4 answers
Hritwik
Student
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
1
Question
Asked
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I will be applying for MS from USA, can anyone suggest me on writing SOPs and LORs.
I'm looking to pursue MS in CS from USA in 2023, I'm done with tests and will start with application process. Thanks
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4 answers
Karina B
Educator
88
Answers
India
Updated
Karina’s Answer
Hi,
As far as the LORs are concerned, the information shared here could be of help:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YZH4zwdOZk6S5mSlLNJNpr_OhGVCRB0pAurGVHPTKus/edit
In this document, you shall find paragraph-wise sample sentences that can be used while writing letters of recommendation as well as a sample letter of recommendation towards the end.
Hope this helps.
As far as the LORs are concerned, the information shared here could be of help:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YZH4zwdOZk6S5mSlLNJNpr_OhGVCRB0pAurGVHPTKus/edit
In this document, you shall find paragraph-wise sample sentences that can be used while writing letters of recommendation as well as a sample letter of recommendation towards the end.
Hope this helps.
Ananth Ramamoorthy
Consultant
4
Answers
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Ananth’s Answer
Hi Hirtwik,
I followed the below template to build a concrete SOP, which helped in getting multiple admits. Always make an initial draft and have it reviewed by someone so that it can be improvised. Never apply with an single SOP to all universities, it is important to customize it based on the course and university you are applying for.
Introduction (about 100 words)
1. How you got interested in this field;
2. Some childhood memories that link you to the current interest in the field of CS/IT/Mech./etc..
3. What program you want to do now and the university’s name – this sets the premises for rest of the SOP to follow.
School Life (about 50 words)
1. A short para on outstanding achievements in school both academically and extra curricular;
2. School’s name;
3. Which subjects you chose and why;
4. Marks in class X and Class XII;
5. How school life motivated you to take up this field of education at bachelor’s level
University Life
Academics: (about 75 words)
1. Name of the college and the university it is affiliated to;
2. Key courses studied in Computer Engg
3. Marks obtained.
Projects: (about 100 words)
1. Name of the project and the year they were taken up along with the names of the faculty under which they were done;
2. Details of the projects. Like what platform was used, what was the output/ outcome;
3. Any key features of the projects – what you created? Was it innovative? Anything which was path breaking;
4. What did you learn through these projects – practical application, perseverance, team work, analyzing lengthy data, thinking out of the box;
5. Any special accolades the projects got.
Internships: (about 100 words)
1. In which company, under which department and in which year;
2. Your role during the internship;
3. Any outstanding achievement – like you suggested something new which the company appreciated immensely;
4. Skills gained – like you learnt how the corporate world functions, got to understand the practical implementation of theories.
Co-curricular Activities: (about 70 words)
1. Participated in – technical fests, member of any technical society (like IEEE), conferences attended, publications.
Extra-curricular Activities & Volunteer Work: (about 75 words)
1. Participated in – sports, cultural event, painting, dance, music…
2. Member of NGO, NSS camps, Blood donation camps, Literacy Mission…
Work Experience (100 words)
1. Joined at which position, year, company and under which Dept. – career progress…did you get quick promotions or got an opportunity to work on live projects;
2. What have been your key roles and responsibilities;
3. What platforms you have worked on;
4. Any special contributions to the organization.
CareerObjective & Why Masters (about 75 words)
1. What you want to do in life – long term goals –should be very very clearly laid out - research…corporate…academician…own enterprise…--this is the backbone of your SOP and most of the student lag here…the university wants highly focused individuals who are very sure what they want to do – so be very precise with your future plans;
2. How an MS degree will help you—of course it will give you more knowledge and enhance your skills (this we all know!) – but how it relates to you – what aspects of this program you believe will aid you to achieve your goals.
About the University (about 70 words)
1. Why you are choosing this university – recommended by seniors, teachers…or you are impressed with the ranking and reputation…say you have done a thorough research about the university;
2. Mention about the university’s faculty. Write names of the professors in your dept and also the kind of research work they are involved in;
3. Any special seminars/ conferences held on the campus vis-à-vis your program;
4. Infrastructure of the university;
5. Any other factor that attracts you – diversity of the student body, location. For these too, please read about the specific university and then write.
