WRITING A WINNING STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

A statement of purpose (SOP), also known as personal statement is usually the selling point for any scholarship or admission to graduate studies. Although application for graduate admissions and scholarships require several other documents, SOP is the document where you sell yourself to the school you are applying to. It portrays your personality traits, the ‘why’ you are applying for the admission, and the ‘what’ you have done to qualify or think that you qualify for the admission. A personal statement allows you to impress the admissions committee through the essay you present to them. In essence, you are talking about important things the admissions board need to know about you that your academic documents did not cover and cannot be explained in your CV.

This is where the difficulty comes in, a lot of students find writing an SOP difficult, it is either they are not sure of the words to use or the arrangement is alien to them. Since an SOP is a document required for academic pursuit, writing a winning one would require some research and planning. Telling a compelling story without breakage from start to finish is very crucial to writing an SOP (you are about to tell the most convincing story of your life, remember?).

So, let’s get into it, how do you structure a winning Statement of purpose?

INTRODUCTION (Paragraph 1)

Starting well is very germane to writing an SOP, the beginning of your essay will then be the precedence that other paragraphs would follow. Let your introduction start with discussing the academic field of interest vis a vis why it interests you. Note that the introduction in an SOP is not a self-introduction. The use of quotes, analogies in short sentences will be highly appreciated here.

An introduction may look like this

“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space, when I first read this quote I was 16…”

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS (Paragraph 2 and 3)

The introduction is quickly followed by concisely stating your academic qualification. This is the part where you talk about yourself and your achievements in prior studies. Here you will talk about your class of degree. Your course of study, awards and so on. If you are big on extracurricular activities, it should also appear in this paragraph. What and what are the organizations or leadership skills you got during your studies? Were you a member of the red cross? Were you active in your college or faculty? Talking about all these will present you as a serious and focused student who knows what they are doing. 

In paragraph 3 your bachelor’s project work or your master’s thesis comes in here, discuss the research undertaken and why. What was the outcome of the thesis? Is there any reason you considered working on the research? Was the research published? You should further discuss the skills you developed while undertaking your studies. For example, if your research took 6 months and above you are bound to develop analytical and critical thinking as well as research skills.

An example of your second paragraph discussing your academic qualifications

“I took up advanced work in Engineering, Surveying, Soil Mechanics and Model Making at ABC College of Architecture and graduated with a (CGPA and Grade) …)

THE “WHY” YOU STUDIED THE COURSE YOU DID, WHY YOU CHOOSE THE DISCIPLINE (Paragraph 4)

Passion is very important in writing this part of your SOP. In this part, you will talk about why you studied the course you studied. For instance, if you are applying for a Master’s degree, you refer to your first-degree course. You can decide to tell a story of your life or an incident that motivated you, serving as a turning point in your life. If it is a PHD course you are applying for, find a way of connecting your first and second degree and lay more emphasis on your second (masters) degree. The more empathy and passion you can pass across while writing this paragraph, the better your SOP.

On some occasions, there may be no link between your first degree and the course you wish to embark on for your Masters. You may want to change your career. For example, a student did History but want to embark on a Master of Social Work Degree. In this case, the extra-curricular activities you did while studying will come through for you (for those who are applying immediately after their Bachelor’s Degree). It will be an added advantage if you have had some professional experience in this regard that will suffice.

An example of why you studied the course may look like this

“My father who became one of the founders of a company named Astrosoc had initiated me to the basics of entrepreneurship right from a young age. With little to no formal education, he kept chasing his dreams and ambitions in business…”

CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Demonstrating a level of experience in your career and field is highly important. You can start by highlighting your work, internship or volunteering experience. Publications in journals and papers, lectures were given and so on are important in this part. This paragraph is not just about “your experience”, it is advisable to only share professional positions that are related to your academic pursuit. It has to be relatable. In addition, discuss the skills you garnered while taking these roles and your success in the roles too.

Discussing your career or professional experience may look like this

“While waiting for the compulsory National Youth Service in Nigeria, I joined a Yoruba Cultural Initiative where we work on preserving the Yoruba History, Culture and Language through organizing workshops, book readings, seminars. The initiative also has an online magazine where nearly extinct Yoruba Literature texts are collected and preserved for modern use, especially since the world has gone digital and oral tradition is no longer an adequate means for the preservation of culture and language”

INTEREST AND WHY YOU ARE FIT FOR THE PROGRAM

This part of your SOP should not be mixed up with the introduction, and it is a very important part of your SOP. Here, you will sell the course strategically. Discuss your interest in the course and express your desire to learn. You can make this part more intriguing by indicating emphatically your limitations and what the course will help you achieve. Discuss your research interest and mention a supervisor you have connected with or reached out to (through cold emails). Also, talk about why you want to work with them, also talk about prospects, short- and long-term goals and how you intend on achieving them.

Take a look at this example:

“Social work has always intrigued me for many reasons. I guess my experience growing up also contributed to my early understanding of the profession. I would saySocial Work is a field that confers on you the responsibility of compassion and care, cultural humility, social justice, love, and understanding of diversity. Without prior knowledge of Social Work, I have been involved in activities that relate to helping the vulnerableregardless of their identities”

“My long-term goal is to become a professional social worker as well as to collaborate on Sexual and Reproductive Health projects for vulnerable people with scholars and people in the social work field from different parts of the world. I believe that my research interest will find a home in the research interests of Dr Paul, especially his interest in healthcare access and HIV/AIDS.”

THE SCHOOL

Finally, the school. There has to be a motivation for why you choose the exact university amongst all others, right? So yes, explain the reasons. Talk about everything you think is relevant to your course about the school chosen. Do they have a special ranking among science disciplines in the country? are they inclusive of various geographical locations and races? Discuss what you stand to gain and as well as contribute if you are to be given admission.

Here is an example,

“Carnegie Mellon is a world-renowned institution with a penchant for pushing forth new ideas and Unique researchers. It also offers numerous opportunities for its graduate student to take part in seminars and teaching internships, which will not only enhance my career but also my love for academia.”

“The Department of Social Work at Western Carolina University possesses the intellectual capacity, as well as the zeal that I desire to fit in the field of social work and make indelible impacts therein. The department’s interdisciplinary approach to research and vibrant community of teachers would additionally contribute to my research interests.”

In summary, paying attention to grammar and vocabulary is very important in your delivery. After all, what is the use of a well-written message that is unreadable? Make sure your SOP is error-free, strong and concise. Avoid using ambiguous languages and connect each paragraph to the next seamlessly. Above all, give your essay to an extra pair of eyes to look at for you. Go and Win.