Statement of Purpose may be considered the most important document for your visa application. Many students pass it off like it is just another essay about themselves, and naturally, write monotonous stuff that doesn’t stand out. That is why the university admissions committee and visa officers put a hefty weight on SOP and their structure to see whether you have genuine intentions to study at their institutions and country.
So, to guarantee yourself a seat, you need to write a good SOP. A great, but original SOP will make you stand out from the crowd; make the admissions committee remember your essay at the end of the day, even after going through hundreds of applications and help you gain that extra advantage by being somewhat special and unique.
This begs the question, what is a good SOP?
The making of every good SOP starts with a clear outline. Find below the guideline for writing a good SOP.
INTRODUCTION:
Introduce yourself and state what you are currently doing. No family details are required or which part of Bhutan you are from. If you’re married, mention your spouse and child if he/she will accompany you.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY.
EDUCATION BACKGROUND:
If you are going for a bachelor program, start off with Year 12. If you apply for a master’s program, start off with your bachelor’s. (Provide details and reasons as to why you want to pursue arts, commerce or science as your major. When and where you completed and provided figures if you have scored good marks). Any outstanding achievements in your academic years can be mentioned as well. You can also mention when and how much you scored in your IELTS.
GAP EXPLANATION:
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE COURSE?
In this section, please explain your motivation and relevancy of your course, either with past academic history, personal experiences, or current employment. Explain why you decided to choose this course.
WHY AUSTRALIA?
First, start with why not your home country and immediate neighboring countries (India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore). Compare the education system, infrastructure, excessive theory-based study, etc. Don’t just highlight them; provide data to validate your claim.
Make a comparison with other popular study destinations. Consider weather, affordability, rankings, safety, and even your Australian connection through friends, alumni, education consultancies, etc. Write about challenging yourself, getting out of your comfort zone, indicate how Australia is financially suited for you, and why.
CHOICE OF UNIVERSITY:
Visit www.qilt.edu.au for conducting research on Australian Universities. Write a brief on the university, compare universities within Australia on the basis of availability, of course, fee structure, distance, etc. As expected of a genuine student, show that you have done your research on the education provider with stats and figures.
COURSE BENEFITS:
Research the course from the University website. Highlight 5 to 6 units you will be studying and explain how exactly each of them relates to your current situation in Bhutan and how each of them will benefit you.
CAREER GOAL:
Mention the immediate impact of your course upon your completion in regard to your workplace, private business, or business plan. State the pay packages expected with evidence in the form of websites or links or other documented evidence. Share the names of companies you would target for jobs. If you have plan A and plan B, even better, share it. It would be advantageous to state the duties and responsibilities of the role you intend to have in an organization.
WHY RETURN TO HOME COUNTRY:
Mention personal ties (family, job, assets etc.) and provide documents. This is important to validate what you’re claiming. Mention the fact that in order to formalize land documents or census how the individual must be there in person. Being away from this for too long will lead to property or your census potentially being invalidated.
Be open about the POST STUDY VISA, the benefits of this opportunity, what would it mean to you, and explain how you plan on working full time at that stage and be able to save money to bring back to Bhutan. Go into some detail about how valuable the Australian dollar is and what you can do with the saving on returning, buy land, start building a home or a building, build a home in the village or use your Australian dollar earnings as potential capital to invest in a business.
If you’re civil servant be very clear about the bond, one must sign with the RCSC.
*recommended that you don’t write you have a bond with your organization with just 1 to 3 years of work experience unless it’s truly genuine with strong evidence.
Sonam Lhamo