A Guide to Writing an SOP for Germany
Do you want to go to Germany for higher studies but don’t have any idea about SOP writing?
If that’s so, this article will be of great help to you as we will discuss the important things that you should know about writing SOP for Germany.
Whether you are applying for UG or PG courses abroad, generally universities demand SOPs from the aspirant. But in German, most universities ask for SOP only for master’s programs.
SOP is an admission requirement set by foreign universities to determine whether a candidate would be an ideal fit for their university. A well-written SOP can help you in getting the acceptance letter.
As the SOP is submitted along with your CV, it should be based on your academic and professional skills, your reasons and motivation for the specific course chosen, your goals in life, and the interpersonal skills that set you apart from others.
Here you will learn
- What is an SOP and its significance?
- How is it different for Germany?
- A step-by-step process for an effective SOP
- Do’s and don’ts
- Pro tips to ace your sop
- Conclusion
Let’s dive into it
Quick intro of SOP and its importance
SOP is a document written in essay format where you can advertise yourself in the best possible ways as you have to mention your qualification, extra-curricular activities and learning, determination, experience, short-term and long-term goals, or Reason aspirations for applying for that specific program and university. A well-structured objective statement plays a vital role in making your application unique.
The same goes for SOPs to apply for a master’s degree program in Germany.
In the stack of application documents, a statement of purpose is a written essay that convinces the admissions officer of your suitability for the program.
How is it different for Germany?
An SOP for Germany is commonly referred to as a Letter of Motivation (LOM), in which applicants share their experiences and skills to highlight their motivation for studying in Germany.
- The word limit is 500- 1000 words that is focuses on your inspiration to pursue higher education in Germany.
- The SOP for Germany is mandatory only for students seeking admission to postgraduate degree programs.
- Unlike countries such as the United States and Canada, the SOP for Germany is to be offered through Uni-Assist rather than individual universities.
- For Germany, the statement of purpose should emphasize academic merit rather than extracurricular achievements.
The step-by-step process for an effective SOP
Who inspired you
You have to be honest and tell the story of what motivated you to pursue that program (Computer Science, Data Science, Data Analytics, Civil Engineering, etc.). But avoid mentioning the details of name, fame, or money.
You can share any real event that inspired you or mention the program’s impacts on society and how you want to make a difference in people’s lives. But be realistic, because admissions officers read a lot of SOPs every day and they really want to know what kind of person you are. What is your vision and what impact shall this program have on your future endeavors? You should tell what events inclined you towards that particular university. This is your chance to grab the admission committee’s attention.
Share the story in an impressive manner
You can write only two to three lines about the event to choose that specific program and then move on to life goals etc. This is the part where you have to share your story of how certain incidents shaped your perceptions.
Assuming you applied for computer science, you can share events such as a teacher in middle school taught you to create an HTML page with your name on it and that sparked your interest in computer science or You were introduced to programming languages at your undergraduate level and their intricacies inspired you to choose Computer Science. Likewise, you can share your real, genuine story that relates to you.
Share college learnings
This is the part where the admission committee is really interested, especially for German Universities. Why did you choose to study the course that you did in your graduation? You can share your achievements as a student or your learnings during college.
The second thing you have to focus on is your determination and curiosity to learn. You should focus on your studies, competitions, projects, and whatever you learned during college. Because your CV already shows what you did like your college name, subject, marks, etc.
Extracurricular Activities
The admissions committee really wants to know what kind of person you are. So never underestimate extra-curricular activities. You have to show as a human being what you did as a hobby, involvement in NSS or NCC, charity or participating in any social reform campaign, playing any sport, etc. It should tell how you focused and improveed your interpersonal skills.
Share practical knowledge
You should share your practical knowledge at this stage and what are your achievements and learnings through real-world experiences. If you’re currently working for a company, it’s easy to write about what you did and what you know about them.
But if you have just completed your graduation then you can share any project which you completed during your college under the guidance of a professor. If you must have created an app in the group, whatever you have learned and the challenges involved. For example, you can say that you have improved your team management skills, organization skills, time management skills and programming skills, etc.
Why are you interested in this specific university?
This is an important part as here you have to research the university you have chosen. You have to mention the specialty of that university and why you chose it. What are your expectations from this and what are the training, programs, or internships offered by this university during the studies that inspired you a lot? You can also mention the name of the professors and the research that intrigues you.
Conclude in a decent manner
You have to write the ending in a decent way where you should share your long-term vision as well as short-term vision.
One thing which is most important, you have to mention is that you have plans to get back to your homeland and do something for them and how the chosen program can contribute to the development of your country.
You can express your desire to be associated with the university for a long time. Otherwise, you can show your firm belief that you are a worthy candidate for that university.
Things to keep in mind
Follow format
As mentioned above you should follow the same format while writing SOP.
Reflect on your career goal
Your qualifications and experience are all mentioned in your CV, so you should focus on your learnings, skills, and career goals in the SOP.
Keep it real
Lots of sample SOPs are available but please avoid copying other SOPs with minor changes. SOP is a personal document as the university wants to understand what kind of person you are, so try to keep it authentic. You can get an idea of writing from SOP samples.
Proofread your SOP
Always proofread your writing as spelling or grammatical errors can spoil your overall impression.
Language and tone
Your SOP will be verified through the Admissions Committee or Uni-Assist (which evaluates applications by international student applicants to 180 German universities). So take care to use formal and respected language.
Things to avoid
Exceed the word limit
The SOP for Germany should not be more than 1-2 pages. It is mainly 500 to 1000 words. So don’t cross the word limit.
Overuse phrases and idioms
SOP stands for a statement of purpose that reflects your vision of life. As it is made for universities, so don’t use too many idioms and phrases, as they don’t like them.
Reflect CV in SOP only
You will be asked to submit a separate CV. So don’t repeat your resume, focus on the experiences that led you to study your chosen program in Germany. You should talk about your skills, vision, learning, inspirations, achievements, short-term and long-term goals, etc.
Poor introductory para
The first part is your chance to grab the attention of the university authority. Therefore the opening and closing should represent your motivation, clear vision of life, and support of the program and the university.
False information
You should keep one thing in mind: never give wrong information related to qualification or experience in the SOP.
Over information about the institution
Universities already know themselves, so don’t write much information about universities. The university just wants to know what motivated you to choose it and how they help you meet your long-term goal.
Pro Tips
- When you just start drafting your SOP, write without restrictions and then decide what is necessary or unnecessary.
- Try to align your goals with the chosen program and university
- Focus on your learning, skills, and vision.
- Start writing as soon as possible, don’t rush
Conclusion
Keep in mind all the points shared in this article and remember that your SOP for Germany or any other country like the USA, UK, etc. should have a proper structure and needs to be written professionally. So in that case you can also reach out to the fraternity that is the best in this business Write Right.