Writing Impressive Statement of Purpose for UG Studies in USA

A Statement of Purpose is one of the most important documents in your application process. Due to limited number of admission slots, the admission panel prefers to know as much as possible about applicants. Test scores, grades and degrees, institutions of previous study and personal recommendations are all important indicators of an applicant’s credibility. However, this data does not reveal much about the individual, their motivation, why the applicant is interested in pursuing a particular discipline, or whether the applicant is the kind of student the faculty would like to be a part of their programme.

A Statement of Purpose helps you to prove your candidature. It helps the admission panel in deciding whether you are an appropriate candidate for the programme that their institute offers.

The most important thing for an applicant is to remember that the application process for each university is different. What it means is that each institute or university requires you to write a somewhat, if not entirely, different Statement of Purpose, since each statement must answer a particular question. One needs to answer questions directly asked in an application. An effusive, evasive, or non-responsive answer will inevitably result in rejection. Be absolutely clear what the application instructions ask of you and tailor your statement accordingly.

The following points should be included in a statement of purpose to make your SOP stand out:

Why are you interested in an UG study?

The best way to start your SOP is to tell the admission panel what made you decide to pursue your education in a foreign country. This may be something that you have always wanted to do, or for which your parents or others were role models, or perhaps you are excited by new possibilities of learning. Tell them what exactly you would like to learn during your study tenure and how is it going to benefit you. Let them understand your perspective clearly.

Why are you applying to this particular programme?

Is the programme noted for a particular emphasis, specialty or orientation? Is it in the same city where your sister lives, and you could get free housing that would allow you to go to graduate school? Are there particular professors with whom you want to study because of their area of expertise? Whatever the reason, explain it. This is where the faculty evaluating your application will be able to tell if you have thought seriously about their programme. It will indicate your interest in them and show that you did your homework, an early sign of a good student.

What is so special about you?

Through your SOP you need to explain your motivation and goal. This is what will distinguish you from all other applicants and make the faculty remember you. If you worked while in school for a faculty member, mention it here. If you have any special experiences outside the formal learning environment that directly relate to the field of study you are interested in pursuing (e.g. travel or study abroad; employment in the field) explain them in detail. Also describe any experience that demonstrates your creativity, dependability, and independence – these are important personal characteristics that faculty desires in their students.

The Statement of Purpose should reflect your overall personality to a group of intelligent people. Through SOP you are actually asking strangers to allow you to work with them for an extended length of time and learn from them. In this statement you must present yourself in a favourable light and express your interest in their field of expertise. It must be honest in conception, accurate in detail, and direct in address.

To conclude, here are some common or in general tips to write SOP given below:

• The first paragraph is very important in a SOP coz most of the people read only the first paragraph.
• Use a legible font like Times New Roman and font size 12.
• Avoid sending the same Statement of Purpose to all the universities that you are applying to.