EdMIUMStatement of Purpose is an admission or application essay. It is a kind of written statement, often a student writing to try to get into college or university. Some applications may require one or more essays to be completed, while others make them optional or supplementary. Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a short essay (about 1000 words long) telling about yourself. The SOP highlights 3Ws i.e Who are you, What are your academic qualifications, and Why you are the right person for the course. The schools often look at the Statement of Purpose to see if your interests match the program you are applying to.
In this article, let us look at:
- SOP for Canada- Difference & Importance
- SOP for Canada Student Visa
- SOP for Canada Universities
- Sample SOP for Canada
1. SOP for Canada- Difference & Importance
Unlike in many other countries, applicants need to provide an SOP for both Canadian colleges and a student visa. Canada requires all international students to have a Canadian study visa before they can even enter the country. This is not the case for university applicants who must submit their applications online and obtain their admissions letters through email.
- Statement of purpose for Canada VISA application is an essay . You should explain why Canada, academic profile, post-study plans, reasons for selecting the particular university, and course.
- Applicants reapplying for a Canada student visa should address the same in their SOP for visa essay.
- Canadian universities sometimes ask for short essays or a video(s). The questions can also ask you to submit three pictures along with a short description.
- SOP for Canadian universities should go beyond what is in the application itself. It should rather represent your uniqueness and show your most important experiences.
- Furthermore, ensure that your SOP for the chosen program, such as SOP for Law in Canada or SOP for MS in Canada caters to the program curriculum and your expectations from it.
2. SOP for Canada Student Visa
Of the two, SOP for Canada is more important as it can make or break your chances of studying in Canada. They can either say yes or no on the basis of your SOP.
An ideal Statement of Purpose for Canada visa should address all required questions at the same time to reflect your individuality. While writing an SOP for Canada student visa, ensure that you cater to these major questions below:
- Why do you want to Study in Canada? Here you have to address why you are choosing Canada over the USA, UK, Australia, etc.
- Why have you applied to this particular university in Canada? Here you have to talk about how the particular Canadian university is suitable for you in terms of program choice, curriculum, affordability, etc.
- Which program do you want to study and why? Mention your choice of program (complete name not short form).
- Do you have a gap year? Remember to address this question carefully and thoroughly as Canada is strict about gap year(s). Explain what you did during your gap year in detail.
- Are you going to return to your home country? Don’t mention anything about staying in Canada. Emphasize strongly on returning to your country and state reasons and long-term plans.
- How are you going to fund your studies in Canada? Whether you have a scholarship/sponsorship or your parents are going to fund your studies, mention that in detail. Attach affidavits, letters, and bank statements referring to financial support.
- Do you understand all your responsibilities as an international student? Students planning to work part-time and off-campus can do so for a maximum of 20 hours/week, during an academic semester.
3. SOP for Canada Universities
Statement of Purpose at Canadian universities is more personal than SOP for Canada Student visa. There are a few elements that all Canadian universities look for in an applicant’s essay:
- Academic Scores: Universities give extra emphasis to academic scores, especially in the case of business & engineering programs.
- Community Culture & Volunteering: While it should be included in every PG applicant’s SOP, those applying for programs like social service and public administration should prioritize it.
- Work Experience: At Canadian universities like UBC, UToronto, it is mandatory for PG applicants to have relevant work experience of at least 2 years.
SOP for University of Toronto
There is no specific SOP for the UToronto application form. But, as part of the admissions process, you should be able to submit a complete application with three essays, a short video project, and an English proficiency test. Both schools never present a set pattern of rules; it’s their policy to keep things fresh. For instance, in 2019, U of T’s Rotman admission written essay was related to the ‘spike factor’ and video essay was an interaction with the admission committee. For the video interview, be as genuine and unique as you can be. Whereas, for the written essay, be as creative as you can be.
SOP for University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is one of the few Canadian universities which require an SOP for both undergraduate and graduate programs.
For UG programs, UBC’s personal profile requires answers to 4 questions such as:
- Describe for us “Who are you?”
- What is important to you and why?
- Describe up to 5 activities that you have actively pursued or the accomplishments achieved in one or more of the following areas.
- Elaborate about one or two activities listed above that are significant to you.
For the PG programs, the Statement of interest includes a small essay, wherein you have to address your:
- specific academic area of interest
- previous educational experience
- expectations from UBC graduate program
While writing an SOP for UBC, remember to emphasize your academic background and accomplishments. UBC is amongst those universities that prefer students with exceptional grades.
