Common Mistakes while writing a Statement Of Purpose

The checklist for your Masters Applications is a complete package of documents that help the committee evaluate your candidature bit by bit. While your scorecards and Resume depict your existing knowledge of the domain, a Statement of Purpose allows you to outline your motivation behind applying for the program and help them realize your potential.

Your SOP must reflect who you are as a person, your interests, your work, your skills and accomplishments, and your goals and ambitions. However, such a representation can get tricky. And with the pressure that graduate admissions carry, there are some common mistakes that many students tend to make.

Here we have listed some of these mistakes to ensure that you don't succumb to them.

1) Copying and pasting readily available material from the net is the most disastrous of them all. The admission committee has years of experience analyzing SOPs and hence can sniff this out immediately. So ensure that your SOP is entirely authentic.

2) Writing an SOP at the eleventh hour, which leads to a poorly structured and bland document. Drafting an SOP is a time-consuming process involving numerous rewrites. Hence, it is good to start well in advance so that you have sufficient time to work meticulously on every little detail.

3) Mentioning generic adjectives and ideas. The SOP is your chance to help the committee understand you as a person. Hence, it would be best if you uniquely described yourself.

4) Inconsistency of your thoughts. It is crucial to ensure that the entire SOP binds together meaningfully and has a clear flow. Each section on your SOP must be well-framed and must transition into the next smoothly.

5) Repetition of words, phrases, or ideas. The SOP must be grasping. Hence, remove any redundancy and ensure that it is crisp and concise.

6) Use of slang, short forms, and informal language. Since the admission committee of the school will analyze the SOP, assume a formal tone.

7) Submitting without proofreading. It is imperative to proofread the SOP multiple times to perfect. So it is advisable to get it corrected by your professors, peers, and anyone else familiar with the process. Remember to pay attention to grammar and punctuation while proofreading, as they are minor errors that many of us tend to overlook.

8) Focusing only on yourself in the SOP. While the purpose of the SOP is to help the admission committee know you, it is essential to show an understanding of the university, and the program.

9) Not sticking to the word limit. While it is the common notion that the more you write, the more value is added to your SOP. However, in truth, less is more. So stick to the word limits provided.

10) Making the SOP look flashy. Remember, the SOP is about the content, not the appearance. Stick to a classic font style, with basic formatting and no colours. Keep it minimalistic and neat.

Keep these points in mind while crafting your SOP, and make yours stand out of the pile.

You can also check out our blog on How to write an effective Statement of Purpose to get started. For further help, feel free to reach out to us atRubeus Consultancy, and we will take care of all this, and more for you!