Conclusion (about 50 words)
Instead of writing a general conclusion … connect your end to the beginning…connect your last para to the first para – complete the story – your SOP should come full circle
Sending all good wishes!
Ananth
Check this out once you have an initial format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBaNuzUgxnU
I followed the below template to build a concrete SOP, which helped in getting multiple admits. Always make an initial draft and have it reviewed by someone so that it can be improvised. Never apply with an single SOP to all universities, it is important to customize it based on the course and university you are applying for.
Introduction (about 100 words)
1. How you got interested in this field;
2. Some childhood memories that link you to the current interest in the field of CS/IT/Mech./etc..
3. What program you want to do now and the university’s name – this sets the premises for rest of the SOP to follow.
School Life (about 50 words)
1. A short para on outstanding achievements in school both academically and extra curricular;
2. School’s name;
3. Which subjects you chose and why;
4. Marks in class X and Class XII;
5. How school life motivated you to take up this field of education at bachelor’s level
University Life
Academics: (about 75 words)
1. Name of the college and the university it is affiliated to;
2. Key courses studied in Computer Engg
3. Marks obtained.
Projects: (about 100 words)
1. Name of the project and the year they were taken up along with the names of the faculty under which they were done;
2. Details of the projects. Like what platform was used, what was the output/ outcome;
3. Any key features of the projects – what you created? Was it innovative? Anything which was path breaking;
4. What did you learn through these projects – practical application, perseverance, team work, analyzing lengthy data, thinking out of the box;
5. Any special accolades the projects got.
Internships: (about 100 words)
1. In which company, under which department and in which year;
2. Your role during the internship;
3. Any outstanding achievement – like you suggested something new which the company appreciated immensely;
4. Skills gained – like you learnt how the corporate world functions, got to understand the practical implementation of theories.
Co-curricular Activities: (about 70 words)
1. Participated in – technical fests, member of any technical society (like IEEE), conferences attended, publications.
Extra-curricular Activities & Volunteer Work: (about 75 words)
1. Participated in – sports, cultural event, painting, dance, music…
2. Member of NGO, NSS camps, Blood donation camps, Literacy Mission…
Work Experience (100 words)
1. Joined at which position, year, company and under which Dept. – career progress…did you get quick promotions or got an opportunity to work on live projects;
2. What have been your key roles and responsibilities;
3. What platforms you have worked on;
4. Any special contributions to the organization.
CareerObjective & Why Masters (about 75 words)
1. What you want to do in life – long term goals –should be very very clearly laid out - research…corporate…academician…own enterprise…--this is the backbone of your SOP and most of the student lag here…the university wants highly focused individuals who are very sure what they want to do – so be very precise with your future plans;
2. How an MS degree will help you—of course it will give you more knowledge and enhance your skills (this we all know!) – but how it relates to you – what aspects of this program you believe will aid you to achieve your goals.
About the University (about 70 words)
1. Why you are choosing this university – recommended by seniors, teachers…or you are impressed with the ranking and reputation…say you have done a thorough research about the university;
2. Mention about the university’s faculty. Write names of the professors in your dept and also the kind of research work they are involved in;
3. Any special seminars/ conferences held on the campus vis-à-vis your program;
4. Infrastructure of the university;
5. Any other factor that attracts you – diversity of the student body, location. For these too, please read about the specific university and then write.
Conclusion (about 50 words)
Instead of writing a general conclusion … connect your end to the beginning…connect your last para to the first para – complete the story – your SOP should come full circle
Sending all good wishes!
Ananth
Ananth recommends the following next steps:
Veronica Wilson-McLeod
Student Intervention Liaison
8
Answers
Richmond, Virginia
Updated
Veronica’s Answer
Good afternoon Mr. Hritwik, so you are seeking to earn a Master Degree in Computer Science – very nice! You are asking about writing a state of purpose required by master’s degree candidates.
