Statement of Purpose Format

With more and more students opting for masters courses or applying for doctoral programs, it has become a hard task for the university professors to select a proper candidate from the list of applicants. Globalization has led to a remarkable increase in the number of international students. The young generation is career oriented and is ready for the hard work needed. With increase in population and facilities of communication, there is an increase in the awareness about various opportunities available all over the world. Parents encourage their children more and children also try their best to get admitted in the best renowned university for masters or doctoral programs.

Almost all students, wishing to apply for post graduation, have good educational background. Most of them secure high scores at the graduation level. It becomes really difficult to choose the right candidate from the applicant's list. So, universities demand a statement of purpose (SoP) from these aspiring students. There is no specific format for writing a 'statement of purpose'. It is left to the applicant only. So, how would you format a statement of purpose? Here are some important tips.

Formatting the Statement of Purpose

In school, you must have mastered the art of 'essay writing' and 'letter writing'. So you should not be worried about 'how to write statement of purpose'. SoP is nothing but a brief and concise essay which describes your past achievements, future goals and your ability to achieve your goals. You may use the format of an essay which may consist of an introduction, main body and conclusion. This might help you organize your thoughts to communicate to your best advantage. You can then divide the main body into different paragraphs to explain your experiences, past achievements, what has influenced you, what are your future career plans, how hard can you work to achieve your goals, current work experience if any, why have you chosen the particular field and the particular university, etc. There is no fixed format, but for the sake of convenience, you can break up the gathered information into different paragraphs and then you can reformat the whole statement of purpose in a better looking format. You can first write down the rough statement, then show it to your friends or teachers or parents. You can then change it considering their valuable suggestions, if any. Finally, it should be able to convince the admission committee members that you are a 'perfect match' for the program you are applying for. For this, you may have to learn the art of persuasive writing.

Simple Way of Writing Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should be of two pages, not more than 2MB if it is a PDF file. Don't worry about the statement of purpose format, just start writing as described below:

• 1st Paragraph: While writing about your aim in life, you should also write about your excellence in academics. The first paragraph is going to create the 'first impression', so it should be carefully crafted to show your interest in the chosen field from the very beginning. You can explain why have you chosen this field after 12th, how have you pursued it with great vigor till your bachelors, showing consistency towards the field. You may write briefly about subjects covered (tactfully link them with your specialization of masters) during bachelors.
• 2nd Paragraph: You can write about your career goal, plans, what you want to be, your confidence and skills to pursue postgraduate/doctoral studies in that field. You can explain everything, relating it to your chosen field.
• 3rd Paragraph: Here you can write about your projects done, your internship, your paper presentation seminars/symposiums attended, about the awards got, publications, reading related journals, etc. Do not just write point-wise. You should skillfully interlink everything, stressing on your field of interest. But the essay should not sound too personal.
• 4th Paragraph: Here you can describe your extra curricular activities, like sports, drama, music, etc., your technical and managerial skills, your ability to work as a team member, result oriented efforts, etc. Everywhere you are supposed to convince the admission committee members how all these activities have inspired you, influenced you to choose this particular field and how these achievements are going to help you achieve your goals.
• 5th Paragraph: In this paragraph you can write about your social activities if any. For instance, organizing a blood donation camp, organizing an event in your college, which might reflect your social behavior. This helps to convey that you are a responsible citizen, aware of civic duties, you respect different cultures and traditions, etc.
• 6th Paragraph: Using modest language and exhibiting your Internet skills, you can explain what you searched for, when you decided to apply for post graduation. You are expected to write about why have you chosen the particular university for your post graduation plan. Remember, they know that they have good faculty, good infrastructure, etc. You have to write about the research work done over there, for which you may have to go through the brochure or site information thoroughly. You can say that other related branches in the university will also help you to achieve your goals. Write about how you visualize yourself in the next 10 years.
• 7th Paragraph: This will be the concluding paragraph where you can again lay stress on your determination, ability to work independently, etc. You can end it with a sentence like I look forward to be a strong addition to your department...I hope you do consider me for the masters program....

Leave the essay aside for 2-3 days and then reopen it with fresh mind and thoughts. Keeping in your mind that the statement of purpose should be well-organized, concise, absolutely free of grammar, punctuation and spelling errors; check it from the professor's point of view. Keeping the introduction and conclusion as it is, you can rearrange the paragraphs in between. Think over it seriously whether the essay tells everything about you, in a polite way. You may put yourself in an admission officer's shoes. Avoid including any false statements in your SoP. It is not necessary to describe only the spectacular things in your life. Do not copy SoP from Internet sites. You can write about simple things. Honesty is important. For instance, if you write about your ardent desire to make society a better place, don't make vague statements. You are expected to tell what you have done about this desire and if you can talk about your actions, it can do more towards boosting your chances of getting admitted. Before submitting the statement, you may seek constructive comments and criticism from friends and advisers. I hope you found the above writing tips beneficial and formatting the 'statement of purpose' is no more a cause of worry.