How to Write a Statement Of Purpose? (Updated 2020)

Written by Rachit Agrawal, MBA

Published on Fri, October 26, 2018 1:11 PM • Updated on Fri, November 26, 2021 12:55 PM • 28 mins read

The Statement of Purpose is the absolute most critical piece of your application that will tell the entrance advisory board your identity, what has impacted your vocation way up until now, your expert advantages and where you intend to go from here. An SOP is an essay needed by universities during your application procedure. It is a mirror to your personality, which you reflect while facing the admission committee of the universities.

Statement of Purpose Sample

The Statement of Purpose is your opportunity to talk specifically to the entrance advisory board, to make yourself emerge from among a large number of comparatively qualified applicants and to persuade the board of trustees that you have the start and the hunger for learning that could increase the value of your class. SOP is the main piece of your application bundle over which you have full control.

Your essay should go in a flow and cover your past experiences, present involvements, as well as future aspirations. A significant point to remember is to divide the essay into paragraphs that cover all these pointers.
The first paragraph should not be your introduction. Start with a brief discussion of all that you will discuss throughout your SOP. Long-term goals connecting with your ideas to pursue the course can also be mentioned.
Put forth your understanding of that chosen field while writing how you will be contributing to the same. Write a story that made you realize your professional interests in your chosen field.
The second and third paragraphs are for the academic background: your academic experiences so far, the course you are pursuing at present, your projects and strengths in academics, industrial exposure, etc.
The fourth paragraph is for discussing why you are interested in joining the course. Also, write about the skills that you would acquire throughout the duration as well as the exposure to develop your skills desired for realizing your goals.
The fifth paragraph is the most important, where your short, as well as long-term goals, would be discussed. Name certain companies and designations you would want to work in. This would explain what type of job profile will be acquired by you.
For the long-term goal, write where you’d see yourself after 10 or 15 years from now.
If you are interested in further studies such as Ph.D., include it here. Discuss your business aims, principles, along with core values and the influence and difference you’d make in the industry.
The sixth paragraph is where you convince a university/college as in what makes you an ideal choice for the university. Discuss the faculty names, research work, course curriculum, and university-specific activities, which would help you to enhance your profile.
For the closing paragraph, conclude your desires and readiness to join the course. Since it is the concluding paragraph, you must sound focused and prepared for the upcoming challenges.

Sample :

Source: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/219198706840491091/?lp=true

Once more, these things can be blended or joined in various courses and in the distinctive request. I’m not recommending that they should be specified as above. Simply endeavoring to give a feeling of what is critical to incorporate.

Statement of Purpose Format

Most universities follow a standard format/template which is acceptable worldwide. However, the SOP’s content differs from course to course. There are several elements in play while writing your SOP.

Introduction: Begin the SOP with a certain anecdote that inspired you to take the specific course.
Academic Background: Start this paragraph with your school/college name, location, year of enrolment, year of completion, course name, and subjects studied. Mention those subjects which you have high knowledge in. Include the major projects which you have undertaken and their timelines as well as their brief descriptions. Follow this up with Industrial visits, Internships, training, Seminars, workshops, symposiums, etc.
Professional experience (if any): Begin this paragraph with the name(s) of the current organization(s), along with joining date and details, location, designation as well as a brief description of your profile/ Job responsibilities.
Why this course? This would have details of why you want to pursue the degree and the skills which you would be teaching and enhancing through this.
Career Goals: Now comes the most important part of the SOP. The institutions highly focus on this para as it is a reflection of your focus regarding your career and plans. Divide this paragraph into two parts: Short-term and Long-term Goals. Put in specific information, not generic.
Why this University? : Write a good reason for your interest in pursuing the course from this university. Add certain specific features of that university that suit your needs. Mention names of faculty along with their research fields in the program, activities, clubs, research labs/centers, subjects in their curriculum/electives, as well as the scope of the same to enhance your profile.
Conclusion: In the end, mention in a crisp way how you are prepared for a specific degree.

How to Write a Statement of Purpose?

