a perfect tone, i.e. formal yet
conversational. While using the
conversational tone, add a hue of fun and uniqueness but avoid using casual
language.
Stick to the word limit – Wrap up your
SOP within 800-1000 words. While writing it, choose your words carefully to
create a long-lasting impression. It is a good idea to check the
university-specific requirements to get a concrete idea about the SOP word
limit and application deadlines for submitting it.
Proofread for errors – Grammar issues,
spelling errors and language-related errors are not acceptable in SOPs. After
all, your SOP will reflect your writing abilities. Therefore, make it
error-free by assessing and editing it until it becomes flawless.
Ask for opinions & constructive criticism – Do not hesitate to
reach out to your family and friends to seek their opinions on the SOP. Welcome
constructive criticism if it especially comes from professors. After all, they
have gone through multiple SOPs in their career and know what another professor
looks for in prospective aspirants.
We
hope that you will find these tips practical and helpful. If you are looking
for a loan for education, we,
at Avanse Financial Services can help you. Our leading financial institution
offers a customised education loan in the most hassle-free manner. When looking
for study loans, check out the eligibility criteria, application process, and
the documents required to have a seamless experience. Nowadays, students opt
for study loans to fulfil their academic aspirations independently. To know
more about a student loan, please connect with us.
We always aim to offer you competitive interest rates on your Avanse Education loan.
The rate of interest on your loan is calculated as: Interest Rate = Avanse Base Rate +
Spread.
Our current Base Rate is 14.25% (WEF 01.05.2023).
The Spread is floating and is based on analysis of overall credit and course profiling.
This rate is subject to the terms and conditions of Avanse Financial Services Ltd.