An SOP is a very personal statement. Please do not take the guidance in this document too specifically. Treat this as general guidance. Trust your own thinking and writing. Do not copy. Each candidate is unique, so each SOP will also be. There is no ONE right way to write an SOP. Just avoid making common mistakes / errors when you are writing. And Do not Worry!
What is a Statement of Purpose for NID Exam 2024?
A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a written statement that tells the Admission Jury about you. They use the SOP along with the results of your Written Exam, Studio Test, Portfolio and Interview to build their view about you as a candidate for admission. So, the SOP needs to be consistent with the other elements of the admission process.
An SOP is about who you are. It is a way to describe your thoughts, goals, intentions, inspirations, passion, interests, accomplishments, commitment, personality and uniqueness.
Design Schools ask candidates to write an SOP as part of their NID Application / NID Admission process. They may ask candidates to write a general SOP (e.g. ISDI, Srishti etc) or they may ask candidates to answer specific questions (e.g. NID etc).
What should a general SOP contain?
In general, you should have answers to the following questions in an SOP:
i. Who are you? What are your interests, hobbies etc?
ii. What design field do you want to study in? And why (what
inspired you)?
iii. Have you done anything so far related to your chosen field of
study e.g. Projects, Portfolio, Artworks etc?
iv. What are your future goals, dreams, intentions?
v. Why do you want to study from this particular design school?
What are the specific questions asked by Design Schools in SOP?
Different Design Schools ask different specific questions. If you are prepared for the general SOP questions given above, you should be able to answer these questions easily. For example, these are the questions asked by NID for the 2024 application:
NID BDes:
i. Why have you chosen NID’s Bachelor of Design Programme?
ii. How do you think this course will help your academic plans and/or career ambition?
iii. Please write a brief statement about yourself including details of your interests, hobbies, etc
NID MDes:
i. How do you think this course will help your academic plans
and/or career ambition? [Not more than 1200 characters]
ii. Please write a brief statement about yourself including details of your interests, hobbies, etc. [Not more than 900 characters]
What are general tips for writing an SOP?
Here are some of the most basic tips for writing a good SOP:
I. Be Yourself: Do not seek too much external guidance / tips. Let the thoughts come from you, not from someone else.
II. Be Honest: Do not lie. Do not make up stories. Be authentic and honest. They will catch your lie. They are not looking for extra ordinary candidates, so do not try to be one.
III. Reflect & then Write: Start with thinking on the above questions / points. Think deep, take time. Think about your life journey, experiences, and accomplishments till now. Then start writing. You can write all your thoughts in the first draft. You should read it and then edit the draft to make it short, simple and clear.
IV. The Writing Style: You can use your regular writing style. Avoid casual or slang language or complicated words. Generally, try to keep it simple, easy to read, short sentences but giving a clear message. Do a spell check without fail. Use proper readable font and font size.
V. Length of SOP: Generally they tell the maximum number of words/characters you can use. Please make sure you follow that. In general, it should not be too short, nor too long. Write just enough to communicate your points.
VI. Be Humble & Eager to Learn: Avoid appearing like a “know it all”, “have already done a lot”. Appear humble, curious and eager to learn. Hence, balance your past accomplishments with your future aspirations and goals.
VII. Connect with your Portfolio / Projects: If possible, include stories/instances, which led you to doing some of your portfolio pieces or other projects. This helps in connecting the dots in your personal journey.
VIII. Proofread and Get Feedback: Proofread your final SOP. You can also get feedback from your parents or friends. It may help you identify any glaring mistakes/holes in your SOP. But overall, trust yourself and your SOP.
Read the complete SOP here: Click here to download complete SOP