What should a SOP contain.

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mausam.deb: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 20; Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 1:54 am

by mausam.deb » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:03 am

I am in Industry for 7+ years and love to look at my work and goals objectively. My personal preference is to present all data in tabular format, as that represents information in more organized way.

I checked most standard SOPs are written in a narrative format. So I wonder
1. Do i need to include what my father did in his life?
2. Do I need to include history (in a form of story telling) of my career?
3. Do I need to present the obstacles I faced to reach?

OR shall i showcase what I have done so far and want to do in future and showcase my research about the program I intend to apply?

Help is appreciated in advance. Thanks.

Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:03 am

essaysnark: Legendary Member; Posts: 795; Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:41 amFollowed by: 85 members; Thanked: 177 times

by essaysnark » Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:24 am

Hi mausam.deb--

It's really hard to answer that question without knowing what program you're applying to. Different schools want different things. However we can definitely say that it needs to be a written essay - the table format is not at all what the schools expect, so it's good that you've discarded that idea.

No, most schools would not be interested in knowing about your father - they want to know about you. What each one requires and expects is very different, like we said, so we can't really guide you on the rest. Generally yes, it's helpful to include some information on career history, but this should go above and beyond what can be seen from the resume. A discussion of obstacles might be relevant, or it might not - again it depends on the school. Generally the most important focus should be on why you're applying to their program and what you need the education for (thus the name of the document is called a 'statement of purpose').

Of course if you're talking about applying to any of the bschools which are in constant discussion on these boards, then it's much more defined, and is very specific to the exact questions that those schools ask in their essay prompts. We're guessing that's not what you're tackling though, based on the question.

Hopefully this is at least directionally helpful! Many people working on their SOP use our essay review services to make sure their drafts are focused and complete - check it out here if you're interested: https://www.essaysnark.com/salespage/essay-reviews/

Good luck to you!
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myEssayReview: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 341; Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:55 amFollowed by: 10 members; Location: Phoenix, Arizona; Thanked: 63 times

by myEssayReview » Mon Aug 06, 2012 7:43 am

I absolutely concur with essay snark.... The schools are interested in knowing about your goals, your need of an MBA to realize your goals,and your need of that particular school's program where you are applying. For this you will have to research that school thoroughly so you can explain why their specific offerings ( courses, alumni, clubs etc.) match your interests/ goals.

I hope that helped.

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