如果你因為正在準備留學申請文件、或煩惱找誰修改自己的SoP而點進這個網頁，我們假設你已經知道在留學申請文件中，SoP的重要性不言而喻。
然而，SoP只是留學生涯寫作的一個起點，除了修改SoP，我們也力圖在修改過程中，精進你的英文essay和purposal寫作，讓你做好準備，不慌不忙地面對申請成功後更多的課堂報告和研究論文挑戰。
假如你正在搜索、比較各個不同的留學申請文件修改服務，我們誠摯邀請你花點時間閱讀下面的說明，儘管編輯Zac通曉中文，在修改文件過程中樂於以中文溝通，然從你決定申請的這一刻起，我們希望你盡量用英文思考。
我們提供堪稱實惠的修改價格，1000字以內500加幣，在主稿內容和結構相似情況下最多至四份SoP，可3次來回修改至完稿（只有第一份會來回修改，剩下的四份都是只改最候客製化學校的部分）。
我們也提供加拿大外部獎學金申請的研究計畫修改。
聯絡Email｜yztoronto.com@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Writing a Statement of Purpose｜書寫指南
Introduction
The statement of purpose (SoP) can make or break a university application. In just 500-1500 words, an applicant must outline pertinent aspects of their personal background, research interests, and academic goals in such a way that differentiates their application from thousands of other well-qualified candidates. The statement of purpose is often the only chance to speak directly to an admissions committee and make an individual case for acceptance. It’s an opportunity that should never be jeopardized by poor grammar or a mechanical regurgitation of information that the committee either already knows or never needed to know in the first place.
First Steps
Some preliminary preparation is essential for crafting an effective statement of purpose; without it, even the best statements risk falling flat with the admissions committee. Such groundwork includes:
- Have a basic research plan. This doesn’t mean a final draft; after all, you’re only just beginning. What it does mean, though, is that you’ve identified a research question and have a general sense of the work that other academics are doing in the field. Reviewers want applicants who are highly motivated and passionate about their academic goals. Being confident and informed in your research interests shows that you are that type of applicant. Moreover, it also helps with the next two steps:
- Familiarize yourself with the institution(s) and department(s) you’re applying to. A truism of dating can be applied to writing a statement of purpose: always make the department you’re applying to feel special. You must be able to elaborate why the faculty, academic focus, location, and/or on-campus resources are essential to your research plan, and this requires a familiarity with the university in question.
- Reach out to potential advisors. At a minimum you will need to identify faculty members who could serve as potential research advisors in your statement of purpose. Ideally you will have already reached out to these professors and developed a basic rapport about your research.
- Know the application guidelines for the statement of purpose. Read the guidelines, memorize the guidelines, live the guidelines.
Grammar Tips
Grammar is a means to an end, and that end is to convey information to a reader in an efficient and engaging manner. The goal is not to mystify them, bore them, or demonstrate some higher knowledge of English syntax. I would argue that this is especially true of writing a statement of purpose, a document that is frequently size-constrained, requiring applicants to make the most out of their limited allocation of words. Furthermore, given that admissions committees are reading hundreds if not thousands of these statements every school year, it’s safe to say that they too value a grammar philosophy favoring clarity and conciseness above all.
With that in mind, here are some grammar tips for writing a statement of purpose:
- Shorten your sentences. It’s not uncommon for Chinese ESL students to produce long, run-on sentences and to overuse commas. Don’t be scared to break up these leviathans into more manageable chunks. When unsure, try reading the paragraph out loud to yourself.
- Adopt a formal tone. The language should always have a formal tone. It’s the content itself where an applicant’s individuality is allowed to shine through.
- Be concise. Convey information succinctly and cut all unnecessary words.
- Avoid spelling errors and grammatical mistakes. Speaks for itself.
- Vary your vocabulary. If a word keeps cropping up in your statement, consider replacing duplicates with an appropriate synonym.
- Write a compelling topic sentence. A statement of purpose is like any other piece of writing in that you want to grab the reader’s attention and hold onto it until the end. The topic sentence is where you hook them.
Content Tips
The content of a statement of purpose depends on the application guidelines of the university being applied to. These guidelines can be regarded as an impromptu checklist; once your first draft is finished, perform a sentence-by-sentence audit that asks: Does this sentence help fulfill the criteria laid out in the application guidelines? If the answer is ‘no,’ you might want to consider replacing it with one that actually does.
