If you are looking for ways to write an appealing Statement of Purpose for Canadian Universities, then read on!
Canada is one of the most aspired for countries to go for higher studies because it offers affordable and quality education. Some of its universities are regularly ranked best in the world. Whether you apply for graduate, masters or any other degree, you will have to submit a Statement of purpose for Canada study visa.
We understand that when you sit to write an Statement of purpose (SOP) for Canada student visa, you may have a lot of queries like what all information to include, what to exclude, what to emphasize on, how to present the grey areas (backlogs/gap year) so that they look reasonable and in align with our goals, whether a SOP for PG is different from an SOP for PG diploma in Canada and how etc. So, in this article we will explore all such queries in detail. Additionally, we would also understand how to write an SOP for Canadian universities after refusal. So, let us begin:
1. What information to include in SOP
Statement of Purpose for visa officer is an essay that is written to highlight one’s educational qualification, personal and professional achievements, life goals (both short and long term) and our plans after the course is completed. It is written in a manner that is crisp, easy to read, error free, coherent and has an appeal that helps in creating a positive image of the candidate and hence creates a strong case for him (her).
- Why choose Canada – While writing an SOP, it is important to emphasize on the reasons for choosing Canada as one’s preferred destination for higher studies. When written in an appropriate form, it helps to create a favorable image of the applicant in the mind of a visa officer.
- Short and long term goals – Goals, both short and long term, should be talked about briefly in an SOP. A candidate should aim at connecting his (her) goals with the course that he (she) has opted for and how he plans to build his (her) career in it.
- Explaining grey areas (back logs/gaps) in one’s CV – If one has any backlog or any gap year, it is critical to talk about them in one’s SOP. It is always advisable to describe such a phase and not skip it. Some of the ways to describe these are either to talk about reasons why such a thing happened or to talk about different activities and/or relevant courses one may have taken up at such a time as a value addition. The key element to take note here is that the justification that one comes up with about a gap year or a back log should be coherent with the overall goal of the individual and his (her) career aspirations.
- Talk about one’s plan to sponsor the entire education– It is important to emphasize on the plan that an applicant has, to finance the total expenditure that he (she) would incur during the tenure of the course. Here, it would also be helpful to talk about the financial stability that the applicant has, that will give additional confidence to the visa officer about his capability to sponsor the education comfortably.
2. What all not to include in its SOP?
There are certain elements that make an SOP unappealing, exhaustive and prone to rejection. If these elements are taken care of, then chances of acceptance in study visa becomes very high. So, let us understand the pointers that an applicant should not include in his Statement of purpose for visa officer.
- Not make it too long – SOPs generally have a word limit and it is for a reason. The reason is to create an upper limit on length of the essay. While, it looks tempting to many to write really long essays about self, a word limit puts an end to this temptation and hence encourages an applicant to come up with a concise description.
- Not include irrelevant details – While writing a Statement of Purpose for student visa, it is important that an applicant understands what details of his academic life is irrelevant for the SOP. Exclusion of these helps in creating more space for writing about the relevant aspects and describing them in detail.
- Not use jargons heavily – This is one thing that is advised by many expert SOP writing agencies. As an applicant, one is expected to keep the SOP simple and easy to comprehend. While one may be tempted to showcase his (or her) knowledge of management and industrial jargons, Statement of purpose is definitely not the place for it. Here, the mantra is to keep it short, simple and contextual.
- Not mention achievements that cannot be substantiated with proof – A lot of Canada student visas get rejected because of unsubstantiated achievements mentioned in the Statement of purpose. While, it is possible that an applicant may have achievements for which there is no direct evidence or proof to show but it is always advisable to skip such achievements. In fact, an SOP should contain only those facts that can be supported with proper documents.
3. How to write SOP for Canada study visa after refusal
Let us first understand some of the most common reasons why Canada student visa applications are refused. They are primarily due to one of the following:
- Financial instability – If the details mentioned about one’s financing plan do not generate enough confidence in the Visa officer about one’s ability to manage his (her) finances during the stay in Canada, then the visa is refused.
- Academics – Canadian universities are very particular about the consistency and quality of academic results. If they see that a candidate’s scores are not up to the mark, they may refuse the application.
- Technical reasons – If the documents (Identity, academics, extra-curricular certificates etc.) provided for verification are not in the mentioned format or if any detail is missing, then these small glitches may also lead to refusal of student visa.
- Course and personality mismatch – Canadian universities look for an alignment in the course and the applicant’s personality. This is done to ensure that applicants who join a particular course have a natural flair for it and are not there due to some external reason. If the persona described in the SOP does not match with the requirements of the course, the visa officer may decline the application.
- No clear aim to return to home country – Student visa is a temporary visa. It expires with the completion of the course. Hence, one of the key things that a visa officer looks for, in a SOP is a strong intention of an applicant to return to his (her) home country after course completion. If this objective is missing or if they see any other contradictory information like travel history to Canada, family ties in Canada or anything else that creates a suspicion about the intent to return to home country, then there are high chances that the application would be rejected.
“Prevention is better than cure” is a quote that aptly fits this scenario. Once an application has been refused, it becomes an insurmountable task to reapply and write an even better and more appealing SOP to get through. Thus, it is always advised to write the best version of one while writing an SOP for Canada study visa in the first attempt itself.
The SOP should be unique and original. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and punishable in all Canadian universities. You can undoubtedly look over the SOPs of your classmates who have been accepted to your ideal school but make sure your SOP is unique. Do not examine a large number of example SOPs. This will assist you in maintaining the originality of your SOP.
Students who want to create a great SOP for a Canadian university should follow a structured format. A proper introduction, body, and conclusion make up a good structure. An SOP that follows a systematic and ordered structure is more presentable and appealing to the admissions committee.
After going through the guidelines, one may feel overwhelmed by the complexity involved in creating an SOP and this is not an exaggeration. Even if you go through some of the sample draft of SOP for Canada student visa online, you may find a lot of differences in every approach and it may add to your confusion as to which would be the most effective. Thus, to reduce this confusion, it is prudent to opt for professional SOP for Canada study visa services which would enhance your chances of success multifold by creating a beautiful and engaging story that connects the different aspects of your life and helps you stand out!
What are you waiting for?
Universities in other countries demand you to submit a statement describing your professional path and objectives with your application. This enables them to select the most qualified candidates for the courses they provide.
What is an SOP?
A Statement of Purpose (SOP), is a letter written to the admissions committee that discusses your interests, professional accomplishments, ambitions, and motivation for pursuing a specific program. This is normally submitted as an essay, however, some colleges may want to maintain it as a question. It’s the most important component of your application because it determines whether or not you’ll be admitted to your selected school.
What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and what is its purpose?
Your application’s SOP is the final decision-maker. It aids the admissions committee in evaluating your outlook on life, professional objectives, beliefs, topic expertise, and vision. Simply said, a properly made SOP portrays your overall personality to universities. It’s your chance to tell the committee why you’re the best candidate for the job. A strong SOP might help you compensate for a lackluster academic record by emphasizing your future aspirations and desires. A properly made SOP demonstrates that you’re able to communicate yourself through writing.
