Having an impactful statement of purpose for your MBA application is really important in securing an admit. So what is a statement of purpose? A statement of purpose or an SOP is a document which talks about your purpose of joining a particular course in a university, a particular position in a company.
Importance of Statement of Purpose
An SOP is a very important aspect of your MBA application. Through your SOP, your chosen college/university will be able to understand how suitable you are for an MBA degree. Moreover, the authorities will come to know about what drives you or motivates you to get an MBA degree and what impact you will make on the society with an MBA degree.
Thus, your SOP will answer the following –
- Brief description of your professional background
- Your motivation to get an MBA degree
- Reasons for you to take admission in that particular college/institute
- Your expectations to learn during the MBA degree
- Places or fields in life where you can apply your knowledge
- Your overall career goals in life
Statement of Purpose Length
Usually, an SOP for your MBA application will be more lengthy than an SOP for other master’s degree. However, you cannot go on and on explaining your purpose of doing an MBA. If not directed by the college/university of your choice, make sure to write around 1000 words in your SOP for an MBA application. Moreover, keep your focus on the structure, language, and format of the SOP along with the content.
Tips to Write a Good Statement of Purpose
Writing a good SOP requires considerable time and effort from your end. It requires a good understanding of yourself. Even before you start to draft an SOP for your college/university application, ask yourself a few quintessential questions.
- Why do you want to do an MBA?
- How will an MBA help you professionally?
- How are you going to put your MBA degree to use?
Give yourself enough time to think it through. It goes without saying that you have to be honest with yourself while answering these crucial questions. Once you have the answers of the above-mentioned questions mapped in your head, start drafting your SOP carefully.
While writing your SOP, try keeping these points in mind –
- Proofread your SOP, again and again, to get rid of any grammatical or spelling errors. Having grammatical, spelling or typing errors will make the reader feel that you are casual and negligent when it comes to your MBA application.
- Refrain from using complicated language. Use a lucid form of language, which allows the reader to transition from one paragraph to another quite effortlessly.
- Use a formal yet approachable tone while drafting your SOP. Always make sure that your tone should reflect your confidence and positivity.
Structure of a Statement of Purpose
What makes an SOP excellent is its structure. No matter how well you have formatted your SOP, the deciding factor for a good SOP is how well you have structured it. Thus, put all your effort in structuring your SOP correctly.
First Paragraph
In the first paragraph, give a brief introduction about yourself and your background. Then, go on describing what your career objective is. Do make sure that your introduction and your career objective is well aligned with respect to the degree you are willing to pursue. All the information you give out in this paragraph must relate to specific aspects of the program in concern. Thus, it implies that you must do your research about the program before writing an SOP.
Second Paragraph
In the second paragraph, you need to explain confidently on why you are applying to the MBA program. Instead of giving general answers, try to explain your reasons as clearly and as honestly as possible. Giving honest and rational reasons for your MBA application will make the college/institute consider your profile.
Third Paragraph
In the third paragraph, explain why you think that you are a suitable candidate for this MBA program. Briefly explain about your past internships, jobs, and projects where you performed exceedingly well. Additionally, giving brief details about your achievements will be an added bonus. Moreover, quantifying your achievements will give your SOP an edge over others. Talk about the problems you had faced in your education or work field, and what measures you took to overcome those.
Last Paragraph
In the final paragraph of your SOP, carefully explain how your MBA degree will help you in your long-term career plan. When talking about this particular topic, don’t forget to be very clear. Having a clear vision about your future will help the authorities decide how eager are you to join an MBA program at their college/university.
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Format of a Statement of Purpose
Once you are done writing an SOP for your MBA application, the next big thing is to format your SOP correctly. Formatting your SOP will make it look today, aesthetic, and professional.
Here are a few things you can do to format your SOP correctly –
- Use Times Roman in the size 12
- Leave ample space between two paragraphs
- The space between two consecutive lines should be 1.5
Examples of Statement of Purpose for Top Business Schools
Harvard Business School
The Harvard Business School does not have any word limit for your SOP and they advise students to write their SOP in clear and simple language. The previous year’s essay topic is as follows –
“As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?“
Stanford Business School
When it comes to Stanford Business School, you are required to write two SOPs of 400 words each. All in all, both of your essays together should not exceed 1050 words. The two essay topics are as follows –
“What matters most to you, and why?” – “For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why.”
“Why Stanford?” – “Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them.”
Wharton Business School
While applying to the Wharton Business School, you will be asked to write two essays, one of 500 words and the other of 400 words. The essay topics are as follows –
“What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA?” (500 words)
“Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community?” (400 words)
Conclusion
There is no better way to strengthen your MBA application than to write a strong Statement of Purpose. The more you read about how to write a good SOP, more confident you become in drafting one to support your application. However, one best way to go about your SOP is that you have to be honest about your intentions and realistic about your goals. Read all the guidelines given by the college/university of your choice carefully and then start drafting your SOP. Last but not the least, never forget to proofread. Best of luck!
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