How to write a SOP ?

Think of the tons of paperwork that you are sending as parts of your application material. Almost all those documents project you merely as a high dimnetsional vector of the grades and scores that you have obtained so far in your life. Almost none of them really unfolds you as a human being, with all your virtues and aspirations that never show up on an exam grade. Tere are only two documents that are an exception to this general rule : the recommendations and the SOP. Among these, the recommendations are written by your teachers, and you have no control on them beyond choosing (whom you think) the "right" recommenders. Thus, your only opportunity of presenting yourself as a human being is through the SOP. And little wonder why writing a good SOP is important. So when you start thinking about writing a SOP here is rule number one.

Golden rule 1

Think as if someone is trying to evaluate you just based on your exam scores, without caring for the human being in you. Think of all the exam's where you did badly, but where you still consider yourself to be a better student than the chap who secured more marks than you did. Ask yourself what are your plus-points beyond mere exam scores. These are going to be valueable ingredients while writing your SOP.

Your SOP is a document that is going to be read by someone who does not know you. To that person you are nothing but one of the innumerably many candidates. It is your responsibilty to make yourself felt as someone unique.

Golden rule 2

Think carefully what is unique in you.

Think about the following points while you search for your own uniqueness:

• Did you ever participate in any level (RMO, INMO, IMO) of the Math Olympiad?
• Do you have any publication? If you have some relevant publication in howsoever insignificant a magazine, do mention it.
• Have you ever won any talent serach (or similar) award?
• Have you attended any summer school or workshop?
• Have you participated in any project work (may be as part of your curriculum) which you have especially enjoyed?
• Were you ever very much impressed by the contents of some research paper in some journal (even if you did not quite understand it then)?
• Have you ever got any prize from ISI?
• Remember that as a student of ISI you are one of those fortunate few in the country who are enjoying a pretty large amount of government stipend. This may not make you unique among your peers, but it does give you an edge over your competitors outside ISI.
• Do you have a special fancy for some particular academic field (even if vaguely related to your study)?

While writing the SOP never assume that the person reading it will already know part of the details about you. For instance, the fact that you have been admitted in the Indian Statistical Institute may speak a lot about your ability to someone who knows how competittive it is to get in there. But the person reading the SOP may not have any idea about te Indian Statisitcal Institute. Even those who know the excellence of the institute might have little idea how competetive it is to get admitted there at the undergraduate level. So if you want to make that known , then you have to write that explicitly in your SOP. Similarly, a statement like "I got the West Bengal Talent Search Award" means nothing until you make it clear how important the award is. So whenever you want to present facts remember the following rule.

Golden rule 3

Give factual details.

Here is another article on writing sop-like essays which discusses some essential points.

Copying (or, even getting influenced by) somebody else's SOP is a practice to be avoided by all means. However, we provide some sample SOPs here. These were all written by ISI students, who have kindly agreed to post the SOPs here.