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A Statement of Purpose (SOP), also known as a research statement or a letter of intent, is the most crucial part of your visa application and decision maker in whether you will get a visa or not. The visa officers will only consider your application if you provide them with an honest statement of purpose that reflects your true persona and identity and is explained in a professional manner. Especially if you plan to study abroad, you should know that most countries, like Canada, Australia, the USA, and UK, require you to submit an SOP with your study visa application.
What’s so important about it?
SOP is simply where you put your information such as academic records, career experience, why you choose this particular field, and life objectives to show the reader/visa counselor how strongly you want to study abroad to acquire a certain degree. SOP allows you to highlight your entire personality, career vision, educational knowledge, and so forth.
If you have a weak profile, a good essay compensates for it by highlighting your ambitions and future goals. The university assesses you on your present and plans rather than dwelling on your performance in the past. A well-written Statement of Purpose (SOP) also reflects how well you can express your thoughts using your writing skills. The visa counselor will want to see your vision on the application and how you see it. For eg if you are applying for a study visa with the intention of completing your masters overseas and then start a career there then don’t mention such a thing in your application. The visa consular mustn’t need to know your after plans.
SOPs are important because they define your intention and your knowledge of the country, and if you want your application to be considered, then it must be written professionally.
What are the main “DOs” and “DON’Ts” while writing SOP letters?
DOs:
- Content type: First and foremost, the information should be more comprehensive about your academic records, honors, professional history, ambitions, and career plans after completing the course. In your statement of purpose letter, explain why you are qualified for this course.
- Writing style: Maintain a formal tone and refrain from using friendly or unprofessional language. Utilize the first light of this fact and break your SOP into paragraphs to make it easier for the reader to read.
- Word limit: Keep it to 2 pages and no more than 1000-1500 words, so keep it in that and make 5-6 paragraphs.
DON’Ts:
There are many dos and don’ts in the process of visa application but while writing the SOP letter, there are many strict “don’t” you have to be careful about since one tiny mistake can lead your application to the dustbin in a split second. Below are the mistakes you should avoid while writing your SOP:
- No researched enough: Consider writing a SOP ahead of time so you have enough time to research. Instead of writing in a chaotic manner, maintain your statement of purpose format and describe how you will benefit from studying on campus, working with professors, and gaining industry experience through the course you have applied to. Make sure to do your homework in research.
- Lying in your SOP or copying it: This may result in rejection or possibly permanent blacklisting, so make sure you compose your SOP honestly and incorporate your own experiences rather than stealing from someone else. make it genuine and original.
- Using technical terms: the reader or counselor may not understand your jargon language so instead of overexplaining, It is recommended that you keep your SOP’s language simple and use technical terms only to explain your goals.
- Not writing focused SOP: focus on the future and your career goals instead of what you have achieved in the past, make Sop with your career goals in mind.
What to include in the Statement Of Purpose?
SOP for study visa offer no guidelines on what to include or exclude. The structure will change based on the course you have selected, your level of study, the university for which you are writing, and the country in which you intend to study. But here is a checklist for you to remember some important things to include to make your SOP for visa application powerful and strong.
- Personal background
- Academic Achievements
- Financial background
- Professional experiences
- Short and long-term goals
- Reasons for choosing a particular course
- Why should you be selected for the applied course/university?
- Why are you interested in a chosen study field?
- Extra-curricular activities
- Projects you’ve worked on
- Awards and Achievements
- Interest and hobbies
Why consider professional help?
Now that we’ve learnt everything there is to know about what and why SOP is essential, it’s time to evaluate why one should seek expert help before beginning to write their SOP. We are unaware of several things that a professional who knows how to write a statement of purpose due to their years of experience. However many individuals, even after spending so much time on it, fail to get it right the first time, which is why several immigration consultants have sprung to help in such situations.
BOI services is one of the consultancies that provides assistance and advice on how to build a solid and powerful SOP. We also help you with various visa services such as paperwork, visa form filling, pre-landing services, eligibility criteria, and so on.
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