(This is a guide for writing an undergraduate SoP for Comp. Science. If you came here for a PhD SOP, we’ve also got you covered. Click here for A Statement of Purpose for PhD in Computer Science: 2 MIT Accepted Samples)
Writing a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is one of the most difficult aspects of applying for university placement.
You probably haven’t done much writing since you wrote your IB, IGCSE, or any other applicable exam and you don’t know what a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is or how to start or write one.
This guide is meant to help you with the process of writing a winning Statement of Purpose for Computer Science and will act as a reference to writing your own.
Essentially, the guide will be answering the following questions:
- What is a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
- How do I write a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
- What should I include in my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
- How do I write my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science introduction?
- How do I write the conclusion to my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
- How do I structure my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
What is a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
A computer science Statement of Purpose is an admission document in form of a creative writing that expresses interest in a computer science program at a university.
It is essentially a piece of creative writing in which you demonstrate your skills, experience, educational background, and extracurricular activities and hobbies that relate to a degree in computer science.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in studying computer science, making you one of the many students that apply to this course.
Needless to say, competition is very stiff.
If all the applicants have attained the minimum requirements for admission, your Statement of Purpose for Computer Science may make the whole difference for you.
It’s therefore important to ensure that the SOP is well written and polished so that you stand out from the crowd.
We’re now offering one-on-one expert guidance on how to write a statement of purpose. This is in addition to our reviewing, editing, and standardizing services. Check out our ordering page, fill out the required details and let us help you craft a statement of purpose that will flood your email with admission offers.
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Start by reading your University Requirements
You’ve probably settled on the university where you want to pursue your computer science degree in now.
We advise students to visit the university’s admission requirements page and check what the specific university requires for the Statement of Purpose for Computer Science.
Read and pay attention to these requirements and follow them to the letter.
If the university hasn’t provided any specifics on how to write the Statement of Purpose for Computer Science, then this guide and samples will be extremely helpful.
Write down the aims of your Statement of Purpose
An interesting aspect of university application is that most universities like Harvard and MIT do not interview students before admission.
They rely solely on the information that you provide during the application process.
Your Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is therefore your only chance to convince the university that you’re deserving of a slot.
The SOP represents the only chance for you to tell what your grades are not saying.
If you are applying for computer science or any other highly sought course like medicine, nursing, and mathematics, you’re guaranteed that all applicants have good grades.
We cannot emphasize this enough: Your Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is the only chance for you to impress the admission committee.
So, how best can you impress the admission panel and convince them that you’re the best bet?
To answer this question, put yourself in the position of the admission team and ask yourself what an ideal student for a computer science degree should look like.
Luckily, some of our team members at Phdstatementsofpurpose.com have been part of the admission committee and have recommended this set of questions.
Basically, the admission team will be asking two questions:
- Do we want this student on our computer science course?
- Do we want this student at our university?
These questions can further be broken down into smaller units:
- Is this student suited to the computer science course?
- Does the student have the qualifications and qualities to pursue a degree in computer science?
- Is the student hardworking and dedicated, or likely to drop out when things get tougher?
- Will the student give their best and their all for computer science as it gets harder?
- Can the student cope with the high pressure of a course as demanding as computer science?
- How will the student fit into the new environment?
- How well can the student communicate?
- What does the student know about this course?
- Does the student have genuine interest in the course?
- What’s the student plan after completing this course?
In an ideal work, you’d be required to answer these questions in a word or two but that’s not how things work. So read on to know exactly what to write and where.
Make notes about yourself
Now that you’ve an idea the sort of questions that will be ringing in the back of the admission committee’s mind, it’s time to think about yourself. Think about the answer to all the questions above and as you answer them, provide examples.
How do I write my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
Drawn from our many years of guiding students write their Statement of Purpose for Computer Science, we have come up with a series of questions that can help you craft a coherent, cogent, and winning Statement of Purpose for Computer Science.
- What specific aspects of the course interest you?
At PhDstatementsofpurpose.com, we have observed that Statements of Purpose for Computer Science that answer this question with specific details stand the better chance of convincing the admission panel.
