Application

5 – Statement of Purpose (SOP) Samples

Following 5 Statement of Purpose samples were used by students who applied for Graduate school admission in US universities. You can find original version of Statement of purpose sent by them for review. Also, at end of this article, find out  how to your SOP reviewed for free SOP.

I have hand picked 5 sample statement of purpose to show well written SOP to copied SOP. Its easy to identify which SOP is copied, self-written SOP one of best SOP. I have attached a Poll below this article, you can download the SOP, read them and vote for the best sample SOP.

Bellow you can download free Statement of Purpose Samples for 5 different degree programs

  1. Biotechnology
  2. Community Development
  3. Computer Science
  4. SOP for Pharmacy/Chemistry
  5. SOP for Production Engineering

In addition, you can click here for 15 more Sample SOPs for Computer Science, Biotechnology, Landscape Architecture, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical engineering.

Download Statement of Purpose

  1. Sample SOP Biotechnology
  2. Sample SOP Community and Development
  3. Sample SOP Computer Science
  4. Sample SOP Pharmacy_Chemistry
  5. Sample SOP Production Engineering

Vote for Best SOP

Pick the best SOP considering following conditions

  1. SOP Clarity
  2. Unique and original
  3. Conveys the message with impact

 

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45 Comments

  1. HII , I AM A STUDENT AND I JUST WANT A SAMPLE OF SOP OF THE COURSE BBA SO COULD U SEND ME A SAMPLE ORTIPS HOW TO WRITE A SOP ON BBA COURSE

  2. Can you help me with the SOP for a Paramedical Student (dialysis technician) who now wants to make career in management ?

    1. Hello i m going to appy for data analytics. I need help to write my sop. Please help me as quick as you can.

  3. I hired a consultant to apply to a college in Canada. He wrote my SOP, even I have asked him not to post SOP without showing me, he did that. On my insist he gave me SOP which he added in my application I found many blunders in that SOP such as instead of Canada, he has written applying to Australia, my scores of IELTS are higher than added in SOP as well as in one place he has mentioned that I am applying for medical whereas, I am applying for Computer Science. What to do now, I am very tensed

  4. hello i am student want your help for SOP for the course of BBA
    Please give me a sample or idea to write

  5. can anyone send me SOP sample of truck technician course. i have completed diploma of automobile eng.. after 12th in commerce. can anyone give me some suggestions, what should be mentioned ?

  6. i am planning to apply for PHD in pharmacoeconomics in USA. Can anyone send me any sample of SOP in related field .

  7. i wanna apply MS in mechanical Engineering. Can anyone help me to make SOP? Could any one send models SOP’s to me?

  8. Pls. kindly assist me with sample of statement of purpose for a master architecture student application. Thank You

  9. hi sir, i completed my b.tech in mechanical engineering . I want to ms in cs . so can any one help me with samples of sop…….

  10. hi
    i am latha studying B.Tech 4th year in the branch of E.C.E. i want to apply for M.Eng in “wireless networks, positioning and RFID” in singapore. Could any one Please mail me the sample SOP.
    thank you very much in advance.

  11. Hi..I completed Bachelors in Dentistry in India and would like to do MS in information systems…how can I write my sop as I have complete different background..

  12. Hi, I have done my btech in ECE, and wants to apply for MIS in USA, So, Iwant SOP for MIS program, Managment infomation systems. Can you pls mail me sample formates.

  13. I would like to do my M.S in Industrial Engineering at USA. I need to write the SOP. Can anyone help me to write that?????

  14. I just checked out the CS SOP, IMHO its a guide to how not to write an SOP!

    SOP is meant to be nothing but the statement of purpose, the purpose of why you are interested in the program offered by the university!

    Ideally, the SOPs should be as short as possible (some winning SOPs for law schools are as short as three paragraphs, three lines each paragraph)

    I’d rather not say how to write an SOP, but here are my how to “not” write an SOP hitlist:
    – DONT keep a goal of 2/3 pages of SOP. This often leads to junk getting filled into a an awesome SOP (I did this, and I regret doing it after seeing some real good short and sweet SOPs)

    – DONT try to be melodramatic in any way. No emotional statements/atyaachaar. Most students from India (like me) have a habit of painting a rosy picture, but, think of SOP as a sketch or a wireframe (but not a photograph) that tells the reviewer what your intent is. It should not tell anything other than that (I did it, by almost writing a melodramatic story of a kid from a village aiming high in the sky 😉

    – DONT use rare/exotic words, or DONT go looking into the thesaurus to add intelligent (sounding) words to the SOP that make you “sound” sophisticated. It is one sure shot way of letting the reader know that you are faking it (I used something like “for your perusal”, which was the first time I had ever heard of that word!)

