It’s almost as old as time that persuasive communication works miracles. The Statement of Purpose (SOP) or Personal Statement is your chance to talk directly to the admissions committee and convince them into accepting your application. Your draft must illuminate how a remarkable turn of events propelled you to pursue your dream program. An SOP can actually make or break your application. It is the ticket to your dream university if done right.

After reading this article you will be able to:

• Craft your Statement of Purpose as strong as those who are going to review it.

• Gain insights into what the admissions committee is looking out for.

• Receive an actual SOP of a student who was admitted into Stanford University.

Here are 7 ideas to help you get started:

1. Write anecdotes, not statements

Write the story you want to read and let your experiences interact with every paragraph you pen down. Explain how you are different from the thousands of applicants and why you deserve to be in your dream university. 

Check out an excerpt from a US News Report to understand this better :

2. Conciseness is highly valued

In this age of information abundance, leaving out unnecessary details makes you stand out from the crowd. Provide them with exactly what they need within the word limit. Breathe more life into it and lure them to linger a little longer.

3. Don’t use words you cannot justify

Never underestimate the power of simplicity! the goal of communication is to help your target audience understand what you want to convey. Don't let esoteric words provide misinformation to the admissions committee. Choose the right words!

4.  Customize the SOP

Demonstrate what makes your chosen university the best for you. For instance, you can specify how you can build on your current project by working with a faculty member with similar research interests.

5.  Help 'em know YOU better

Let them know more than what your transcripts can say about who you are. Write engaging content outlining the obstacles you overcame and the learning experiences that helped you grow as a person.

Below is a question that will help you understand the type of insights you should provide to the admissions committee.

You can approach this question by thinking about a situation in your life when you had the power to do something wrong and nobody would know. Weigh the pros and cons of your considerations and inject them into your answer.

6. Questions that you cannot afford to skip

• How can your background, skills, and experiences add value to your class?
• Where do you see yourself after the completion of your degree?
• How will the program help you achieve your goals?

7. To write is human, to edit is divine

Before you submit your application to embark on your quest to pursue your dream program, ensure that you proofread your SOP carefully. Your document must be error-free with respect to grammar, spacing, margins, and font size. 

Bonus tip: A great way to edit your work is to read it out loud. Doing so will help you find lines that are too wordy and sentences that are monotonous.

Takeaway

Sign up to receive a FREE SOP draft of a candidate admitted into STANFORD UNIVERSITY!

Need More Help?

Watch this video to find a much more detailed version of the above-mentioned points. 

You can also check out our Statement of Purpose Drafting Service to take advantage of our expertise for crafting your personal statement.