Outline of Statement of Purpose
A Statement of Purpose is the one document that may make or break your application for studying abroad. So, essentially what are the key points that you’re supposed to include? After that, I will also share with you the four steps that you should follow to write your Statement of Purpose and make it ready for submission.
So, let’s begin as the name suggests a statement of purpose is supposed to show:
- Your Purpose
- Your Motivation
- Your Intent
To pursue graduate studies, it is supposed to convince the readers that is the faculty and the admissions committee. They judge your academic background, experience, and achievements that make you a strong candidate to successfully complete your graduate education.
Part 1
To write your statement of purpose you can broadly divide it into four parts. In the first part:
- Introduce Yourself
- Your Interests
- Your Motivation
Tell the readers which field of study are you interested in and what sparked your interest to pursue graduate study.
My tip would be to write this section in the form of a story but don’t keep it very long and also keep it strictly professional.
Part 2
In the second part, summarize your Academic Background and which coursework did you take in college that built your interest in this field. And describe which technical projects have you worked on to date? If you have any research experience, also share that here. This shows the admissions committee your preparation to succeed in the graduate program.
You should also include your internship experience related to the field of your study. Or if you’ve already graduated you can also share information about the company that you were working in.
So, which team were you a part of in that company? What were some of the responsibilities that you were holding? Finally, what did you learn from that experience?
But when writing this section always remember that it is not a rehash of your resume. You don’t have to include everything that the resume contains. Because that is not the purpose of this document. Rather, include information that is relevant for the admissions committee to gauge your fit in the program.
Part 3
In the third part of your Statement of Purpose, elaborate on your academic interests. For example, what would you like to study when you are in graduate school? And, which areas of research really interest you or which professors you would like to work with if given the opportunity.
So, visit the website of each university and find out all this information. This will convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline and are well aware of the program requirements.
Part 4
Now, coming to the last part of your Statement of Purpose. Here, show the reader the synergy between why this program is a good fit for you and why you are a good fit for the program.
Also, outline your professional goals and what you plan to do after you get this degree. Finally, end the statement in a positive manner showcasing your excitement and readiness for the challenges that lie ahead of you.
Four Steps of Statement of Purpose
Now, that you know what is the outline of the Statement of Purpose, what are the key points that you’re supposed to include.
Let’s see what are the four steps that you need to follow to write your Statement of Purpose (sop).
Brainstorm Ideas
The first thing that you should do is just brainstorm ideas. You don’t have to start writing anything. Just think about your unique story and what makes you eligible for it, what are the experiences that you would like to share with the admissions committee. And, show your interest and passion to pursue graduate study.
Think about all those things and jot them down. This will act as a starting point and you will use it to create your first draft.
Build Framework for your Statement of Purpose
The next step is to build a basic framework for your Statement of Purpose. Here, you need two things first is the outline of the Statement of Purpose.
The second is the information from the brainstorming process.
So, all the points that you jot down make you unique. Combine both these things together to create a beautiful backbone for your Statement of Purpose.
Writing this framework will actually act as a roadmap for your sop to make it well organized and concise.
Refine the Language of your Statement of Purpose
So, once your framework is ready the next step is to refine the language. Use sophisticated vocabulary and professional writing to show your academic communication skills to the admissions committee.
They do pay attention to your writing style because it helps them understand how well you will be able to perform in the graduate program.
Also, you should proofread your sop for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. You don’t want these errors to be there on that document. Also, usually, the length of a Statement of Purpose is somewhere between 500 to 1000 words.
So, if you’ve exceeded the word limit, read the sop again and edit it to make it clearer and more concise. Keep repeating the third step till you have a Statement of Purpose which is the best version of what you could have prepared.
Sharing your Statement of Purpose
Once you’re ready, share your sop with three people whom you trust and who have a good command of English. And, ask them to share feedback with you. And, once they’ve reviewed your sop (Statement of Purpose) look at their feedback and make the changes that are necessary. And, once you’re done you will have a Statement of Purpose which is ready for submission.
Conclusion
That is all, that I wanted to share with you about Statement of Purpose writing. If you really want to prepare a good sop, the entire process can take up to one week. So, my advice to you is to start early in order to avoid panicking.
