Statement of Purpose (SOP) for Australia: Guidelines for Visa and Universities

Statement of Purpose (SOP) is the most dreaded stage of the application process. The limited characters plus the high expectations usually take a toll on students.

But lucky for you, we have some expert knowledge in the field. Read this article to learn how to write an SOP for Australia from India. We have also attached an Australia SOP sample. 

There are two SOPs you need to write. One for the university you are applying to and the SOP for Australia student visa for the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

What should I put in an SOP for Australia from India?

Let’s start with the basics of SOP for Australia from India.

A statement of purpose must communicate:

• The relevance of your past education to the course you are applying to, plus any additional knowledge or skill that you might have in the field.
• What you expect from the course.
• What you hope to academically accomplish in the duration of your study and how it fits with your future goals. 

This short essay is one of the main deciding factors when it comes to short-listing students.  

There are some variations when it comes to preparing an SOP for Australia student visa vs university. So, let’s discuss both the requirements in detail. 

SOP for Australia student visa

In your SOP for Australia student visa, you need to outline your current personal circumstance to Home Affairs. Specify why you want to study in Australia and your future plans. 

Writing the SOP is Step 3 of the process.

Here are some suggestions for the information you should try to cover.

Mention personal circumstances in your SOP for Australia student visa

• Describe your family structure, including the number of dependents you have (if any).
• Describe your family’s employment and income in detail. Add information about your assets and investments.
• Describe any other ties you may have to India, such as any work or other community roles that might demand your return.  
• Expected pauses in education or employment greater than six months. 
• Describe any gaps in your education that have lasted longer than six months and why.

Add Australian circumstances in your SOP for Australia student visa

• List any family members who are residing in Australia, together with their current visa status and information about their employment.
• Describe in full where and with whom you plan to reside in Australia.
• Describe your spouse’s and/or children’s itinerary if they will travel with you to Australia and how you plan to provide for them financially while in Australia.
• The program’s relevance to your academic and/or professional background
• Describe how your intended programme relates to your prior education or employment experience.
• If your proposed programme is unrelated to your prior career or education, explain why the shift in profession.
• If your programme is at the same level as previous credentials or is lower, please describe why you chose to pursue education at this level and the program’s worth to your future
• Describe in detail the type of job you plan to pursue after completing your studies, including your anticipated wage and your likely employer.
• Describe how your programme of choice will help you reach your professional objectives.
• The reasons you opted to study at your chosen university
• Describe in full the research you did before deciding to study in Australia and at your specific university. 

Immigration history is extremely important for SOP for Australia student visa

• Describe any trips you have taken, whether to Australia or another nation, and any employment or education conducted abroad. 
• Describe the reasons why you were denied a visa for any nation, if applicable 

Additional evidence to complete your SOP for Australia student visa

The claims you make in your SOP for Australia student visa should be backed up with data. Evidence of recent job advertisements from your nation may be helpful, for instance, if you are studying in a certain industry because your home country needs more workers in this sector. 

If Home Affairs requested supporting documentation, including it with your application will hasten the processing of your visa. 

Please fill out the entire online visa application form, including the appropriate parts for supporting documentation. Inability to do so can significantly delay your visa application or result in a visa refusal. 

You can look at Australia SOP samples for student visas.

SOP for Australia from India

An SOP for a university is usually around 1000 words. All universities should have a template. The template will outline the questions the university wants you to answer and in how many words. 

One extremely important rule to follow is that not all courses require the same SOP. If you have applied to multiple courses make sure to tweak your SOP.

Along the same lines, each university also expects something unique. Your application has to stand out. To do that, you have to argue why the specific university and program is important to your academic career.

