Statement of Purpose (SOP)
An SOP is an essay that you write to convey your proficiency and goals to the admission committee of universities that you are applying to. The aim is to make them read the essay and get convinced that as a student, you are the ideal student they are looking for and that you deserve that spot in their valuable student pool.
Ideally, the SOP should be around 1.5 pages long unless specified otherwise. Many set a word limit, so you should adhere to it strictly. It is essential to be clear and honest; it will not be fruitful if you make up stories.
Introduction Paragraph: You can begin with writing about the field of specialization that you wish to pursue. Keep the tone engaging, not casual, structure your sentences so that the flow keep’s the reader’s attention.
The Middle Paragraph: Write about your academic performance, courses you might have taken, touch upon any extra-curricular you have excelled in. Use technical terms, be precise; every word has value in this essay, so use your words wisely. Finally, you can talk about your motivation and passion that keeps you going.
Work Experience Paragraph: Describe your capabilities, the kinds of work roles you have taken up, your responsibilities at your workplace, and the accomplished goals. You can also mention the lessons you learn and your acquired skills with those experiences.
Last Paragraph: here, you must write about why you chose the particular university/course to study and how you will be a good fit with them. Talk about your future goals and how analyzing in that university will help you achieve them.
Letter of Recommendation ( LOR)
As the name suggests, a LOR is a letter wherein the writer describes and assesses your characteristics capabilities and highlights your qualities and various abilities.
This letter plays an essential role in the admissions process. These letters need to be taken from people who know you as a student. The content of these letters lets the admission committee understand what kind of student you are from another professor’s point of view. While this letter paints you in a good light, you must also ensure whoever is writing it should not go over the top. The intention should be genuine while showing that you are a good student.
Sometimes there is a specific number of LORs that universities ask for, so make sure to go to the right people who can write a good letter for you. You should also make sure that this recommendation letter adds value to your college application and shows relevance to the program you wish to apply to.
Don’t worry if you don’t get the SOP right in the first go or the LOR isn’t what you were hoping for. The final document is the one you put in your application, so you have ample drafts you can work on to get that perfection you are looking for.
We believe you will understand the purpose SOPs and LORs serve in your college application and what you should keep in mind while working on them!