Ideally, SoP’s is an essay that states the purpose of applying to a particular program and university. The essay should be approximately 1.5 -2 pages long - unless the university has instructed otherwise. The SOP helps the academic committee understand your life and inspirations for your particular career path along with your corresponding occupational goals.
1. The Introduction Paragraph:
Begin by stating the field or concentration you are excited to pursue. Use engaging language and be vigilant to correct sentence structure and grammatical errors in order to keep the attention on your Statement and not your mistakes.
2. The Middle Paragraph:
This is a very significant section of the SOP. Write about your past academic performance, the courses you took, briefly summarize any thesis or project work. Use technical terms to identify why this particular school or university, the program of study, and professional experiences that lead you to your decision. Explain why you have chosen this country to be educated in. Are you returning to India, if so why and what impact will the degree have your community and/or country?
3. Work experience/internship paragraph:
Elaborate on your current or past competences in the workplace and add any internships/externships if they apply. Describe how you accomplished any professional goals and the effects of those goals on your workplace or community. Mention the lessons you learned along the way, as well as, the skill sets you acquired from the experience.
4. The Conclusion Paragraph:
Thoroughly research the program. Identify professors, any current/new impactful projects by the University of interest, and demonstrate your knowledge of with any current research about your new college or university and why you would be a perfect fit for this university.
1. The Introduction Paragraph
2. The Middle Paragraph
3. Work experience/internship paragraph
4. The Conclusion
Ideally, SoP’s is an essay that states the purpose of applying to a particular program and university. The essay should be approximately 1.5 -2 pages long - unless the university has instructed otherwise. The SOP helps the academic committee understand your life and inspirations for your particular career path along with your corresponding occupational goals.
1. The Introduction Paragraph:
Begin by stating the field or concentration you are excited to pursue. Use engaging language and be vigilant to correct sentence structure and grammatical errors in order to keep the attention on your Statement and not your mistakes.
2. The Middle Paragraph:
This is a very significant section of the SOP. Write about your past academic performance, the courses you took, briefly summarize any thesis or project work. Use technical terms to identify why this particular school or university, the program of study, and professional experiences that lead you to your decision. Explain why you have chosen this country to be educated in. Are you returning to India, if so why and what impact will the degree have your community and/or country?
3. Work experience/internship paragraph:
Elaborate on your current or past competences in the workplace and add any internships/externships if they apply. Describe how you accomplished any professional goals and the effects of those goals on your workplace or community. Mention the lessons you learned along the way, as well as, the skill sets you acquired from the experience.
4. The Conclusion Paragraph:
Thoroughly research the program. Identify professors, any current/new impactful projects by the University of interest, and demonstrate your knowledge of with any current research about your new college or university and why you would be a perfect fit for this university.
Veronica recommends the following next steps:
Umang Sharma
Software Engineer III
4
Answers
Fulton, Maryland
Updated
Umang’s Answer
LORs are meant to be given by the professors or employers, you could just send them a format on how it should be. Include in the format a default template on how the LOR is meant to look like.
For SOPs, you have to bring out something that's not on your resume, it has to talk about yourself, why want to pursue this particular course from this university, you need to keep different SOPs for every university , highlighting why you want to pursue your MS from that particular university.
The details of the SOP has been very well documented in the earlier answers, I think that's a very good starting point. Also, never just write one SOP and be done with it, keep on improving it over the period of time and get it proofread by your friends, professors or seniors who have already gone through this process. Hope this helps!
For SOPs, you have to bring out something that's not on your resume, it has to talk about yourself, why want to pursue this particular course from this university, you need to keep different SOPs for every university , highlighting why you want to pursue your MS from that particular university.
The details of the SOP has been very well documented in the earlier answers, I think that's a very good starting point. Also, never just write one SOP and be done with it, keep on improving it over the period of time and get it proofread by your friends, professors or seniors who have already gone through this process. Hope this helps!