5 Mistakes to Avoid While Writing a Perfect SOP - Decision Tree

Whether you wish to study culinary arts or be a data scientist, a well-written statement of purpose (SOP) can help you secure admission to the college of your dreams. Of course, the flip side is also real – a poorly crafted SOP, one that is either too sketchy or factual, could land the best of students in mediocre places. It is important that your SoP presents your motivation, ambition, or intellect in the right manner to the admission committee. 

But what separates a well-written SOP from one that should make it directly to your system’s recycle bin? 

There’s no single answer to that particular question. Of course, not following the SOP guidelines laid down by your target university is one way to prove to the admissions committee that you lack attention to details. But, is that all you must avoid to write an excellent SOP?

Your SOP is a representation of your life’s story – its most arduous battles, the highest highs, and the lowest lows. It is supposed to flow like a continuous river, shedding light on your nature, your motivation, ambitions, thought process, and your USP – things that examination scores cannot reveal. 

1 Writing SoP as Your Resume

Tell your story in the right words.

For the admissions committee, your SOP is a reflection of your personality that they will use to judge your candidature against several other students. With the right details, a compelling SOP can act as a big leveller and even average out low scores by giving a subjective view into your application.

That indeed calls for pulling out the big guns and making your SOP a shining armour brimming with all your achievements – right?

Not at all. 

And that brings us to the first thing that you must avoid while writing your SOP, that is, focussing on your resume.

Remember, your SOP is not a verbose form of your resume. Saying things like, “I graduated from ABC with a 9.1 GPA and started working at XYZ in 20[XX]. I worked on…….” will add nothing extra to your candidature than what is already stated in your resume. 

Instead, use your SOP to narrate your unique story, bring forth your soft skills, highlight your unique qualities and vision to show what you can bring to the table in a better manner.

2 Writing Only Your Achievements

Not talking about your failures – that’s the second mistake to avoid.

Talk about your failures in your SOP. And also talk about how you overcame them to become the person that you are. So, instead of feeling bad about your academic score, consider telling the admissions committee what led to that poor score and how you improved it eventually. Were you dealing with the loss of a loved one or taking care of an ailing family member? Writing about these key events in your life would help you connect better with the admissions committee and also show them your determination and responsible attitude.

3 Starting with quotes from famous personalities or using clichés

If you do a Google search, you will find multiple SOP samples for almost every field, starting with an inspiring quote from a famous personality. Well, that’s a good way to start your research but not a great example to follow.

In fact, why would you start your personal story with a quote that you probably haven’t even heard before! Instead, focus on keeping your account personal and engaging by quoting incidents from your own life and how they shaped your personality and career decisions.

4 Stressing Too Much on Childhood Dreams & Aspirations

You are linking everything to your childhood – the fourth mistake to avoid.

Hardly anyone knows their calling as a child. Kids are easily influenced, and their career choice changes every few days, months, or years. So, saying that you always wanted to change the world (unless you are Malala and you did something to change the world as a child) or that you were fascinated by skyscrapers as a child and decided to be a civil engineer is downright foolish and fake. Yes, childhood incidents may shape your interest in a particular subject or hobby. Still, writing that you decided to be a doctor at five is not a believable proposition in most cases.

5 Not Highlighting Relevant Achievements

Being too humble – because you wish to stand out, humility will not help your case.

No, we are not asking you to be audacious or make hollow claims. But, eventually, your aim is to sell yourself to the admissions committee, and you can’t afford to undersell. So speak up and share your achievements, indulge in some self-praise, and take pride in your personality so that it shows in your application for the admissions committee to take notice!