What is SOP?

The Statement of Purpose is the single most important part of your application that will tell the
admissions committee who you are, what has influenced your career path
so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here.

Graduate Schools are interested in SOP to see....?:

Your purpose in graduate study. This means you must have thought this through before you
try to answer the question.
The area of study in which you wish to specialize. This requires that you know the field well
enough to make such decision.
Your future use of your graduate study. This will include your career goals and plans for your
future.
Your special preparation and fitness for study in the field. This is the opportunity to relate
your academic background with your extracurricular experience to show how they unite to
make you a special candidate.
Any problems or inconsistencies in your records or scores such as a bad semester. Be sure to
explain in a positive manner and justify the explanation. Since this is a rebuttal argument, it
should be followed by a positive statement of your abilities.
Any special conditions that are not revealed elsewhere in the application such as a large (35
hour a week) work load outside of school. This too should be followed with a positive statement
about yourself and your future.
You may be asked, "Why do you wish to attend this school?" This requires that you have done
your research about the school and know what its special appeal is to you.
Above all this, the statement is to contain information about you as a person. They know
nothing about you that you don’t tell them. You are the subject of the statement.
 Statement of Purpose (SOP)
Statement of Purpose - Mechanical Engineering

Applicant : NAME

Undergraduation Major : Mehanical engineering

E-mail : XYZ.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The ensuring statement of purpose is meant to put forth my aspiration to pursue my career
through Masters in Mechanical Engineering at your esteemed university, as well as description
of my plans subsequent to my graduation. In this ever changing world of Engineering and
Technology, passing day makes them obsolete, I want to attain the highest level of education
and transcend new scope for research in Mechanical Engineering. This has always fascinated me
and I am keen to continue my academic pursuit in this field.
I have always cherished a dream to become an Engineer, a dream that was innate and developed
slowly over the years. Right from my school days I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of
mathematics and physics, which spurn the web their web of aura around me, a web that I sought
to unravel in countless problem solving sessions I have always felt a strong need for
achievement, which has been the motivating force behind whatever I have achieved in my
academic career. Mechanical department staff in my college gave the strong support to my
feeling saying that “We being the Mechanical Engineering students can make the world and we
can move the world”.
I finished my schooling with 83% in 10th class and with 93.2% in 12th class. I was placed among
the top 5% of 110,000 odd students in a state level entrance examination for undergraduate
study through which I could cherish my dream of getting into the stream of Mechanical
Engineering in a reputed institution .I am proud to say that our college is one of the best college
in the state that every undergraduate student has a dream to enroll into it. The college has
accredited “A” grade by “NBA” and “AICTE”. In such a good college I got 87% in aggregate
and stood “UNIVERSITY FIRST”in b.tech in mechanical engineering.
In this world where engineers are proliferating at an extremely high place, I felt that I had to
achieve something different to stand in a good position in the competitive world pursuing this
strongly in built motive, I have authored some technical papers, which have received due
appreciation on which I wrote about the present trends and performance improvement of a diesel
engine with cotton seed oil and advances in advanced chemical engineering in alternate fuels
and robot hexapod matrix related approach for calculation of arm length of robot. During my
study at baccalaureate level I have nurtured a growing interest in CAE and Robotics due to its
immense real life applications and wide scope of research. It is my interest to excel in the fields
of CAE, Robotics and to position of immense. I want to expose myself to the outer limits of
specialized knowledge of these fields. A through knowledge of computers is imperative for any
engineer to be successful. I have taken computer and mechanical courses in C-Language, C++ ,
JAVA and I am well acquainted with mechanical software’s namely I-DEAS, AUTOCAD,
UNIGRAPHICS. I have worked various flat forms like WINDOWS, DOS and UNIX.
The American universities have always pioneered the research in my fields of interest. Being a
prospective student for new challenging ideas, I believe that an opportunity for higher education
in U.S.A. would be a unique fortuity to test and prove my ability and also to enrich and broaden
my keen with transition to a new setting. Finally, I would like to add here that my parents have
always been a source of inspiration to me. They have set me personal examples and ideals for
me follow. As a result of this, I believe that over the years, I have evolved into a person who can
fit easily into a team and who appreciates the value of discussion and exchanges of ideas. I am
largely self-regulated and am capable of independent work, given an opportunity.
I would like to conclude with the reasons for my choosing to apply to your esteemed university
for my Master degree. I perceive that graduate study nurtures the seeds of learning sown during
the course of undergraduate study. After having gone through the details of the research
facilities available at your university, I feel that they are very much catering to the fields of
interest and it is the right place to embark upon my academic career.
An assistantship besides providing financial support as seen fit by the university official would
gain me valuable research experience and will place me in a good stead leader in my career .I
wish to aver that I will make maximum use of all the opportunities bestowed upon me and shall
pursue my goals with whole hearted dedication and can live to the high standards set by the
university. I sincerely hope that my application for admission is favorably
received

