 |
| How to write a statement of purpose |
How to Write an SOP that Makes Graduate Schools Say Yes
One of the compulsory and most important documents in graduate school application is the Statement of Purpose (SOP). Many applicants get rejected because of a poor statement of purpose. So, it is very important to submit a perfect SOP to boost your chances of admission.
Imagine how it will feel to submit your SOP and just know, it is exactly what grad school faculty want to read or what they are actually looking for in an ideal candidate. Not only will you prove you are the exact kind of student they always admit, but you will probably hit "submit" with far less stress than you thought possible.
No matter your background, GPA, or professional experience,.. You will sit back happy, proud, and certain that professors at your target schools will see you as their ideal student. That, in fact, they will want to admit you.
Yes, you can engineer that result. Why? Because...The SOP is a Test
And that test contains 4 questions. And as long as you answer those 4 questions correctly somewhere in your SOP, admissions committees will know you are...
- Intelligent,
- Self-disciplined, and
- Qualified.
Let’s answer these questions one-by-one. When you are done, you will truly be ready to get admission to your dream graduate school.
The fact is, thoughtfully answering these questions is the single most powerful way I have found to persuade admissions committees that you are 100% prepared to be a successful graduate student.
It has worked for hundreds and hundreds of applicants, including myself, in virtually every academic field, at every “brand name” university you can think of.
QUESTION 1: What problems do you want to solve?
Maybe you are applying because you want a better, higher-paying job. Or perhaps you are a research-focused student dreaming of a PhD.
In either case, the best applicants are ALWAYS those who frame their academic goals around the focus-problems they want to learn to solve.
If you are professional-track (e.g., MS Real Estate, MS Finance, MSW, MHA, MSCS), these focus-problems will presumably be the sticky issues that someone will pay you to solve in the future.
If you are research-track (e.g., MS/PhD Sustainable environment, Green Building, rotation-based MS Biochemistry), these will be the research questions or current gaps in the literature you hope to investigate.
Bad Example (No Focus Problems)
“My ambition to continue learning new skills, exploring the scientific method, and learning more about the built environment has resulted in my decision to pursue a degree in Real Estate.”
Good Examples
1. “I want to apply my work towards answering major environmental issues questions such as 'How can afforestation practices help combat climate change in sub-Saharan Africa?"
2. “I hope to contribute to my country’s education system by researching cognitive frameworks that promote positive thoughts, beliefs, and actions, and ultimately help ‘troubled students’ break free from self-limiting labels.”
3. “Today, I hope to expand upon my experiences by studying and conducting research at the intersection of finance and machine learning, with a focus on generative adversarial networks and ML models to synthesize alternative financial data. Specifically, I hope to understand how the ML models traditionally used for institutional high-frequency trading (e.g. Markov Decision Models within Reinforcement Learning) can be adopted into accessible personal-finance tools for retail investors.”
4. “I want to apply my work towards answering scientific questions, such as ‘How is Giardia canis developing resistance to metronidazole?’ or ‘How can we effectively control helminthiasis without anthelmintic use?’”
QUESTION 2: Why am I interested in solving these problems?
The best applicants have a story that makes them memorable in the admissions pool. It is not an autobiography. It is not a life story. Instead, it is a mature, factual account of how they discovered their focus-problems.
I get it, though some applicants do not have an amazing lightbulb moment where they were inspired to change the world. Instead, they just want a better job.
That’s okay! You can say that!
As long as you are honest and thorough, you can still write an amazing SOP that makes you sound like a perfect MS or MA candidate, one who has earned and deserves this new career.
Bad Example (No Real Explanation)
“Throughout my life, I have always been interested in helping others. To pursue this goal, I chose to major in Psychology at Oxford University. Today, I am applying for a Master’s in Social Work to further prepare to achieve my lifelong goal.”
Good Examples
1. “As a Senior Associate in Orient Property’s research division, I often partake in initiatives to improve service delivery and property maintenance. Over time, however, I have witnessed these initiatives shift toward technological innovation: for example, onboarding cloud solutions for data storage, or automation via scripting and webscraping. With my own non-technical background in Land Economy, I have often felt restricted in my ability to lead these changes. Yet, this is precisely why I am applying to the MSIT program at Cornell University today…”
2. “As an intern at MantracGh Semiconductor Corp., I helped optimize operational expenditures, saving over $200 thousand annually toward the production of polycrystalline silicon for solar applications. During that time, I witnessed massive improvements to polysilicon production processes, and I expected similar improvements for the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells produced from this polysilicon. But these improvements have not yet been realized. Raised in the scorching climate of Ghana, and having seen electricity as a luxury, I am all too aware of the need to understand how we can more efficiently harness solar energy.”
