Common Mistakes you Should Avoid When Writing your SOP

A personal statement or a Statement of Purpose (SOP) is required to be submitted as a part of your application in an international university at any level of study. Typically, this essay will be 500 to 1000 words long outlining your academic as well as professional achievements along with your goals and how the university you are applying to will help achieve them. 

The SOP is often considered to be a foundation to a great application. This means that you want to make sure that you create one that is absolutely flawless and representative of who you truly are.
Education consultants in Vijaywada find that, a large number of applicants make some key mistakes that effect their application significantly. Here are a few that you should be avoiding at the outset – 

 

Waiting till the Last Minute to Work on your SOP 

It is not uncommon for students to underestimate the time and effort required to churn out a good quality SOP. They assume that copy-pasting from a few sample SOPs on the internet can get the job done. However, it is strongly recommended that you start brainstorming about your SOP at least a month before you actually plan on making your submissions. Work on a few rough drafts and keep in mind that a good SOP takes a lot of planning and deliberation.

 

   
Not Having a Strong Intro and Conclusion

Remember that you have only one chance to create a first impression. Your introduction is the first thing that the admissions panel will read and you want to make sure that it is extremely impactful. Also to make sure that the reader is motivated to go through all 1000 words of your essay, you want to start with a powerful line that summarizes your experiences or reflects on your aspirations and thinking. Similarly, you also want to end your SOP by mentioning your expectations, how you can contribute to the university and highlight your knowledge about the program that you intend to get into.

Using Slangs and Informal Language

In the day of texting and tweeting, our way of communication has become informal and full of slangs. It is critical that you use a professional tone and language in your SOP and make sure that your writing is respectful and polite. Make sure that the grammar and vocabulary in your essay is fairly good and free of abbreviations, slang and informal words. Your sentences need to be clear and concise and your flow comfortable.

Exceeding Word Limit

In most cases the university specifies the word limit that you are required to follow when writing your SOP. However, if no such thing is mentioned, it is recommended that you contact the admissions office on email and check with them. Your education consultants in Vijayawada will also help you in this regard. Otherwise, it is safe to try to write an essay that is between 500 and 1000 words. An extremely long SOP that focuses only on your achievements will not impress a committee that is in charge of reviewing over 10,000 essays year in and year out.

Finally, remember not to include any irrelevant information in your essay. Avoid making your SOP extremely pompous or flashy, extremely flattering or dishonest. You want to clear on what it is that you have done, what it is that you want to achieve and how the university can help you get there.