How to write SOP for UG Courses?

If you are applying for an undergraduate course abroad, chances are that the university has asked you to provide a statement of purpose or a personal statement. Irrespective of what they call it, the task for you is to provide the university with your life story and motivations. While all students have to provide a statement of purpose (SOP), irrespective of which form it is asked in, the fact remains that students planning to study Bachelor’s courses are often confused about what to write in the UG SOP. We will help you decipher what to include in SOP for UG courses through this article, and discuss best-practices for creating the best impression.

What is Statement of Purpose?

A Statement of Purpose for UG is one of the most important documents for undergraduate (UG) application. It describes your academic, and professional journey so far. All the learnings, achievements, and motivations must be included in your Statement of Purpose (SOP). It must be convincing enough, describing your achievements humbly, to the admissions committee, showing that you are perfect candidate for the intended program. It must mention your goals after your undergraduate course, and reasons for choosing the university.

SOP for UG Courses - What to Include?

There are many points that you can include in your SOP. It is important to remember that there is no set rule that necessitates what to include in SOP for UG courses, although there are some best practices. As we have discussed in the article, ‘how to write an SOP for UG courses’, it is important to keep in mind the chronology. While you might have a rich list of events that you want to include in your SOP, it is important to ensure that you do not exceed the stipulated word limit. Also, remember, your SOP is not a copy of your resume, in paragraph form.

Here is what to include in SOP for UG courses for universities abroad:

1. Expectations from the program

The Statement of Purpose, primarily, is a document that talks about your purpose for undertaking the course. However, it is not a document that would talk about how you wish to die and in what position. What they wish to understand is the purpose behind your decision to pursue the course you have chosen for yourself. What is important for an undergraduate to understand is that you must write about why you wish to take up the course.

2. Academic Achievements

This is a rather important aspect of your SOP. While including your academic achievements you should not list them in the manner you do in your resume but instead, mention how you achieved these. The SOP should reflect your journey more than the results, as these can be seen in the academic transcripts submitted as well. What the admissions committee (Ad Com) wishes to understand is how you look at your academic achievements.

3. Co-scholastic Activities

You must have participated in a lot of activities during your school days and must have listed all of them in your resume. You must mention them in your SOP as well. The only difference would be the reason why you wish to include a particular activity. It would be advisable to shortlist the activity that adds the most value to your personality before deciding on what to include in SOP for UG courses. There are a lot of scholastic, co-curricular and extracurricular activities that you can include in your SOP. Refer to our quick list to find out how to write about your extracurricular activities in your SOP.

4. Subjects and Motivations behind them

It is important to mention the subjects you have studied, why you liked them in particular and how they would motivate or help in your further studies. Remember it is not necessary that you would mention only the subject that you intend to study. If you can correlate two subjects, it would be much better. It is important to note that more than what to include in SOP for UG courses, you need to be clearer on what is not to be included in a SOP for UG programs. An SOP for UG courses is essentially different from SOP for MS or SOP for MBA courses and provides a different line of thought. It can be more self-indulgent and include more about the personal motivations and aspirations. Also, unlike the SOP for Master’s programs, an SOP for UG programs often does not have any clear definitive goals. They are aspirational and talk about what motivates the applicant. So, understand what to include in SOP for UG Courses and what all you should not include, and writing the SOP would not be a problem at all.

5. Projects Undertaken

If you have undertaken any training or any project work during your school years, you must mention the same. The same applies to any summer workshops or small summer jobs if you were able to pick up some learning for the same.

Format for UG SOP

Now that you are aware of what to include SOP for UG courses, you must know the format of the same. SOP format for UG courses might vary as per the university and course requirements; however, the following points will provide you with an overview of the SOP format:

• Introduction: Introduce yourself, your background, and your hobbies in a few sentences. Do not forget to specify the course or major you are applying for, along with a brief statement of why you are drawn to it. You may even mention your source of motivation behind wanting to join the program or any specific incident or event that inspired your interest in the field of your choice.
• Academic Background and Interests: Give a brief description of your educational background, mentioning any additional learning, noteworthy accomplishments or honours you may have won. Mention your interests and inspirations behind wanting to join the program you are applying for.
• Practical Experiences: If there are any major projects, research, training, industry experience/exposure or additional knowledge/skills that you have gained so far, especially if it is relevant to the program, be sure to mention it in the SOP. It is also important to mention your contributions in each endeavour and how they aided your overall growth.
• Reasons for joining the program: If you ask any study-broad expert about what to include SOP for UG courses, they would probably suggest you to discuss in detail about 'why you want to study this course?' and how it will help you achieve your academic or professional goals. You may even mention about specific subjects, electives or courses that you wish to specialize in.
• Future Goals: Describe both your short-term and long-term objectives after the completion of the program, both academic and professional. Describe your goals and how pursuing this course or major will help you get there, as well as what you intend to get out of the experience. You can state specific designations or organizations that you want to be a part of, or your goals for advanced studies or research in the future.
• Reasons for choosing the university: The universities also want to understand why an applicant wants to join their program. As such, you should write about the specific features, courses, electives or other opportunities at the universities that suit your academic requirements. You may also mention about professors, clubs or activities and even research opportunities available through the program, which suit your requirements. Hence, for writing this section, you will need to research the university’s official website.
• Extracurricular Activities: Any extracurricular or professional endeavours you have undertaken that are pertinent to the course or major you are applying for should be highlighted in your SOP. This may include your involvement in certain clubs, activities, competitions or events, and even your co-curricular achievements in your recent-past.
• Conclusion: Reiterate your key points and your qualifications, and discuss what makes you a good prospective candidate for the course or major you are applying for. You may also mention how you wish to contribute to the university/program, if you are selected.

SOP for Famous Study Abroad Destinations

Here, we will look into the different requirements for the statement of purpose for UG courses for different destinations:

1. Canada:

The SOP for Canadian universities must have a proper structure, written within 800 to 1500 words. It must discuss your academic background, professional journey, goals post program, and motivation for the course. It should discuss why you choose the Canadian university, and Canada in general.

2. United Kingdom (UK)

While drafting your SOP for UG program in the UK, discuss your academic qualifications, your work experiences, and your research interests. It must discuss your academic reasons for choosing a UK university, and what details of the university you specifically liked.

3. United States of America (USA)

An SOP for US universities must outline your academic interests, your motivation, goals, and your research experiences. It must discuss your reason behind choosing the US university properly, and your intent behind studying in the United States. You can read through sample SOP for UG courses for USA to understand better.

4. Australia

For SOP for Australia, make it compelling, making sure that you clearly indicate that you will return to your home country after completing your studies in Australia. Discuss your academic, and professional achievements properly, outlining your goals, and reasons to choose the Australian university.

Tips to Write a Winning SOP

Now that you have understood how to write SOP for UG courses, let us go through a few points before concluding:

• Write your SOP in a formal tone, do not make it casual.
• The language must not be flowery, or pretentious. Write in simple words.
• Make sure you discuss your achievements in detail, maintaining brevity.
• The SOP must not be over 1000 words. Follow the guidelines provided by the university strictly.
• Discuss your motivation, and goals for your future properly.
• Provide your reasons for choosing the specific university.

It is important for you to take your application documents very seriously. These are as important as your SAT and ACT scores. For help with university applications or to know about what to include in SOP for UG courses, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.