Indian SOP Clichés: Esteemed University and More
Indian SOP clichés: 'esteemed university', 'since childhood', 'I assure you'. Why each one tells the reader nothing, and what to write instead.
Indian SOP Clichés: Esteemed University and More
Cut "esteemed university", "since childhood" and "I assure you" from your statement of purpose, and put one fact where each one was. They are not grammar mistakes. They are formal-letter phrases that tell the reader nothing about you, and each has a specific replacement below.
Our view: these phrases come from the register of a formal application letter, the kind taught for leave applications and job letters, and they travel through shared templates, so the same sentence can appear in statements from different applicants. A faculty reader learns nothing from it. Indian English itself is not the problem. B.Tech, CGPA, final-year project and pursue are all fine. The problem is a sentence that would be equally true of any applicant.
This page is about the graduate statement of purpose for an MS or PhD abroad. For undergraduate essays, Indian college essay clichés covers a different set of patterns, and writing an American SOP as an international student covers directness and self-promotion in general. The university pages quoted below were checked on October 31, 2026.
The phrases, grouped, with replacements
Each phrase is a constructed example we wrote, not a quote from an applicant.
| Phrase | What the reader learns | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Since childhood I have been fascinated by computers" | Nothing; every applicant can say it | The first piece of real work you did in the field, with a year |
| "As Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam said, …" or a proverb | That you know a famous line | Your own first sentence: the problem you worked on |
| "In today's competitive world…" | Nothing | Delete; start with your point |
| "your esteemed university" / "a reputed institute" | That you did not name what attracted you | The course, lab or requirement you chose it for |
| "world-renowned faculty" | Nothing about fit | One faculty member's research area, tied to your own work |
| "I am a sincere and hardworking student" | A claim you have not shown | One result that took sustained work |
| "I have a strong zeal for learning" | Nothing | What you learned on your own, and why |
| "I humbly request you to consider my application" | Deference, not purpose | Delete; the application itself is the request |
| "I assure you that I will be an asset to your university" | A promise no reader can check | What you will work on in the program, specifically |
| "Given an opportunity, I will prove my worth" | Nothing | Delete |
Office-letter phrases like "do the needful" and "kindly revert" belong to the same register. Hindi words and Indian English explains them for undergraduate essays, and the advice carries over: delete them.
"Esteemed university": what to write instead
"Esteemed" praises the university without saying why you chose it. A research group at the University of Virginia, on its page for prospective students, puts the problem in two lines: "Don't waste space and time telling me how brilliant I am." and "Don't make generic statements about being interested in my work or how well it relates to your interests." That page is about emails to the group, not SOPs, but it is a faculty reader's own words on flattery.
The replacement is one sentence that names something on the program's own page and ties it to your evidence.
Constructed example: one fit sentence rewritten
Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant statement.
- Weak: "I wish to pursue my MS at your esteemed university, which has world-renowned faculty."
- Revised: "Your MS requires a two-semester research project, and I want to extend my final-year work on crop-image classification under that structure."
Statement of purpose fit paragraph examples shows how to build the whole fit paragraph.
"Since childhood": the origin-story problem
An opening about childhood interest spends your first lines on a period the reader cannot assess. Cambridge's postgraduate guidance asks applicants to "include relevant examples of your experience, do not just cram everything in". Childhood curiosity is not an example of experience.
Replace it with the first decision you made in the field: the elective you chose, the project you took on when you did not have to, the internship you asked for. If the childhood moment really does connect to your research question, keep one sentence and move straight to the work. SOP opening lines covers openings in more detail.
The countercase: an applicant whose field grew out of a specific early experience that still shapes the research question (a family farm behind an agricultural-economics plan, for example) can keep it, briefly, if the next sentence turns to completed work. The test is whether the origin feeds a choice you state later.
Constructed example: a B.Tech CSE paragraph rewritten
Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant statement.
Context (invented): a B.Tech CSE graduate with a CGPA of 8.4/10, applying for an MS in computer science.
Before (invented, 86 words):
Since my childhood, I have been fascinated by computers and technology. As the saying goes, "Where there is a will, there is a way." I completed my B.Tech in Computer Science from a reputed institute with a CGPA of 8.4. I am a sincere and hardworking student with a strong zeal for learning. I humbly request you to consider my application to your esteemed university, which has world-renowned faculty. I assure you that I will be an asset to your university and will prove my worth.
After (invented, 90 words):
In my final year of B.Tech in Computer Science (CGPA 8.4/10), I built a classifier that sorted leaf images from local farms into four disease types. My first model failed on photos taken in poor light, so I collected 600 more images at dusk and retrained it, which raised accuracy on those photos from 61% to 78%. I want to learn how to make models robust to that kind of shift. Your MS offers a course on domain adaptation and a two-semester research project, and I plan to take both.
What changed: the saying, the childhood line and four self-descriptions are gone. The CGPA stays, once, as a fact. "Reputed institute" and "esteemed university" became one sentence about what the program offers and why it matters to this applicant. The paragraph is four words longer and says something only this applicant could say.
Questions from Indian applicants
Is Indian English penalized in an SOP?
None of the university pages quoted here mentions any variety of English. They ask for evidence and honesty. Clear Indian English is fine; formal-letter phrases are the problem because they carry no information. Simple English SOP for non-native writers has rules for plain, exact sentences.
Should I mention my college's rank or NIRF position?
ETH Zurich's master's application page lists "the ranking of the university" among the elements its committee assesses, so at ETH the committee already weighs where you studied. Your statement does not need to argue it. Should I mention CGPA, GRE or rank in my SOP? covers each number.
Is "pursue" wrong in an SOP?
No. "I am applying to pursue an MS in data science" is plain and correct. Use it once; do not use it in every paragraph.
Can I use ChatGPT to remove these clichés?
That depends on the university, and some rules are strict. Cambridge's Using AI in your application page (checked October 31, 2026) says: "AI must not be used when writing personal statements and CVs. This prohibition covers the use of AI to help your use of English." The University of Toronto MScAC program's Apply page (checked October 31, 2026) says: "You are strongly discouraged from using tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot. These tools usually do not do a good job emphasizing your unique strengths, and do not differentiate you from other candidates who also used such tools." UK master's personal statement AI rules and Canadian graduate application AI policies quote each university's rule in full, and words to avoid in an SOP shows how to fix wording yourself.
My agent gave me this template. What do I do?
Rewrite from your own records, not from the template. What to do when an agent wrote your SOP covers the steps. If a senior's SOP is your starting point, read what plagiarism percentage is allowed in an SOP first.
Get a free review of your statement of purpose
Get a free Quick Review of your statement of purpose against GradPilot's general master's SOP rubric. It reads for specific academic goals, evidence of preparation, fit with the program and one consistent personal voice. If your opening leans on how you came to the field, the origin story check reads how much of the statement is origin and whether each origin passage feeds a present choice. For other master's rubrics, start from the statement of purpose review.
More guides for Indian applicants:
- Words to avoid in an SOP: AI style words and the replacement rule.
- Statement of purpose fit paragraph examples: naming the program without flattery.
- All graduate school essay guides.
Sources
Retrieved October 31, 2026, except where noted.
- University of Virginia Security Research Group, Prospective students (no year stated): guidance on emails from prospective students.
- University of Cambridge, Writing a personal statement and Using AI in your application (no year stated): writing tips; AI and English help.
- University of Toronto MScAC, Apply (no year stated): guidance on AI tools in essay answers.
- ETH Zurich, Application Master (no year stated): elements the admission committee assesses.
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