Handy Tips:
There are a few things you need to consider before applying for a scholarship:
- Clearly state why you are applying to the particular course. What is it that draws your interest to it ?
- State why you have selected that university. It could because of its extracurricular activities, active alumni network or expertise in a particular field.
- Give some points on how you stand to benefit personally from the course / university.
- If there is any skill that you have that could help in peer learning or that you could include as an extracurricular activity, then clearly state it.
- Keep it concise and within the stipulated word limit.
- Write it yourself. Do not outsource it.
Students aspiring to pursue higher studies abroad are required to submit a Statement of Purpose (SoP) to the universities where they wish to apply. A SoP can be defined as an application essay where a student needs to elaborate in about 500 to 700 words why he/she wants to pursue a particular course, what is their career goal and why they have opted for that specific institution/university. Also called as “personal statement” in the UK, a SoP forms a key assessment tool for colleges and universities to evaluate the potential applicants writing skills and aptitude and ascertain if they to complete the chosen course successfully.
A SoP should not be written in a bland and matter-of-fact manner. One should remember that a SoP document should reflect the individual’s passion and zeal to pursue an academic course from a particular college/university. Passion, forms the base for attaining caliber and needs to come out clearly in a convincing manner.
A SoP should provide a roadmap into the student’s thought process and elaborate his choice parameters as to why he/she wishes to apply to a particular college and particular academic program. The reasons for applying to a specific university should be elucidated clearly.
Once written, the applicant can refer a SOP for evaluation to external editing agencies following a self-review exercise. The evaluation process by specialized agencies involves a thorough scrutiny of the draft content and plugging in the gaps which may lead to rejection of the SoP. Many a times, the draft may be in a disarray and may need to be refurbished in a logical format and professional language, done by professional editors. The SOP draft is then checked for grammatical errors, punctuation and spelling mistakes. It is then passed through various plagiarism detecting software to ensure that it is 100% original.
A professional who evaluates SoPs ideally holds a Masters or Doctorate degree in an applicant’s chosen field of study. He/she has an understanding and experience of writing and editing SoPs. Apart from being a fluent speaker in the native English language, the evaluator also has an innate know-how of the program for which admission is being sought.
The above article has been prepared basis available secondary information and interviews with education experts from backgrounds of consultancy and academia. Students are advised to use the above text as information only. CentrumDirect Ltd. or any Group company cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracy in information. Article Copyright – CentrumDirect Ltd.
