SOP for Sweden: Guidelines for Top Swedish Universities

Most universities in Sweden ask for short essays or a personal statement or a statement of purpose (SOP). A few programmes also ask for an additional writing supplement or a motivational letter. As applicants, you need to distinguish the intent of the document required by a university, divide the information accordingly, and include only the relevant content.

How to write an SOP for Sweden?

Writing an SOP for Swedish universities is similar to writing an SOP for a university, anywhere in the world. First, you can refer to this Sample SOP and have a look at what to include and what not to include in an SOP. Now that you have the basics clear, in this article we will discuss some important aspects of your SOP or personal statement that the universities will stress, so you need to highlight to outshine other applicants:

• Give a brief academic and professional background
• Did you face any challenges or difficulties in life or a professional front? How did you overcome this?
• Do you have any significant personal or professional achievements?
• Is there anything in your resume/CV that you want to elaborate more on in the statement? Is there any interesting story that you want to tell?
• What’s so special about the programme that you cannot find in any other programmes/universities? Is there any professor from the programme that you want to meet and learn from?
• Does your profile fit this programme? Is there any special prerequisite knowledge, skills or work experience that you need to be able to apply to this programme?
• What can you do in the future with the knowledge, network and experiences gained from this programme?

SOP for Top Swedish Universities

Let us have a look at some top universities in Sweden and their personal statement or statement of purpose requirements:

1) Chalmers University of Technology

Chalmers University of Technology: The SOP should not exceed one page and must include a brief autobiographical statement. Along with this, it is compulsory to submit a resume. There is no specific format or template given by the university, so TNR with a 12pt font size should be used. Some courses may also require applicants to submit a thesis proposal based on the subject.

2) Lund University

Lund University: The university has a set of questionnaires with certain questions that should be addressed in the Statement of Purpose. These questions may differ slightly as per the programme. However, the word limit is the same for all programmes, which is 1000 – 1400 words. Here are the points to be covered in your SOP:

Interrelation between the chosen programme, your future career, and your previous degrees and professional experiences.

• Value addition by this program to your career development
• What do the terms Manager, Management, and Managing mean to you?
• Relevant qualities or perspectives that you think you will bring to this program as a student of management?
• Reasons for applying for this programme
• How can you contribute to this programme?
• Relevant academic strengths and interests for this programme?
• Career ambitions immediately after graduation
• Pros and cons of working in teams versus individually and on working with applications versus literature studies
• Any other relevant qualifications, achievements, or experiences which have not been covered in the resume

3) Stockholm University

Stockholm University: Stockholm generally requires an SOP or a Letter of Intent for its programmes. The documents should include the following information:

• Description of the academic and professional background
• Particular areas of interest and why you are interested in them
• Motives for applying to the programme
• Future career plans
• Plans for the programme you have enrolled in
• Why this university and your compatibility as a graduate student of Stockholm University?

4) KTH Royal Institute of Technology

KTH Royal Institute of Technology: KTH requirements differ as per the programme. Some courses require a 500 to 1000-word SOP while some require short answer essays. For instance, the MS Engineering programme requires an SOP of 500 words (not more than one page). The SOP should include the applicant’s academic and professional experiences, extra-curricular activities, reasons for further studies, technical skills, and interests that will contribute to the programme, and why the applicant has chosen this institution. Another example can be taken from Masters in Turbomachinery Aeromechanical University Training (THRUST). A short essay of 250 words is required which should cover:

• Reason for interest in this program, specialization option and mobility scheme
• Career intentions and reason for interest in those career choices
• Academic, professional, or other related accomplishments
• Role of a Master’s degree in future career advancement

5) Uppsala University

Uppsala University: Your SOP should be one or two pages long with the following topics covered:

• Why did you apply to this program?
• What do you expect to gain from this program?
• Any relevant work experience?
• What do you hope to achieve as a graduate?

Important Tips for SOP for Sweden

It is important to remember that each university and each programme will have different requirements for a personal statement or an SOP.  Top Swedish universities usually ask short-answer questions or a short essay, which generally range from 300–500 words. Thus, it is important to read the programme-specific instructions carefully. Here are some things to consider before writing your draft:

• Type of document: Whether it is an essay or a short answer questionnaire, a personal statement or an SOP, pay attention to the points to cover and stick to them.
• Word limit: Stick to the word limit given. If there is no limit given, it is a good practice to keep the length to two pages with 1,000 words (maximum).
• Format and font: Universities usually give their preferences for a format. If not given, it is ideal to use Times New Roman and a 12pt font size. Arial font may also be accepted by some universities.
• Language and vocabulary: If your courses require you to know Dutch and you happen to be fluent in it, you can use a bit of this knowledge in your document. However, mostly, English is preferred for the SOP and other related documents like the letter of recommendation and resume. Language should be lucid and simple without the use of any jargon.
• Plagiarism: Run your document through a grammar check and do a plagiarism check. All foreign universities are quite strict about plagiarized work.

Now that the students are clear about how to write an SOP for Sweden, it is advised that they take their application process and SOP drafting very seriously.

For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.