If you are a student who is willing to go abroad for further studies, then you might have been asked to provide one crucial document for your admission or visa documentation, which is the SOP, or statement of purpose or personal statement, as the name suggests, asking about your real intention or purpose to study abroad and why not in your home country. In the SOP document, you need to show your real identification—who you are and why you are eager to do your further studies in a foreign land. Why does this particular career path excel you in your professional as well as personal life, and what are your future plans, etc.? We know there is a lot of work to do while making SOP. It is a crucial document that differentiates your profile from other candidates and explains why you are the ideal candidate to get selected for the institutions as well as the country.
For some students, SOPs allow them to showcase their real personality and perception, plus emphasise their goals and accomplishments, along with justifying their shortcomings, like huge backlogs, study gaps, weak percentiles in education, lack of scope of the chosen subject in their home country, etc. However, for some students, taking this document lightly can jeopardise their chances of being selected for the institutions as well as visa acceptance in the country. All the high-ranked institutions ask for a statement of purpose document. As far as the hot study destinations, such as Canada, the UK, the USA, and Ireland, are concerned, they all need it during their visa submission documentation because it is the document that gives a chance to the admissions team or immigration authority to understand the student better apart from his academic grade or subjects and assess whether the student is a better fit for the program or the country.
7 Deadly SOP Mistakes
1) Lack of practicality
A large flock of students are just looking for the offer letter from the institution or would like to fly to the selected country, so just to impress the admissions team or immigration authority, they make a statement of purpose by writing impractical professional goals without a clear plan. They start exaggerating with a statement like I have always dreamed of studying here”; this kind of phrase can look impractical if made without any proof or evidence. Lack of practicality in the SOP not only weakens the approval but also increases the chances of being refused.
2) Not doing research
Every single document during the study abroad journey asks for research; some want it less, but some documentation wants long research; SOP also comes under the long queue. SOP is like writing your biography, where you need to be cautious about which things you should include and which things I should leave out. Students make mistakes while making SOP as they do not do proper research about the institution or country, about the program and its scope, or the kind of positive changes they would have after completion of the program. Without research, an SOP seems ambiguous and like the ones written by other applicants.
3) Excessive usage of technical Jargons
An SOP is all about your profile, aspirations, and journey; it should not look like a technical report. Lots of students use excessive technical jargon about their field or skills, which can weaken their profile and increase their chances of being rejected or refused. It is also obvious that the admissions team or immigration authority would not be from your field, which can make their task complex and tedious. It is always advisable to use easy words and vocabulary while making an ideal SOP.
4) Unable to explain future aspects
Most of the students fail to show the scope of this abroad journey and make their profiles directionless. Several students don’t demonstrate a distinct career vision in their general comments. The admissions team and authority need to be sure that this particular program or country can support you in the long run.
5) Lack of professionalism
Many students take SOP lightly and write it without having any proper structure, which makes SOP more like a puzzle and harder to understand. Typographical errors and poor grammar gives your SOP a sloppy, untidy appearance. Your SOP appears unprofessional if you use slang, colloquial language, or exaggerated terms.
6) Fake storytelling
Many candidates believe that sharing a story that is too dramatic will make them stand out in front of the administration or immigration authority. However, those professionals can easily detect a fraudulent narrative because it lacks genuineness and personal depth.
7) Using AI tools or plagarised SOP
Artificial intelligence has seen rapid growth in every single sector, and some candidates love to take the assistance of these automated writing tools, which results in SOPs that are impersonal and generic. It becomes a piece of cake for the admissions team to detect whether it is human-generated content or if AI has made this all. A duplicate or plagiarised SOP is strictly banned and can result in not only rejection but also a ban from the university or country.
How to avoid these deadly SOP mistakes
- The ideal SOP should be clear and crisp; only practical and genuine information should be there. It should be simple and impressive and always prepared by the student.
- Always do the research about the institution, country, scope of the program, and future aspects, and it is always advisable to prove your points by sharing some examples.
- Always mention the real and true events and avoid making up unrealistic events or stories.
- It is the best opportunity to showcase our goals and achievements; make it simple; do not brag about it.
- Always proofread the SOP document after completion and avoid any mistakes and plagiarism.
Always make a note that a good SOP can increase your chances of being accepted into the institution or country. It is the best platform to showcase your talent and fulfil your study abroad journey. By avoiding the above common mistakes, you can easily stand out from the other candidates in your profile. Focus on a structured, clear, and genuine statement of purpose, and you can crack the code of being approved.
Planning to file the study visa, please check the common mistakes students make while applying for a study visa.