There are certain basics when it comes to writing an SOP. You need to keep in mind the format, word limit, etc. Most importantly, be careful about which degree the SOP is being written for. An SOP for a master’s course will differ from that for an MSc application. Your strategy to produce a powerful SOP should be to sound keen and focused throughout. Here are some basic points to keep in mind while composing a statement of purpose:

Follow Directions
Consider Your Audience
Demonstrate Interest in the School
Write a Draft
Choose Your Angle Carefully
Peel Back the Layers (find deeper meaning as you write)
Be Clear and Concise
Revise
Proofread
Have Someone Review

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Internship?

An SOP for your internship would be a letter of intent outlining why you believe you are an ideal candidate for their role as well as what you hope to achieve personally and professionally from this position. Make sure to give it your best since the SOP will play a huge role in deciding if you would get the job.

Begin the letter like a usual professional business letter. Mention the date with a left alignment to the margin with two lines for the recipient’s contact information: full name, company name, department name, and mailing address.
Start with a brief introductory paragraph with the reason for writing. The introduction would also offer a transition toward the letter body.
Give basic background info about yourself as they are related to the internship, like your current/desired career area, academic details, or current employer/industry.
The second paragraph is for supporting your claims with specific info about your goals, skills, and experience. Mention why you are ideal for this internship.
Conclude the letter with a restatement of your interest in that internship. Also, mention your contact details and signature.

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Masters?

Each Statement of Purpose is extraordinary. Each article should be individualistic, and nobody can give you a formula for an extraordinary SOP. What works for one individual would not be work for another! Be that as it may, the procedure of how to compose an SOP stays the same in all cases. All would incorporate the fundamental five stages of making a rundown, following a subject et cetera. These procedures can be further altered based on the general course you would apply for.

Prepare a rundown of your accomplishments: Record your scholarly accomplishments, your co-educational accomplishments, and examples and also, a rundown of your occurrences. Making separate records would enable you to take a gander at them in a goal way. The rundowns could be sweeping and incorporate anything identified with your graduation, your school, or even workshops. The arrangements of what everything you can incorporate into your SOP for MS/MSc. Courses are fairly far-reaching — basically, recall and rundown down every one of the focuses. You require not to stress over the order either. You ought to compose whatever strikes a chord.
Think unmistakably about your objectives: This is one of the greatest contrasts between an SOP for an MBA and an SOP for a Masters’ course. While in MBA, you would need to discuss your expert and individual objectives in points of interest, an SOP for your Masters requires not be driven towards an expert occupation/business. It could be a ceaseless adventure of taking in the subject and just the subsequent stage towards your objectives of the examination. It could likewise be a way to discover productive business. Whatever the case be, at this stage, you have to characterize unmistakably would it be that you would need to do and likewise settle on the subject of your SOP.
Compare, group, and harvest the rundown: This is maybe the most vital advance. Keep in mind, WHILE expressing your motivation in life is essential for your SOP, what is much more vital is to do as such inside the predefined word limits. Not surpassing as far as possible is the most vital Don’t of an SOP composing. Consequently, it is significant to at this think about the rundowns, order the different focuses, and after that, harvest the rundowns. You have to discover the correct equalization of what all you would need to incorporate into the SOP.
Explore the staff and research extend in the college you are applying to: As a rule, Universities abroad are dealing with a few of the other research ventures. It would see whether you can identify with any of the tasks. Connecting your SOP with a progressing examination would dependably be an incredible include.
Write the SOP, alter it, and compose once more: This is a chief advance to all your announcements of purposes. Continuously and dependable, set up an unfinished copy, alter it, and let it be. Following a couple of days, return to the draft and compose another new draft. It is essential to compose your exposition once more. Doing this would enable you to kill the vast majority of the undesirable components. Looking at the two drafts would now and again motivate you to accomplish more. In this way, begin off and get composing. Simply remember what all you should incorporate into an SOP for your Masters and all the more vitally, what not to incorporate into your SOP for Masters Programs.

How to write a Statement of Purpose for a Ph.D.?

Individuals who are perusing an SOP for Ph.D. programs care around two things:

Do you can be an exceptional researcher? What’s more,
are your examination advantages a decent counterpart for the Ph.D. program and its personnel? Anything past these two things is unnecessary. Your SOP should hence, be coordinated at getting these two things over.

