Entering into a new professional or academic organization can be an exciting yet daunting task. One has to follow a process laden with several steps. Whether it is your dream job or university, a Statement of Purpose forms the crux of your application. Institutions demand it to check several aspects of your personality which cannot be attained through other documents like a Resume, Cover Letter, etc. When it comes to drafting an SOP for Scholarship, the stakes reach an even higher level. You have to convince the admission team of being deserving of the scholarship without making it sound like a desperate attempt at seeking financial aid. There are so many ways to do it but to make it best, follow the following tips.
Things to remember while writing an SOP for Scholarship
Getting into an institution is a matter of immense significance in your career. Therefore, it is necessary to put all your diligence into writing an SOP that leaves no strands of doubt left regarding the acceptance of your application.
The tone of the SOP: First and foremost is the tone of your SOP. While writing, you need to remember that the main focus of your SOP is Scholarship and not admission. Therefore, choose words and phrases that can help steer the mind of the reader in that direction.
Be precise: Don’t unnecessarily stretch your sentences to make them look good. The person who’d be reading your SOP would already have gone through hundreds of them, and his mind must already have become indolent. In this context, you need to be precise in structuring your sentences. Keep them short and crisp while retaining the meaning. Also, wherever necessary, do not hesitate to use long sentences.
Write what they want to hear: You have to write according to the guidelines provided by the institution. They may want you to focus on “why,” and you might be stuck on “how.” Therefore, always check the guidelines thoroughly and write what they want to hear, not what you want to write.
What questions must you answer in your SOP for Scholarship?
Crafting an SOP from scratch can be challenging if you are not aware of what to write in it. Therefore, preparing an outline always helps. Take a pen and a rough page to jot down the questions your SOP must answer. Here are some suggestions to help you:
What skills do you possess?
The admission coordinators want the scholarship to reach a candidate who deserves it not only because of the financial aspect involved but also because of the candidate’s academic prowess. Make sure to write about the skills you possess and if an organization or institution has acknowledged them. If you are a software developer, mention the programming languages you have a good hold on and if you ever created software or applications from the bottom. Things like these make a lot of impact on the opinion of the reader.
Why do you need the scholarship?
This is the most crucial constituent of your SOP. In other words, it forms the crux of your document. You have to succinctly write about why the scholarship should be awarded to you amongst those who have applied. Financial conditions, overburdening of expenses, lack of quality education at affordable prices, etc., can be some of the things you may want to write about.
How would you use the scholarship for the good?
Suppose you get the scholarship, now what? How would that be beneficial to you and your future actions? You may want to tell the university about your goals and dreams, in the long run, to assure them of the scholarship falling into the right hands.
The structure you need to follow:
Introduction: The starting paragraph should be so engaging and intriguing that the reader can find no excuse to skip the rest of the SOP. Start it with a quote or some personal experience related to the field of your study, which would help those reading assess your personality.
Academic strengths: Thoroughly cover the information regarding your intellectual prowess and qualifications in the second paragraph of the SOP. You need to connect your historical achievements to the scholarship and present the information in a manner that leaves an incredible impact on the minds of the admission authorities.
Career goals: Since a Statement of Purpose is essentially a document conveying the goals of your life; you need to mention the same in clear terms. Explaining the importance of the scholarship is not as significant in this paragraph as it is to explain how you would utilize it to achieve your goals in life.
Social work or contributions to society (if any): If you ever worked towards a social cause or have joined any NGOs, this should be the place to organize that information.
Conclusion: Once everything mentioned above is covered in the SOP, you have to close it with an impactful concluding paragraph. Ensure not to include any new information in the conclusion.
Avoid doing these things in your SOP for Scholarship:
Don’t load it with unnecessary information: Don’t write everything that has happened in your life simply because most of it would be irrelevant for seeking a scholarship. Write only what is necessary.
Don’t write lengthy paragraphs: Lengthy paragraphs can bore the reader and eventually end any hopes of you attaining the green signal for the scholarship. Follow the structure mentioned above and sumptuously organize the information.
Don’t repeat information: Avoid writing repetitive statements for the simple reason that they are of no use and add negative points to your chances.
Why choose Kalam Kagaz?
Professional Writers and Editors: At Kalam Kagaz, everything is of professional quality. Writers use impactful words, and editors help fine-tune them to produce the best SOPs for Scholarship.
Punctual Deliveries: We never miss deadlines. Once a date is decided between the client and us, either they receive it on that date or earlier.
Affordable Rates: There’s no one in the SOP writing industry with rates as affordable as ours bundled with a quality that surpasses all expectations.