Sample Statement Of Purpose For Canada

Students who are planning to travel overseas to pursue higher studies are required to write a Statement of Purpose (SOP). In the SOP, students have to explain why they want to pursue higher studies at a particular school in that country, while the same course is available in their home country.

SOP is one of the most important submissions for overseas education aspirants, and plays a key role in admissions to foreign universities. SOP is a universal requirement for universities in the US, Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, or the Netherlands.

This article shall further speak about the important points that students should mention in their SOPs. The SOP can be in an essay form, or one can write in a question-answer form as well, that is, answer to a one-liner question in one paragraph. We would be presenting the sample to you in a paragraph form, covering each important aspect one-after-another.

Introduce Yourself

The first paragraph can be about yourself and your family. Mention a couple of lines about your parents and siblings. Consider the following example.

My name is Shubhankar Ohri and I am a class 12 student at Delhi Public School. I am pursuing the Science stream and have Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and English as major subjects. I want to become an electrical engineer. My father is a cloth merchant and has two shops in Delhi. His business is flourishing these days. My mother is a homemaker, and I have a 12-year-old sister who also goes to the same school as me.

What You Do And Aim For

In the second paragraph, you should mention what you are currently doing, what you want to study, and what you want to do in your life.

I want to become an electrical engineer because of my passion for cars. I cannot keep myself from researching the internet to check out newly launched car models. Every year I wait for the auto expo in our city, and I always make sure to visit this exhibition in the month of November. I am also keenly interested in the technicalities of car-making, and read a lot of magazines on automobiles. As most cars will soon be electric, the demand for electrical engineers will rise sharply in the next decade. I believe I will be able to cater appropriately to this demand in the future and hence, want to pursue a course in Electrical Engineering.

Why You Chose Canada

You must talk about why you are choosing Canada as your study destination and the unique, practical-oriented courses available in Canada. Consider this example.

I have chosen Canada for my undergraduate studies primarily for its reputation for providing quality education at a reasonable fee. I have heard that there is a significant focus on the practical aspect of electrical engineering. The students have to visit manufacturing centres regularly to gain a better understanding of theoretical concepts they learn in the classroom. Lion Electric Company is already producing electric buses and trucks in Canada. Soon, there will be many more companies that will produce electric cars. I believe that I should have the academic foundation to prepare for the electric vehicle revolution, which is bound to happen in the near future. Moreover, the tuition fees in Canada is comparatively reasonable. These are the main reasons why I would like to pursue studies in Canada. There is enormous scope for internship and co-op studies in Canada. The majority of schools and universities provide internships and co-ops with different courses. It will be a great opportunity if I can get admission to a co-op course in Canada.

In Canada, there is safety and security for all citizens and equal opportunities are provided to all irrespective of the gender, nationality, and social status of any person. This will help me in finding the right kind of job in the electric car industry.

After completing my course in Electrical Engineering from XYZ University, I would like to take benefit of PSW to find a job in Canada for a maximum of two years. After getting international work exposure for 1-2 years, I would like to return to India to work in a multinational company and would like to live close to family and friends. In the long term, I plan to set up my own business.

Show That Canada Is The Ideal Place To Pursue Your Dreams

Why Not India?

You must write a paragraph about why you do not want to pursue the course in your home country.

Although Electrical Engineering courses are available in India, there is a limited number of schools. Given the large population of graduating students, it's difficult for everyone to get the college of their choice. Also, certain subjects such as ‘Signal Processing’ and ‘System Modelling and Control’, which I would like to opt for in the Electrical Engineering course are not widely available at Indian colleges. Last but not the least, I would also like to get international exposure. This will help me broaden my horizon and interact with students from different parts of the world.

Why This University/Course

One should thoroughly study the website of the university where one is applying.

Appreciate Faculty | Mention all the good points about the university. Study about the department teachers of your subject and read the reviews about the faculty. You can mention in your SOP how nice it would be to learn from such faculty.

Talk About Infrastructure | You may write about the library/lab facilities of that university. It would be a good idea to do some research by talking to the alumni of that college. You can mention the placements. Write enough so that those on the panel are convinced about the effort you have put into researching the institution.

Mention The Course | You should also write about the course and mention if you want to do further studies in the same course, for instance, MS in the same subject after doing BS.

Read through the continued example for a better idea.

I have a special inclination towards XYZ University in Toronto. The library in this university is world-renowned, with over 1 million digital books and hard copies. I am thrilled with the prospect of spending my time at this library. I have also seen the pictures and videos of Electrical Engineering labs at the university. They are amazing. I feel I will get great exposure in such labs. Also, as per the university curriculum, we will be having several visits to the industry, which will give me first-hand exposure to how real business works.

Through my research, I have learnt about Ms. M. Ghassemi, who is Head of the Electrical Department. The internet is loaded with great reviews about her. If given a chance, it would be great to learn one of my subjects under her. She has done a lot of research and written several research papers on Electrical Engineering.
Through the alumni list, I have approached three persons who have completed their degrees from XYZ University about 5 to 10 years back. All three of them are now well-placed in life and have spoken high about the teachers and other facilities of the university.

Although, I have not fully made up my mind, if things go well, I will be doing my master's. XYZ University provides MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering, which is also a reason why I have chosen this university over other universities.

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Your Future Plans

Dedicate one paragraph to talking about your future plans. Mention that you will either immediately come back to India after the course is completed, or would like to get international working experience in Canada for about one or two years before coming back to India and joining some MNC here. You can also write about opening your own business in the field of your study in Canada.

After completing my course in Electrical Engineering from XYZ University in Canada, I would like to work for about one year in Canada to gain valuable experience. That way, I will be able to make some friends and a strong professional network in Canada. After working for a year, I will return to India, where I will work with a good multinational company. These MNCs in India provide good exposure and the compensation is quite attractive. I will be living close to my family and will be doing the work of my choice.

Conclusion To Your SOP

You must always add a brief conclusion to your SOP.

By pursuing my course in Canada, I believe I would be able to fulfil my aspirations of becoming a capable engineer, with a good blend of theoretical and practical knowledge. In addition, I would become better aware of myself through interaction with students from different backgrounds and countries. All of this will contribute, in the long run, to my personal and professional growth.

Your SOP is one of the most important documents you would be required to submit for your admission to a foreign university. However, at the same time, you should be your genuine self while drafting your SOP, since fancy SOPs may not convey your ideas as precisely and clearly. The panel who would be reading your SOP should know just by a look at it that the document has been written by the student himself and not by a writing/overseas education professional on the student’s behalf.

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Munish Ohri is Founder, Epsilon Education Consultants. He holds close to three decades of experience in the fields of education, human resources, and consulting. He is passionate about education counselling keeps himself abreast of the latest developments, and holds extensive experience in guiding and counselling students with college selection based on their previous studies, affordability, and location preference. He helps students identify potential colleges for application filling, fee payment guidance, etc., while also guiding them to get the best IELTS, TOEFL, SAT, GRE, and GMAT scores.