SOP for Queen’s University
At Queen’s statement of purpose is not mandatory. But if you want to write one, remember that it only focuses on your non-academic parts. Even though the Statement of Purpose for Canada is optional, admission officers at Queen’s expect you to submit one. The statement of intent for Queen’s University is made up of two parts-a questionnaire and an essay.
Questionnaire:
- List any of your awards and distinctions that you have received in the last 4-5 years.
- Identify any extracurricular activities and the total number of hours you have devoted to each one.
- List any part-time/full-time paid or unpaid work you have done in the past 4 years.
Essay:
One extracurricular activity or employment opportunity, describe the impact of this experience and the greatest learning outcome from this experience.
4. Sample SOP for Canada
Introduction
I, [Student’s Name] S/o Sh. [Father/Mother’s Name] comes from a middle-class family residing at [State,Country]. My father and mother both are engaged in agriculture. I have a younger sister Ms. BNG, who is studying in class VIII in [Name of school]
Academic Background and Language Proficiency:
I passed Class X from [Name of school] with [CGPA Obtained] CGPA in 2016 and Class XII from [Name of school] with [Percentage obtained] in [Chosen subject/stream].
I am a keen sportsperson and participated in different sports like Basketball, swimming, and Judo. Along with sports, I won laurels in co-curricular activities namely Painting, Essay Writing, Spell Bee, Public speaking competitions, debates, and quizzes. I participated and won many competitions for which I have received Certificates of excellence, merit, or participation according to the achievements.
I visited the USA for a short period of around 26 days in 2016 where I gained 23 days of Astronaut training experience from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, and completed training offered by HSA tutoring under the aegis of Cambridge University for Commerce subjects like Business Organization, Accounts, and Economics.
I have done IELTS in 2018 with an overall band score of 6.5. I scored 6 each in listening, reading and writing, and 7.5 in speaking module.
Why Automotive Business Course?
I am born and initially brought up in Greece and had developed a passion for racing cars since my childhood. With a business acumen inherited from my father and love for automobiles also as an innate trait, a course mix of automobiles and business is like something specifically cut out for me. I am an avid learner and aspire to make my career with my passion, hence when I came to know about a course in the Automobile business, I jumped at the opportunity.
The Automotive Business study program at Georgian College, abbreviated as the AUBU program offers general business and specialized automotive education is providing me an in-depth knowledge of this industry. The Automotive Business School of Canada is actively supported by the automotive industry which is apt for providing hands-on experience in this industry. I incline to set up my own business in the automobile industry in the global market for which I cannot ask for a more suitable course than this.
Why Canada and Georgian College?
I have experienced international education in my childhood due to which I opted for a worldwide recognized degree program in Canada. The Canadian education system is excellent and ranks among the best in the world. Canada is a multicultural country that provides internationally recognized degrees. It has one of the best business and automotive education courses offered by Georgian college with the backing of the Automobile industry. The dynamic and vibrant characteristics of the country match my nature. In order to become future-ready, I have decided to pursue my further education at Georgian College as studying there will give me international education and exposure.
Financial Status:
My parents are engaged in agriculture and also receive earnings by leasing the land and property owned by my family. The annual income of my family is around CAD _____. I have already opened a GIC account with CAD 10,000/- to take care of boarding and lodging expenses for the first six months after my arrival in Canada and submitted my second year’s fee at the college. My parents will be supporting my education in Canada.
Post Study Opportunities:
India is a growing economy and is a labor-intensive market. In the last five years, the automotive industry in India has seen a boom. Commercial vehicles reported the maximum number of sales followed by two-wheelers and four-wheelers (passenger vehicles) respectively. After the successful completion of the Automotive Business course, I would like to go for a career in the automotive business. As it is there is no dearth of opportunities in this fast-growing field. This field offers a well-paying career after completion of specialized education.
My father has a prosperous and well-established financial status in India, though I am destined to inherit that yet I want to make my career in the automobile industry. I have my roots and family in India and have a dream to do something great for my country after getting a world-class education.
I know that studying in Canada requires a lot of discipline and dedication. I am a law-abiding citizen and a very responsible individual.
I request you to give me an opportunity to study in Canada as that will help me in realizing my dreams.
