Why Template-Based SOPs Get Rejected (And What Top Universities Actually Want)

If you are planning to study at a foreign university, you may have searched “SOP format” and downloaded some sample SOPs online. Although templates look useful, they promise to provide you with structure, security and to help you write your SOP quickly.

The truth is most (but not all) applicants to universities with good academics and high-test scores will face rejection from their universities, due, in part, to using templates.

Let’s have a look at why that happens and what colleges and universities really want from you in your SOP.

Top MBA Admission Consulting Abroad

The Problem With SOP Templates

1. They All Sound the Same

Colleges and universities have thousands of SOPs to review every year and because many of them start with the same line(s) or lines, all of the applications blend together in the view of the Admissions Committee. Instead of searching for “correct” SOPs, colleges and universities are actually looking for real people applying to their college or university.

2. Templates Hide Your Real Story

A template places you into another person’s story or narrative, instead of providing you with the opportunity to tell your own story or explain how you came to your academic goals. Using a template may allow you to produce a polished-looking SOP, but the SOP will be empty of true meaning and value for the Admissions Committee.

3. One SOP Cannot Fit Every University

There are many differences in teaching styles, curriculum, and what the individual university expects from its students. It is almost certain that if a student submits the same generic SOP for more than one university, they have not answered the most important question

Why this university and this program—specifically?

Admissions officers notice when an SOP could be sent anywhere.

How Admissions Committees Actually Read SOPs

SOPs Are Not Just Writing Samples

Admission offices do not look at SOP to evaluate a student’s knowledge of the English language. They use the SOP to gauge how a student is thinking about their future, what motivates them, and where their focus will be as they pursue their studies.

Your SOP helps them answer:

• Does the applicant fully understand what they are applying for?
• Does the applicant’s goals align with the goals of the program?
• Is the applicant capable of contributing to the academic community in a meaningful manner?

SOPs Help Differentiate Similar Profiles

Many students will have similar grades, test scores, and work experience. If the only place that a student can differentiate his/her qualifications is through their SOP, this will be the determining factor in whether or not he/she will be given an offer of admission.

A generic SOP cannot provide the admission committee with any indication of why you should be given preference over another applicant.

What Top Universities Actually Want in an SOP

1. Clear Thinking Over Fancy Language

The use of simple and straightforward words is much easier to understand than the use of complex sentence structures. Top universities are looking for written materials that exhibit clear, concise thinking and logical reasoning about future professional goals.

2. A Thoughtful Academic Journey

The admissions team has questions about the decisions you made and the events that influenced your interest and how those events helped define your goals.

Even small events have importance when they are articulated well.

3. Honest Self-Awareness

Strong SOPs do not equate a student to be perfect. Strong SOPs show a student is aware of their strengths as an individual and their limitations and where they can still grow as an individual.

A mature awareness of oneself is sometimes a greater quality to demonstrate than a boastful way of describing oneself.

4. Genuine Program Fit

A strong SOP shows how the curriculum, faculty, and/or other components of the university’s program fit into your career goals and ultimately how you will benefit from your education.

It shows the university admission committee a student has done their research and is committed to attending their program.

Personalized SOP Guidance

Why Writing a Strong SOP Is Hard for Students

The majority of individuals attending college today will not find it hard to write a good statement of purpose simply because they do not have enough things they have accomplished. Instead, the majority of students will struggle with developing the best method of communicating their experience.

There are some common obstacles that students face when writing a statement of purpose:

• Students are unsure of what information is relevant and useful.
• Students are afraid that their content may be not impressive enough.
• Students often write in a manner that they believe universities prefer.
• Students often confuse being honest with providing too much personal information.

This is where an advisor can assist a student by providing insight; an advisor will assist a student to clear up how he or she ought to think.

How Admit Arc Consulting Approaches SOPs Differently

Admit Arc Consulting does not treat a Statement of Purpose as a pre-determined document or as an opportunity to modify an existing draft.

1. Understanding the Student First

Before anyone starts writing, we look to learn about your background (e.g., where you were raised, your family’s income level, etc.), what motivated you to pursue your degree, and what you plan to be after you graduate from this professional school. We will ensure the document you create reflects you as opposed to your being forced to use a template.

2. Tailored Strategy for Each University

Each SOP is organized and developed by university and program. We will ensure that your SOP is aligned with your target university’s SOP.

3. Your Voice, Refined

The goal of our writing process is that we will not try to change the way you write; instead we hope to help you get your ideas out clearly and confidently.

4. Flexible Support Options

Some students will need our complete service. Other students will want us to check or edit their documents. At Admit Arc Consulting, we have developed a flexible service so students can receive the support that fits them best.

Final Thoughts

Your Statement of Purpose (SOP) does not simply serve a purpose as an SOP; rather, it is your opportunity to express how and why you have made your choices, what path you will take in your academic career, and how prepared you are to move into the next level of graduate study.

A template-based SOP will not work because they do not accurately reflect what schools are looking for: YOU. The best schools are not looking for perfect stories, but rather, real and thoughtful ones that highlight who you are as a person.

When written correctly with proper guidance, an SOP can be the most powerful tool in an applicant’s admission process.

Frequently Asked Questions