Here are the fundamental components, however they require not to be in a specific order:

Your exploration advantages: What are you intrigued by examining? What makes that fascinating and essential? How are you intrigued by taking a gander at it? You don’t need an exact research question for your paper, yet neither should you be excessively expansive and general, i.e., “I’m keen on examining social brain research.” You can refer to a few distinctive conceivable territories that are of intrigue on the off chance that you wish.
Your examination and scholarly foundation: Shouldn’t something be said about your related knowledge has set you up to be a competent Ph.D. understudy and researcher? You can quickly specify your own experience here, particularly on the off chance that it proposes you will add to decent variety in alumni studies and research, however the fundamental spotlight ought to be on the information, abilities, and skill you have created through coursework, past research ventures, proficient work, and so forth.
Why this program is a decent counterpart for you: You can refer to any of its workforce, their exploration projects, labs, and research focuses on the division, the specializations or structure of the program, and so on. Fundamentally, given your experience, examine interests, and profession objective, what is it about this program that will enable you to accomplish your objective?
Your profession objective: This can be brief, yet it ought to look into situated on the off chance that you need to be considered important for a Ph.D. program.
In undergrad program SOPs, understudies are commonly urged to portray what they resembled growing up, and how that made them the individual, they are today. That is what you need to dodge in a Ph.D. SOP. No one out of a Ph.D. program needs to peruse sentence after sentence about your affection for learning as a kid and how it developed.

What to Write in a Statement of Purpose?

Composing a sensibly decent Statement of Purpose isn’t an outlandish assignment. It requires care, consideration, and persistence.

Be concise and clear: An SoP is not an opportunity of showing off your literary writing skills. You’ don’t have to write long fiction or philosophies of life. You have to try to convey a message effectively and efficiently.
Follow the directions: You should be demonstrating to the admission committee your ability to follow directions. Showcase flair as well as originality. However, color within the lines while doing so. Do not go for high-risk strategies.
Make sure your essay is well-organized, and everything is linked with continuity and focus. Pay special attention to the first paragraph, which should capture the reader’s interest.
Chalk out an outline of subjects that need to be covered and the info and lists needed for each subject. Such details would be useful while developing drafts for your statement. Generic topics include academic objectives and interests, special skills, professional career aspirations, practical experience, research experience, and other related personal info regarding your motivation as well as a reason for choosing the program.
While writing the SOP, stick to the key points requested by each course. If your program is stressing on work experience, clinical work, or research, focus on those topics primarily.
Put forth every detail with a positive outlook and use active voice. Use examples for demonstrating everything by example.
Check your spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation carefully. Your errors would keep the admission committee distracted, and they would get an impression of your writing ability not being up to the mark, or you do not care enough.
Do not use vague, empty, or overly-used words such as rewarding, challenging, beautiful, meaningful, etc.
Do not attempt to be funny. Humour can be backfiring since you are not familiar with the audience.
Do not use long quotations, slangs, or technical jargon. Avoid using non-specific details and common phrases.

How to write a Statement of Purpose to study abroad?

The essential run of the statement of purpose is to comprehend what to incorporate into an SOP and how to compose it. As each person, the mission statement is likewise one of a kind in numerous ways. In any case, with regards to thinking of them down, there are a couple of essentials that everybody must pursue.