    – DONT go to a consultant for SOPs. YOU can write the best SOP for yourself.

    Here are some DOs that I’d suggest:

    DO mention how your qualifications are well suited, or how you got interested into the program you are applying for

    DO research the courses offered by the university for the program that you have applied for, after which, you can mention how certain courses being offered by the university are in line with your goals of learning. Although no one expects you to know your future, you can convey how you and the university can help you reach your goal.

    DO (YOU MUST) use correct english, with no spelling/grammatical mistakes. Consultants who take Rs 15K or Rs 30K need not be the ones with the best english capabilities. Just find a person who can fix all your mistakes, get your version read by any/every person you trust.

    DO keep it short and simple

    There’s no reason to have multi page resumes, and the same holds true with SOPs and Cover letters. Even though I had people telling me most of these points, I found it hard to accept these suggestions.

    Wish I could catch hold of my own SOP (which was much worse than the one posted here) so that I could show it to prospective applicants and tell them how “not” to write an SOP!

    PS: If you are wondering why I am so bothered to write such a long comment: I got 10 rejects out of the 11 univs that I applied for, and I can certainly say that my Rosy/TypicalIndianStudent SOP/Essay was among the main reasons to get these rejects. I did everything I have listed in the DONT section, and yet I managed to get into that one university. I lucked out.

  15. Can any one tell if whether I can have two persons to sponsor me?For example My dad and uncle together has enough money to show during VISA,but none of them has that much cash of their own.So can I tell the VISA people both my uncle and dad are sponsoring me?Please reply as soon as possible.

  16. I appeared in GRE Exam in mid of May,2010. My scores in Verbal were 480, 710 in Quantative. In quantative section the Big GRE book published by ets containing 27 original test papers administrated in 1991, was quite helpfull.

  17. please i just need soeme help for the gradutae studies as SOP for the Linguistics Department .i do not how to write it .

    thank you so much

  18. hai im kiran i need sample reference letter. iam working in agrotech company in QA dept since last 2 years, i want sample reference letter as our company needs letter format. so plz help me out. i have done MSc in microbiology i want to pursue my masters in molecular biology at OSLO UNIVERSITY

  19. Well,

    I really appriciate the efforts. But I request Mr HSB to inform the students about the word limitation of SOPs. Most of universities have word limit of 500 words. So Mr HSB you have done good job, but please mention about it too.

  20. Hi, this is murali doing final year b.e in e.c.e i am yet to start my final year project, i have some quaries regarding which field to select, i have wrote my gre and got 980 marks, could u guide my which field is good and which has many job opportunits when i complete my master after 2 yrs. since my final year project should be related to my master degree i have ask u. i am waiting for ur reply. thank u in advance for your guidence.

  21. The SOPs above are all okayish. But as someone who has been on both sides of the application process, I have to add a comment. The above SOPs are very "typical" of students from India. The tone in which these letters are written is actually funny to most American faculty. Notice the element of melodrama in the SOP for CS: expressions like "thirsting for technology", talking about perseverance and the greatness of knowledge, etc etc. The language is similar to that of a person describing a religious practice. This is understandable for students from our culture, since we tend to see acquiring knowledge as a form of worship. For instance, most Indian kids will not step on a book.

    But you have to understand that this is not how Americans see it. Americans see an education in very practical terms. This is not at all to say that Americans see it only in terms of money, NO! Ambition is also a practical goal. There are many kids who want to do research because they want to satisfy their curiosity and ambition. Those are also practical goals.

    In short, I would suggest SOPs should express career goals succintly and clearly. Do not indulge in rhetoric. It makes Americans think you have nothing to say or are lying to hide something. You need to understand that there is a gap in the perception of learning in India and America.

    It is a bit ironic for me to make this comment, since my own SOP was more or less like the ones above and full of rhetoric too. That is, of course, because I also come out of the exact same background as most aspirants on this website. But, having understood a bit more of how things work in American universities I hope I can offer some useful advice to others.

