You've probably applied for a scholarship in the Master's or PhD level a few times without success, or you're just starting your journey to finding the best all-inclusive or fully funded scholarship opportunities in a foreign institution.
This article is for you if you fit into any of the two categories.
You'll learn how to write one of the most important requirements in your scholarship application.
To get started, be informed that some intricate requirements come with getting your scholarship application approved for admission into schools abroad. Either for a master's or PhD degree program, you have to meet some criteria to be selected among the many applicants.
Let's dive right in.
A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a document, usually in the form of an essay, that you submit to the admission panel of your school of choice, stating your background, academic achievement, professional experience, interests, and most importantly, why you deserve to be considered for the scholarship.
It differs slightly from a general SOP, which may not include getting considered for a scholarship or tuition fee waiver.
To explain this simply, SOP is mostly the only avenue you get to provide the admissions committee with necessary details about yourself and prove to them why you deserve to be considered for admission. Also, there are usually many applicants, so your SOP is a pitch on why you should be among the selected candidates.
In your SOP, you can also subtly explain any lapse you have in your application document that might influence the admission panel's decision, explaining why it is so and how you have another similar document they might be interested in seeing. When writing an SOP, consider yourself being on a stage and stacking claims on why you should be considered for scholarship admission.
An excellent SOP can make all the difference and be one of the reasons you gain admission, or you get a denial. Irrespective of how solid other documents are, you need a compelling SOP to convince the admission officers.
Brainstorming/Preparation: To craft a winning SOP, you need to make sure that you touch everything required, and to do this, you should sit down to plan how you’ll structure each section of your SOP. From the introduction to the conclusion, brainstorm the narrative you will use to convince the admission panel and jot them down.
Just like in other forms of writing, there are many ways to craft an SOP. The main aim is to convince the admission panel of your worthiness, and you can do this in various ways. However, there are some basic things every SOP should contain. Some of them include:
1. Introduction: Remember, there will be hundreds, and sometimes thousands of applicants for the scholarship program, and the admission officers will have tons of entries to go through. An interesting opening statement is one way to win their heart quickly.
It can be an insightful quote or a short and engaging background story of what piqued your interest in your preferred course. You can briefly mention your passion and what problems you aim to solve, then expand on them in the subsequent paragraphs.
2. Academic Qualifications: This is where you talk about your academic background and qualifications. Do you have an award or laurel you received in the past? Don't hesitate to flaunt it here. It boosts your chances of getting considered for the scholarship application and gives you a higher credibility score.
3. Work Experience: Each section of your SOP should increase your chances of admission, and as such, this section shouldn't be just about what you've done in the past. The work experience stated should be related to the scholarship program.
Let this section reflect your background and how it relates with the program you’re applying for. The admission officers would want to know how the skill gained through your experience would help you during the program and how it makes you unique and more deserving of the scholarship opportunity than other applicants. So, don’t hesitate to mention these.
If you don't have relevant work experience, you can use a volunteering experience that has helped you progress in your career. This will increase your chances of getting considered for admission.
4. Purpose of Application: Here, you have a chance to answer the main question behind your application for the scholarship. Do well to wow the admission officers and summarize your narrative from previous paragraphs into one giant and powerful purpose.
This will give the admission officer an insight and better perspective on why you truly deserve the scholarship. Keep in mind that what you say here should be in coherence with your topic and preceding narrative to avoid inauthenticity.
5. Future Goals: At this stage, you have already sold yourself, and what is left is to explain what you aim to do after completing your scholarship program. To further boost your chances, you should state how you'll implement the knowledge gained to improve the lives of people in your immediate society and the world at large.
Another impressive thing you can mention here is how you intend to solve a pressing problem in the industry. What this proves is good intent and readiness to use the knowledge for an impactful purpose.
6. Summary/Conclusion: Wrap up your essay here and summarize your major points in the SOP to remind the admission officers of your intention and reiterate your interest in the scholarship program. You can link it back to needing the scholarship to progress in your career.
You're doing this to help them remember your major points, enabling you to leave a striking impression on them.
1.Don't copy or use a generic template. Make yours unique.
This article should be enough for you to write a winning SOP for your master's or PhD degree scholarship application to any school.
It is a guide, and you can tweak it as you like, as long as you don't forget the major things a good SOP should contain, as stated in this article.
AA Resume has helped over 500 students gain admission into their school of choice with a well-crafted SOP.
If you need an SOP writing service, visit AA Resume website to be one of the many students selected for their dream courses with a compelling SOP.
