SOP - or statement of purpose is one of the most important documents in your application. You have only about 3-5 minutes of time before a reviewer comes to a decision about whether to give your SOP for further consideration (spend more time) or to just reject it (i.e. - give you a low score). You need to get it right the first time. Here are 5 DON’Ts you should keep in mind while writing your SOP.

1. Typos: I have seen many SOPs while i was part of the admissions committee at Stanford. Many of the SOPs that i saw had some sort of typo or grammatical error. Typos have no place anywhere, least of all in a SOP. It kind of gives the feeling that the candidate was non-serious about applying. Simple things like having your SOP proof read by friends and having grammatical errors corrected is important.

2. Lengthy: How long your SOP is could be a matter of personal discretion. Many universities have limits on how long your SOP can be. It is important to stick to this limit. In general, its a good idea to come to the point first. Long winding sentences usually do more harm than good. Try to get your point across as fast as possible - before you lose the admission committee members’ attention.

3. Bombastic Language: Try to highlight your achievements using gentle adjectives. Do not try to make an attempt as showing yourself off as a reincarnation of Albert Einstein! It is good to use words like “fantastic results”, “great work” - but not sound very pompous. Try to show off your achievements, but dont go over board.

4. Concentrating on the wrong stuff: Many times i read SOPs of people who write a lot about stuff that doesnt even matter. I once read about this guy who had written how he liked movies and sports so much. It is alright bring out the non-academic interests and show how you would bring diversity to the program you are applying for. But at the same time, keep in mind that the committee is looking for academic stuff to base their decision on.

5. Incoherance: Trying to make a SOP look more like a resume is something which you want to stay away from. See if you can create a flow in your SOP - one thing leading to another. Many discontinuities dont make for a good read.