I am trying to write an SOP to get into the Graphic Design Graduate program offered by SCAD. I can't decide on the points I should retain in the essay, and the ones I should edit. I was also doubtful about the tone of voice of the essay. Should the essay sound more formal? Please help me figure out. Thank you.
SOP
Ever had one of those moments when you experience a click? When you know something's right. I don't believe in intuition, but I believe in that click. My life, so far, has been the sum of these clicks.
I have always had a way with numbers. I would proudly solve the daily Sudoku and the Rubik's cube in record time, be the one to calculate how to split a cheque equally before friends could punch in the numbers on their cell phones' calculator. Probably that is why, my decision of pursuing Graphic Design as my major, against perceived Indian 'conventional, practical and money fetching' professions like Medicine and Engineering was met with mixed reactions. For most people, creative and analytical minds are seemingly conflicting concepts. Blessed with both, I knew I could make them work together. I followed that click.
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Alija, this does not sound at all like a Statement of Purpose. Instead, it sounds more like a college application essay. In order to write an SOP you should be talking about your important academic internships, your current professional commitments and background, and your future goals and ideas for your career. Those are the factors that develop your statement of purpose. A masters degree is supposed to help you climb the professional hierarchy of your current office. The idea, is to study a field related to your college major or current work position with the goal of attaining professional advancement position wise. Meaning, you go from rank and file employee to supervisor. Your essay, while quite detailed, does not show any career progression ideas on your part, nor any ambition to improve your field of expertise in the future. All of which combine to create your statement of purpose because , those important information become the purpose for your study and career advancement. I hope that you can revise the essay to lean more towards the points that I have mentioned above. Feel free to ask questions if there are some points that are not clear to you. We are all here to help :-)
Thank you so much for the feedback. I also felt I was going a bit off track. With your feedback, I am hoping to write a better sop, covering all the essential points. :-)
I've worked on the feedback and drafted my SOP again. Feedback will be appreciated.
SOP
"Your design speaks for itself. If it does not persuade the user to pick it off the shelf, then maybe it isn't doing much talking."
These lines uttered by my boss on the first day of work as a junior Graphic Designer have stuck with me ever since. Design is not just a piece of art, but a piece of effective communication. My undergraduate study in Graphic Design has equipped me with the essential design skills. However, I now wish to hone the art of effective communication. It is largely for this reason that I intend to pursue graduate studies from the University of....
Ever since I remember, I have been fascinated by the fact that the use of specific colours, typography and graphical elements can permanently alter or influence a human psyche. Be it our choice of a cell phone or a car, our choices define who we are; and my love for scrutinising those decisions has in turn, shaped my life too. Determined to become a 'Mind Bender' myself, I enrolled into an Undergraduate Graphic Design course at Maeer's MIT Institute of Design, India.
Apart from creative skills, the course sharpened my cognitive skills too. I could now filter the innumerable ideas floating around in my head and boil down to a few plausible solutions with the aid of mind mapping and other tools.
One of the most challenging projects undertaken in college was to use the power of design to help Indian women stand up against domestic violence. Since there is a vast sea of differences in the lifestyle, literacy, culture and beliefs of women residing in urban and rural India, one solution would not cater to both. As I worked, I realized that the problem solving and analytical thinking skills I developed due to my love for maths in school will help me greatly in future design work. A series of posters combining visuals and type spoke out to the literate yet vulnerable urban women, whereas, the ones for rural women were strictly devoid of any written word to create an equal impact. My understanding of the Indian culture coupled with an ability to empathise with people proved to be strong tools in my kit. Now increasingly aware of the moral responsibility vested in my hands as a designer, I volunteered for a few NGOs along with school.
My internship with DY Works provided me hands on experience after school. Even at an intern level, seniors were always appreciative of my ideas and gave my suggestions weight. Resultantly, I thrived, and also realised the importance of maintaining a positive environment to foster creativity; a practice, I would like to carry forward in my professional design life.
After being offered a permanent position at the company, I had the opportunity to work with big consumer brands like Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever and Godrej, very early in my career. One of the key takeaways from this experience was that good design skills, alone are not enough. It is also important to have management and leadership capabilities, as well as an awareness of how to best sell and market the designs to the client.
Small or big, every experience in my life as a Graphic designer has unleashed my hidden creative potential, and fueled the curiosity I've always had as a little girl. Pursuing Graduate studies from the University of...is the next logical step in satiating my ever expanding curious mind. Acquaintance with international cultures, markets, design methods and practices will equip me to communicate with an audience beyond the boundaries of my own country. Consequently, it will help me realise my goal of becoming, not just a successful artist, but a successful communicator, acting as a catalyst for change; a 'Mind-Bender.'
This is a good improvement over the first version of the essay. The problem, is that you have the ideas scattered about in the essay so that it does not paint a solid picture of your reasons for applying for masters school. You need to immediately present your purpose for enrolling in masters school. It has to be a strong and convincing reason that sets up your career path over the next five years, at the very least. Remember, you need to convince the admissions officer that your career path are present requires the advanced education that a masters degree offers and that your future career growth is dependent upon the advanced training that you can gain from the additional studies. Once you reflect those points in your essay, you will have properly answered the requirements of a masters school statement of purpose.
