Do not be afraid of seeing the SoP abbreviation for the first time. It is just a statement of purpose, which is just a part of your application documents. It focuses attention on educational background, current achievements, and goals for the future.
When students have the same GPA scores, a statement of purpose allows professors to select the best candidates. Thus, make sure to write a wonderful SoP. It is not that difficult as it may look at first glance. You can present your personality the way you want.
Write a Nice Story About Yourself
From the very beginning, you must know that statement of purpose is a formal document. However, language should rather be conversational. Readers want to know more about you. Begin your story with a proper introduction of who you are.
Avoid making it like an autobiography. Just focus on education, work experience, and interest for a relevant scientific field or position. If someone has inspired you to pursue this specific career, you should mention it. However, keep the introduction short.
Next, applicants must explain why they have selected this specific course. Consider talking about goals. Tutors want to see that aim not just for a diploma but also for a good career. Mentioning even very ambitious plans is completely normal.
As you are sending a statement of purpose to a specific place, explain your choice in conclusion. An SoP describes what attracts you to this specific educational institution and how university facilities can help to become a professional. Additionally, present yourself as a valuable asset.
Common SoP Mistakes to Avoid
To increase your application chances, begin SoP writing as soon as possible. You never know how much time you will spend on this document. Planning allows finishing on time without missing deadlines. You will not have to worry about stressful, sleepless nights.
Students often borrow various internet samples to make life easier. However, that leads to plagiarism. Most educational institutions have serious quality control. Copying is cheating and can negatively affect your whole application. It is much better to write original statements of purpose.
Even when you can keep a conversational writing style, avoid using informal language and slang. Always keep in mind the image of document readers. Use a polite and respectful tone. Too much unnecessary terminology is not good either. Make sure sentences are clear for understanding.
Never exceed word limits. For every statement of purpose, check requirements from the target institution. Professors check numerous documents a day. Keeping word count in the middle of limits without omitting crucial information is what you should aim for.
Make sure to provide only relevant information. The admission board does not want to read about too many private details on family members and financial circumstances. Only certain stories are suitable, such as the health problems of relatives that have motivated you to become a doctor.
Everything that you write about yourself must be true. Providing incorrect information on the background is something that universities can change. Lying about skills may lead to difficulties during interviews. Students may exaggerate certain facts, as they do not remember everything exactly. Always think twice about such information.
Important Writing Steps to Do
Different features of your statement of purpose define its quality. Besides the meaning of sentences, they must be errorless. Students can be too confident in their writing skills. In fact, mistakes occur much more often. You can just struggle to spot them fast.
Proofreading is an obligatory step before sending documents to the admission board. Take time to read the paper aloud. It allows detecting pieces with poor readability and rewriting them. Pay attention to punctuation too. It is very easy to forget about simple commas.
Sometimes, applicants repeat the same information several times. By removing those sentences, you lose certain word numbers. Do not worry if it is within limits. Otherwise, you may need to add a new passage. Expanding existing sentences can may them bulky and difficult to read.
Plagiarism in the text may occur even when you write everything from scratch. You can detect non-unique sentences by using various online tools. Many of them are free of charge and allow checking enough number characters.
The final recommendation in writing a statement of purpose is to be optimistic. Write in a positive mood, so readers can feel it. That encourages tutors to react to your document positively. Always end an SoP on a high note that you expect studying there very much.