YOUR NAME.

Graduate School statement of purpose

Personal Statement
The graduate school personal statement is your chance to demonstrate your unique qualifications
for and commitment to your field of study by discussing those experiences, and events that
influenced your decision to enter that field.

In the following sections, you will come across some simple guidelines that you can follow
in order to better your Personal Statement (aka Statement of Purpose).

General information regarding the Personal Statement

The primary question admissions committee members ask themselves when they read a
Statement of Purpose is: What does this essay tell me about the person who wrote it? Academic
achievements and good test scores are important. But in an era where the majority of applicants
have good academic records, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between individuals
and decide who gets the offer of admission.
When you apply, each of the items in the application packet - recommendations, extra-curricular
achievements, work samples - adds an extra dimension to your personality. But it is the SoP that
brings you to life.

Is the SoP the main deciding factor?

No. Your academic record . grades and the courses you took- are the first section admission
committee members turn to. Standardized test scores are useful to know where you stand in the
applicant pool. For graduate schools, relevant work or academic experience is important. Being
from a reputed school or college confers a distinct advantage. What your teachers or boss think
of you goes a long way towards the school's opinion. A good work sample can show your
creativity, skill and professionalism.
However, only the SoP or application essays can bring out your uniqueness. And therefore make
or break your application. An applicant who does not take the essay seriously is throwing away
the best opportunity available.

So are the admission officers looking for specific personality sorts?

Well, yes and no. Creativity, curiosity, pride in your work, an enthusiasm for learning, a capacity
for teamwork, the ability to think independently and so on are all good attributes, and most of us
share these in varying proportions. But what schools look for is a mix of individuals that
together, form a well-balanced class. This would include several personality types.

How can I impress the admission officers?

It is good to go through the school's brochure or web site, speak to people about it, visit if that is
possible; get a feel of the student mix that they look for and decide if this is the school for you.
However, trying to tailor your SoP to reflect what you think the school is looking for is
dangerous business. The people who read your application have been doing so for years and are
skilled at spotting fakes. They are likely to know soon if a particular author is saying something
for effect or if an essay does not ring true. And that means almost certain rejection.
Of course we want to have an effect on the admissions officers. The important thing is to do so
without appearing dishonest. If, for instance, you talk about your deep desire to make society a
better place, your application should reflect it. Have you done anything about this desire? Can
you talk about your actions and experiences? A small example of something you did, not
necessarily spectacular, can do more towards boosting your chances than the noblest platitude
can.

How honest should I be?

Don't try to be something you are not. Don't try to tell the admissions committee what you think
they want to hear. Be honest, look inside yourself and do your best.
Which brings us to the next point - self-knowledge. The people who read your essay want to be
convinced that you have thought long and hard about who you are, what are the things you
appreciate, what inspires you. What you want out of life, and where you are going from here. It
is not necessary to have all the answers. After all, several admirable people have no idea where
they are going even at age 40 or 50. It is necessary to show that you have thought about this and
that these life experiences have taught you something.

Should I include my resume?

Write out your resume. It is best to get this out of the way so that your SoP is not a repetition of
the information in the resume. It should instead, use the resume as a reference and highlight the
learnings you have received during some key points in your career. There are a number of sites
that help you to write a suitable resume for your college applications. You could also browse
your local bookstore for resume-writing aids.

Is there anything else I should do?

