Statement of Purpose

Canada has an increasing number of scholars who are looking to move North. Your grades and overall profile could also support admission to a Canadian university. However, some universities still require you to write an essay (Statement of Purpose) for admissions purposes. An SOP is sometimes a couple of 1200-word long essays. Please check for your preferred university guidelines. It's the foremost important part of your documents, and you must pay special attention to it. It can make or break your chances of securing a seat at the university.

Writing an SOP for Canadian universities requires you to write down thoroughly about your past experiences, highlighting the bits that are in line with the course that you are applying for. Canada is a diverse country and universities are searching for students who can blend into their environment. If you're able to compose your diversified experiences within the SOP, then it will provide you with an advantage over other students.

One important thing that you should clarify in your SOP (Statement of Purpose) is the reason why you chose Canada for your studies over other countries, like the US. There'll be two aspects to the content, i.e. why you chose Canada and why you chose that university. You want to give valid, convincing reasons for both in your SOP to satisfy the admissions committee of your intent.

UG aspirants must highlight their overall personality while writing about their experiences from the past. For an undergraduate, it's essential that you express how your school and participation in extracurricular activities helped develop your overall personality. It's not only academics that play a crucial role in a student’s life, especially at the undergraduate level. Most universities expect their students at the undergraduate level to be involved in events and clubs outside of the classroom. Hence, they're usually searching for students who have had similar experiences in the past. See how to write a UG SOP, here.

MS/PhD aspirants must have a robust background in research. Describe what sets you apart from the pool of scholars from across the world, applying for a seat at the university. This can be where your experiences in college in terms of the project work and research work that you've done will play a critical role. Master's/PhD courses are research-intensive. However, there's a difference between SOPs for both of these courses. Universities hunt for students who have had experience in researching in the past, knowing that they're going to be ready to handle the rigours of their meticulous curriculum. Pro Tip: make use of non-public pronouns like ‘I’, and ‘me’, in your SOP. Even when talking about group projects that you have worked on, talk about only your contributions to the projects. That's what the university wants to know.

MBA aspirants, before writing your SOP make an inventory of all the experiences which will bring out the aspects of your personality: leadership qualities, team skills, diversity in education/occupation, professional and private achievements, communication and interpersonal skills, a basic understanding of business, presentation skills, and motivation, among others. These key attributes will help shape your SOP and convince the admissions committee of your candidature. However, don't exaggerate.

Lastly, for everybody aspiring for admission into an overseas university, it's important that you write in simple and proper grammar. The use of embellishment makes one sound pompous and pretentious, and it's not the route that one should take. Short, crisp sentences delivering a clear message will make your SOP a pleasant read.