Title for SOP and font, etc. Any advice please?

[newlyadmit13]

Hello friends,

Could you please advise me on these issues, if possible?

 

I am a little bit confused about the format of my SOP as the schools that I am applying as they did not note any rule or so.

Do you think it is OK to title the SOP, like  ''letter of statement of purpose'', is this correct?

 

Also, should I write my name and surname and address to the top of the page?

 

I am also using Arial-10, is it OK? Generally people use Times Roman 12, this may sound as stupid question but really I just wanted to ask you to put your two cents in.

 

Thanks so much beforehand.

[Usmivka]

I don't think you need to title it if it is submitted electronically in the "statement of purpose" section.

Similarly your name and address are probably unnecessary if entered elsewhere.

If you are writing large blocks of text, you should use a serif font like times new roman. Arial is sans-serif and therefore it is not as easy to distinguish words in text blocks.

Size 10 is too small. You don't want ot make it hard to read, because then it won't be read! I'd use at least 11, preferably 12, font dependent.

[newlyadmit13]

Usmivka, thank you very much.

[IRToni]

I usually put a title (either statement of purpose or letter of motivation), and my name and the page number of this document (1/2 etc.) at the bottom of the page. My reason is the following: Most adcoms will print out the entire file, and that would make it easiest for them, in case they loose a page or sth (which happens, both in printing and afterwards).

[newlyadmit13]

Thanks IRToni for giving your opinion. Yes, I thought about it last night, and decided to put my name at the bottom of the page after closing it with 'Sincerely'. Sometimes, as you put, they print out and read the whole file of the applicants on paper, not on computer. For that reason, I decided to title it.

Thanks and bonne chance !

[TakeruK]

It's fine to write it like a letter (and sign it etc.) but it's also not necessary. I think Size 12 font Times New Roman is probably a safe bet. I titled all of SOP "Statement of Purpose" and in the header, I put my name, application # if I was given one, and page X/Y. 

 

If you don't want to use Times New Roman, you can try looking at publications in your field and/or newspapers you like and see what they use when they write long articles with large amounts of text. For example, the NYT uses Georgia, and the default LaTeX font (if your field uses that) is Computer Modern.