SOP Samples - Course & Country wise SOP Format

Referring to a sample statement of purpose before writing your own would help you understand the relevance of the content to be included in each paragraph. It is better to understand: What is an SOP or Statement of Purpose before you begin your search on SOP samples. In this article, we will cover an SOP template, and SOP format, along with SOP samples.

Referring to a statement of purpose sample before writing your own would help you understand the relevance of the content to be included in each paragraph. It is better to understand: What is an SOP or Statement of Purpose before you begin your search on SOP samples. In this article, we will cover an SOP template, and an SOP format, along with SOP samples.

What is an SOP (Statement of Purpose)?

Universities overseas need a Statement of Purpose (SOP), which is an essay outlining your motivation for applying to a certain degree and university. It is necessary to support your motivation for wanting to study overseas.

To understand better how to write a statement of purpose, let us first learn the SOP Format and Template and then check out some Study Abroad Statement of Purpose samples.

SOP Format and SOP Template

To begin with the statement of purpose template, there are a few simple points to remember. Ensure to keep them on your SOP Review Checklist:

• Statement of Purpose follows a paragraph format and abides by the general rules that are associated with essay writing. While using bullets is accepted, they are to be avoided and kept only to the bare minimum.
• Unless otherwise stated, a standard statement of purpose should be no more than two pages long, single-spaced, and utilize a font size no larger than 12 points. Consequently, a conventional SOP would be between 800 and 1000 words, depending on the font type.
• There should be no use of colourful text or images anywhere. The font colour should be plain black (not even grey).

Apart from the obvious, there are simple templates as to how you can present your statement of purpose. Ideally, a Statement of Purpose should have about 5-7 paragraphs of about 150 to 250 words each. Given below is a simple SOP template with a paragraph-wise explanation of the SOP Format.

Statement of Purpose Format

You can create your SOP more easily by using a basic Statement of Purpose template, which is made up of many sections connected in a logical order. A statement of purpose consists of paragraphs that are organized into headings for easy reading. You may determine which paragraph contains what by looking at these headings. Once your SOP is finished, all you need to do is check that each paragraph covers all the important details coherently. This is how a basic SOP template would look.

Structure of SOP (Statement of Purpose Format)

While framing an SOP structure, applicants should first have a statement of purpose format in their head. Once they have formed their statement of purpose sample, they can match if the following pointers exist in the statement of purpose format:

• Students must introduce themselves and their objectives.
• They should describe their motivations and the reasons for their interest in the field for which they are applying. Give a summary of your graduate and undergraduate studies. Add any relevant publications, honours, research experience, and/or academic achievements.
• Describe your long-term and short-term academic and professional objectives. What do you want to gain from this program, and how does it fit into your long-term career goals?
• Explain why you chose this program in particular.
• What are your motivations for choosing this university, and how will the program assist you in achieving your objectives?
• Emphasize your accomplishments and strengths and how they relate to the program you are applying to. Describe any abilities or experiences that distinguish you as a unique and valuable candidate.
• Summarize your mission statement.

Let us discuss each point of the above statement of purpose template in detail:

Paragraph 1: Statement of Purpose Introduction and Statement of Goals

Statement of Purpose (SOP) Introduction: Use this space to talk about your goals in life. Make it more intriguing by using comparisons or anecdotes, where appropriate. However, do not spend a lot of time outlining your objective. The earlier you set it out, the better. The motivation to pursue the course you are applying for should be highlighted in this paragraph. It is not very unlike a goals essay asked from MBA aspirants.

Paragraphs 2 and 3: Career Progression

This is the section where you typically introduce yourself. You may begin by giving a brief introduction to yourself and outlining how your career has developed from school to college. Usually, this paragraph is devoted to your academic endeavours. Focus more on your college in the second paragraph before switching to work experience in the third. If you are applying right away after graduating or leaving school, you can separate paragraph 2 for academics and paragraph 3 for extracurricular activities. You can take a hint on how to write about your career progression.

Paragraph 4: Why?

This is the most important part of your Statement of Purpose (SOP) since it provides the logic behind the action you would like to take. It will be more intriguing if you can relate the tale of an occasion that influenced your decision or signalled a significant turning point in your life. The more passionate and expressive this paragraph is the better your essay will be. For example, in the context of a Master’s in Economics SOP, it is imperative that you clearly state your reasons for pursuing the subject and your objectives in terms of earning the degree.

