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To get that coveted seat, write your SOP well
A well-written Statement of Purpose or SOP is your passport to that coveted seat in that well respected college. Most colleges of higher education require a Statement of Purpose (SOP) from the students as a part of the application. It is an excellent opportunity for the applicant to promote himself. With a well-written SOP, you can make your way through the remaining admission procedure easily. At the same time a badly written SOP can lead to rejection right at the moment.
A SOP is a concise description of one’s academic/career achievements and goals. Colleges receive a number of applications from thousands of students whose academic standards and professional experience may not appear to vary much.
In such cases, SOP becomes a potential deciding factor. Resumes, recommendation letters and certificates speak what you achieved and what you were. But SOP speaks of your career plan and goals, passion for the specific course, its role in your career and your plan to carry it out. Colleges look out for candidates with potential and enthusiasm and with diverse backgrounds to have a balanced batch of students and SOP can suggest if you can add any value to your batch. Thus, it offers you a chance to convince the admission panel that you are a suitable candidate and deserve a chance.
The SOP can offer a convincing explanation to the drawbacks in your credentials. An impressive SOP can even balance these drawbacks.
Here are a few tips for you to write a good SOP:
Style: Decide your style to write the SOP. It can contain humour, anecdotes and your experiences. It can sound like narrating a story or strike the point directly. It can even speak on your idol and his/ her influence on your career. Whichever style, it should make a mark on the reader’s mind.
Presentation: Use good English. Do not make grammar or spelling mistakes. If the document is hand written, avoid score offs and ensure good handwriting. The content must be clear. Do not include irrelevant information. Most colleges set the word limit for SOPs. If you have to choose then 800 words should be a good word limit to express yourself clearly.
Structure: The first paragraph must give a brief introduction of yourself and the reasons to take up the course. Also mention your eligibility for the course and your USP. The next paragraph must contain detailed information about your credentials. This is followed by describing your purpose for doing the course. Here you can include what or who inspired your career path. Next speak on your value addition to your class. You can base your assertions on your soft skills, attitude or interests. You can also speak of your plans to use the knowledge gained for something more than your personal needs. Conclude by ensuring the reader that you would do justice to the opportunity given.
Integrity: Remember that the admission panel consists of experts with many years of experience. They can easily see through any spurious information you give and may seek clarifications in the later round of the admission processes. Also make sure you go through your SOP to remember what you mentioned in it. You should not contradict anything in it later.
Audience: While writing an SOP, consider whom it is intended for. The expectations of the panel differ from course to course. Put yourself in the shoes of readers and think what you would expect from an applicant for a particular course. Then you can get an insight to what should be emphasised.
More than the information, your zeal for growth in the chosen field and your attitude must impress the reader.
Thus writing an SOP must be given the importance, time and prudence it deserves.
A well-tailored SOP can help you make the first best impression. It can put you in the chosen list even before the interview.
NITYA SAI SOUMYA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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