Statement of Purpose
What is a statement of Purpose?
(From page no.154) A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is an application made to a university to seek admission to a particular course. It is an essay which describes you as a person, your aims and ambitions. It speaks about your journey of life and the qualities you have nurtured in the process. The scorecard or the transcript gives your academic achievement. It is objective but SOP gives an idea about your innate qualities and is subjective in nature. The SOP gives you an opportunity to show the special qualities which make you distinct from others. It explains why you want to join the course, what is your liking, how you have developed your liking. It justifies how you will be able to achieve your aim. It also explains why you have selected a particular university. The SOP is a gateway to your career as the admission committee judges you or screens the applications on the basis of the SOPs received. Hence, it is a very important document.
The SOPs for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate levels would be different. The SOPs differ according to the requirement. The number of words in which an SOP is written is also different for different universities. At this level when you would pass your Std XII examination and write personal statements to universities for admission to undergraduate course you should follow the format given below.
FORMAT OF THE 'SOP'
The Statement of Purpose should be written in around 500 words, tentatively in five/six paragraphs.
Begin with your introduction, talk about your personal background, your mental make-up and your aim in life.
The second paragraph should speak about why you wish to join this specific programme/course, your area of interest.
In the third paragraph, write about your qualities that would be helpful or suitable for this career goal or objective. Show how your hobbies and extracurricular activities would be helpful in strengthening your goals.
In the fourth paragraph, mention your experience in this field or any internship/ project you have done. You can state something which makes you distinct from the other applicants.
In the concluding paragraph, state how admission to this particular course, university would be beneficial to you and how you look at it from a long term career perspective.
Write the Statement of Purpose in clear and lucid language. Do not make spelling or construction mistakes. You should be convincing. Show determination in your career. Your parpose of choosing this particular course and university should be in accordance with your career. Remember that your personality is reflected through this. (From page no.155) Highlight your qualities, life experiences in such a way that your application should stand out from the rest.
Look at the samples of SOPs given here.
(SAMPLE - 1) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Pursuing a course in Mechanical Engineering will enable me to prowess in a field which started as a dream. The genesis of this dream was a personal experience at the age of ten. We were on a road trip in my Dad's car. Without any warning, the engine ceased and with it my dreams for an exciting holiday too. My dad hopped out of the car and opened the bonnet. I was right on his tail, watching him work on the engine utterly fascinated. Soon the car was up and running. I was in awe and admiration for my Dad. I wanted to be just like him. My Dad is an engineer and I knew the seed of engineering had just been planted deep in my core. I am eager to exploit my hunger for the course of Mechanical Engineering and, in particular, Automotive Engineering.
Over the summer holidays of 2017, I undertook an internship at a bus and coach manufacturing factory in Pune. As an apprentice, I had a team of highly qualified engineers to guide me. The team work, zeal and expertise displayed was an enormous learning point. The experience enriched my understanding of how vehicles work. This internship gave me an insight into the day-to-day challenges faced by an engineer. I also learnt the basics of lathe and milling machine and was able to make a bolt with threads on it. Utilising these machining skills, I was able to make my own fidget spinner.
I study in a school that lays great emphasis on co-curricular activities especially sports. I excelled in hockey and swimming. In hockey, I have been in the school 'A' team right from the age of 7. This association with hockey has improved my hand-eye coordination and my ability to stay focussed in any given situation-attributes essential for a successful engineer. Outside of school, I picked up the sport of cricket which initially began as a family 'outing'. Later on, I immersed myself in the sport. Cricket has helped me build on my levels of concentration. "Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger." These are words that every engineer should live by-have insatiable hunger to be the best in design, research and manufacturing of machines and their subsystems.
We run a daily feeding programme in our temples where everyone is welcome. I have taken part in these services nearly every weekend. I have also taken part in several other community service ventures, such as planting trees in a bid to reduce deforestation. I also participated in an epilepsy walk in order to collect money to help in the treatment of people who can't afford the medical care required to treat epilepsy.
(From page no.156) I believe that I am a suitable candidate for the course since the subjects I have picked for my undergraduate course in Mechanical Engineering, namely Physics and Mathematics, have exposed me to high levels of critical thinking Throughout high school, I have been a practical thinker. My passion for Physics has helped my analytical skills. Mechanical engineers specifically apply fundamental Maths and Physics laws to find solutions of machines which we use every day.
I believe that the UK is the ideal location for my choice of study, as it is known to have the best universities for engineering offering top notch facilities in research, design and manufacture. The UK has some of the greatest companies which pioneered automotive engineering to what it is today, for example, Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover. I hope to secure admission that will provide me with the opportunity to fulfil my dreams.
(SAMPLE - II) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Ever since childhood the functions of the economy have fascinated me. I love being able to understand and use economic theories and enjoy challenging myself to find connections between its different sectors. I have been captivated by the way this subject is applied in everyday life in the most basic of ways for example, deciding what brand of milk to buy and how it can also influence something as major as the exchange rates. Living in India, I am no stranger to economic problems like unemployment and poverty. By increasing my knowledge in this subject I hope to better understand these problems and find possible solutions.
I aspire to study economics principally because of the diversity of both the subject and its applications, and because I find it fascinating and challenging at the same time. Having studied the subject throughout my high school, I believe that the possible depths to which it may be studied are almost endless, and the number of real-life situations to which it is relevant is similarly vast. In addition to keeping abreast with the world economy, I am also interested in studying the quirkier fields of economics and I aspire to further study the ideas of behavioural economics and rational decision-making to contribute to improving our explanations of market events. A book that really intrigued me is Thinking, Fast and Slow, the by Daniel Kahneman and intensified my desire to delve deeper into the field.
To further understand the practical applications of economics, I interned at an auditing firm. This helped me realise how economics and finance play a key role in the running of businesses. My subject choice of Economics and Accounts through Junior College has helped me grasp analytical concepts at a blistering pace and I believe I am well equipped to face the challenge of studying Economics at degree level. I am aware that Economics is strongly related to Maths and for that reason I have studied more rigorous topics that I will further develop at the university level, including calculus and statistics modules.
(From page no.157) One of the extracurricular activities that opened me to a whole new perspective on world economy was the Indian Model United Nations conference in which was the Press Corps writer, assigned to the Economic Committee. This has helped me understand the intricacies of world economy, given me a chance to discuss and puzzle over economic issues and challenged me to think in ways I have never before.
My passion for writing led me to secure the position of sub-editor of the school magazine committee, where I reviewed and edited essays to be published. I was selected as a Students' Council Representative and my duties involved acting as an interface between the students and the board of governors, putting forth the issues faced by students and working towards solutions for them. I also took part in the Youth Icon Awards. I was identified as an important member of my group and performed the task of successfully guiding my team through many expeditions.
I enjoy playing Badminton as often as I can. Badminton has taught me a vital lesson-to face the consequences of a poor shot. I have learnt not to dwell on my mistakes but to accept them and move on because the most important shot in Badminton is the next one. I am an amateur guitarist. Music helps me relax and unwind.
I firmly believe that the analytical tools from the fields of Economics and Mathematics are essential for a deep understanding of the world. I know that the universities in Delhi with their fantastic economics departments can help me realize my dream of simplifying the complexity behind economic situations.