International Education

Statement of Purpose for International Universities

female university student writing
Photo: © Hongqi Zhang / 123RF Stock Photo

The Statement of Purpose (SOP) is probably the most challenging and exciting part of an application. It probably makes you, the applicant, most nervous before starting to write. Yet once it is well written it can bring out your personality and give your application a boost like nothing else can. The statement of purpose is an important component of your application. It is an opportunity for the admissions committee to know you personally as an individual rather than just as a number as indicated by your marksheets. You have complete control over this essay; how exciting is that! You can use the opportunity to talk about the aspects that have influenced your career path, your academic interests, etc. This is your opportunity to explain if there are any gaps or tangents in your background which cannot be understood from just numbers.

Learning from academics and achievements

There is no set rule whether this should be chronological or as per its importance. The aim of the SOP should be to highlight your unique achievements in academics. However please don’t leap from one year to the other and back again. If you are going to share the importance of high school then do so in completion before you move to college and then internship or job. However, if you think that something that happened in Class 12 defined you, then yes, start with that and then go back and share an experience in Class 9. The SOP is your personal work and it needs to stay true to what you feel is important. For instance, you could mention any specific assignments or projects that you have done in a related area, if you have read any books that can highlight your interest in the topic. Any special seminars you have attended would also find a special mention here. It is important that you highlight what specifically you learned from the book/project mentioned.

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Shivani Manchanda, a post-graduate in Counselling from the USA, is a warm and vibrant counsellor. Her expertise lies in counselling students on career development, stress prevention and international education. She is an enthusiastic speaker with over two decades of experience.

Shivani Manchanda

Shivani Manchanda, a post-graduate in Counselling from the USA, is a warm and vibrant counsellor. Her expertise lies in counselling students on career development, stress prevention and international education. She is an enthusiastic speaker with over two decades of experience.