SOP using ChatGPT- Advantages And Disadvantages

31 Mar SOP using ChatGPT- Advantages And Disadvantages

As the digital world evolves, one witnesses the increasing use of AI tools in every sphere of life. The use of an AI tool like ChatGPT in academic writing has increased manifold. Writing an academic document like an SOP requires a student to have an understanding of their academic and professional history which is in alignment with their plans of pursuing a course abroad and how it will help them achieve their future goals. Writing a Statement of Purpose can be a daunting task especially when a student is already worried about studying abroad. To save time, certain students find a convenient way out by using ChatGPT. While it does have some benefits, its disadvantages outweigh its advantages. If you have any queries regarding SOP writing, you can reach out to Contentholic. We provide one of the best SOP writing services in India. Through this blog, we will have a look at the merits and demerits of using ChatGPT to write a SOP. 

Advantages of Using ChatGPT to Write a SOP

ChatGPT can be a boon if you use it the right way especially when we are living in a fast-paced world where there is a need for quick solutions. Let us see what makes some students use ChatGPT to write their SOP.

• Guidance and Structure- When it comes to having an outline for your SOP, ChatGPT can help you structure your thoughts based on which you can form your content for an SOP. This will help you get a head start. At times, the most difficult part is getting started, but with ChatGPT, you gain easier access to information that you can quickly jot down for your SOP and go ahead with it.
• Generating Ideas- When it comes to writing an SOP, ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas and anecdotes that describe your interests and goals. By asking ChatGPT open-ended questions, you can get responses that you may have not thought otherwise.

For example, If you have to describe how to write about a research project you were a part of, ChatGPT can provide examples of how to describe a research project. This can help you think of more ways of describing your experience of being part of a research and your learnings from it which will help you in studying your course abroad.

• Time Efficiency- While applying to a college, a lot of time goes into researching your program and university along with assembling academic documents and finding the required financial support. In the midst of this, a student also has to spend a substantial amount of time writing an essay, resume, SOP, and LOR. 

With the help of ChatGPT, your work gets done within a few minutes. You just have to give the appropriate prompt and you find the answers to your questions in a SOP. You can create a draft based on the information provided by ChatGPT and then modify it based on your interests and requirements.

• Reduces Writer’s Block- At times, writing an SOP can be a bit tiresome as you might run out of ideas to write your SOP more creatively with an interesting storyline. It becomes difficult to create content that is engaging for the reader. To prevent getting writer’s block, ChatGPT can be beneficial as it will help you come up with ideas quickly that you can later refine and add to your SOP.

Disadvantages of Using ChatGPT to Write a SOP

What seems to save you a lot of time and effort, might end up doing the opposite. Despite its advantages, ChatGPT has several limitations which can decrease your chances of admission. Let us have a look at the demerits of using ChatGPT to write a SOP.

• Basic Structure- AI tools like ChatGPT will not write as per the prescribed format and guidelines. It will present you with content in a very random order, where nothing seems to be in connection with each other. There has to be a continuous flow of information in an SOP, which ChatGPT fails to produce.
• Personalization- A human-written SOP can be modified based on your interests and demands. You can provide a proper context for whatever experiences you share in your SOP. Whereas, ChatGPT fails to understand human emotions and perspectives and presents information that lacks a human touch. It will be written in a very mechanized manner, which is based on the patterns it finds on the Internet, which is mostly information copied from previously written SOPs and Sample SOPs.
• Over-reliance on Technology- A SOP gives you an opportunity where you get to analyze your thoughts regarding your choice of course and university. On the other hand, using technology like ChatGPT robs you of the opportunity to use your own mind and thinking, rather than being reliant on a machine to write about something personal. The use of ChatGPT leads to a student losing their voice and failing to improve their writing skills.
• Ethical Concerns- ChatGPT won’t present you with any unique content, it will simply generate information based on learned patterns on the Internet. All the university and Immigration authorities have very strict policies regarding plagiarism. Writing an SOP using ChatGPT leads you to have the same SOP as others who have also used AI and have the same choice of program and university. Your SOP will be detected for plagiarism which raises questions about your credibility and you might even be blacklisted and your college application will be rejected.

Conclusion

One can’t deny that ChatGPT is an easy method to write your SOP as it saves you a lot of time and effort. But despite what seems to be a convenient way of going ahead with your college application is likely to cause you a lot of inconvenience later. ChatGPT fails to understand human emotions and perspectives and it can’t come with originality and creativity that a human can bring in his/her SOP. A SOP has to be a representation of your thoughts, interest in a specific course at a university, and how it will improve your career prospects. It is something that can be written in the best possible manner, only when you use your mind and thought process and not based on what a machine tells you to do.

Writing your SOP on your own is the right thing to do. And, if you wish to further increase your chances of being accepted, then you must seek help from reputed agencies like Contentholic, a pioneer in SOP writing in India. Our team of experienced writers will help you craft a winning SOP. So, do feel free to contact us and we will deliver our best.