what is your reason for applying to h&m?

A Statement of Purpose (SOP), is a reflection of your personality that you portray in front of the admissions commission (AdCom) for getting enrolled in universities away. It is your chance of impressing the commission past presenting your profile strongly through an essay that describes your personality traits, which are not covered in your academic documents.

In this article, we will discuss:

SOP Formats, Templates, and Guidelines for SOP Writing
Tips for writing impressive SOPs
Common Mistakes to avoid in SOP
Importance of SOP
Word Limits in SOP
SOP Samples for different courses: UG, MS (Engineering), MBS
SOP Samples for unlike countries: USA, UK, Canada, Commonwealth of australia
Things to and not to include in SOP
SOP FAQs

What is SOP?

An SOP is a long essay required past universities abroad and nowadays some of the Indian universities during the awarding procedure. As the full course of SOP reveals, a Statement of Purpose is an essay stating the purpose of applying to a detail course in a item university. This essay consists of a gist of who you are, who yous want to go, and how ready y'all are to pursue a sure grade in an institution.

The document seeks to understand the candidate's life, the motivations for the chosen career path and his/her goals. Hence, you should discuss the past incidents that accept influenced your career path in a specific domain wherein you aspire to abound past joining a course/higher.

Why is SOP important?

A well-written SOP is extremely critical to your admission. Needless to say, in that location are many aspects of a candidate's application that are inspected earlier finalising a decision. While the bookish record and other test scorecards/academic transcripts and excess certificates are essentially objective in nature, an SOP is the only truly subjective aspect of your application.

It is the merely certificate in your application that gives yous the opportunity to bear witness that you accept something unique that makes you lot stand out from the crowd. Every bit such, it is the certificate of your awarding docket that can hugely determine your admission.

What is the Full general Argument of Purpose Format?

Nearly universities beyond the world have a standard format/template that is acceptable. However, the content in SOP varies with different kinds of courses. Acquire how to write the SOPs for different courses here:

How to write an SOP for MBA Program
How to write an SOP for MIM Programme
How to write an SOP for MS Programme
How to write an SOP for UG Programme

Shiksha Guidelines for SOP Writing

While there are a number of formats and samples available online for an SOP that aspirants can use for SOP writing, however, it is difficult to choose the right format. As well, you would not detect the correct formatting details required for a particular draft or the ideal chronology to follow.

Each SOP should be unique and thus, Shiksha has its own guidelines for an SOP to assistance the students decipher the parts of a argument of purpose so that it tin be drafted hands. To know all about the correct formatting and context of an SOP, yous can read Shiksha Guidelines for SOP.

SOP Samples and Format for MBA, MS, UG, and PhD Courses

Every course has a different manner of writing its SOP application. Check out the course-wise SOP Samples and Formats.

Sample SOP for MBA Courses
Format SOP for MS Courses
Sample SOP for UG Courses
Format SOP for PhD Courses

Should you put your name on your Statement of Purpose?

In a traditional SOP, you do non demand to write your proper name or course details anywhere in the certificate. The SOP is a part of your application/student contour, thus, it will have your name and course details by default. However, there might be some universities or schools that specify whether they require your name and class details in the SOP. These universities will provide you with specific instructions on how and where to write your personal details in a document. Thus, you demand to follow their instructions thoroughly.

SOP Formats for USA, Canada, UK, and Australia

In that location is no fixed format to exist followed in an SOP for a country. However, a university may provide y'all with a set of guidelines based on which you lot may need to write your SOP. If you lot yet want to refer to samples for different countries, check out the generic samples given below:

Sample Format for USA SOP
Sample Format for Canada SOP
Sample Format for UK SOP
Sample Format for Australia SOP

SOP structures and formats for other countries can be found here:

What do colleges expect for in an SOP?

While drafting your SOP, you lot need to keep in mind that the admission commission will exist reviewing thousands of applications for the same form. Thus, non only your SOP needs to be crisp and precise, but it should also highlight the uniqueness in your profile. Hither are a few things that the college review committee generally look for in a student's SOP:

Your writing capability is reflected in your SOP. Your SOP should be free from grammatical errors. The linguistic communication should exist lucid enough for them to comprehend yet should have a good vocabulary. Make sure not to use too many heavy words every bit sometimes besides much rich vocabulary makes the sentence redundant and it fails to communicate the meaning.
What makes you stand up out from the rest of the crowd? Highlight your unique side/unique personality. The Adcom should be able to recognize you an equally individual through your SOP. Your interests and goals will help them know yous on a personal ground.
With your talent, previous experiences and interest, how and what can yous contribute to the section and college/academy, as a whole? Remember of it equally a two-mode process. If you receive an admit, your career will get a boot-get-go and through your efforts and participation, the department/college can receive benefits. Yous need to mention how y'all will be able to contribute to their community, be it through sports, community services, societies or clubs, and then on.
Being familiar with the academy facilities and curriculum will help yous a nifty bargain. You need to be aware of the student programmes, faculty, internship opportunities, pupil facilities and societies, traditions etc that sets the university apart from others. The Adcom should be convinced that you know near the department and college/university thoroughly and thus, you are applying in it and not applying randomly.
Your motivation or inspiration to written report a selected course should be articulate, evident and justified. Adcom does non corroborate of bragging sentences in the SOP. So keep it original, real, and free from whatsoever overbearing or arrogant statements.