Example: I am interested in Artificial Intelligence as it portends the greatest promise in improving lives by increasing efficiency”
- What are the examples of some of the projects or coursework that you have done?
If you have been part of a team that created an app-based solution to a problem, talk about it in details while underlining your role.
Remember this is a competitive process and to stand a chance, you need to show with examples that you have done something important.
- Which books or articles have you read that are related to computer science?
You need to describe books that gave you the foundational grounding in computer science.
- Which work or volunteer experience do you have?
You may have assisted with the computer laboratory, or helped with induction of new learners. Bring this out.
You may be asking yourself what to write here if you don’t have relevant experience.
Again, from our experience, admission panels like it when students have done something with themselves even when it’s not related to their area.
Any work experience will show that you have the work ethics, discipline, and skills to fit in a computer science program.
- What conferences have you attended?
The answer to this question reinforces your interest in computer science.
- What personal experiences sparked your interest in computer science?
This is the place to get personal.
Remember your Statement of Purpose for Computer Science will be reviewed by human beings.
Giving your SOP a personal touch helps create a rapport with the reviewers.
- What are your future plans?
Do you want to become a computer scientist, a programmer, or an expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning? Describe briefly what your future plans are and connect to how a degree in computer science will help.
These questions are discussed in more details HERE
How do I structure my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
If you’ve answered all the questions above, it’s time to put them into a proper structure through paragraphs.
A Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is typically 500-1000 words so you have to be brief and concise.
We’ve broken down what should go into each paragraph.
| Paragraph 1 | Introduce the subject (computer science), and describe the aspects that interest you and why. If you can’t think of any reason why you’re interested in studying computer science, you should probably not be pursuing it. Describe your interest clearly to show the panel that you’re committed to the course. |
| Paragraph 2 | Describe what you’ve done that is relevant to this course |
| Paragraph 3 & 4 | Describe work and volunteer experience |
| Paragraph 5 | Describe interests and hobbies relevant to the course |
| Paragraph 6 | Justify why you are a good match for the university |
| Paragraph 6 | Describe your future goals and conclude by describing how a degree in computer science will help achieve them |
What should I include in my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
The easiest way to know what to include in the Statement of Purpose for Computer Science is to look at the course content.
After you familiarize yourself with that the university and program have to offer, link them clearly with your personal qualities, achievements, and future goals.
How do I write a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science introduction?
At phdstatementsofpurpose.com, we recommend starting your SOP for computer science with a story about how you came to be interested in computer science.
You may also start it by explaining why you are fascinating by the subject and certain topics.
In the example below, the applicant started with a story of how he was attracted to computer science.
“I grew up in a part of Africa where most Africans consider remote. Mobile network was hardly steady and we had to walk a long distance to find coverage for a minute or so chat with our relatives in the city. My grandfather’s phone, the only one in the locality was an object of wonder and fascination. When an uncle visited with what I learned to be smartphone, I talked about it over the next few days in school. He would occasionally send money to his father, who would travel 100 miles or so to get an agent to withdraw the money. How could money fly from one phone to another over long distances? Such questions disturbed my young mind a great deal. I started making phone toys from mud and would mimic my grandfather, quite to the amusement of everyone. My ‘wakie Takie’ was displayed in the school’s innovation week and my obsession with communication gadgets was set aflame.”
This introduction is extracted from a Statement of purpose for computer science that we helped edit and review. The SOP can be accessed HERE
Alternatively, you may start your computer science statement of purpose by using a “hook”. This may be in the form of an interesting anecdote or a quote.
Our experience however is that when these hooks or anecdotes don’t work, the statement of purpose looks really bad.
How do I write the conclusion to my Statement of Purpose for Computer Science?
To conclude your Statement of Purpose for Computer Science, we recommend that you round off by describing your future goals and how they align with the program, qualifications, and interests.
Example:
“Everything that I have done in my whole life has prepared me for this opportunity. Coming from a poor, rural community to attend a top academy and graduate top of my class was testament to my mental acuity and resilience. I intend to bring the same dedication and commitment that has brought me this far and with the support of the wonderful faculty and community at XXX, I am sure that I will excel.”
