Statement of Purpose for Masters (How to Write - Sample)

 

I always felt like the term “Motivational Letter” is a bit ironic.

Because whenever I sat down to write it, all my motivations to study, make a life of my own,

and be successful would flee from the window, and I would be left feeling anything but motivated. 

However, I was able to pin down my thoughts. After struggling for three or so months,

crying to my friends, and reading almost a hundred samples and blogs, I could finally

come up with a personal statement structure that got me accepted into

multiple universities around UK and Europe. 

To ease the pain a bit for you, and help you to produce at least a draft outline,

I am going to share my findings, formats, sample, and do’s and don't of writing a letter of motivation for university admission. Hope this helps you to save a few tears. 

Statement of Purpose Vs Personal Statement Vs Letter of Motivation 

Different Universities ask for different types of these letters and if you’re anything like me,

you too would feel anxious about the variation (in names). But I assure you, all three

are the same thing with only a slight change in formatting and writing style.  

Statement of Purpose is just another fancy name for Motivational Letter. They have the exact same

formatting, and way of writing, and don’t require any additional information. Whereas the only

difference between Personal Statement and these two is that PS focuses more on what you’ve done in the past and SoP

and LoM require you to focus on your future plans. 

Structure and Format of Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose

The first thing to remember when you start writing your SoP is that it’s your story to tell.

This piece of the essay should show who you are, what you feel really passionate about, the things you care about, and what you dream to achieve in the future. Therefore it’s important to make it personal and empathetic along with a formal tone. 

Most of the websites and educational blogs will tell you to start by addressing the admission board

and introducing yourself briefly including your past experience and qualification. But my suggestion is to

start it with a story. A rhetorical question perhaps. Your intro and qualifications can be known from yourCV or form. The opening has to be powerful enough to grab attention. 

For example, the first part of my personal statement/letter of motivation was: 

“What can I do with a degree in Information Technology and a mind which doesn't stop thinking about what content to create next for my blog?” —It is a question I have spent my fair share of sleepless nights pondering about and reasoning with. Choosing a degree solely based on what was expected of me looked a lot like one of those regrets I would have to bear all my life. I was honestly ready to give in to this misery until the fighter in me decided to take control: instead of choosing a Software Engineering major, which would make everyone else around me proud and happy, I decided to make myself proud and happy and went with a Business System Development major. Pursuing that passion, I am writing to express my interest in the Digital Marketing program offered at your University.

See? It provides the same message and fulfills the criteria of introducing myself and giving a brief of my

previous qualification, but in a more interesting and conversational way! 

The next one or two paras would basically include somewhat a detailed explanation of what you’ve

studied previously and the courses that are relevant to your applying subject. If you are applying for

Bachelor’s, include which relevant subjects you had in your high school and how did you feel studying

them. For the Master’s, talk about relevant work/internship experience. 

Remember that, if the institution of your choice has asked for a Personal Statement, you should really emphasize these two paragraphs as the main highlight in a PS should be your personal journey till now and the growth you went through leading to your future plans. However, in the case of an SoP or LoM, the next part of the essay is more important. 

In the third part, you start talking about your future plans, career goals, and how you plan to achieve

them. You must mention how the course you’re applying for aligns with the aforementioned goals.

It will also be my suggestion to include a few of the course modules offered by this university and

add how they will help build your desired career. 

The fourth part of your letter should be heavily focused on why you are choosing this institution to

apply over others, whether it's a statement of purpose or a personal statement.

Read the University's mission and vision, and thoroughly check its website, and student testimonials

to get an idea about the university culture. Include how you fit in there. 

To conclude your write-up, add how being in the located country will help you grow as a person.

Talk a bit about the things you are excited to see and experience in the country and how being

in a new culture will help you network and socialize more! 

Do’s and Dont’s of writing Statement of Purpose (in a glance)

• Include all your basic information. 

• Personalize the letter to tell your story. 

• Include your achievements and experience passively. 

(For e.g: instead of saying “I’ve great leadership skills”, write “I could get along with my team and lead them successfully…” )

• Do your research thoroughly about the course module and university. 

• Specifically, answer the required questions. (For e.g: don’t just write why you chose the subject. Rather

mention why you decided to study this subject in this
            particular university)

• Narrate the story in an interesting way to keep the readers hooked. 

If you’ve come up until this point, I hope you’ve got at least some clarity on how to create

your first draft! Remember, once you’ve done that following the structure, the final version

will be done in no time.