How to make your SOP stand out from the Crowd?

At present that we have assessed how important your SOP is, nosotros come to the important part – how to write an SOP that stands out among 1000s of applicants every year. In that location are obviously some basics about SOP writing, which clear what all yous demand to continue in mind similar full general discussion limit, format, etc.

What is important to note, is that you must, at all times, remember which form you lot are writing the SOP for. For example, if you are talking about studying Informatics in a country, yous must hash out all your encounters, experiences, and learnings of Computer Science. Do not miss out on annihilation of import and do not talk about the rest of the things besides much.

Specifically speaking, the SOP for an MBA application would be rather unlike from the SOP for a Masters grade like an MS or an MSc. Similarly, the SOP for a Bachelors course would be widely different from any of the ii. Here is a look at how to write a winning SOP.

How long should a statement of purpose be?

Statement of Purpose should exist one-two pages long, ideally wrapped in 800-1000 words. However, the length of this document may vary as per university-specific requirements. Some universities have a fixed length and blueprint of SOPs required, which is fixed to 500 words only, even 200 words in some cases. Most of the universities take generic length, which is 800-1000 words, which may go beyond m, just not exceed 1200 words, in some cases.

It is mostly easy to write a story of your life explaining the importance of each incident in shaping or moulding your character. All the same, when it comes to defining your SOP within the communicated word limit by some universities, the claiming is to portray your best within limited words. In such cases, it is better to mention the major achievements from every place you have been to such as school, college, office, etc.

Some away universities do non require SOP, they rather give you Essay Prompts forth with a discussion limit. In order to learn the importance of discussion limit in an SOP, you lot may refer to this Importance of Word Limit in Essay.

What to Include in an SOP?

At that place are many elements to an SOP. Universities could enquire question-based essays or but a general statement of purpose. Until and unless categorically asked, an SOP must include your goals and the career path y'all have taken up then far also as your academic progress. Other elements that are farther important to the SOP are too the personal motivations that lead you to choose the academy/course you take applied to as well as how you lot intend to use that experience to achieve that goal.

While understanding how to write an SOP, nosotros come across various questions. To sum up your entire life and career in 100 words can exist a slow exercise. With the word constraints rather important, what is important to sympathise at the onset is what to include in your SOP?

Must read:

What to include in an MBA SOP
What to include in an MS SOP
What to include in UG SOP

What not to include in an SOP?

Recollect that at that place is no exhaustive list of what you tin include in an SOP. What you need to remember is that in such a case, it becomes equally important to empathise what yous must not include in your SOP. For instance, should you lot talk about your family? What virtually your school life? Every organization I have always worked with? All my extracurricular achievements? How to know the virtually important question – what not to include in your SOP?

Strategies to Write a Powerful and Convincing SOP

Whether applying for undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate programmes, the strategy of writing a powerful statement of purpose would be to audio focused throughout. Starting from your academic and professional background to your career aspirations, you lot need to carefully connect all the dots between reaching your goals through your choice of schoolhouse and course.

The essay should always become in a flow covering your past experience, present involvements, and future plans. An important indicate to remember while writing your SOP would exist to divide it into paragraphs that cover all the pointers. Here is a look at how you may write the SOP presenting your profile strongly:

Introduction of SOP: 1st Paragraph

This paragraph is often confused with self-introduction. It should not introduce you merely should talk over what you are well-nigh to discuss in your SOP. In that location are multiple approaches you may adopt to go about this paragraph:

Discuss your long-term goal and connect it with your idea of pursuing the class yous are applying to
Present your agreement of the chosen field and write how y'all want to contribute to that field
Explain your background in 2-3 lines and connect it with your futurity goals
Write virtually an anecdote that helped yous realise your professional person interest in the chosen field

Students often make the mistake of introducing themselves or their childhood in the first paragraph. In some cases, students tend to forget well-nigh the purpose behind writing an SOP. Bank check out the Mutual Mistakes to Avoid in an SOP.

SOP 2d and tertiary Paragraphs: Academic Background and Professional Experience

This comprises of your academic background: what you lot have done and so far, what yous are currently pursuing, your academic strengths and projects, industrial exposure you have attained, etc. If you have whatever professional experience it should be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs. This helps in establishing your career progression.

SOP fourth Paragraph: Why This Course?

In this paragraph, you should discuss why yous desire to bring together a class and what modules would you tap during this class. It should also embrace the skills you would learn in this duration along with the exposure that would aid in developing the skills desired to realise your goals.