Research the universities you are considering applying to. Find out the strengths and weaknesses
of each. Good sources for this exercise are - university and department web sites and brochures,
home pages of students, your seniors or friends who are studying at that university or in the same
field elsewhere, your college professors, friends in the same field. If it is possible for you to
access the university's web site, find out which professors work in areas that interest you and
write to them about your plans. Some professors respond, some don't - but you have nothing to
lose at this stage. In fact, you could gain a better idea about the areas of research emphasized
upon by that particular department.

Graduate School statement of purpose

Tips for writing Graduate School statement of purpose
Background Issues
1. Ask yourself why you want to study further. Take a piece of paper and start writing
down all the reasons. Spend about half an hour on this, so that you can go beyond cliched
ideas like wanting to improve your prospects or contribute to society. Write a few
sentences on any reason that particularly strikes a chord with you.
2. Make lists of instances you can use in your SoP. For example, if you've been asked to
talk about an important event in your life, list down events that have made a significant
impression on you. Don't worry if these are events that are not 'conventionally' important
or seem insignificant; what matters is that they have had some influence over you.
Similarly, make a list of people you admire or who have influenced you - this could be a
friend, a family member, a teacher, etc. and need not necessarily be a famous person.
3. Go through your resume and reflect on what you have learned from your various
experiences. How have they molded your interests and led you to this point? Pick one or
two cases that you can talk about in-depth. For graduate school, it is best to take at least
one professional situation and show what you did and learned.
4. Make a list of schools you plan to apply to. As you continue through the background
check, you will add a few universities and delete several. A final shortlist of ten to fifteen
schools is common. Ask yourself why you wish tostudy at each of the schools you have
listed. For graduate study, it is important to ensure that your interests are compatible with
the research interests of the department you are applying to. As you progress through the
 background check and understand more about your interests through subsequent revisions
of the SoP, add to and improve the list.

General Tips for Better Writing

1. Express yourself in positive language. Say what is, not what is not.
2. Use transitions between paragraphs. Transitions tie one paragraph to the next. A
transition can be a word, like later, furthermore, additionally, or moreover; a phrase like
After this incident...; or an entire sentence.

If you are writing about Topic A and now want to discuss Topic B, you can begin the
new paragraph with a transition such as "Like (or unlike) Topic A, Topic B..."
3. Vary your sentence structure. It's boring to see subject, verb, object all the time. Mix
simple, complex, and compound sentences.
4. Understand the words you write. You write to communicate, not to impress the
admissions staff with your vocabulary. When you choose a word that means something
other than what you intend, you neither communicate nor impress. You do convey the
wrong message or convince the admissions officer that you are inarticulate.
5. Look up synonyms in a thesaurus when you use the same word repeatedly. After the
DELETE key, the thesaurus is your best friend.
6. Be succinct. Compare:
 During my sophomore and junior years, there was significant development of my
maturity and markedly improved self-discipline towards school work.
 During my sophomore and junior years, I matured and my self-discipline
improved tremendously.
The first example takes many more words to give the same information. The admissions
officers are swamped; they do not want to spend more time than necessary reading your
essay. Say what you have to say in as few words as possible.
7. Make every word count. Do not repeat yourself. Each sentence and every word should
state something new.
8. Avoid qualifiers such as rather, quite, somewhat, probably, possibly, etc. You might
improve your writing somewhat if you sometimes try to follow this suggestion.
The example contains nonsense. Deleting unnecessary qualifiers will strengthen your
writing 1000%. Equivocating reveals a lack of confidence. If you do not believe what you
write, why should the admissions officer?
9. Use the active voice. Compare:
 The application was sent by the student. (Passive voice)
 The student sent the application. (Active voice)
They both communicate the same information. The active voice, however, is more
concise; it specifies who is performing the action and what is the object. The passive
voice is wordier and frequently less clear.
 10. Read and re-read Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. Containing
basic rules of grammar, punctuation, composition, and style, this indispensable classic is
available in paperback and is only eighty-five pages long

