A strong SOP can augment your application

What is a Statement of Purpose and why is it required

The SOP which stands for Statement of Purpose is a document that any student applying to a course in a University or College is required to write in order to justify and convince the admission committee about their purpose for applying to the said course. The admission committee is aware of your academics from your mark sheets and transcripts, work experience and activities from the respective certificates but the Statement of Purpose gives the admission committee a perspective of

• who you are
• why you want to apply to the course
• what motivates you
• what are your goals
• how doing this course will help you contribute to the field of your study

All the other documents are like a testimony of your credentials and achievements but the SOP is your story that reveals your personality in your own words. Hence it has to be unique and should talk about the ideas that motivate you, your journey, challenges faced, lessons learnt and most importantly the reason for your pursuit of the said academic course and the roadmap in future. It is also an excellent opportunity for you to justify your weaknesses or gaps in your academic career with the right reasons while highlighting your strengths. All this should be done clearly and concisely within the given word limit so that your SOP convinces the admission officers about how driven you are to pursue this course and how you are a prospective student who would achieve the learning objectives and add value to the class.