    1. I fully agree and very well summed up. Yes we tend to write in a melodramatic way rather than in simple business language.

    2. hi SS,

      thanks for sharing. I am a prospective student of journalism and re-aaplying to Medill school of Journalism this year (I was waitlisted last year).

      Will it be possible for you to take a look at my SOP. If you are busy and wont be able to do it, it will still be fine .

      Thanks anyways…

      shruti

    3. So True!

      I just checked out the CS SOP, its probably a guide to how not to write an SOP! Wish I could catch hold of my own SOP (which was much worse than the one posted here) so that I could show it to prospective applicants and tell them how not to write an SOP!

  22. Hey HSB,

    I have a question… What would happen if i register for the GRE general test and didnot show up on the test date (there was an emergency it was too late to cancel and i did not go)…

    So what will be mentioned in my future score report when i take GRE again later.

    Or will it be mentioned at all.

    PS: Nice informative blog you got here. Good work.

    1. @ Jake

      No it is not an issue. It would not show up anywhere only you would not get any refund. Scores are reported after taking test and after accepting the test but before you can see scores. all the best

      1. @Karhtick
        So unlike taking the test and then cancelling, this (not having taken the test at all) will not even show up on the report, right….?
        phew
        Thanks man

  23. Hi.

    thanks for the lot of good advices,

    Can somebody tell me the weigtage and importance of English essay and arument analysis in GRE score?

    Thanks and best wishes for all.

    Nigam..

  24. Dear HSB followers,

    The below is my SOP . I wanted to share this with you. Please feel free to comment on it.

    HSB, Please let me know to which ID the SOP's has to be sent for review.

    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

    G.Vaidyanathan, India (MS applicant for Aerospace Engineering–Fall 2010)

    “Winners don’t do different things, but they do things differently”. This statement has influenced my out –of –box thinking with which I succeeded on numerous occasions. The attraction towards research started in my childhood. At the age of 5, my fascination towards planes and helicopters broke out and it was my parents who made me realize it. This realisation happened when they presented me a toy helicopter and I launched it in air to test its flight, without knowing that the toy was configured to move only on the floor. It was the starting point in the creation of a research frame of mind. It went on to reassemble the broken toy.

    As a 20 year old, I aspire to tailor my career in research and development because it is in this field where I can always learn, and share my knowledge. I wish to pursue a MS and later a PhD in aerospace engineering with a specialization in guidance & navigations and MEMS/NEMS. I can apply the basics learned in the field of Image processing, Nanotechnology, Micro electronics and wireless communication system in aerospace engineering. I wish to shape my career further as a quality researcher in an esteemed space research organisation that provides a challenging environment for research and development. I always love to update myself to the ongoing trends in technology, market and society, which in turns makes me foresighted (5-10yrs ahead).

    During the early days of this millennium, when NASA launched its shuttle (Columbia mission -STS87) in space carrying a 6 member crew, I was engrossed by space exploration and space communication. Fascinated by the flow of zillions of data bits from earth to space, I committed myself to explain the mechanism of space communication to the audience in a inter school speech competition, and stood first among my peers. That was the spark that motivated me to go deep into the study of various modes of communications, signal processing, transmitters, receivers by pursuing Electronics and Communication Engineering in my under graduate level, which I chose to do at Vickram College of Engineering, Anna University, India. Being the only son to my parents and brought up in a middle class family, I wanted to self finance my education. Working as a part time teaching faculty for OpenIT.LLC, USA helped me in supporting my education financially. I earned an opportunity to teach 150 students every semester in 10days training program (from my 3rd year of under graduation) in the field of image processing, Nanotechnology and wireless communication. I extended my teaching to soft skills, personality and career guidance by actively conducting workshops for OpenIT.LLC, USA. I have served as a student ambassador for an International level techno management meet conducted by Anna University, Chennai, India and organised many cultural meets, inter college technical meets, seminars and symposiums which helped me connect with people across the globe.

