Applying to study abroad is a career-defining moment and demands precision, especially if the applicant is applying for a master’s degree. One of the important documents to submit is the statement of purpose (SOP).
SOP is the document that illustrates your motivation and interest in choosing the specific master’s course. You can explain your areas of strength, highlighting the particular skills that can help you understand a course better and showcase your achievements, leading to choosing a particular course at a specific university. In just a limited character count, you have to convince the chosen university that you are the best applicant.
This blog will share these tips to write a truly outstanding piece.
Tips For Writing An Outstanding Personal Statement
- Research
Before you start with the writing process, you need to read through the course description carefully and identify the skills and abilities that are of your interest.
We know this might seem insane, but don’t skip this step. For a better understanding of the guidelines, you can get help from Ireland best assignment writing service providers. They have experts who can compose winning drafts for you.
- Make a rough draft without any character counter
A common mistake that candidates often make is making their rough drafts with the limitation of the characters. The best way to begin writing is to turn off the tension of the word count. Narrate your complete story. Later, you will have the chance to delete unnecessary words and compress your file. This is an easy idea, as opposed to inserting more words. In the end, your final draft will lie in the range of the character requirement of the targeted university in Ireland. But before you put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, consider these things:
Use simple and clear language
Your goal should not be to impress the person with your vocabulary. Try impressing them with your clarity of thoughts and ability to concisely express ideas.
Reflect positivity, not negativity
This could be well explained through this example. Instead of stating that you want to become an interior designer because you think architecture is difficult. You can say this way: designing interiors comes naturally to you, and every time you enter a new place, you start designing the designs in your head.
Be enthusiastic
Allow your enthusiasm and passion for the subject to be reflected in your statement.
- Utilize your time
Remember! A superb personal statement cannot be ready in a couple of hours. Therefore, avoid rushing. It might take a couple of days or months to produce a statement that can give you admission. Moreover, taking breaks sometimes for a few days is beneficial, as you will return with a fresh pair of eyes and a fresh mind to write further.
- Opt for perfect words and expressions
Let’s understand this point through an example. “I want to do great things in my career” or “I want to accomplish great things in my career” The use of ‘accomplish’ rather than ‘do’ sounds more impactful, right?
As an applicant for an international university, it is more difficult since English is not the native language; therefore, we have a wide possibility of making mistakes. But you can get help from useful translation apps and other apps available on the internet. But you cannot solely depend on them. You need to pay attention to the synonyms suggested that are perfect for your sentence.
- Start your statement in an impactful manner
The introduction should be in a way that it should reflect the readers who you are and the reason you want to study. It should also play its role in captivating the attention of the audience and making them interested in knowing more about you. But don’t trap yourself in writing the first sentence as a literary masterpiece or a sentence that is too bold or unusual.
The trick is to maintain the line between modesty and confidence.
- Add details in the middle section
Your middle section should cover three things:
- Your achievements till the time you are writing. This should include your past and current studies, work experience, volunteering, and other similar activities, showing its relevance to your chosen course.
- Your plans and their link to the course chosen.
- Your miscellaneous interests, passions, and hobbies and how they help you to develop skills that are useful for your program.
Try adding those stories that reflect you are an authentic person with a genuine interest in the subject you are about to study. Let them sense that you are enthusiastic about the position without exaggerating the reality.
- Conclude with a strong conclusion
If you have set a perfect first impression, so don’t make blunders in the last. The admission officers should have the same image and feel about you even after reading the conclusion.
You need to reinforce the most important aspects of your statement. Summarize all the points that you have covered back in the statement.
- It’s time to add polish
Congratulations! You have completed the writing process. Now, it is time to edit and refine the statement. Keep in mind that all good writing needs rewriting. You are over with the first draft; you can now begin the editing process. While you go through it, pay attention to the word count that is recommended by the university. Also, check for spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure issues.
Every word has an importance.
During this process, you can cut off the sentences that you consider are least important. If you have ideas that can be merged and presented as one point, do it. This will make your statement look more concise, and the reader will go through it.
What should be included in a personal statement?
Your statement should include the reasons for choosing the subject, your current studies and their connection to the chosen subjects, your work experience, interest and passion for the course, and your plan after graduating.
How should a candidate begin his personal statement?
The best idea to begin is to start with a short sentence that captures the attention of the audience. This could be a reason to choose the course, the reason you are interested, and the area you are applying for. Don’t make the mistake of saying that you want to study something as it is interesting. Explain the reason that makes it compelling.
What is the ideal length of introducing oneself in the statement?
Your introduction should not be too long. It should include just two to three sentences telling about yourself. The character limit is important, so fill in the details wisely. Don’t be afraid to talk straight about what excites you most about your subject choice and the motivation behind choosing it.
What should be included in the conclusion?
Concluding the personal statement, the candidate should briefly recap the key points that are added to the essay. Make connections with them in a logical way. You can also include a sentence or two about your future goals and the way your experiences and qualifications will prepare you for that position.
The Final Advice
Personal statements may be formulated, but they can be critical to the decision-making process and admission.
If you are applying for a high-demand course, your statement is the deciding factor on whether you should granted an interview. Therefore, follow all the above advice to make a personal statement a route to convenience the university.
