How to Write Personal Statement (SOP) UCAS
What is a Statement of Purpose (SOP)?
The statement of purpose or SOP is a personal essay that describes a candidate applying for a college or a university. The university or college has the academics of the candidate, so the SOP gives an institution idea about the personal details about the candidate. The SOP has remained one of the important documents for admission to any institution. The SOP can make a huge difference in one’s academic career. The statement of purpose is a way to become prominent in a crowd a chance to be in the spotlight. The SOP includes everything that you have done or planning to do in your future.
However, SOP is not an easy essay to write. It requires a lot of research and brainstorming along with good writing skills. You have to know yourself, learn your interests, future goals, and intentions. You have to show why you are better than applicants.
How to write an UCAS SOP?
1. Style
Style means how you write a piece of passage. Writing style varies from person to person. Your style reflects your attitude and your personality. Remember, that you have to be optimistic in your writing. For UCAS applications write in an enthusiastic, concise, and natural style. Use the simplest words you can find for the writing, the simpler the better.
You should be familiar with grammar rules and should know the correct sentence structure, This is important because if you write in the wrong style it can get you rejected. Use correct verbs and tenses; use correct punctuation marks and connectors. Further, write in a logical order, it will be easier for a reader to understand what you want to say.
2. Be Creative
You can always use the templates available online, but writing your own thoughts in your own language will be more rewarding than just copying others’ text. Be creative, be optimistic, come up with your own ideas, and don’t be pessimistic. Do not use sluggish language like, “I have always wanted to be a doctor or engineer”.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand how to write it down, don’t be afraid to ask for help from school or college teachers. You can also seek help from an advisor. But remember you have to share your own experiences and desire for that particular course. You might want to add some practical examples for your area of interest.
3. Add Your Skills
SOP is all about your personal life, what are you besides academics. Here you have to show what are you good at. It can be any skill. Think about your skills; skills like communication, essay writing, leadership, science, or any related skills. Avoid saying things like, “I know I can be an excellent computer expert” or anything like that. Be genuine, talk about skills that are relevant to your subject area.
4. Write About Hobbies
Additionally, you must also add your activities, hobbies, or the things that you like to do with your extra time or what do you love to do. In this section add the relevant hobbies like sketching, reading, exercise, cycling, or any other athletic activity of your choice. You must be genuine in your hobbies too, don’t overwrite your skills and activities. Be honest.
It is advised to add your training, certifications, and academic or sports achievements to your SOP. Extra circular activities always help you to build a good SOP.
5. Discuss Your Future Goals
This is the most important part of your SOP. So, pay extra attention to this part. The institutions are interested to know about your future goals and what are you intending to do after your degree. In this part, you must add why and how this particular course would help you in your future career goals. You need to have a clear idea that why this course is perfect for your interests and future goals.
UCAS SOP Dos
- Start with a catchy paragraph to hook your reader and encourage him to read on.
- Be enthusiastic about your course, if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
- Write always in a logical order, it will facilitate the reader.
- Draw multiple sketches before you finalize the final essay.
- Use simple and effective writing style.
- Always write in word limit, normally an SOP has 2500 – 3000 words.
UCAS SOP Don’ts
- Don’t use flowery or bombastic language.
- Don’t let spelling and grammar errors lower your admission chances.
- Do not copy SOP others and try to write it yourself.
- Avoid over writing the achievements and hobbies, you might be asked to elaborate later.
- Don’t leave it to the last minute, your statement will seem rushed, and important information could be left out.
- Don’t write short or long SOP. Always mind the word limit.
How to write a UCAS Undergraduate personal statement | Undergraduate | UCAS
