Ways to differentiate your statement of purpose from others

We all want to be different from the rest. One of the biggest fears that grips our generation is the fear of being average. You must be better than everyone else, you must be the best at a certain task, or you’re nothing (at least according to your parents and the aunty next door). With the high rates of competition that clutch our throats and the increasing rates at which people’s ambitions are taking flight, you have to find creative ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of those around you. Naturally, the need to be different also factors in while you’re drafting a statement of purpose template to study at the university of your dreams.

It’s easy to follow a statement of purpose format someone left online that gives you perfect directions as to how to add the maximum amount of information while being extremely efficient and without overwhelming the reader but these are more often than not extremely ineffective. Also, how do you think your competitors drafted their statements?

Here’s some insider information to help you get that sweet academic clout that you truly deserve:

#1 Understand what your university is truly looking for

Go through the university’s website and understand its principles and ideologies. Once you’re sure of the kind of people that they’re looking for, you will know exactly how to describe yourself to perfectly appeal to them. For example, if you’re drafting a statement of purpose for mechanical engineering at MIT, mention those skills of yours that truly pertain to the degree.

#2 Learn how to downplay your vices

Everyone has their flaws. Understand how to talk about your vices without coming off as a complete lost cause. Talk about how you’re working towards being a better person and learning from your mistakes. If you’ve taken a gap year, for instance, tell the reader about all the new discoveries you made during this period. Make them understand the importance of taking a break and replenishing your intellectual juices once in a while.

#3 Emphasize on your strengths

Talk about all that you’re good at without coming off as a prideful boast. Give special importance to all the topics that you excel at and assist them in understanding that having you at the university will not only benefit you as a student but them, too. Pitch yourself as an asset to the university. If you’re drafting a statement of purpose for an MBA, talk about all the teams you managed in college and how you’ve always been good with finances and spontaneity. 

#4 Try to get in touch with the uni’s previous alumni

If you already know someone belonging to this university, good for you. If you don’t, try looking for the same on social media sites or pre-existing groups of the university that you’re planning to attend. 

Most colleges have groups on Facebook and can be accessed even without being a part of the group. You can then look these people up on sites like LinkedIn or Behance to understand their portfolio. This will help you get a good understanding of the types of people the university hires which will furthermore help you figure out the best layout to choose while drafting the SoP.

#5 Approach existing professors from the university

Most colleges display an extensive list of all their faculty members with their respective designated positions. You can then cyberstalk to get more information about them, including their contact details, or search on Linkedin and approach them through the same.

#6 Be humble

You absolutely cannot come across as someone with a know-it-all attitude, unless you actually do know it all. You might have accomplished a lot in your life but you’ve still got a long way to go. One mistake that everyone makes is overselling themselves and then come off as conceited beings with saturated minds. The message that you have to convey is that you’re someone who wants to learn and absorb as much information as you can in all the time you spend at the university. 

#7 Remember that your story is unique in its own way

Never forget that everybody that has ever walked this planet has a legitimate story to tell, regardless of their age. You are unique and you have lived a life that no one else has. Use this to your advantage and show the reader how you’re different from all the others that have applied to the university, not only in terms of where you’ve come from but also about how you can benefit the university better than anybody else.

Bonus Point: Accept yourself

This might seem like a bs motivational quote on Tumblr but it doesn’t mean that it is any less valid. Accept that you’ve done all that you had to do in the past and now, all you can really influence is the process of drafting your statement of purpose. You can’t change your childhood activities and you can’t go back in the past and do more internships. You’ve done all that you can and be proud of all of that. Most people tend to fail in this part and thus fall back. You got this.

We truly hope that you get to be in the college of your dreams and draft a wonderful SoP to help you in the process. Or, like always, if the process seems too complicated for you, hit us up and let The Wise Idiot assist you in making the best statement of purpose you’ve ever seen.