    Presenting papers and doing real time projects in my area of interest have always been my passion. The journey started off with me winning the 1st prize for presenting a paper on MEMS DEVICES in a state level technical symposium. It was followed by my success in presenting a paper on “Science –an index of technological growth” and an international presentation on “Nanotechnology in India” in an International Conference EAST2007.During my 2nd year of graduation, I successfully completed a project “Refrigerator door alarm to sense the improper closing of door” with “Aplab Electronics Private Limited, India”-a multi national company. With the exposure and knowledge I obtained in the field of electronic circuits, VLSI (with Xilinx 9.1), Wireless communication, Micro controllers during the under graduation coupled with a strong foundation in mathematics and science laid during my schoolings, I authored and presented a paper on my project “Prevention of car accident using Bluetooth communication” in many national level symposiums and was awarded 3rd prize in an international level technical symposium conducted by Indian Institute of Technology(Roorkee, India).

    I drew inspiration from Dr. Dexler’s contribution towards nanotechnology and Richard.P.Feynmann’s words “There is plenty of room at the bottom”, that has lead me to follow my passion for nanotechnology. I authored a paper on “Nanorobotics and its motion planning” under the guidance of Dr. Suja ravi issac, Head, department of Electronics and Communication engineering of Vickram College of Engineering, and presented it in an international conference MOLMAT 2008 in university Paul Sabatier, France. I started working on creating a Nano computing device, simulated an encryption algorithm, authored a paper “Nano bio computing –synthesis of nano bio computer using DNA and Nanorobots”, and presented / published in various international conference held at Indian Institute of technology, California, Spain, Texas and Atlanta .

    When poultry business was in bad state due to bird’s epidemic diseases, I worked out an engineering solution to isolate dead and sick chicken in poultry field, using image processing. My paper on “Isolation of dead chicken to prevent bird disease” was presented/published in an IEEE international conference ICDIP ’09 held at Thailand, Indian institute of technology, Nanyang university, Singapore and in other few organisations. Apart from academics, I am also part of a team working on a project on “fingerprint based security and ignition system for cars” and “virtual mouse for physically challenged using face recognition in image processing” for OPENIT.LLC, Atlanta, USA. My on-going project on “Autopilot mode aero modelling with enhanced security systems for surveillances” has made me involve myself in the stream and shape my entire career in the field of aerospace. I am now in the process of integrating electronics, communication, image processing and MEMS/NEMS in building the aero model for surveillances.

    Space exploration has always been my passion since childhood. I am aware universities in the United States of America offer great scope and encouragement for intellectual & academic development. The process of technical advancement is very fast and receives considerable support in the USA. Hence, the US has emerged as a world leader in Science & Technology. It is therefore natural for me to choose this country to give life to my dreams.

    An education under a reputed institution will create an opening for me to implement my ideas, thereby bringing my dreams into reality. Pursuing education in Georgia institute of technology, one of the renowned universities for this field, working under the guidance of well educated and qualified faculty of that university will definitely help me in transforming my dreams to reality. To create and to innovate, the right ambience and research equipments are available at Georgia institute of technology. This has made me feel Georgia tech is the ideal place to share, learn and develop my knowledge and wisdom. It will be a great opportunity for me to pursue my masters in aerospace engineering with specialization in my area of interest and supporting financial aid in such an esteemed university. Accounting my teaching skills, projects completed and research oriented thinking, I wish to earn the opportunity of working as a research or a teaching assistant. I am confident of being an asset to the department of aerospace engineering by actively contributing to its research and development.

  25. I feel there is a bit of imbalance between "what i know" and "what i can make of what i know" in both the SOPs of Biotech n Comp science (My opinion 🙂 ) .

    How should a strong SOP be? There is no definite answer i guess apart from balancing everything on 2 pages of word document.

    SOP for Production Engg seems more balanced and quite candid and diaphanous.

    SOP for pharma seems to be nearing SOP – Prod Engg.

    All in all a good post HSB. I ll make good use of it. Thanks. 🙂

  26. Hi,

    Thanks a lot for the SOPs. I was personally interested in the SOP for Biotechnology. I would be really grateful to you if you could provide me more info on the course that the person who wrote the SOP undertook. I am extremely interested in doing a course which includes Biotech, MIS and Supply chain. It would really help me make a wise decision! Thanks a lot. Just the name of the course and the Uni wud b great thanks!

  27. Hey HSB thanks for the examples.

    But I have a silly doubt…

    For what is the statement of purpose a.k.a SOP?

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