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Statement of Purpose vs Letter of Intent vs Personal Statement

International students have long crossed the 1 millionth mark, in the US. That’s like the population of a mid sized city in the country – think Dallas, in Texas. And if that’s what you get for the number of students who have been actually accepted, it is almost unearthly to fathom how many actually applied to the US Universities to begin with.

The average acceptance rates for most universities is in the range of 25-35%, with the exception of a few like Michigan State (~72%) and Purdue (~61%). You can further imagine the extent of the astronomical piles of applications that all the admission offices sort through every year.

So when you send in an application, it is the needle in a haystack the size of a Mall. And it is the job of those admissions officers to get to know the candidates from their pdf profiles. Quite an unenviable task that is only softened by the quality of the applications that they receive.

Besides the usual hard determinants like your GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, or your GPA records, the more subjective Letters of Recommendations and your personal essays paint the person behind those lists of numbers. And that is why it is essential for you to Van Gogh the most out of your essay, for them to be able to get to know you and your story.

It is also your chance to make an impression that stands above the rest, sometimes even giving you the window to explain the grey areas in your resume. But what makes this process challenging, for the applicant, is the self reflection that needs to go in to make the essay about the individual rather than a run of the mill tale of any degree hopeful around the globe.

There is, however, yet another degree of baffle when it comes to what the universities are looking for. They could be vague about the concept and leave it for you to assume that they want a Statement of Purpose or a Letter of Intent. They could sometimes ask for a Personal Statement. Or if someone in the Adcom Office happens to be a voracious reader, they could throw you a curveball and ask for both!

It then becomes a test of your mental resources to identify what could be uniquely phrased in each of those essays. Feeling lazy and paraphrasing the same content for either essay could leave the seasoned recruiter with a frown and your application in the nearest bin.

In this article, we will recall some of the salient features of an SoP, a Letter of Intent and a Personal Statement, thus drawing the hair-thin line that separates the content of each.
 

Statement of Purpose (SoP) vs Letter of Intent vs Personal Statement

What are the differences and similarities?

It is possible, as you start dwelling, in these, that you discover a whole lot of similarities and crossover, in the content. Nevertheless, there is a subtle difference.
 

Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent Personal Statement
What now?

An SoP is the justification of what you would like to accomplish from the degree.

Why?

A Personal Statement is the justification of what is it that has motivated you to arrive at this juncture.

 

So let’s list out a few things to keep in mind as you frame your future through each of these literary pieces.
 

Statement of Purpose

An SoP is a bridge between your past and the future you are eager to build with the degree, at a particular University. It requires a substantial amount of research into the particulars of the school you are applying to. Before you begin to construct the body of this epic tale, you should try to collate a believable response to some of these questions.

Why this school?

What is the field of research that entices me?

Why can’t I pursue this in my own country?

Which Professor(s) are currently pursuing this field and how does their work align with my interest?

What am I looking to gain out of this academic experience?

What are my career goals?

How has my background prepared me to develop this interest?

Here’s why I didn’t score well in that test and this is what I learned from that failure.

How have my skills prepared me to learn, and further pursue, this field?

What is special about me, as an applicant, that sets me apart from the rest?
 
You should take a good look at your past and find a reason to connect the present you with what you have been. And then take it a step further to lay out how the past and the present dots connect with how you envision your future.

Remember that the importance of your research interest may not be relevant in the case of someone applying for a Master’s, or an MBA, program. In those cases, the question about your research interest will be replaced by an interest in a particular field.

Now, if you really have a research interest to share, as an MS hopeful, you may as well lay them out and score some extra points. But whether it is for an MS, MBA or for a PhD, one cannot stress the need to be realistic, enough. It will simply sound too pretentious to claim that you see yourself completing a Nobel prize worthy research in your graduate school!

After having done the background work, when you do write, try to make your SoP sound like an impressionable story. Begin with a snippet of what motivated you to look towards higher studies.

Fill it up with some noteworthy emotion and plausible facts. I have superb skills in doing Computers sounds way less credible than I developed, my interest in Computers, quite early in my life, and when I won the Junior Programming Championship Award, organized in my county, I realized that I did have skills that were a cut above others.

Beware of making your statement a barrage of accomplishments, filled in multiple pages. Stick to the word limit and if there are none, stop at 1000. Don’t make it sound like it was compiled by Thesaurus. While grammar is important, this essay is not a test of your English speaking abilities. And whatever you do, don’t plagiarize!

So, let your SoP flow freely with your story, supported by facts. And let them glimpse you as a candidate who is serious about his commitments to the future. But don’t worry. These are not binding statements, as in no one will take you to court for ultimately not living up to your words (We hope!).

You can even read the following articles for a deeper insight of the various kinds of Statement of Purpose essays you should be familiar with, depending on your pursuant degree.

 

Letter of Intent

Many schools may specifically request a Letter of Intent, which is essentially your Statement of Purpose, dressed as a formal letter. While you essentially sing the same song with similar bells and whistles, the format should follow something like this.

 
Mr. Bruce Wayne
5 Gotham Street,
Gotham
Ph: 999-999999

1st January 2020

Gotham University,
Graduate Program Director,
Gotham

Attn: Admissions Committee,

(Your Introduction)

(Body)


What is the motivation? Why choose Criminal Justice? What are the relevant accomplishments? What are your goals?
Why Gotham University? What about this University will help you attain your goal?

(Conclusion)

With Regards/ Sincerely
Bruce Wayne
email: batman@gotham.com
 

 

Personal Statement

This essay lets you share your experiences in your personal life, your education, your work experiences, volunteer work and anything else that have contributed to shape, the academic you are today, in detail.