SOP 5th Paragraph: Career Goals

This is the most important paragraph, where yous should discuss your short and long-term goals. Your immediate goal would be where you would want to work right later on completing this course. You should be able to name some companies inside India along with the designation you see yourself working at. This should explicate the kind of job profile you would be working on.

Then comes your long-term goal, wherein you should mention where y'all see yourself from 10-12 or 15 years down the line. This may include your desire of working at the CEO/CFO/CTO level or perchance establish a firm that yous own. It may also include your dream of expanding your existing family business overseas. You lot may too be interested in further studies like a PhD which can be included here.

More than in this section may include your desire of becoming a professor or researcher. In any case, it is suggested that you discuss your concern aim, principles, and core values or how you would influence the immature aspirants of this industry. You should be able to portray 'how y'all wish to brand a deviation in the industry keeping in mind the current industrial scenarios and emerging trends'.

SOP 6th Paragraph: Why This University?

This is a specific paragraph wherein you can convince a university equally in how they are suitable for your profile and you are an ideal candidate for their university. You should discuss the course curriculum, research work, faculty names, also equally the university-specific activities that would help yous in enhancing your profile.

Closing Paragraph of SOP

In this paragraph should conclude your want and readiness towards joining the chosen course. Since this is the closing paragraph, you should sound focused and prepared for all the challenges that came your way. Information technology should also testify that you have the zest in you lot to succeed and with the help of the chosen course and university you will definitely brand a difference in the manufacture on a global perspective.

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Tin SOPs assistance with Scholarships?

If you are eligible for whatever college-specific scholarships, then during the application procedure you volition be required to write a dissever essay/SOP. Either you lot will be given an essay prompt/question along with a word limit or they would simply ask for an SOP stating the reasons why yous recall you deserve this scholarship and/or what makes you unique from the rest of the candidates? Thus, a generic SOP is different from a scholarship SOP.

In a scholarship essay/SOP, you will exist required to highlight your unique selling points, major accomplishments, any quality/skill that makes y'all different from other candidates, and so on. Y'all can read more than almost writing a scholarship essay here.

Statement of Purpose vs Personal Statement: Know the Difference

Apart from a few aspects, a Personal Statement seems like to a Statement of Purpose. While SOP includes a 2-folio essay virtually your motivation, goals, experience, extracurricular activities and so on. On the other hand, a Personal Statement is a crisp one-page essay about your motivation, inspiration, goals and achievements. A Personal Statement is more personal than an SOP so a Personal Statement should be elaborate about your aspirations and motivations. An SOP is a much more than detailed version of the Personal Argument. For a detailed view on this, visit Statement of Purpose (SOP) vs Personal Statement.

SOP vs Alphabetic character of Motivation or Motivational Letter of the alphabet

A Letter of Motivation is a letter of the alphabet directly addressed to the access committee/department faculty explaining your objectives, motivation and goals related to the form. The SOP is non addressed to whatsoever specific person or department, it is drafted in an essay format, whereas, the motivational alphabetic character is ever addressed to a professor or department nether whose guidance you will exist studying. To know more than well-nigh a motivational alphabetic character, read: How to write an impressive Letter of Motivation?

Statement of Purpose (SOP) FAQs

Q. Practise LORs and SOPs need to be attested?

A. Simply your LORs need to be attested past your college or company. An SOP need not be attested/self-attested until and unless specified past the university. If y'all accept a LOR from your college professor/school instructor or a Master/Dean, then that LOR needs to be signed by the recommender along with the college/school stamp and letterhead. Similarly, for professional LORs, they need to exist signed by their respective recommenders on the company's letterhead and company stamp.

Q. How do I write a perfect graduate SOP?

A. 1 tin only follow certain guidelines to write a skilful draft of SOP and the rest is upward to the Adcom to review and accept your contour. Nevertheless, if you are looking for but the guidelines for graduate (MS) SOPs, you may refer to Writing SOPs for MS Courses with samples.

Q. How do I polish my SOP?

A. In one case you have finalised your SOP draft, give it a double-bank check for grammatical and formatting mistakes. Your adjacent stride should be to analyse and critique your essay. Expect at your SOP through the eyes of the Adcom and see what yous observe defective. For more effective inputs, you can show your drafts to your friends and family and see how they react to them. Appropriately, you tin can make some changes but do not overdo it or deviate from the format. Lastly, cheque for spacing errors and relieve the terminal SOP which y'all will be using for the application procedure.

Q. Should I explain the low grades in my statement of purpose?

A. Yous should avoid mentioning whatsoever low marks or shortcomings about yourself in any of the awarding documents, including SOP. In that location are very few universities that ask you about your gap year. For them, you tin can mention the reason for the gap between your studies. Generally, no academy asks about depression grades during your study period every bit your selection depends on various criteria similar exam scores, student profile, financials, and then on. Thus, information technology is brash against mentioning whatever flaws or low marks.

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Source: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/sop-statement-of-purpose-applycontent1701