Statement of Purpose (SOP) is an avenue for the student to introduce himself/herself to the institute or the admission officer. It gives them the opportunity to share their experiences, interests and vision and let the university know why they are interested in pursuing a degree. SOPs are commonly referred to as a letter of motivation or personal statements in universities of Netherlands.

Content Curator

SOP for Netherlands is an essential document that explains the candidate profile briefly. Typically, it is a 500 to 1,000-word essay or a questionnaire. A statement of purpose for Netherlands contains all the necessary information of the applicant relevant to the program, specialisation, and the chosen university.

Moreover, an SOP for Netherlands also puts forward the thoughts, inspirations, aspirations, and motivation of the individual. Candidates should refrain from adding repetitive or irrelevant information to the essay. A majority of top universities in Netherlands allow essays to be written in English and Dutch.

SOP for Netherlands: Guidelines of Universities

The following are the top universities of Netherlands and their corresponding guidelines for writing the Statement of Purpose:-

Delft University of Technology

The Delft University of Technology caters to a number of postgraduate programs and all of them require a “Motivation Letter”. Here are the guidelines for writing an SOP for the Delft University of Technology:-

The word limit for the essay is 1,000 to 1,500 words
As the name suggests, explain your motivation towards selecting the Master’s degree program and specify the area of study
Mention a thesis project you would like to prepare in the post graduation years
Include any professional experience (if any)
Conclude the essay with a summary of your project/dissertation thesis in your BS program

University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam offers a Bachelor’s degree program across 4 distinct fields - Politics, Psychology, Law, and Economics which requires a 500-word personal statement at the time of application.

The essay should effectively explain the applicant's academic background, skills, and talents
You should mention what encouraged you to pursue the PPLE program
Thoroughly explain your long-term and short-term goals while sounding ambitious but not fake
Explain how you are the perfect candidate for this program and what values you would add to the college

Utrecht University

A motivational letter is one of the supporting documents required for the Master’s level programs of Utrecht University. The essay should accompany the Resume of the applicant but it should not repeat the same information as mentioned in the CV. The cover letter should contain the following information:-

Applicant’s academic inclination, achievements, and interests
Relevant experience possessed by the candidate
Future plans and aspirations
The reason for pursuing the specified field
How the degree would help the applicant in achieving his/her goals
What preparations are done by the candidates for this program and his/her goals

Candidates need not submit a motivation letter for Bachelor’s degree programs. The essay is only required for Master’s and Doctoral programs.

Leiden University

In order to apply for MS in Clinical Psychology at Leiden University, candidates must produce a 400-word “Letter of Motivation” representing the candidate’s profile briefly.

The essay should explain how the individual came to choose the MS in Clinical Psychology program
The essay must include the academic background and relevant achievements of the candidate
The individual’s academic interest in the field of Clinical Psychology should be mentioned
The candidate must explain any professional experience or exposure he/she has received

Erasmus University Rotterdam

The application for the Bachelor’s program in Econometrics and Operations Research involves a questionnaire including 4 area specific questions. The reply to each question should contain at most 200 words. The following are the questions for the same at Erasmus University Rotterdam:-

Explain how the program would benefit you in terms of the academics
What do you expect from the program
Explain your future aspirations after the successful completion of the degree
Explain your views on classroom diversity and how you plan to mix-up with students from different cultures and societies

Sample SOP for Netherlands

Spending the majority of my childhood observing my parents help patients through their private clinic, I developed an interest in studying various aspects of Psychology. At home, I would see both my parents dealing with patients and strategizing psychological solutions to their day-to-day problems. All these things encouraged me to pursue a career in Psychology and, thus, I completed a BSc in Psychology from PQR University, Raipur.

At the university, I was engaged with the “P-cology” society where we performed social psychological experiments in order to prepare for our research. In order to boost my interpersonal skills, I volunteered at several medical camps focused on creating awareness, focusing on creating awareness regarding the increasing stress level among adults and students and how to deal with it. I, and my team, even won the “National Psychology Debate Competition”, in which numerous students from the top universities took part.

After completing my Bachelor’s, I was placed into “Red Way Research Centre”, a leading medical centre, as a Clinical Psychologist. I was supposed to assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders among the patients. As I gained more and more experience, I became proficient with my work and it became easy for me to treat complex disorders in an efficient way. Remaining in practice for around 7 years, I gained valuable skills including creative thinking, critical analysing abilities, and dealing with patients.

As my career progressed, I realised that I needed to take on more responsibility and challenging roles in this field in order to achieve my goals. In the short term, my goal is to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology, where I can work on complex mental and psychological issues that have a global impact. I am particularly interested in exploring the intersection of criminal psychology and social psychology. My long-term goal is to collaborate with my parents and actively contribute to the growth and success of our medical centre, striving to position it as one of the top establishments in India. With the solid theoretical foundation, practical skills, and international perspective gained from ABC University, I am confident in my ability to make a meaningful contribution to the field and effect positive change.

I am interested in pursuing an MS in Clinical Psychology at ABC University due to the numerous exceptional opportunities it offers. It is home to various research centres focused on areas such as cognitive psychology, mental disorders, identity disorders, etc. Throughout the year, each research centre organises seminars and symposia that are open to all postgraduate students. Additionally, the institution hosts annual lectures delivered by leading scholars and psychologists. By pursuing an MS in Clinical Psychology at ABC University, I am confident that I will gain a comprehensive education, establish valuable connections with experts in the field, and be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in my chosen career path.

Tips for Writing SOP in Netherlands

There are some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” that should be considered while writing SOP for Netherlands, such as:-

Make the essay brief
Don’t exceed the word limit specified by the university
Have a clear picture and blueprint of the essay in mind
Don’t repeat or add irrelevant information to the essay
Make use of formal academic language
Don’t make the essay in a foreign language, unless stated otherwise
Make the essay presentable in order to make a good impression
Don’t sound vague or shallow

An acceptable SOP for Netherlands is one which takes care of all the aspects of the candidate’s academic and professional profile as well as reverts to the original idea of explaining the motivation towards the chosen area of study.