Do you want to study abroad? Are you hoping to secure a significant scholarship or study grant? Studying overseas requires a lot of planning and preparation which can be a complex, time-consuming and expensive undertaking. StudyOverseasNow.com are overseas education consultants that specialize in providing expert advice throughout the consultation and application process. We help students secure the best scholarships at the highest-ranked universities. Book a FREE Consultation with an experienced education & career counsellor to find out what overseas study options are available.
An SoP or Letter of Intent is a 1–2-page document containing 500 – 1,000 words. The SoP should justify why you selected your choice, of course, university, and study destination. Students are advised to use real examples that can be evidenced. Do not produce a generic document and send it to multiple colleges/universities.
The SoP is required during the application and visa submission stage. Every SoP will be reviewed by an immigration official. Universities and visa officials place a significant emphasis on your ability to articulate your choice, of course, university and study destination prior to visa processing.
The documents most commonly associated with a visa rejection are the SoP and financial documentation. Remember, if you receive a visa rejection, you must declare this when an application for any future visa, student or non-student-related. Prospective students should invest a significant amount of time and energy into their SoP to ensure the best possible chance of success. Download your FREE SoP Guidelines & Template and utilize a format which provides the best chance of a student visa grant.
<<DOWNLOAD YOURFREE SoP GUIDELINES & TEMPLATE HERE>>
Before writing a Statement of Purpose or Letter of Intent you should follow a format that is easily legible and understood by the admissions and visa officer assigned to your case. Follow the instructions below to ensure the best result.
Format
The format of an SoP should reflect your previous, current, and future student journey. Topics presented throughout the SoP should be relevant to your objective and desired outcome.
Introduction & Academic Background
An SoP should begin with a brief introduction about yourself and your intended area of study. Justifying your choice, of course, university and study destination. Refer to your previous studies and/or work where possible.
A synergy should exist between previous studies and future studies. You should articulate what you hope to achieve following course completion and describe your future goals and aspirations. If you have engaged in extracurricular activities emphasise how these relate to your future studies. The Statement of Purpose should only focus on relevant achievements, activities and qualifications where synergy exists between prior experience and future learning.
University & Course Justification
Conduct extensive research on your choice of course and study destination. Develop at least three reasons to justify your study preference. Most study destinations have multiple academic institutions to select from. Your Statement of Purpose should refer to the universities course curriculum, work-integrated learning, facilities, job placements & Internships, extracurricular activities, and the units available for study. You should also include the university’s subject-specific and overall ranking to justify your preference. Describe what skills you hope to acquire whilst studying and how this will benefit you in the future. If applicable, reference specific units you plan to study and describe the major / specialisation you hope to complete.
Finally, you should include your reasons for selecting a specific study destination. Students have several study destinations to choose from; for example, a visa officer will need to understand why Australia was selected as a study destination instead of Canada. Once you have described the reasons for selecting the country; justify your choice of the city, for example, Toronto, New York, London or Sydney.
What are your future career goals?
Describe what you hope to achieve following course completion. Research and evidence of how a university will guide and support you whilst studying. If possible, describe your short {1-3 year}, medium {3-7 year}, and long-term {7-10 year}goals and highlight why you wish to return to your country of origin. Ideally, future goals should correlate with your choice, of course, previous academic qualifications and relevant work experience. If applicable, any change or deviation in your previous studies will need to be justified and evidenced. For example, those changing from a Nursing undergraduate to a Business Analytics postgraduate program.
Conclusion
Project positivity about the opportunities available and what your future holds should you be successful in gaining admission. Provide a phone number so an immigration official can contact you if clarification is required. Offer additional information that might be useful to your individual circumstance.
Important Information
Never make known your intention to live, work and migrate to your selected study destination. This will result in an immediate student visa rejection. Describe what job you hope to secure in your country of origin following course completion.
And finally, read the blog entitled ‘Ace Your Video Interview’ should admissions or visa officers require additional information.
What NOT to include
- Do not mention your desire to live, work and remain in-country following your graduation.
- Do not write about matters irrelevant to the university application process. For example, discussing the country’s weather.
- Do not discuss your family in too much detail unless it relates to your future studies.
- Do not discuss your financial circumstances unless relevant to your individual case.
- Do not include your religion or political affiliations.
- Do not include a picture of yourself.
- Ensure any study gap is accounted for and evidenced in subsequent appendices.
- Ensure the spelling of the course, study destination and university are accurate.
- Ensure items that are irrelevant to the proposed course of study are removed.
- Ensure you keep to a consistent format throughout the document.
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I hope you found the information in our blog useful. StudyOverseasNow.com are overseas education consultants that specialize in providing expert advice throughout the consultation and application process. If you would like to study abroad and hope to secure a significant scholarship or study grant Book a FREE Consultation with an experienced education & career counsellor to find out what overseas study options are available. We look forward to helping you start your journey to a brighter future!