Statement of Purpose (SOP)

​What is an SoP??

• Purpose means the reason for which something exists.

• An SOP stands for Statement of Purpose. It is also sometimes referred to as a Personal Statement; an important part of any University admission.

• To be precise, SOP is a letter of intent which describes you, your goals and intentions that the admission committee will evaluate.

• A statement of purpose is a document which shows your passion, clarity of thoughts, dedication, inspiration, and most importantly, uniqueness.

​The evaluator has never seen you or heard of you. So, the statement of purpose serves the purpose of telling the admission committee why they should choose you.

It is the only subjective part of your application where you get to tell your own story in your own words and throws light on your Personality ( your strenghts, attributes, and your attitude towards life)

A well-written SOP can downplay your weaknesses and convince the admission committee to accept your application. It is the best way to stand out among applicants who, like you, also want to study the same course​.

​Why an SoP is important?

Include the following information in your Statement of Purpose:

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First Paragraph: Introduce yourself by providing a brief background of your life so far, followed by your immediate career objective(s).

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Second Paragraph: Explain what inspired you to take interest in the program and that specific field of study. Specify your favourite subjects and which authors’ books you liked the most and why. You must also mention the relevant academic projects you’ve completed and what you’ve taken way from the same.

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Third Paragraph: Provide a brief information about your work experience,  and any internships or certifications that you’ve completed, if applicable.

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Fourth Paragraph: Briefly describe some other experiences that helped you to make up your mind to pursue graduate studies in your that particular area.

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Closing Paragraph: Describe your long-term goals in 2-3 lines (should be related to your subject)​

1.Conversational but professional tone​. Write the essay in Active Voice.

2.Adhering to a word limit​ (500- 1000 words)

3.Reviewing the given prompt - Often, universities offer guidelines or tips for writing the SOP.​

4.Doing the research​.

5.Establishing a format​( font, line spacing, alignment)

6.Building a story​.

7.Plagiarism free.​

8.Introspection and reflection​ ( everything you put in your SoP must have a story/ strong description).

9.Proofreading.​

​Essential Tips...

​Sample SOP for MS in Data Science

I pursued my undergraduate program in Computer Science to know more about data science and technology and afterwards, when I was wondering about the best specialisation for masters, I picked Artificial Intelligence. 

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During my bachelor’s studies, I was the head of my college’s Data Science and AI Society where we represented our institution at several intra-college and inter-college competitions. I also build various AI devices from scratch for various college projects as well as won several prizes during data science competitions online and at the university level.

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Studying MS in Artificial Intelligence, I want to further gain specialized knowledge of this area of study along with contributing to research at your renowned university. My long-term goal is to establish a successful career in research in AI and utilise its key potential across various areas. This program in Artificial Intelligence will also help me gain useful knowledge and skills to steer towards a successful career and fulfill my research aspirations.

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