Paragraph 5: How do you Plan to Achieve your Goal?

Your SOP is now at its conclusion. Up until now, you have talked about your goals, the process you used to decide on them, and the reason you chose this specific course. Describe now how you intend to reach your objectives. Write it if you want to engage in research. Put it in writing if you intend to work for a particular company. This further demonstrates how carefully you have considered your life. Give it time limits as well. For instance, before I begin my research program, I want to work in the sector for two years. 

Check out the Common Mistakes to Avoid in an SOP.

NOTE: It is not mandatory to present the information in the manner suggested in this sample SOP format. This is only one of many possible ways in which you can present your statement of purpose. No matter how you wish to narrate the story, just remember, that it should come together and be cohesive.

Statement of Purpose Sample for MS, UG, MBA, PhD, and Countries

SOP Format for MS, MBA, UG, and PhD: Understanding what to include and what not to include is all very well. What is of utmost importance is getting the format right. Like all professional documents, SOP also has a standard format that is followed by general universities. It is important to note that irrespective of whether you are writing the statement of purpose for an MBA program, an MS program, or even for any of the UG Courses, the format essentially would remain the same. This article takes note of the same. We have a few statements of purpose samples based on different study abroad programs, including UG, PhD, MS, and MBA. It is recommended that students use the SOP Samples as a point of reference only.

SOP for MS: Given below are some SOP samples which were accepted in popular schools abroad. See how an MS SOP is written and also refer to various samples for different engineering courses.

Sample SOP for MBA: Writing a Statement of Purpose for an MBA is slightly different than writing an MS SOP. Rather than sounding like a geek, you would need to sound more of an all-rounder. Check out the writing style for an MBA SOP and an SOP Sample for MBA. You may also want to refer to SOP writing for Master’s in Management (MIM).

SOP Sample for UG: A UG SOP differs from a Master’s SOP as it has little to no work experience and no information on a Bachelor’s degree or related project information. Here, students need to mention more about their extracurricular activities. Their participation in activities like quizzes, science competitions, and sports carries a lot of weight. Check out how to go about a Bachelor’s SOP and a UG SOP Sample.

SOP Sample for PhD: A PhD SOP is a lot different than the rest of the programs. Understand the importance of and how to write a PhD SOP here.

SOP Sample for USA, Canada, UK, and Australia: You may be wondering how change in the country affects the SOPs. It is significant to remember that, barring any particular requirements set forth by a university, the SOP structure is the same across all nations. If you still wonder what the SOP Samples for different countries look like, you may refer to some of them in popular countries.

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Statement of Purpose Format - Important Points:

The most important points that you often end up missing in SOPs are as follows:

• Career Goals: Writing just that you have a childhood inclination toward a certain field would not make your SOP any stronger. You should always be able to explain what you aim to do in life by gaining knowledge in that field.
• How the University would help in achieving them: Why do you want to join a particular university and how it would help you in achieving your career goals are both equally important. Writing that you are interested in joining a university abroad due to its location or infrastructure would not help.
• Logic and Reason: Make sure that your academic background, professional experience, reasons to pursue a course, reasons to opt for a particular university and career goals are tied by logic and reason. Do not mention random events that do not fit the context. The admissions committee should not get confused while reading your SOP.
• Flow: There needs to be coherence and flow in your writing. One idea must be connected to another one seamlessly.
• Research the University: Make sure to research the university, its facilities, the faculty, and the course you are applying for any ongoing research, vision and mission statement, and such. This exercise will provide you with excellent points that can be mentioned vis-à-vis your reasons for pursuing a particular course at a particular university. ­­

Do’s and Don’ts of a Statement of Purpose (SOP)

Based on the statement of purpose example above, your SOP should be interesting and captivating, but exaggerating or lying to achieve this is not acceptable. You must make sure that your SOP is original and does not incorporate any concepts from other sources, just as you would surely want to use the online samples. If you paid little to no attention to statistics and figures, your drafts would be of lower quality; nevertheless, providing too much information is also not a smart idea.

We tend to make some mistakes that should be avoided while writing SOPs that are going abroad for review. Check out the Common Mistakes to Avoid in an SOP.

If you seek guidance related to abroad university application process, you may register with Shiksha Study Abroad and avail of our expert counselling services. As a bonus, we offer editorial services ranging from SOPs and University Essays to Academic CVs and Academic and Professional LORs editing.