Sample SOP for MBA

The following draft was submitted to one of the Top Universities in USA for its MBA Program.
Though most of the Universities have specific Admission Essays for their MBA courses, some of them
also require a generic Statement of Purpose or Personal Statement. This is only a sample and events
and specifics have been modified for the purpose of this sample. Carrerguide is strongly against
plagiarism and urges its students to use this only as a point of reference for their own statement of
purpose.

Statement of Purpose for MBA Programs 

My strong desire to give back to my community coupled with my experience in the

telecommunication sector has inspired within me the desire to set up a Telecom company specific to
the rural sector in the state of Bihar. The strong growth curve of the state, which recently noted
second highest GDP in the country, is still marred with low mobile usage. With 85 percent
population of the state still in villages and dependent on agriculture, I wish to use the technology to
bring innovation to the agricultural sector. In order to achieve this long-term aspiration, I now need
to further enhance my understanding of the functional aspects of management. I envision myself
joining a Telecom major like Telefonica in order to process the ways and project execution methods
before setting up my own Telecom Consultancy in the State of Bihar. And an MBA is the crucial next
step towards my goals.

I come from a rather humble background and had long learned that there are no shortcuts to
success. Hard-work, dedication, and determination were my best friends and I constantly worked to
achieve the best in my academics. I was awarded a full scholarship – a special grant by the Vice
Chancellor of XXX University – reserved for the top 1 percent students. Maintaining the momentum I
excelled in my graduate studies. Holistic development ensured that I was picked up by the first
company which came to my college for placement.

Moving on to the professional front, I came face to face with organizational structure and the
changing team dynamics. Unlike college, the workplace was more driven by deadlines and client
requirements. Working in the mobile technology, I soon started to improve on my analytical skills
and was able to comprehensively improve my decision-making abilities. The opportunity to work
away from my country added to my learning curve. I moved to the developed countries of South
Korea and the USA and was amazed by the difference in work ethics and cultures. The
transformation of South Korea from a war-ridden third world country to a technologically driven
economy added value to my ambitions and gave a completely different perspective to success and
determination. Determined to make the most of it, I found myself extending my own boundaries and
was able to do that. Inspired, I was constantly appreciated in my office and often awarded for my
out of the box thinking. I received the SNAP Award twice for team excellence and technical acumen.
Recently, I took on the onus of setting up a WIMAX lab as per client requirements. When the client
had requested for the same, there was nobody in my office who had the necessary technical
expertise/ experience for doing the same and the team was given a time period of 3 months to set
up this lab. Rising up to the challenge, I created a team of 5 engineers, took up the responsibility of
training myself and my team and achieved the target in a record time of 1 month. The endeavor
fetched me great accolades and I was recommended to the Business Unit Director for the “Individual
Excellence Award.”

I was committed to a job when an incident changed my thought process and instilled in me a strong
urge to work towards the development of my state by means of technology. It so happened that the
State Government decided to construct the state highway (SH 81) through my hometown. The news
excited me and wanting to witness the same I went back home. However, I was appalled to find the
resistance of the farmers. Passionate towards my village and knowledgeable about the benefits, I
could not let ignorance stand in the way of development and decided to take an active part. I started
with the village headman and took on the onus of spreading information. Walking with him to each
house, creating a dialogue and convincing people to choose reason over emotion, I was able to
finally convince the majority and create a steady platform for dialogue between villagers and
authority. The incident left me comparing the state to the countries of the world.

My experience had made me wiser of the opportunities and necessities and I was aware of how
technology was changing that path. The pictures, information available on the internet all helped in
convincing and I knew I wanted to bring Technology to every small village of my country. I returned
to my work with the same desire and focused on the many possibilities and it was then that I
realized that to be an entrepreneur I needed much more than just my technical skills. I need to add
to my analytical mind the thought process of a strategist, to the resolutions of an engineer the
planning of a manager and I knew an MBA was the best way forward.