There is less emphasis on your research or future intent. But as you may suspect, there is overlap with your SoP. So, in the event that a school actually asks for both, you can highlight on the difference and maintain a healthy distinction between the two.
 
In conclusion, whichever piece you are sitting down to pen, make sure you follow certain salient features.

  • Open well. The seeds of interest are hidden in that opening paragraph.
  • Don’t quote Lincoln, Gandhi, or any other intellectual. And stay away from pop culture references.
  • Don’t share too much. The stories need to focus on the inspiration more than the bit about your adolescent years you spent as a tortured poet.
  • Follow a formal, yet not too prissy tone of language.
  • And spend a good lot of time self reflecting. That’s not just for the application essay, but rather to evaluate your decision for graduate school. You will be amazed what a few hours of soul searching can reveal.

And when you do have the statement done, read it over and over. The devil is in those punctuations. Proof read and edit till the cows come home. Comma is important, where a “pause” is needed. Don’t remove fresh eyes from friends. Help. (Quite a bloody transformation when the punctuation marks are misplaced – Comma is important, where a “pause” is needed. Don’t remove. Fresh eyes from friends help).

And here’s some detail about our SoP review service, to take your mind off the gore.

Have you tried out our Free SoP review online tool?

Source:1,2,3,4,5,6


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11 thoughts on “Statement of Purpose vs Letter of Intent vs Personal Statement”

  1. Hi, I intend to advance my career in the Banking Sector.I already hold a worthwhile experience of 2.5 years in Citibank India and HDFC Bank Ltd.,India. I am looking forward to get a good exposure abroad in UK preferably either by working their directly or by doing Masters course (MBA/MSc) in Banking and Finance. Please help.

    Reply
  2. Sir
    I had done diploma in electrical engineering after 10th and then got selected in mnc as a designer. I worked there for two years and after that i joined b tech through lateral entry. Now i am in my 3rd year of b tech and i want to go for mba in abroad. Does the 2yrs of experience after diploma counts? Should i give gmat after graduation?

    Reply
  3. Hi Sameer

    I am a 45 year old woman who has been an educator till now.I am a postgraduate in Botony and with B,Ed.I am also an army wife with a considerable experience of organizing events,workshops and counseling.I want to pursue a different line now maybe something related to soft skill training or as a counselor .I am also keen to pursue courses related to these fields…Can you guide me?

    Reply
  4. Sir. I wish to pursue my education abroad in USA by doing MBA. But I am a fresher with no experience and I just finished my grads. I would like to ask is this is a right option. If yes, could you sugest some college or countries, where I can do so.

    Reply
  5. Hello Sameer,

    My profile

    10th- 95%
    12th 96%
    Btech IIT Kharagpur- 8.45/10 CGPA
    work experience -3yrs (Tata Motors)
    extra curricular average

    I am interested to do an MBA for career and personal growth.
    Can you please guide whether to go for GMAT or CAT and which college to target?

    Reply
  6. Dear Sir,
    I am a Geologist with 4 years of experience in Mining & Oil Industry. Please help me in finding the best suited M.B.A course.

    Regards,
    Harsh Dev

    Reply
  7. Hi, my name is Sam, I have passed out in 2008 as a electronic communications engineering and after a long struggle I got job in a steel manufacturing factory at 2010 and later on I left that profile and jumped into IT service desktop engineer after working for 2 years I have changed my profile and went into plant commissioning site engineer, later I left that profile too and entered into design engineering in 2015 . Now I really getting bored in this sector to since my package is not increasing for past 2 years due to my worst performance. My total experience is 9 years and iam worried about my current situation. Please help me out

    Reply
  8. Hi,

    My name is Rahul and I am giving my final semester exam of MBA. I have more than 6.2 years of experience in Accounts, Accounts Payable, Health Insurance and Life and pension domain. Now I am looking for E MBA form Abroad. kindly suggest what is the best way to pursue this education or any other good suggestion for EMBA.

    Regards
    Rahul Chaturvedi

    Reply
  9. I have a offer letter from University of Manchester for MS in Communication Engg for 2017 intake. I have a decent profile and has completed my B.Tech in E;ectronics and Communication Eng. Is pursuing MS in Communication E ngg worth? What is the scope back in India after this degree? Should I go for this program or wait to give GMAT and change my career towards Managment by applying for MiM after GMAT. Which option is more worth choosing looking at the job aspects in India.

    Reply
  10. @Priyanka: We’ve written about masters in finance here. It may give you something to start your research. https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/09/12/master-finance-ms-msc-mfin-vs-mba/

    @Srishti: Yes, the experience will count. You can take the GMAT after graduation. Why rush now?

    @Sameera: There are plenty of soft skills training institute. You can join once that’s within your area, learn more about the industry and then start something independently.

    @Harsh: Wait for 2-3 years and gain some good experience before you think about an MBA abroad.

    @Prannoy: GMAT would be a better choice since you’d have over 4 years of work experience by the time the program starts.

    @Harsh: Here’s a process you can follow to select the best MBA program for yourself: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/02/03/how-to-select-business-schools/

    @Sam: For starters, you’ll have to put a stop to this frequent job hopping. It isn’t allowing you to dig your feet in and learn about anything in detail. Which is in turn stopping you from growing.

    @Rahul: Here’s a list of the top executive MBA programs to get you started: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2013/06/05/best-executive-mba-programs/

    @SKanojia: Read more about the value of a foreign degree in India: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/05/20/value-foreign-mba-india/
    If you want the degree to be valued in India, either choose a really strong global brand or stick to the good Indian programs.

    Reply
  11. Going to graduate soon from college with BS of Biomedical Science and minor is Psychology. Started my application for Graduate schools (MS in Genetics). I am kind of lost at this state of SOP. If anyone has any ideas, please send me them my way.

    Reply

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