QUESTION 3: How will this master's program help me learn to solve these problems?
If you don’t answer this question in your SOP, there’s a near-zero chance that anyone will take you seriously as an applicant.
It’s very important.
All A+ applicants methodically explain how each school will help them achieve their specific intellectual and career goals, both short and long term.
Bad Example (No Specific Detail)
“I believe the cutting-edge laboratories and world-class faculty at University College of London will be the pivotal next step in helping me achieve my goal of saving the world with AI.”
Good Examples
1. “Through courses like Intro to Computer Vision (MSAI 329) and Deep Learning (MSAI 407), I hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of computer vision, its current limitations, and how it can be advanced. This will provide the foundation I need to contribute to the development of accurate and robust machine-learning models for image classification in medical diagnosis. Furthermore, Innovate: Medical (MBUS 450) will guide me toward creating business plans that turn innovations into achievable ventures, while Financial Foundations for Entrepreneurs (MBUS 382) will provide hands-on experience with the financial accounting necessary for startup businesses, a crucial aspect of my long-term goals.”
2. “I am particularly inspired by Professor Jonathan Zinzi’s research and teaching. His work focuses on the effects of media on human development and civic behavior, echoing my interest in how digital tools can sometimes obfuscate traditional visual cultures for the general public. Professor Frimpong-Asante will be an ideal mentor as I hopefully continue to document site-specific architectures, sculptures, and murals in London. I am similarly inspired by Professor Kidido, whose research focuses on the role of close observation in learning, and learning in and through the arts.”
ALSO READ: How to Write a Strong Research Proposal: Essential Components and Structure
QUESTION 4: What convincing proof do you have that you are 100% ready to study these problems as a graduate student?
The final piece in your SOP puzzle is proving to the admissions committee that you are “qualified.” Luckily, that will be easy, right? Even if you have had difficulties in the past, you know how hard you have worked. You know you are capable of succeeding in graduate school. Now, we just have to make sure the admissions committee knows, too.
When answering this question, think of it as a highlight reel. It is NOT an expansive and detailed list of everything you have ever accomplished. That is what your resume/CV is for! Instead, this is your Greatest Hits album, a description of your most unique accomplishments. These accolades prove that you are prepared to study the applications or problems you listed in Question #1. Here, I would advise applicants to try and brag about their qualifications a little. This is because almost all universities want students who are top achievers and ready to achieve something new.
What Should I Include?
Feel free to pick and choose from any of the items below. Discard the ones that aren’t relevant to you and focus on the ones that really make you shine. It is not compulsory to have all of them.
1. Grade Point Average (GPA)/Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA)
What was your undergrad GPA/CWA? Your major GPA/CWA? Were they impressive? Good, let’s mention those. They show that you worked harder than your peers.
2. Awards and Honors
Did you receive any official awards that prove how disciplined a student you are? e.g, Overall-best student in Advanced Valuation? Overall-best student of your class? Valedictorian award? Best thesis award? and many others.
3. Graduate Level Coursework
Did you take any relevant graduate classes? Did you make A's? Awesome. Mention them as well.
4. Relevant online courses
Did you take online courses that are relevant to the program you are applying to? If yes, mention them in your SOP.
5. Research Experience
Did you do any research or independent studies relevant to your academic goal or the program you are applying to? Beautiful! Add a 1-2 sentence describing it. You can talk about your undergraduate research/project work, term papers, capstone that involved research, and inter alia.
6. Internships/Career Experience
Have you had any relevant internships or job responsibilities that are related to your goal or the program you are applying to? How were they different from the experiences that other applicants had? How have they prepared you for the program you are applying to?
7. Technical/Laboratory Skills
Are you experienced with AutoCAD Architecture, QGIS, ARCGIS, and MAXQDA? Are you a full-stack developer? A wizard with Python, Ruby, and Shell? Are you experienced with cell and tissue cultures? Electrophoresis? Or, perhaps you speak a foreign language that will help you in your research?
BOOM!
That's all for your SOP. If you answer the above four (4) questions in your SOP, I can assure you that you can sit back and happily wait for good news from admissions committees.
Watch out! Scholarship180.com will be sharing in our later posts some examples of how other students answered the 4 questions in their SOPs. Visit this site regularly for more updates.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL FOR MORE UPDATES