Role of Statement of Purpose in College Applications

Statement of purpose or SOP as the name suggests is a personal statement about who you are and what are your motivations. A statement of purpose is the most crucial factor in determining whether you will get in your desired university or not. This is the only element in your applications that is completely in your control and you can shape it the way you want to. Your grades, GMAT score, LOR is dependent on external factors along with your efforts. But that is not the case in Statement of purpose or essay. Here are some of the reasons why you must consider writing an impeccable SOP.

• 1.Highlights career goals and ambitions

Your grades or extracurricular activities solely don’t define you. There’s more to you than those numbers and certificates and statement of purpose is your opportunity to let the admission officers get a glimpse of the real you. This is when they get to know about your personality and ambitions in life. And if they find it convincing enough, then getting admitted is a piece of cake.

• 2.Sets you apart from the other candidates

Your goals in life may not the same as the person next to you. SOPs are meant to answer the question of why a candidate deserves to be at their university. Do they have what it takes? How are they any different than the other thousands of applicants? Show them what makes your personality exceptional. The more honest and genuine you seem, they more you have a chance of getting in.

• 3.Direct contact with the admission officer

SOPs are direct between you and the admission officer. To convince them that you have the spark they are looking for, your essay needs to be compelling. Impressing them will increase your chances of getting admitted to your dream college. GMAT or TOEFL or other standardized tests’ scores are beyond your control. You might choose who to get the letter of recommendation from but what they write is not in your hands. SOPs are your only real opportunity to talk directly to the selection committee.

• 4.Make or break point

SOPs in most cases is the make or break point in the admission process. Colleges, especially the crème de la crème of universities, get thousands of applications from students all around the world every year. Your scores and GPA might be the same as your competitors but SOPs are unique. You can’t afford making any mistake. And if you are not taking it seriously enough, you are basically throwing away your chances of admission.

Now that you know the significance of Statement of Purpose, here is how you can avoid common mistakes in your SOP- 5 Mistakes to Avoid While Writing Your Statement of Purpose Essays