Graduate School statement of purpose

Writing your Graduate School statement of purpose
Remember that your essay has the following objectives:
1. Show your interest in the subject. Rather than saying that you find electronics
interesting, it is more convincing to demonstrate your interest by talking about any
projects you may have done and what you learnt from them. If you have taken the
initiative to do things on your own, now is the time to talk about them.
2. Show that you have thought carefully about further studies, know what you are
getting into, and have the confidence to go through with it. Have the admissions
committee like you! Avoid sounding opinionated, conceited, pedantic or patronizing.
Read your essay carefully, and have others read it to find and correct this.
3. Demonstrate a rounded personality. Include a short paragraph near the end on what
you like to do outside of your professional life. Keep the essay focussed. Each sentence
you use should strengthen the admissions committee's resolve to admit you. So while you
may have done several interesting things in life, avoid falling into the trap of mentioning
each of them. Your essay should have depth, not breadth. The resume is where you
should list achievements. Remember that you have very little space to convey who you
are, so make every sentence count.
4. Pitfalls your essay must avoid : It is a repetition of the resume or other information
available from the application form. It could have been written by just about anybody;
your individuality does not come through. It is not an honest account in response to the
essay question (why you want to study what you do, what you have learned from an
event/person in your life and so on). It has embarrassing, highly personal and emotional
content that should be avoided unless it makes a unique, creative point. The admissions
committee would not appreciate reading about the pain you went through after breaking
up with your boyfriend. An account of how you overcame difficult family circumstances,
illness, or a handicap, would be a valid point to include in your essay. However, avoid
emotional language.

Language Guidelines
1. Flow : While each paragraph should make a complete statement on its own, the essay
should logically progress from paragraph to paragraph. Read your essay for flow, or have
someone else read it, and ask yourself if there seems to be an abrupt shift between ideas
in two consecutive paragraphs.
2. Structure : This follows naturally from flow. Do all the paragraphs mesh together to
form a cogent whole? Does the essay, through a logical progression of ideas, demonstrate
your interest, enthusiasm, and fit in the department you have applied to?
3. Language : Avoid slang and abbreviations. For acronyms, use the full form the first time
and show the acronym in parentheses. Use grammatically correct English and ALWAYS
read your essay carefully for spelling mistakes before you send it off - your computer's
 spellcheck may not flush out all the errors. Try to make your essay crisp, cutting out
unnecessary adverbs, articles and pronouns (for instance, a careful reading may yield
several "the's" that are superfluous).
4. Tone : Use a consistent tone throughout the essay - it will only confuse the admissions
officers if you alternately sound like Ernest Hemingway and Shakespeare, and is hardly
likely to endear you to them! While you should avoid flowery language and cliches, there
is no harm in looking for the most apt phrase or sentence. Be careful while using humor -
it can misfire and harm your chances.

Polishing your SoP

So now you have a coherent essay put together. You think the structure is more or less right, the
ideas flow, and the language isn�t bad. What next?
1. The �In their shoes� check : Put your essay away for a day or two. When you take
it out, lay it face down for two minutes while you put yourself in the admissions
committee�s place. Think of what you'd look for in an essay, if you were reviewing
application essays and see if yours satifies all of these requirements.
The admissions officer will also expect to see the following :
• What areas you are interested in and why
• How well defined your interests are
• Are your interests based on experience (academic or on the job)
• How you think graduate school will help you
• What experience you may have had that will help.
2. Showing your stuff around : It is essential to show your SoP to a few people whose
opinion you respect : an English teacher from school, a professor, an older friend, a
parent or a relative. Include among these, 2-3 people who know you well. Ask your
readers to write their comments on the essay. Also, spend some time discussing it with
them. Listen to their suggestions carefully but remember that this is your essay. You
don�t have to implement every suggestion, only those that make sense to you.
3. The Final Printout : Once you have the final draft ready, do the following before you
take a final printout:
• Run a spelling and grammar check.
• Read the essay carefully two-three times for spelling or grammar errors the
program did not detect.
• Look for and correct any anomalies in spacing, font and margins.
• Choose a readable font and size, nothing fancy. Avoid special effects like
underlining, boldface and italics (except in the title, if you have one). Don�t use
colors. Don�t use special stationery or your letterhead.
• Make sure that the school and program mentioned in the essay are correct.
• Include a header in the top right-hand corner with your name and the name of the
program you are applying to. Use a smaller font size for this.
• Take a rough printout and show it to someone else who can read it over carefully
for errors and anomalies.
• Keep the final printed copy carefully in a folder till you are ready to transfer it to
the application envelope.