Here are some additional content tips for writing a statement of purpose:
- Never exceed the word limit. Many have tried and it never ends well.
- Don’t repeat yourself. This is a red flag for the admissions committee. Like spelling mistakes, it projects laziness on the part of the applicant.
- Show, don’t tell. If at all possible, use personal anecdotes to convey the messages you want to send the admissions committee, such as how you became interested in your research topic, why you want to study overseas, why you want to live in a specific city, etc.
SoP Editing Services｜SoP修改
About Zac
I am a professional writer, editor, and translator from Canada, with over 15 years of experience. My academic background is primarily in international relations and political science (SOAS University of London), a thematic focus that has been reinforced by my working as managing editor for a popular global affairs website for over a decade. I have written dozens of ESL textbooks for a Taiwanese publishing company, and worked on translation projects spanning everything from government documents to engineering dissertations to massively-multiplayer online games. Over the course of my career, I have also prepared and edited numerous statements of purpose for academic admissions and government funding applications.
The lion’s share of my professional work involves English, my mother tongue. However, years of living and studying in Taiwan have left me a fluent Mandarin speaker. This familiarity with the Chinese language has proven invaluable when helping Chinese ESL learners compose application documents, as I am already aware of the common grammatical and structural hurdles that they are most likely to encounter. It also allows me to communicate directly with my clients and advise them on best practices for academic writing.
What Our Clients Receive?
Guidance
The statement of purpose is often merely the first step in a years-long journey in academia, one in which a student’s writing skills will be called on time and time again to capably draft research papers, grant applications, and correspondence with professors. As such, my editing process favors a consultative approach whereby the client is left with the tools needed to thrive at the highest levels of academia. It’s not just about getting into the top universities on your list; it’s also about ensuring success after you get in.
The initial consultation includes content advice from my partner, YZ, who is currently a PhD candidate at York University in Toronto. YZ has a wealth of experience writing personal statements, research proposals, and funding grants, and is a recipient of Canada’s illustrious Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant, including CGS-M and CGS-D, among others.
Focus
I never take on more work than what would allow me to give my clients the time and attention that they deserve. Writing a statement of purpose or personal statement is a highly idiosyncratic exercise, with the product varying on the basis of an applicant’s personal background, research interests, and most importantly, the requirements of the particular department or program that’s being applied to. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and every project merits careful attention. As such, I will decline a commission outright if my workload is already excessive.
Results
No editor can guarantee a successful application; that’s down to the sum total of an applicant’s qualifications. But what I can promise is to produce a statement of purpose that will boost an application’s chances of success. Because in a fiercely competitive field consisting of thousands of similarly qualified applicants, it’s the applicant who manages to stand out in the mind of the reviewers who is most likely succeed.
Editing Service｜費用
Cost for SoP editing service:
500-1000 words: CAD$500
1000-1500 words: CAD$650
1500-2000 words: CAD$700
Additional SoP drafts in excess of four: CAD60$
This includes:
- Opening consultation where initial draft is evaluated. YZ and I provide structural and content advice, after which the client produces a new draft with these pointers taken into account.
- Secondary consultations where draft is edited and additional revisions are made by the client as needed. These will continue until a final draft is produced that all parties are happy with.
- Initial cost includes editing for up to four different schools using the same SoP as a template. Note: additional applications must be for the same department and consistent primarily of content from the original statement of purpose.
Written by Zac, September 2021
附註：我們決定只專注於完善你的SoP或研究計畫，如果有CV、推薦函、Writing Sample等文件的翻譯或修改需求，修改方式和計費方式都和SoP案件略有不同，請來信詢問。
Contact
聯絡Email｜yztoronto.com@gmail.com
術業有專攻，我們只提供自己擅長的文件編修和翻譯服務，Zac也有幫忙多倫多本地非英語母語者準備雅思口說考試的豐富經驗，除此之外，其他留學業務我們一概不涉及。 鑑於我們本身豐富的國外研究所和獎學金（包括Canada、UK、Taiwan、Germany）申請經驗，我們很樂意回答讀者們一般國外研究所申請時會遇到的問題（特別是加拿大的研究所），你可以點選加拿大碩、博士班看我的經驗分享，也可以寫信給我們，編輯業務／博士學業繁忙，但只要有時間，我們會回信，或整理成文章和大家分享。
