Statement of Purpose (SOP):

Statement of Purpose is a long essay that is often asked by universities abroad. The essay,
usually about 1000 words, seeks to understand the candidate’s life, the motivations for the
chosen career path and his/her goals.

There are many elements to a Statement of Purpose or a SOP as it is famously referred to.
The Universities could ask question-based essays or simply to present your statement of
purpose. Until and unless categorically asked, a SOP must include your goals, the career path
you have taken up so far as well as your academic progress. Other elements that are further
important to the SOP are also the personal motivations that lead you to choose the
university/course you have applied to as well as how you intend to use that experience to
achieve that goal.

As is often pointed out, a well-written essay/ statement of purpose is extremely critical to

your admission. Needless to say, there are many aspects of a candidate’s application that are
inspected before finalizing a decision. While the academic record and other exam score cards
are essentially objective in nature, a SOP is the only truly subjective aspect of your
application. It is, simply put, the only document in your application that gives you the
opportunity to prove that you have something unique that makes you stand out from the
crowd. As such, it is the document of your application docket that can hugely determine your
admission.

To begin with, there are two simple pointers to remember.

1. Statement of Purpose is a running paragraph format and follows the general rules that
are associated with essay writing. While using bullets are accepted, they are to be avoided
and kept only to the bare minimum.

2. Unless otherwise specified, a standard statement of purpose is ideally 2 page long, uses a
maximum of 12 point font and is double spaced and normal margins. Hence, depending on
the font type, a standard SOP would be about 800 to 1000 words.

Apart from the obvious, there are simple templates as to how you can present your statement
of purpose. Ideally, a Statement of Purpose should have about 5 paragraphs of about 200 to
250 words each.

Following is a sample format. It is not mandatory to present the information in the manner
as suggested in the format. This is only one of many possible ways in which you can
present your statement of purpose. No matter how you wish to narrate the story, just
remember, it should come together and be cohesive.

Para 1: INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF GOALS

Use this space to talk about your goal in life. You can be creative here and use analogy’s or
quotes to make it more interesting. But, don’t waste a lot of space in introducing your goal.
The sooner you lay it out, the better it is. Remember, it is an essay about your goals in
life…so starting with it is always a good idea.

Para 2 & 3: CAREER PROGRESSION

This is the para which you usually use to talk about yourself. You can start with a brief
history about yourself and career progression starting from your school to your college. This
is the paragraph which is usually dedicated to your academic pursuits. If you have work
experience, you can limit your school life and talk more about your college in para 2 and
move to work experience in para 3. If not and you are applying directly after your graduation
or school, then you can divide para 2 for academic and para 3 for co-curricular.

Para 4: WHY?

This is the most important part of your Statement of Purpose for this is the place where you
provide the reason as to why you wish to do what you wish to do. You can make it more
interesting by narrating an incident that leads you to the decision or a turning point in your
life. The more emphatic and passionate you are in this paragraph, the better your essay.

Para 5: HOW YOU PLAN TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL

You are finally ending your essay. So far you have talked about what you want to do, what
lead you to that decision and why you are moving towards this course. Now, lay down how
you plan to achieve your goals. If you wish to get into research, write it. If you plan to work
for a certain organization, write it. This goes on to show how well you have thought your life
over. Also, give it time periods…for instance, I intend to work in the industry for 2 years
before I start my research program.

Few examples of what students at different levels can and sometimes should include in
their SOPs

1. Personal/ Financial Background

What students ought to understand that when universities are screening your applications,
they are looking for areas that highlight you? If you are a story of beating all odds, do include
that in your essay. Again, do not go on and on about how humble your background was. State
it, as a matter of fact and focus on how you overcame the same. For instance, if you belong to
a rural area, mention it and highlight that in spite of poor facilities you managed.

2. Your extracurricular activities

It does not matter that you are not a national level hero or a state level champion…what is
important is to mention the activities you have participated in. Sports is an ideal way to
highlight your leadership abilities. So are debates, clubs and other activities. Working
individually or more importantly in a team are important aspects of your personality. The
universities wish to understand how much of an individual you are and also…what kind of a
leader you are, or rather, whether or not you are a leader.

Apart from that, your participations also highlight your ambitious personality and your
determinations. It is also an interesting way to lay focus on things you are passionate about.

3. Your Failures

Many students wish to hide behind the trophies they have won and never talk about the
failures that have made them what they are. If lost a tournament or any personal
accidents…don’t be ashamed to talk about them. The idea is to lay stress on your ability to
rebound from situations and personal/professional failures. They are interested in knowing
how confident you are about winning and more importantly, how positive you are to failures
and criticisms.

