One of the most daunting tasks in an MS application is writing the Statement of Purpose (SOP). Compiling your entire background, experiences, and overall thought process in a single document that summarizes your persona and yet makes it an interesting read, is a challenge in itself. You will have to introduce yourself, give your profile, brag about yourself but not brag too much that it appears unreal and at the same time, convince the faculty to give an admit. Some students have problems even beginning one. Some get a few samples from various sources and do a blotchy job of copy and paste, while many students use a senior’s SOP and just change his/her name. Very few take the time to actually prepare a good Statement of Purpose.

Whatever is your method of preparing a statement of purpose, you can use the following checklist to make sure your SOP looks good and convincing.

• Is the length of the essay neither too short ( less than 500 words) nor too long (more than 1000 words)
• Is there a logical flow in the essay and divided into paragraphs?
• Is the essay spell proofed and grammar proofed?
• Does the essay use positive language and avoid any possible negativity?
• Is the essay concise? Does it avoid going into some unnecessary details or too deep into some technical explanation?
• Does the essay highlight all the relevant work experience, extra-curricular, co-curricular, projects?
• Does it avoid referencing unrelated work or activities that do not directly connect to your graduate studies (for instance too many details about your childhood days)
• Does it include your future plans and goals
• Does it make it clear how you are a good fit to the university and the university a good fit to you?
• Did you proof read and solicit feedback from people familiar with the process
• Avoid giving excuses for shortcomings in grades, scores etc
  Is it convincing?