This applicant has concluded his statement of purpose for computer science by reiterating how prepared he is for the program.
This conclusion is extracted from a statement of purpose for computer science that we helped edit and review. Full version is available HERE
The Do’s and Don’ts of a Statement of Purpose for Computer Science
The Do’s
- Use positive language
A hack we’ve discovered in our more than a decade of editing and reviewing statements of purpose is that the university requirements offers the blueprint of the language to use.
To make this clearer, what we mean is that you need to visit the university admission requirements page and look at the words that they have used to describe the profile of prospective applicants.
Write down the list of words and sentences that appear frequently in the requirements.
Paraphrase these words and sentences and write in a similar style.
The Don’ts
- Do not be arrogant
- Don’t lie
- Don’t include unnecessary information
- Don’t use quotes and anecdotes unless you can back them up and they are relevant
- Avoid clichés
Writing the first draft
Now that we know what a statement of purpose for computer science is, what to include the introduction and conclusion, and the language, it’s time to craft the first draft.
Remember the questions we formulated earlier and the structure we described.
Since this is the first draft, it rather be long as it’s easier to trim it than be short because it is harder to add new information.
As you create the first draft, remember the following:
Back everything with facts and examples
Don’t just write that you’re a team player. Show that you’ve work in a collaborative setting and describe your roles.
Seek Feedback
You’ve most likely not written a Statement of Purpose for Computer science before.
No matter how carefully you’ve followed this guide, you will need an objective person to give you honest review and feedback.
To learn how to edit and review your statement of purpose, READ HERE
You may talk to your friends, parents, family, or tutors.
You’ll then incorporate these changes to your SOP and keep improving it.
At phdstatementsofpurpose.com, we are that friend and tutor.
After reviewing thousands of SoPs and personal statements, we can tell a good from a not so good SoP, and a good one from a great one.
We’ve internalized the structure and language of writing SoPs and with our team of experts; we’ll sit down and dissect your draft.
We’ll point out areas of strengths and weaknesses and propose how to structure and express your SoP better.
We’ll give intense and detailed feedback so that you express your thoughts with clarity and bring out your uniqueness.
We’ll ensure that the final product is delivered in time, is logical and coherent, intellectual, and polished.
Tell us which aspect of your SoP writing you’re struggling with:
How to start?
How to conclude?
Written your SoP but you’re unsure whether it meets high enough standards?
Check out our PACKAGES and get in touch.
Statement of Purpose in Computer Science Sample 1
The choice of pursing computer science was a natural one for me. Just aged 9, I was playing the piano for my church. My mind could not but help notice the structures and patterns by fingers were following as I mesmerized a packed audience that ceaselessly marveled at my dexterity at such a young. In school, I was a precocious kid who excelled in numbers to the extent that the subject became dull. It was not until I was introduced to computers that the fusion between numbers, music, and computers became so intriguing that I decided to pursue the additional units in the three subjects.
I was particularly drawn to the use of spreadsheets and the underlying logic. As soon as I was introduced to visual basics, I had figured out how I would employ it to solve some basic problems at my family business. I created for the business an accounting system that accepted various modes of payment, conducted automated calculations, and automatically dispensed receipts.
At school, I was quickly fast-tracked to join the senior year that was creating a database website for the school that would help in creating a system to manage homework. My contribution led to creation of a portal that made it easy to access, submit, and comment on homework, actualizing the school’s plan of improving parental participation. For this effort, I was awarded the Champion Award and a scholarship to pursue computer science at the school’s college. Unfortunately, I could not take up the offer as the course content was not aligned with my interest.
Your university represents the most logical choice for me for various reasons. Your computer science program is highly focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning, two areas of computing that I am heavily interested in. I am particularly interested in learning under Prof. XXX, whose contribution to artificial intelligence in medical diagnosis has saved many people the pain of invasive diagnosis.
In future, I see myself working in the area of artificial intelligence and robotics. Your program is therefore suitable for me as this is an area you focus on a lot.
Statement of Purpose in Computer Science Sample 2
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