How To Write a Winning Statement of Purpose (SOP)

Let’s face it, writing a statement of purpose is hard. You sit down, open a word document and don’t know where to start. “Damn, what IS my purpose?” you think.

You contact alumni and ask them to share their SOPs, hoping that it will give you an idea of how to write yours. Step 1 to writing a good SOP: Do not do this.

Think of it this way, writing an SOP is like writing a love letter to the university — ”Hey, here’s what I really like about you and if you feel the same way about me, here’s what I’m capable of giving you.”

The truth is, to write an excellent SOP, you really need to be honest with yourself about what you are passionate about. Also, you need to love the course and college that you’re applying to, not just for its reputation or world ranking, but for how perfectly it aligns with your future goals.

Now, I can’t tell you what your “purpose” should be, but I can tell you how to structure your SOP in a way that captivates the person who is going to read it. Let’s dive right into it!

1. Start with a memory

A common mistake that most people make is forgetting to tell a story through their SOP. So start by talking about a childhood memory/an incident in the past that kindled your love for the subject/field.

For example, if you are applying to a programme in Finance, you can talk about how your parents taught you the importance of wisely managing your money at a very young age by giving you an allowance. Through this, you developed an interest in the idea of multiplying money through investments.

Always talk about real-life lessons that you learned!

2. Talk about your education/work experience.

Focus on the subjects that you studied/the work that you did and what you learned from this.

For example, if you worked in Finance, talk about a specific project that you worked on and a new concept that you learned/a skill that you developed that broadened your understanding of the subject and furthered your love for it. If possible, emphasize the international exposure that you gained through your work.

3. Extracurriculars matter!

Is there anything else related to your subject that you enjoy doing?

Do you trade in the stock market in your free time? Do you have a personal blog where you write about finance? Do you freelance in the area?

This shows that you go above and beyond to build on something that you are passionate about. So write about it in your SOP!

4. Establish your future goals.

This is the most important part of your SOP. Be crystal clear and very specific about where you see yourself 3 years and 5–10 years from now.

• If you want to start your own business, share a couple of details, and talk about what your unique selling point will be.
• If you want to work for a company, dive into the department/kind of work you’d like to take up. Do you want to work in Billing? Budgeting? Project Financing?

Finally, add a sentence or two about why this course aligns perfectly with your goals.

5. Dive into the particulars of the course/college.

Why do you want to study this particular course at this college?

Don’t forget that there are many colleges offering a similar programme. So why this one? It is important for you to do a bit of research and find out what is unique about this programme. For example, does the programme teach you project management along with Finance? Does it teach you how to use technology to build advanced financial models?

• Identify and highlight the subjects that will help you develop the skills you need to achieve your long-term goals.
• If the programme offers a specialized path, talk about which path you would like to choose and why. This shows that you have a well-researched plan.
• Mention a professor whose work you admire and would like to work with. Talk about why you like their work.
• Talk about clubs/societies/cells/centres that you hope to leverage. For example, the college might have an entrepreneurship cell that can help you kickstart your future venture.

6. Here’s what I can do for you!

The university can give you an offer only if you show them that you can add value to the cohort and the institution.

The first step is to think of the skills you currently possess.

Are you a writer? Talk about how you’d like to issue a weekly Finance newsletter at the university to educate students on the latest trends. Do you work for an NGO? Talk about how you’d like to use this experience to set up an association/club to tackle a specific issue.

List down 3 different ways in which you can contribute to the university. Remember to be realistic and not promise too much!

7. Social Impact

People often forget that colleges look at the big picture — how can you make a positive impact using your degree?

For this section of the SOP, you can talk about specific social issues that resonate with you, what you have done so far to solve these issues and how you plan on tackling them in the future.

For example, if you want to work towards women’s empowerment, you can say that you plan on setting aside a portion of your revenue to fund women-centric NGOs in your country.

8. A powerful conclusion

The best way to conclude is by stating your unique selling point.

Do you have a diverse set of work experiences? Have you taken up a number of leadership roles throughout your career? Use these in your conclusion!

For example, “My diverse experiences have helped me understand the interdependence of business processes and will act as the pillars of my future endeavours. I am certain that a master’s in XYZ will accelerate my journey towards achieving my goal.”

Hey guys, let me know what you thought about this post in the comments below! :)

If you liked it, feel free to share it with your family and friends who are in the process of applying to colleges!