Tips to write your SOP for Australia from India

• Make bullet points. A statement of purpose is a short essay, hence, it is easy to lose track of what you want to say, bullet points prevent that. 
• Have a coherent flow. Your  SOP for Australia from India shouldn’t be all over the place. You are making one argument which is ‘this is why you should accept me.’
• Take your time with it. We recommend 3-4 days. 
• Do not submit your initial draft; instead, strive to make it your greatest work of writing. The final stage is to finalize your document by revising it or rewriting it. 
• Other suggestions include making sure your grammar is perfect, choosing your words carefully, emphasizing your extracurricular activities and accomplishments because they have a positive impact, not copying your SOP from any website, writing it in the first person, and keeping it brief and organized at no more than 1000 words.
• Get expert help. Create an account on SelectRight. The platform can assign an expert mentor to you who will help you with your  SOP for Australia from India and other stages of your application process. 

Common mistakes to avoid SOP for Australia from India

• Many students’ write excellent SOPs but they miss the connection to the particular course. If you want to be successful in healthcare, how is this specific course going to help you?
• Sending the same SOP to multiple universities. 
• Plagiarizing in the SOP. We know there are multiple Australia SOP samples available. Use them for inspiration but make it your own.
• Don’t waste time on things the admission committee already knows. Like, this is the greatest university in Australia.
• Adding irrelevant details. Everything you mention should relate to the course you want to do. Unrelated awards, volunteer work are not necessary.

Australia SOP sample for you

“I have been quite an explorer since my childhood and this fervor has stayed with me to this day. My origin and upbringing have been in an environment which is affluent of positivity. I am honored to be born & raised in a family of teachers working to develop education in the tribal state of Chhattisgarh – this motivated a persuasive thirst of exploration inside my mind.  I learnt that it is very important to be aware of one’s surroundings and advancements in global terms. My visits to the Bastar region in my state and meeting the extremely primitive ‘Abujmadh’ tribe and reading the book ‘Sapiens’ inclined me to learn more about human cultures. I felt that knowledge can transform our world into a better home for peaceful coexistence. During my last visit to Australia, I experienced the ‘open days’ at some of the esteemed institutions and discovered Anthropology as my subject for higher studies as it seemed to gel with my outlook. 

Since the age of 5, I have been learning the 2500 years old Indian classical dance form ‘Kathak’, which tells about epics and folklore. I earned my diploma in Kathak and represented India at the International Dance Festival, Beijing, China, which afforded me a firsthand view of Asian cultural diversity.

At 11 years of age, I explored museums and vintage curio collectors with my father and wondered what antiquities from other cultures and civilizations would be like? I got an opportunity to visit the Natural History Museum, London that answered many questions from my past. These experiences ignited my urge to discover further and motivated me to participate as well as conduct quizzes at school, state and national level, which were focused on anthropology, heritage, travel, linguistics and culture. I won the CBSE ‘Heritage Quiz’ twice at Zonal Level; became the National winner of the ‘Bodhi Parva Quiz’ at BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage, conducted by the Ministry of Culture, GOI.

I have excelled in my academic performance, securing more than 90% till 9th class, a perfect 10 CGPA in class 10th Board Examination and 91% in class 11th. I have participated in a wide and varied range of extra-curricular activities like debates, street plays, etc. and currently I am the head of the 150 member School Council representing 5000+ students.

My studies in dance, exposure to quizzing and traveling across India have opened new horizons for me to appreciate and explore how a difference in cultures can be traced back to their evolution. I am very excited to expand my boundary of knowledge from elementary to advanced in terms of anthropology and bring back the learning to my state.

Since experiencing the endeavors of my life so far, I think that the knowledge hidden in our pasts has the key to a better future for all humans on mother earth and I would be blessed to be given the opportunity to study at your institution to which I would respond with passion, determination and rigor.”

This Australia SOP sample caters to universities more than SOP for Australia student visa. However, you can repurpose some of the content for SOP for Australia student visa.

Note how all the academic qualifications, experiences and background comes back to the course and place, itself in the SOP for Australia from India.

If you are still unsure about what to add, learn from your peers and seniors. Join SelectRight’s discord channel to get in touch with the Australian university network and enrich your SOP for Australia from India.