Things you should not include in an SOP

Here’s another article to tell you about what not to do in life, especially if it involves pursuing education abroad.

A Statement of Purpose, or SOP , is an essay that is an amalgamation of all the brightest and most attractive aspects of your personality, often written to get into a foreign university of your choice for higher studies.

While drafting the essay, there’s a very thin line between sounding like a pretentious know-it-all and appearing like someone with low self-esteem issues. It is imperative to know the exact tone and play of words that will send you singing to your dream college. In this article, we’re going to help you walk the line and maybe by the end of it you’ll become an expert! Who knows?

Whether it is you who is writing the statement of purpose or if you plan to hire the best essay writing service (*cough* The Wise Idiot *cough*) for the same, here’s a list of all the things that you should NOT include in an SOP:

1. Get rid of all irrelevant details

You must always keep the purpose of the essay in mind as you go about drafting the same. It is easy to get carried away with unnecessary details as you write the saga of your life. But, remember — there is someone else who’s going to read the essay with the power to accept your college application.

Also, if you keep adding backstories to your backstory, you could come off as someone who doesn’t have noteworthy things to say and is just trying to fill up some space. Or worse, you could end up being like that one friend who doesn’t understand the concept of TMI. You don’t want that, do you?

2. No elaborate introductions, please

Avoid making the first few introductory paragraphs of your SOP so long and elaborate that it turns into a lullaby to the reader. They sift through hundreds of applications every day, and they have time constraints. Don’t be like that annoying aunty at weddings who doesn’t know when to stop talking. Time is limited, and we’re all going to die, so get to the point.

3. Excessive bragging is a big no-no

While there may be a whole cabinet-worth of accomplishments that make you a hero, you need to maintain a humble tone. Stay modest and try being objective while illustrating all your skills. If you fixate on the one time you came first in an essay writing contest and keep bringing it up repeatedly, you may end up portraying yourself as a vapid individual who hasn’t really experienced a lot in life.

Like my main man, Kendrick Lamar always says — sit down b*tch, be humble.

4. Do not fill the SOP with all your flaws

All of us make mistakes and hit a lot of bumps on the road to achievement, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be chronicled in . Nothing ruins a good SoP by beginning to explain all your shortcomings in grad school or the reason why you scored such low grades in year 10.

You can mention your gap year and briefly talk about it in a line or two maximum, but don’t go overboard with the explanation. While talking about your shortfalls, phrase your sentences in such a way so as to show that you’re working on getting better every day. There’s nothing more beautiful than individual growth and development.

5. Made-up anecdotes are for philosophers

Sometimes, penning down your accomplishments doesn’t seem enough. You may have the urge to make up fake stories to supplement your text and increase its value. To that we say — DON’T DO IT. Do not give in to the devil side of you to make up stories and facts; be true to yourself and write passionately about all that you’ve accomplished. Being fake will only take you so far before the facade cracks to reveal all that lies underneath.

6. Juvenile Introductions are for children

Your irrelevant interests and/or hobbies do not pertain to the subject matter while introducing yourself. Do not start by talking about your pet peeves from first grade or if you’re a cat person or a dog person. You need to retain your reader’s attention throughout the essay and doing this will only make it a snoozefest.

Be wise about the things that you need to include in the essay, because, at the end of the day, there is a limit to all that you can really include within the allotted space.

7. Excessive use of jargons is a big downer

We all want to sound like Hermoine even though deep down, we know that we’re the Weasely twins. Avoid adding a lot of jargon in your text to try and appear very intellectual and holier-than-thou.

Sometimes, difficult words have multiple meanings and if you go around including them in your essay, you might end up confusing yourself and conveying the wrong thing. KISS bro. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

8. Keep the writing style super casual at your own risk

Do not use acronyms, new-age words from the Urban dictionary or write the piece in a conversational tone as this might throw the reader off. If you don’t take yourself seriously, neither will the univers(e)ity.

Stay confident and assertive. Be careful about all the words that you’re utilizing and make sure that your statement of purpose is devoid of double entendres. Also, ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct, free of lyns lyk dis, and with punctuations in the right place .

9. Do not include third-party quotes without any reason

Do not include Gandhian quotes about non-violence in your SoP if you’re trying to write about your affinity towards astronomy. If you do end up incorporating quotes from leaders in your SoP, make sure that these actually help your cause or back some point that you’re trying to make. Mentioning all that stuff without any reason only works for your WhatsApp status.

10. Your SOP is not a stand-up comedy script

Quoting Chandler is cute in front of your friends, but it probably won’t impress the person reading your SoP. Do not include dad jokes or funny anecdotes from your life in there unless they’re essential in telling the full story. There’s a fine line between using humor smartly and being plain reckless. You don’t want to appear too cheesy or like someone who doesn’t take things seriously.

As always, these points are based on our experience and expertise in writing SoPs for too long that we are familiar with the norms. At the end of the day, it is your SOP. You should write it the way YOU want to express yourself. Obviously, you don’t have to take our word for it. Try it yourself!