Bagging a fully-funded scholarship, especially a Turkey Government Scholarship is not an easy job. You need to convince the scholarship committee that you are the right candidate for this scholarship. You can do this by your academic record and the documents that you submit at the time of application.
One of the most important documents that you can use to highlight your profile is the statement of purpose, SOP, or motivation letter. This letter is an excellent way to showcase your skillset, qualifications, experiences, and future goals. In this article, we are discussing the format of a successful SOP as well as some tips on how to write a solid SOP.
Format of a Statement of Purpose (SOP):
An SOP is written in specific paragraphs and should be between 800 – 1000 words long. A successful SOP should have the following elements:
- 1st Paragraph: Introduction
In the first paragraph, you need to give an introduction to yourself and your chosen field. You should talk briefly about your future prospects and how they align with your area of interest, whether you choose to start working post-study or plan to pursue higher education.
- 2nd Paragraph: Educational Background
Try to highlight your educational background with the help of your transcripts and grades in this paragraph. If you have any significant academic achievements like any published works, provide information about those.
- 3rd Paragraph: Professional Experience:
If you have any sort of professional experience, be it an internship, a job, voluntary work, training projects, or freelance work, dive deep into that in this paragraph. Also, focus on any skills that helped you in the professional world.
- 4th Paragraph: Academic Goals
This paragraph discusses what you hope to achieve from the course that you have selected for the Turkish government scholarship. How the course curriculum will help you work on any skills that you want to achieve and how it aligns with your future goals.
You can also describe how you wish to work toward finding a solution for a certain problem that is prevailing in society and how your research will help you do that. Do your homework about the university you are applying to and the professors that you want to supervise your research.
- Final Paragraph: Conclusion
Conclude your statement of purpose by mentioning how well you understand the challenges you can face while studying in Turkey. Reiterate how you plan on bringing a difference in society with the degree program that you want to pursue.
Some Final Tips to Write an SOP:
- Limit your overview. Do not go into unnecessary details like your family history or your complete introduction.
- Avoid flattery and be precise and concrete in your language.
- Be specific about your professional experience and do not describe details like office parties and hangouts.
- If your grades are low at a particular point in your academic life, discuss the reasons for it in the SOP.
- Do not exceed the word limit. Too long of an SOP leaves a bad impression.
- Never mention that the institution or scholarship you are applying to was not your first choice.