A Statement of Purpose will be a long report. Be that as it may, before you begin keeping in touch with, you have to think and set up a rundown of what everything you might want to incorporate.
You have to comprehend what all to incorporate into your SOP and afterward set up a rundown. It must have a rundown of your transient objectives (on the off chance that you have more than one), your long haul objectives, and all the existence occasions you should need to incorporate.
Keep in mind, and the key is to record each episode, be that as it may, immaterial, it may appear. At this stage, you should not stress over choosing what all not to incorporate while composing the SOP.
Your SOP must have a subject. What we mean by that is that it should attempt to center around a specific point of view. You may need to tell about everything, except you should choose how your SOP should advance. Thinking about a topic or to basically how your SOP would stream towards your objectives is vital.
Envision that you are recounting your story and ask yourself which occurrence in your life you might want to emerge.
Strikeout the cases that are not imperative or would not run well with the subject chose. Also, Keep in mind at this stage, it is critical to realize what to incorporate into an SOP and all the more vitally what all you ought to exclude in your SOP.
Research about the course and the university. Exhaustive research about the program is profoundly valued by colleges abroad.
The vocabulary and fundamental accentuation must be checked. In the entirety of your expositions, vocabulary, spelling, and accentuation must be all together.
With time nearby, there is no motivation behind why Universities would acknowledge grammatical mistake blunders. Keep in mind the significance of accentuation in your papers or SOP.
Make sure the encounters, musings, anecdotes, and yearnings in your SOP are your very own and original.

Sample:

Source: https://www.deviantart.com/graduateschoolsop18/art/Example-of-Statement-of-Purpose-for-Study-Abroad-771719763

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Electrical Engineering?

Applying for an engineering-related course can be daunting for the candidates. There is a very tough competition for jobs and colleges for engineering, so you need to compose the best SoP for proving that you are an ideal fit for that course. You are required to invest a lot of time as well as a focus for composing a well-written Statement of Proposal, which will be playing a primary role in deciding your admission procedure.

In your statement, make it very clear that you have a keen interest in the vast domain of electrical engineering, which includes Microwave Engineering, Electronic Circuit Analysis, Electronic Devices and Circuits, and so on.
Make sure that all the parts in your SoP are logically linked to one another.
Write with a positive and healthy perspective. Let the AdCom know the reasons behind your pursuing electrical engineering, and how you can contribute to the field.
Make points solely related to electrical engineering. You need to be concise when you are crafting the statement.
Mention your academic or any other backgrounds that would be appropriate for that engineering school;
Remove all the unnecessary details that might make the reader lose interest.
Do not use slangs, complicated words, acronyms, or clichés.

Sample:

Source: https://www.sopservices.net/compelling-guide-to-sop-for-masters-in-engineering-writing/

How to Write the Statement of Purpose for Research Proposal?

When it comes to writing an SoP for your research proposal, you need to devote all your time, though, careful planning and writing to it. Do not shy away from asking your advisors and faculty mentors for reviewing your Statement of Purpose. They can guide you the best to refine the subject while offering you further resources and contact. Take your time in revising, editing, and revising more.

Your SoP for research proposal should include the following:

An early and precise introduction about what you intend to study. Make sure it is mentioned clearly in the first two sentences of your SoP.
Along with the SoP, use your transcripts, writing samples, CV, letters of recommendation, and other essays as a well-substantiated case to support your brilliant preparation regarding what you want to study or pursue.
Add a description of the resources, faculty, research group, department, program, and institution that you want to engage and participate in for advanced studies. The more specific you will be, the better it will be. It is totally expected and appropriate for naming the individual member(s) of the faculty you are looking forward to working with while makes efforts to contact them before submitting your SoP.
A description of the institution, program, department, research group, faculty, and resources that you are interested in being a part of and engaging within your advanced studies. Note the more specific, the better. It is appropriate, perhaps even expected, to name the individual faculty you would like to work with and make every effort to contact those individuals in advance of submitting your application. Keep in mind that you are making a case for the following:
To put it simply, focus on convincing the readers that the subject in which you are proposing to work or research can solely be carried out in that specific university/college and you out to be admitted for being successful.
Your essay should not have anything emotional or personal. Many applicants think that writing emotionally rich content would be creating sympathy during their application assessment. That is not the case. Never indicate such things while preparing your SoP. The assessors only look for technical and professional details in the Statement of Purpose.
Do not add any hobbies other than your professional and academic interests. Your professional and technical capabilities should impress your assessors. Anything other than that would just be ignored.

Sample:

Source:http://bpeducation.co/writing-a-proposal-example-for-research/

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for an MBA?

Some MBA schools may give a few insights about what they’d jump at the chance to find in the SOP. Others will keep it open, accepting you have a precious stone ball to peruse their brain and realize what to do. Not at all like your visual cue perplexed resume, your MBA SOP arrangement will have an all the more free-streaming configuration with your critical messages spread crosswise over coherent passages.

