Best tips to write an SOP like a pro
Admission to higher education institutes in India and abroad has undergone a massive transformation over the last few decades. One of the elements that has driven this change in undergraduate admissions is the statement of purpose (SOP). As the name suggests, a statement of purpose is an essay that summarises a student’s educational history, accomplishments, and objectives. Through a SOP, candidates explain why they want to study any desired programme at their preferred college or university.
In other words, a statement of purpose is one of the best methods for aspiring candidates to stand out among the hundreds of applications that universities receive every day. It is much beyond percentage or GPA, right? In fact, an engaging SOP along with a personal interview can ensure a higher chance of selection during the college admission process. Here are a few SOP writing tips that will help your youngster get admission to the college of his dreams.
Help your youngster maintain the right tonality
The admission panel is interested to know the story of the candidates and who they are. Guide your young learner to tell an interesting story that helps the panellists understand her well. It shouldn’t be a truckload of statements strung together. Make sure the candidate maintains a formal tone while writing the SOP. However, creativity and imagination can go hand in hand with a professional pitch.
Make sure that he sticks to the given word limit
Storytelling is a great way to share our life experiences. However, when writing a statement of purpose, sticking to the desired word limit is a must. Following a word limit restricts the applicant and allows him to elaborate on the correct narrative in a brief yet effective manner. An SOP should answer all the 5Ws: Who, what, where, when, why and 1H (how) in a specified word count. Hence, keeping a track of word count is a wise decision.
Encourage in-depth research about the course and college
Well, writing an SOP is an amazing opportunity as well as a huge responsibility for your youngster. She needs to perform proper research about the college and the course while doing so because her writeup should be aligned to the vision and mission of the institute she is applying for. It will be helpful to gather all the information in detail through a virtual tour of the institute’s website and by reaching out to the alumni of the college.
Motivate them to proofread and edit the essay a few times
Last but not the least, the joy of writing an SOP is in the proofreading and editing. Make your aspiring college goer understands that their SOP is a representation about them and what matters to them. So, proof reading is of utter importance to make sure that there are no typos, misplaced commas and semicolons as well as unnecessary jargons.