Decided on an MBA, I am convinced that ABC’s unique position as an international MBA is perfect for
my short and long term goals. The customizable curriculum, the flexibility of the program and the
focus groups would effectively improve my entrepreneurial skills. Working alongside inspired
individuals from all across the globe by means of the Global Consulting Program, getting the
perspective of the industrially relevant studies and being mentored by the prominent faculty would
ensure that my time spent at Illinois is in continuation of my experience rather than a detour. Adding
force to my mid-term goals is the strong alumni network as well as the internships, study abroad
trips as well as case competitions, which would ensure that I get the best leg up towards my
aspirations of joining Telefonica. And while I aspire to gain my dreams by completing the MBA from
your esteemed university, I look forward to giving back in equal measure.
I was committed to a job when an incident changed my thought process and instilled in me a strong
urge to work towards the development of my state by means of technology. It so happened that the
State Government decided to construct the state highway (SH 81) through my hometown. The news
excited me and wanting to witness the same I went back home. However, I was appalled to find the
resistance of the farmers. Passionate towards my village and knowledgeable about the benefits, I
could not let ignorance stand in the way of development and decided to take an active part. I started
with the village headman and took on the onus of spreading information. Walking with him to each
house, creating a dialogue and convincing people to choose reason over emotion, I was able to
finally convince the majority and create a steady platform for dialogue between villagers and
authority. The incident left me comparing the state to the countries of the world.

My experience had made me wiser of the opportunities and necessities and I was aware of how
technology was changing that path. The pictures, information available on the internet all helped in
convincing and I knew I wanted to bring Technology to every small village of my country. I returned
to my work with the same desire and focused on the many possibilities and it was then that I
realized that to be an entrepreneur I needed much more than just my technical skills. I need to add
to my analytical mind the thought process of a strategist, to the resolutions of an engineer the
planning of a manager and I knew an MBA was the best way forward.

Decided on an MBA, I am convinced that ABC’s unique position as an international MBA is perfect for
my short and long term goals. The customizable curriculum, the flexibility of the program and the
focus groups would effectively improve my entrepreneurial skills. Working alongside inspired
individuals from all across the globe by means of the Global Consulting Program, getting the
perspective of the industrially relevant studies and being mentored by the prominent faculty would
ensure that my time spent at Illinois is in continuation of my experience rather than a detour. Adding
force to my mid-term goals is the strong alumni network as well as the internships, study abroad
trips as well as case competitions, which would ensure that I get the best leg up towards my
aspirations of joining Telefonica. And while I aspire to gain my dreams by completing the MBA from
your esteemed university, I look forward to giving back in equal measure.

I bring with my candidature a strong amalgamation of the best and the worst living conditions and
how it can effectively change the world we live in. I have always believed that leaving back the
darkness does not make it go away and I was forever inspired to change that. It was perhaps the
reason which triggered my ventures in college which helped me become a successful team player
and an articulate leader. Moving to Illinois, I look forward to sharing the same enthusiasm and
bringing that world to my peer network, sharing the facts and figures of the area and how such parts
of the world still need a helping hand, not merely from the country but also from the international
community.

My life’s second chapter was written with a golden pen and I have been around the world. My work
took me to the streets of South Korea and the avenues of America. Working in the distinct
economies, I was both inspired and educated. From South Koreans, I learned the art of making work
your family. The strong community ties and the ambitions that have guided the country to such
success have led me to my own ambitions and made me believe that my dream of giving a new lease
of life to my birthplace is a possibility. The freedom of choice, the dedication and the strong
tolerance towards a multitude of ethnic beliefs of America has made me respect various cultures
and prepared me to adapt effortlessly to global teams. Moving to Illinois, I envision myself swiftly
transitioning into a leader and bringing to the peer group the maturity of working in multi-cultural
teams while I hasten towards my own aspirations and carve out my future to bring smiles.