If the college doesn’t determine the word limit, go for 1000 words in the MBA SoP.
Focus more on the structure, substance, and introduction than the word-tally.
An MBA SoP has to be completely proficient in giving a holistic portrayal of one’s life.
What’s your ‘motivation’ throughout everyday life?
Or on the other hand, to make it a not so much philosophical but rather more engaged, what’s your vocation objective? This is the central issue that your MBA SoP is required to reply to.
Just keep things in a professional tone and talk about the things that are essential to your topic.
Do not add excessive information, which would make the essay monotonous.
Do not compose general proclamations for custom while presenting the application. You might appear as restless and languid in such a case.

Sample:

Source:
https://www.sampletemplates.com/business-templates/statement/statement-of-purpose.html

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Exchange Program?

Student exchange programs are where students from secondary school or university go abroad to study at one of the partner institutions of their school/college. To get selected for the exchange program, your Statement of Purpose would be a decisive factor. It can make and break your chances of studying abroad and understanding the benefits and exposure of the same.

Be courteous and professional. Check your sentence structure, grammar, and spellings thoroughly. This becomes a primary red flag while applying for exchange programs.
Make the officials understand why you are an ideal choice for their program. Mention your goals, education, and hobbies, which must coincide with their program away.
Research well about the program. Ensure that you have figured out how to pay for that if you have not applied for a scholarship. Do this before applying for the program since it may come up.
Get in touch with people who are or have been there to ask about their experiences. You may get certain pointers from them regarding your application.
In your SoP, answer the following questions:
What exactly are you hoping to learn during the exchange program?
What exactly are you offering in return during the exchange program?
What exactly will you be doing with the experience and knowledge after returning to your home country?
Do not sound too arrogant or boastful. Write about your qualifications and experience in a way that doesn’t seem to brag.
Do not get information at any point in the essay. It might show a lack of seriousness for the exchange program.

Sample:

Source:
https://www.scoop.it/topic/personal-statement-samples-usa

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Business School?

While writing your SoP for business schools, you are required to explain why you believe that the right path for your success plans in business includes acquiring a degree from that specific business school. You should be explaining to the admissions officials of the business school your aim and reason to pursue the business course, your areas of interest in business, as well as how well you are prepared for the challenges of business study.

Make sure that your Statement of Proposal connects your research and business interests to your purpose.
Don’t forget that you are to compete with hundreds of other candidates who, to are academically strong with brilliant grades and experience. Keeping that in mind, other than the usual, common information added in SoPs for business schools, you need to move ahead and include not just the typical info but also move beyond. Point out life and school experiences that have not just prepared you but have made you a cut above the rest for excelling in the field of business.
While telling your stories, be honest and candid. Do not add made-up obstacles or instances because that would sound phoney. Instead of focusing on tragedy and problems, write more about your volunteering accomplishments, business knowledge, and so on. The idea here is to link your experiences with your current life to make it clear why being a part of that business institutions would be the next step towards progress.
Make sure to make your personality stand out and shine through your essay. Don’t be afraid of presenting your individuality and uniqueness. Talk about your strengths and mention your weaknesses too. Write about how the liabilities and assets, as a team, have shaped you. Explain how getting into this business college would help you in achieving your goals not just in academics but also in the future, after the business school.
In case you have applied to more than one Business College, don’t forget to link your SoP with the individual aspect of each college.
Do not add anything to your essay that might come out as a lack of focus or preparedness for the business school.
Don’t let the fear of committing errors for holding you back while writing. Do not write with a confused and clouded mind because that would show up on your essay. Relax.

Sample:

Source:
http://cibicalgerie.com/index.php/buy/17100/

How to write your Statement of Purpose? (Tips)

An SOP requires not being an uncovered articulation of realities; a few fruitful SoPs address these inquiries through accounts, stories, or by depicting their legend. Be that as it may, regardless of whether your SoP is unpretentious or to the point, it must be elegantly composed to be fruitful. Consider it as an introductory letter: it has to persuade the admission panel that you have the correct capabilities, inspiration, and expert objectives.

