This presentation is prepared to be used for Technical report writing course of CSE dept. of IUT

1. SOP Writing
A.B.M. Ashikur Rahman

2. What is SOP?
• a reflection of your personality that you portray in front of the
admission committee for getting enrolled in universities abroad
• it tells the admission committee who you are, why you’re applying,
why you’re a good candidate, and what you want to do in the future.
• Also known as motivation letter, application essay, Statement of
intent, Statement of interest etc.

3. Why SOP?
• It allows the admissions committee to peek into your background,
almost a narrative to your entire application.
• A good way of showing your skills and uniqueness
• the only truly subjective aspect of your application
• a well-drafted statement of purpose could downplay certain weaknesses

4. What should be in SOP
UBC:
• Your specific area of academic interest
• How your past education and other experiences have prepared you for this program
• What you hope to achieve in the graduate program
• Why this particular program at UBC is the best place for you to pursue your interests
Alberta:
The main purpose of the statement of intent is for you to outline your research or interests and
goals. Secondly, include a personal statement that briefly outlines why you want to go to graduate
school, your academic career so far, and your tentative career plans. You may also include any
additional information that you feel would be helpful to the Admissions Committee.

5. What should be in SOP
California, Berkeley:
• Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations
• Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career
• Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities
• Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

6. What should be in SOP
Who I am: Motivation,
Academic background
Thesis
Professional work
Other projects
Why me: Relevance with your current activity and future goal
Why them: Something specific good about the program
Interest in their specific lab or professor
Conclusion

7. Writing SOP
You should use:
• 12 point Times New Roman font
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• line spacing: 1.0 to 1.5
• Length: 2 pages (if word limit not mentioned)
• No images/graphics
• No section/points/bullets
• No external links

8. Dos & Don’ts
• Start it anyway
• No vocabulary show-off (avoid complex sentences)
• Avoid irrelevance
• No flattery
• No fake information
• Focus on your strength and relevant skill-sets
• Maintain the flow
• Complete, coherent