Your 5 Step SOP Guide



Are you applying to a university abroad? Is your application due soon? Whether you’re applying for a master’s or MBA or Ph.D. program in Canada or the UK or the US, SOP is a very critical part of your application.
The statement of purpose (SOP) is the most crucial document as it conveys your purpose to join the esteemed University of your choice. It is a decision-maker that helps one in getting admission. The SOP is the only element in the application process that is completely in your control. Guess what? You can shape it the way you want to portrait yourself. However, the important thing is to be unique, authentic, honest, and passionate in your SOP, portraying all the qualities that the adcom looks for in their most promising applicants. To curate a truly impressive statement of purpose, students must build their essays from the premise of authenticity, where they effectively showcase their interests and achievements related to their field of study.
If you are pondering on what to include in your SOPs? Or if you are stuck and don’t know where to begin and what to write in your statement of purpose? Then, here’s a full list of what not to write in your SOP. Let’s get started!

Don’t Beat Around The Bush:
Admissions officers are stretched for time to be able to afford you a soliloquy on your life plans. Cut the flab. Get to the point after a very brief introductory opening line. Write crisp, and direct essays without beating around the bush.

Don’t Lament About Your Family, School, Country, or Your Life!
Nobody likes a whiner. Talking ill about your folks at home or the lousy schooling you had, or the lack of facilities in your country is a big no-no. Badmouthing your providers reflects poorly on you. If your circumstances have been difficult, you can portray the same without throwing others down. For instance, a student applying from a war-torn country can still find something positive to speak about his motherland. By speaking badly about your country or family, you show that you don’t have loyalty towards your own people
Don’t Boast or Brag About Your Achievements:
So you have been a national-level champion in tennis. Great! Good for you. But don’t toot it with the loudest horn. If your essay reeks of self-importance or conceit, you already lost respect before you earned it. Be humble about your achievements. The university you are applying to may have the best brains and specialists on campus. So make sure you don’t step on big toes.
Don’t Confuse the Admissions Officers by Contradicting Yourself:
Many students get rejected simply because they send out confusing signals about themselves to the Admissions department. This usually happens when students try to ‘carve’ an image of themselves, instead of showcasing their real selves. For instance, if your essay portrays that you love sports and enjoy being outdoors, but your resume does not show any extra-curricular achievement that points towards sports or outdoor activity, this can be seen as a contradiction. Also if you present yourself in your essay that you are a curious learner, your recommendation letters should ideally corroborate that story with anecdotes or instances.
Don’t Write Without Having Done a Thorough Research:
Have you studied at the university that you are applying to? Did you read all about the campus, facilities, faculty, courses offered, electives, student community, and other such information? Without delving deep into the program offerings, don’t start your essay. An essay that looks like a machine-generated copy without thought or research deserves to land in the bin. One such mistake a student made is to write fondly about a professor and how he is interested to learn from the eminent teacher, without realizing that the aforementioned professor had resigned from the university two years ago. Thus it is important you don’t shoot yourself in the foot by writing without research.
Writing an essay is never easy until you get down to doing it. Once you start, the words will come flowing out of you. Use the help of a friend, teacher, and family member to edit out the unwanted. Use this 5-step guide to avoid common pitfalls.
Here’s a bonus tip, if you do not take the pain to write a good SOP, then you are letting loose your strings. This will only result in letting your dream fade away from being admitted to one of your dream colleges.
Now go ahead and start crafting a winning statement of purpose!
We have experts from top IVY League schools who have helped thousands of students get to their dream college. You can drop us a query or visit our website ReachIvy.com