What is a Statement of Purpose (SOP)? What not to do in SOP?

A Statement of Purpose, or SOP, is a short essay that each and every prospective student writes while they are applying for their studies at a university abroad. The university or institution will discuss it in a panel along with the exam results and finally decide whether you are apt for the seat available or not.
An SOP, as the name suggests, has a specific purpose to serve. You should be providing an overview of your education, knowledge, and achievements.

There are general things to keep in mind while preparing an SOP. Give a general instruction, a brief idea or an explanation of who you are and the specific reason or reasons why you want to study the particular course or the motivation behind it. That’s the introduction.

Highlight your educational qualifications, achievements, and skills, along with real-life examples. Do not hesitate to outline your specific area of interest in the subject you chose. Here, we covered your education and qualifications.

Explain whether you have any particular subject area in which you have experience. Explain this to the admissions officer; this could be volunteering, relevant extra-curricular activities or work experience. All this information covers your additional activities.

Specify your future goals. It is possible that you are pursuing this course for a specific reason. Mention it briefly if you have a dream objective that you can only achieve by pursuing this particular degree.

Last but not least, there should be a closing paragraph. This should be a short and crisp paragraph stating your passion for the subject area and summarizing your core skills that the institution could consider beneficial when you get the opportunity to get enrolled in the institution.

Let me tell you some of the common mistakes everyone makes while preparing a statement of purpose.

1. We consider SOP the least important and hence leave it to the last to consider. SOP might not need a month or a week to get prepared, but I would say it needs a lot of brainstorming. Here, brainstorming refers to deciding which information to include and which to omit.
   You might have to read or go through a few samples to begin with and see what patterns of contents would work for you. Leaving it to the last may result in making the result worse.
2. Make your SOP short and crisp. People don’t normally count the number of words they have used in preparing an SOP. It should be a single page or a page and a half with a size of 12. You should be using Times New Roman font for writing an SOP. Even if you have a load of information to be added to the SOP, make sure you make it to the point with short sentences. I know you are good at explaining, but save it for later.
   This is done in order to make it easier for them to read and to not let them strike any mistakes easily. Understand that the admissions team reads hundreds of SOP’s every day, which makes it easier for them to find out the mistakes. Remember, they are pro’s just like you are on your field!
3. Exaggeration and over-confidence in SOP are not going to take you anywhere, for sure. Keep your SOP honest and straight to the point. Always keep in mind that the team could further contact and ask for references. So in order to avoid the un-necessary hassles and getting caught, you must provide only accurate information. Keep in mind that we are not selling anything. When you talk about achievements, try writing them in the most modest way possible. Create the impression of a well driven and curious person, not an over-confident or arrogant one.
4. Try not to waste your words complementing the university. Stick to your purpose for writing SOP. If you forgot already, you should be explaining why you should enroll in the university, not why the university is the best.
5. Presentation is important. Unless you are advised to use other fonts, use only Times New Roman with a font size of 12 and a line spacing of 1.5. Avoid using italics, bold, and underlined text. The purpose should be served. Shoot just the right content.
6. Mind your language. Remember, you are trying to communicate with the officials who are going to give you seats to enroll, not your friends. Your SOP decides whether you should be considered for the available seats at the university. Do not go too fancy or annoying. Use words that are straightforward and easy to understand.
7. You are brilliant at writing, I bet. But still, proofreading is important. There can be repetitions, unwanted words or a sentence that needs to be rephrased. Polish them, let someone else read it and take their comments into consideration (only when its a good pick). Sending an SOP with mistakes can create a careless impression. So beware of that. Proofread to save your seat!

Keep this in mind
Happy SOP writing!