Utilize the tips beneath to compose a champion mission statement.

Customize: This first tip is the most imperative. You alter your mission statement to each school, program, or task that you apply to. Your mission statement should explain to the panel why you connected to their school by referencing their teachers, assets, or methodologies that will enable you to accomplish your academic objectives.
Demonstrate Your Qualifications: Clarify why you have fit the bill for this program. Incorporate a short outline of your undergrad and past alumni profession (if relevant). Discussion about the examination ventures you led and your proposition or any subsequent distributions. Notice any pertinent academic, extracurricular exercises you were associated with. On the off chance that there are extraordinary necessities for the program, for example, unknown dialect capability or required courses, you ought to clarify how you satisfied them in your mission statement.
Clarify Your Interests: Your examination advantages ought to be a unique piece of your mission statement. Set up the point you need to examine by showing a subject, characterizing an issue, or offering a conversation starter. Discussion about what roused your enthusiasm for this subject and how it will add to the field and the present condition of the grant.
Show Them You Belong: Your mission statement ought to associate your examination advantages to the school you are applying to. You should name educators with parallel interests who you might want to work with and utilize explicit instances of their work to clarify why.
Be explicit about how the school will enable you to prevail in your exploration objectives: Is the division known for adopting one of a kind strategy or having a solid concentration in a specific zone? Do they have unique access to assets that will enable you to look into it? This passage should be custom-made to each school you apply to.
Be Concise: Except if a particular word include is referenced in the application, the mission statement ought not to be longer than one to two pages. Erase any filler sentences or expressions.
Try not to Tell Your Life Story: On a comparable note, keep away from overabundance narrating in your mission statement. Try not to squander your constrained space telling the advisory group how you’ve for the longest time been itching to be a physicist or about the minute that started your energy for history. They know you’re enthusiastic about the subject—you wouldn’t make a difference for an if you weren’t! While your past accomplishment has arranged for this program, the mission statement should concentrate on your future as a researcher.
Request Feedback: When you have composed a draft you are happy with, solicit one from a teacher in your field who knows you and your interests to peruse it over. They can enable you to see your mission statement from somebody with experience on entrance advisory boards.
Edit: It may be tough to spot blunders on the screen, so print out your announcement and read it over. Twofold watch that you have spelt the educators’ names and titles of their work accurately.
On the off chance that sentence structure isn’t your solid suit (or regardless of whether it will be), it’s a smart thought to ask another person to edit your mission statement also.

How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Nursing?

While writing an SoP for nursing, mention all your goals, motivations, goals, experience as well as academic knowledge. Make sure it is relevant to the nursing course which you want to apply for. An SoP for a nursing school aims at helping you in standing out from the rest of the competitors. It would also help admission committees in meeting the candidates before inviting them for an interview.

While writing an SoP for nursing school, you must keep in mind all the details you are required to include, as well as the format you have to follow.
Mention your nursing-related as well as other academic achievements, motivations, career goals, and work experience, for you choosing a nursing degree.
Make sure that you connect your interests with that nursing college’s areas of expertise
Make a list of all your main skills but add only those to your SoP, which is relevant to nursing.
Also, add in your academic as well as professional achievements that you have.
Do not submit your Statement of Proposal without revising and/or editing it.
Negative language or derogatory statements should not be made while writing your SOP.

Sample:

Source:
https://www.sopservices.net/essential-guide-to-the-nursing-school-statement-of-purpose/

How to Write a Statement of Purpose and Objectives

A decent SoP will surely enhance your odds of getting admission to your preferred school and even adjust for weaker segments of your application, for example, not as much as immaculate evaluations. An awful SoP, then again, can haul down a generally solid application.

The objectives of an SOP are to tell the reader:

Your inspiration or motivation to pursue this degree program.
Your life experiences will contribute to a career in this field.
Volunteer work or research or internship experience in this field.
Specific information about the professors and courses in the program to which you are applying and which will enable you to pursue your future career.
Detailed information about your goals, both short term and long term.
Positive details about your interest in this special degree program at this university.