How to write that powerful SOP that will get you admitted to your dream schools? Many applicants shudder at the thought of staring at a blank sheet. In this post, we will make the process easy for you.
An SOP is a mandatory component for applying to Master’s programs in US and other countries. Hence, it is important that you write a perfect SOP that contains everything that Adcom is looking for.
What is a good SOP?
Let me show what I mean. Look at the following examples, which one do you think is a better approach?
A: “I have CCNA and CCNP certifications in most of the fields to serve as a proof for my knowledge in these fields”
OR
B: “For instance, in my math class, I found myself getting frustrated with my calculator because it could not handle matrices with complex numbers. I took the matter into my hands and wrote a java program to find the determinant of a matrix involving complex numbers, which would run on my mobile phone. It worked well, and this was just the beginning of bigger things for the next three years.”
Approach A tells what you have done, something that is easily mentioned in the resume itself. B tells me why you did something and gives me an insight into your thought process.
A is wasting precious space by repeating stuff on your resume. Clearly the Admission Committee will prefer to know your potential better as a candidate and B shows them exactly that.
A: “As it is evident, my academic qualifications in the field of networking are exceptional.”
OR
B: “During the internship, I faced a crunch situation while designing a Cost-effective Power Generation Unit. Since factors such as time to procure and implement the solution were not considered by me before designing the circuit, the entire complexion of the solution got changed – which taught me my first lesson in engineering management.”
Approach A is to state your opinion (which in this case makes you sound arrogant anyway even if you are not). In B, you are giving facts and letting the Admission Committee form its opinion. This is known as TELL vs SHOW. Don’t tell me what you think you are, show me examples and let me form my own opinion. Obviously approach B will give better results.
How to write a compelling SOP?
We covered the essential paragraphs of a SOP in our Statement of Purpose (SOP) guide
Now you know that SOP is not your verbose resume and it is not simply a collection of what you did. It is your story and unless you understand what is the Admission Committee looking for in your story, you will struggle to write the winning SOP.
Trying to cover the following pointers has worked well for applicants working with us-
- Background and Aspirations
- Academic and Professional relevance
- Show you are good in your field
- Personal Story
- Show a face behind the application
- Talk about how you have overcome challenges, what motivates you?
- Talk about how you have applied your learning
- Show that you can execute your lessons in practice
- Why are you applying to this school?
- Why should this school admit you?
How to write the perfect Introduction for your SOP
Next, let’s look at a real introduction used by a candidate who is now studying MEng at Cornell-
“From programming cells of an excel sheet with math formulas in my fourth grade to building a security plugin for Mozilla Firefox considering the current threats to privacy and security on Internet, I have realized that problem solving is what excites me. After a year and a half as an Application Developer in Risk Technology at JP Morgan Chase, I have found my passion in improving the way Information is used in businesses. Therefore, I wish to return to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Computer Science that will allow me to explore the subject in greater depth, particularly the fields of Data Mining, Database and Software Engineering, and use it effectively to address real-world challenges.”
- First line shows that the candidate knows about his field
- Second line shows that he has solid background and proficiency
- The last line clearly identifies his goals
In the MS Book, we use something called SOP Canvas to help build your story. If you fill it out sincerely, I’m pretty sure your SOP will end up better than majority of applicants out there!
Don’t use templates
One major mistake that I have seen in students’ SOPs is that they all look same. It is tempting to pick out 5-6 SOPs from Internet and hash them up to create your own SOP. That is where you will dig your own grave because using templates or copying will only get you to come up with things that others already have. The key to a successful application is to stand out from the crowd, not copying them.
Read how to Avoid other common mistakes that 80% applicants make in their SOPs
In summary: understand what AdCom is looking for
So, those were some insights into the tricky world of SOPs. It’s a rookie mistake to think that SOP is a description of your resume or that there is a set template that you can use as a shortcut. Use SOP to highlight your strengths and tell your unique story.
This is why we do a detailed call to craft a student’s story and then formulate strategy for SOP and LORs in our MS Admissions Consulting. Do not use shortcuts for your SOP, give it time and let it evolve into a solid personal statement.