4. Work Experience – part time, full time, voluntary, etc.

While MBA aspirants are required to provide a mandatory work experience, the same might
not be the case with other bachelors or masters courses. But if you have any work experience,
even voluntary – you can include it. Do not think that it was only a two month job. The point
is that you must have learnt something during that experience – the universities would be
interested in knowing all about that.

5. Published works, papers submitted, etc.

Needless to say, this is an extremely important aspect for students applying for masters and
doctorate programs but before the undergraduate students pass this point, wait and think.
Have you never submitted a story for a magazine? Have you worked on a research project
during your 11th or 12th standard? Did you submit a research report for that? Yes, you did. If
it was an important aspect and you managed to get some appreciation –include that. That
talks about your ability to think scientifically and work towards a goal in a dedicated manner.

Now that you know what all you can talk about apart from your academics and your job
profiles, maybe you are buzzing to start writing that essay. So before you pick up the pen and
start jotting down, remember, the key to a good essay is not including everything but balance.
You can say so much in so little words. Keep it short, keep it simple and do it for a reason.
Even if you are talking about saving a puppy on the street or helping your area’s residents
understand water saving techniques…the essence of your essay should be your purpose in
life. How motivated you are about achieving your aims and what are the things that matter to
you.

So, start jotting down the things that come into your mind and start by ranking them in order
of their importance to you, and then to the chosen career path. List down what qualities they
highlight about you and then start eliminating. This would help you understand what has lead
you to the decision of studying abroad. Once you understand your purpose…simply state it!

Sample

Statement of Purpose for MS in Civil Engineering

After three and half years of undergraduate study in Civil Engineering, I feel completely
satisfied with my decision to choose engineering as my career option as it has revealed the
most pragmatic and down-to-earth approach to tackling human problems to me. My
enthusiasm coupled with scope for innovations and opportunities available in the field of
Civil Engineering has motivated me to opt for higher studies and contribute to the field
through meaningful research. I sincerely believe that pursuing graduation at XXX
University at this juncture of my career will be an ideal step in this direction.

My decision to major in Civil Engineering is a direct result of my desire to contribute to the

development of state-of-the-art infrastructure in my country, aiming towards improving its
global standing. Foundation of this lies in my childhood admiration of my father, a civil
engineer who I frequently accompanied for his site visits. Each time I visited the site and
witnessed the machines and related processes, my excitement and inquisitiveness knew no
bounds. My desire to pursue my MS in Civil Engineering stems from the gradual
accumulation of theories and naïve practical applications of the observed concepts during the
site visits.

During my under graduation in Civil Engineering at GLA Institute of Technology, Mathura, I

gained my initial formal exposure to Construction Management through courses like
“Building and Construction Material” and “Design of Buildings”, which opened my eyes to
the latest construction technology and management methods. The course in “Construction
Management” highlighted the importance of effective team coordination for project execution
in quality construction practice and exposed me to plethora of applications of Operations
Research in Project Management.

In the third year of my under graduation, I received in-depth practical knowledge during the
six-month industrial training during which, I was a part of a commercial building project for
DLF. Here, I took upon the task of performing a study of testing of materials procured for
mix design and design of reinforced concrete structures. Also I had the opportunity to visit
and learn about surveying. In addition, I was exposed to the various aspects of Construction
Engineering and Management and interacted with the engineers involved with futuristic
activities that thoroughly inspired me and reinforced my decision to pursue my graduate
study in this field.

At this point of my academic career, I realize that my undergraduate education has provided
me with what is only a glimpse of this field and there is so much more waiting to be explored
and created in this industry. Thus, armed with the much-valued consent of my professors,
guidance of my seniors and careful perusal of the web pages of your University, I am
convinced that my academic career will receive the much-required exposure and
enhancement enabling me to pursue extensive research and excel at it. Not only does the
University’s distinguished faculty, excellent laboratory facilities and high reputation attract
me but also does the on-going researches by eminent faculty. My choice of this specialization
is motivated by its multidisciplinary nature, which will broaden my horizons and give me
flexibility in professional practice.

My undergraduate curriculum has enabled me to clear my fundamentals; and now I feel the
need to pursue refinement of the attained knowledge through a Master’s course at the
prestigious South Carolina State University. The fast emerging global scenario in the field of
Civil Engineering, and moreover the quality of education and exposure to plethora of
research work in USA supplemented by my own interest, has helped me to fortify my
decision to pursue graduate studies in U.S.A.

I am applying to your University because of the excellent reputation of your school. In

addition, your splendid facilities are also a major attraction to me. In my experience as a
student, I know for certain that good facilities can make a difference in a student's life and
learning experience. I hope you will grant me the privilege of pursuing my Master’s Degree
in your prestigious University. I look forward to a long and fruitful association with
XXX University.

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