SOP Guidelines for University of Toronto

Generally, SOP required for universities in other parts of the world asks for 700-800 words, but the University of Toronto, being one of the top colleges, asks for at least. SOP usually highlights the 3 W’s, like Who are you? What are your academic qualifications, and why are you the right person for the job? Most institutes assess you through the SOP to evaluate how strongly your documents align with the course you are taking admission in!

Prepare a list of things you wish to include

A statement of purpose is usually a long document, but before you start penning it down, ensure you have included everything you will be mentioned in your statement of purpose. You can basically mention your whole life in your Statement of purpose; therefore, it is necessary to write down things and then align them with your course.

Your SOP should be idea-centric

Do not chase wild goose on your SOP. Revolve it around a theme or a specific thought process. Making it go like a flow toward your goal is important. Finding the theme can be quite difficult and, at the same time, is quite important too. The easiest way is to narrate a story about what happened in your life that made you decide that this is what you gotta do and why

Know your course and your university

The fact that you are writing SOP for this college, you will be well aware of the facts and figures about the university. This time research the alumni, culture, and success stories of this university and then align them with your course. Remember, even if it is not asked categorically, it would eventually help you out if you study about the faculty members that will be assigned to you and will be taking the course in the next few years.

Write it, rewrite it, and edit it

After penning down everything, it comes down to the writing part. Your first draft should be your rough draft; never ever submit your first draft. Just write it once, check it, and make sure you ask someone, a friend, family member, or even a colleague to re-check your SOP. Trust me, a fresh pair of eyes can catch mistakes or grammatical errors even if you miss it. Even if we are not asking you to have 3-4 edits and just get lost midway, at least one edit is a must.

We also recommend you review your SOP after a few days. Fresh eyes can pick up mistakes, or you can even think of a few things that you think are relatable somehow to the course can also be added.