Types of letters
Different universities may have different essay formats that they require. Somewhere you can write whatever you want, and somewhere you can follow pre-established rules. There are two types of letters:
- An unstructured essay is a form of writing that allows for free expression. It is usually structured like this: introduction, self-presentation, description of skills and achievements, conclusion.
- A structured essay is a letter that answers specific questions. Most often, the candidate needs to justify his choice of university, talk about his scientific interests, outline plans for implementing the acquired knowledge in future professional activities, and also present his key achievements and merits. This type of essay is easier because there is a ready-made writing plan that you need to focus on.
Essay for university
It is no secret that at this time many leading universities in the CIS countries have decided to learn from their colleagues from the West, and often for admission, among the necessary other documents, a motivation letter is required, an example of which is described below.
Essays are divided into two types:
- Free form.
- A structured form where you need to answer several specific questions.
In a structured essay, the required paragraphs include the following:
- How do you justify choosing this particular university?
- Scientific interests of the applicant.
- Plans for implementing the acquired knowledge in your future profession.
- What achievements and merits does the applicant have?
This type of essay is simpler, as it assumes a certain structure in the form of a ready-made plan.
Commission requirements
It is advisable to take care in advance and find out about all the requirements of the admissions committee. If the university website says that you should write an essay of up to 400 words, answer some questions, or format everything in a certain form, then you must definitely do this.
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In a candidate's letter, they want to see a short but compelling story of an ambitious young man. The admissions committee will only be happy for a student if he has the potential to glorify the university, is passionate about his work, and has some successes and won competitions behind him. It’s quite difficult to tell all your strengths in an essay, because this is not a book, but a short address. It is important to focus on those qualities that are valued most at a particular university and show your best side.
Structure of the motivation document
The essay is the initial stage of selection, after which the best candidates are invited for an interview. At this stage, you need to stand out from the rest in order to have a chance of admission. It is believed that the more prestigious the university, the more thoughtful and interesting the motivational essay should be.
Sample motivation letter template for study:
- Start. (Name of the candidate, place of study and program for which he is applying.)
- Justification for choosing a university and program. (You need to justify your interest.)
- Existing skills in this area. (An interesting short story about what skills have already been mastered.)
- Goals for life after studying. (Explain how this program will help in the future and affect your life or career.)
- Value for the university. (You need to explain what the benefit is for the university - this could be participation in Olympiads, a desire to be an assistant in the library, laboratory, or even a willingness to play for their football team.)
- A non-standard conclusion with a call to action.
The main thing is not to go too deep into all the points; you don’t need to tell your biography and stories from childhood. You need to write only what is relevant to the university and the entire program.
Admission to university
Nowadays, when applying for a bachelor’s degree, you almost always need not only a package of documents, but also an essay so that everyone can show their best side. It is of equal importance and is assessed along with exam results, and also helps the committee decide which of the applicants they need and are most interested in enrolling.
Sample motivation letter in Russian to the university:
I am a student of grade 11 ____, I study at school No. 102. I was born in Yekaterinburg in ____. I have a small family - me and my dad. I spend all my time after studying reading books. I am very interested in singing and dancing, and I also study English and Spanish, and additionally study biology and higher mathematics.
I've always liked biology. I was amazed by the amazing ability of a person to know himself. Very soon I became interested in mathematics, I liked solving complex problems. I will note that we do not have a leader in our class, but I am sure that I can cope and will be able to demonstrate leadership qualities to the fullest. I am also responsible, hardworking and, of course, easy to train. All the relatives in the family want me to enroll and become a doctor. My mother is a surgeon. Since childhood, I knew many complex terms, names of diseases and medications. One day, when one of the patients came to our home for a consultation, I quickly beat my mother to the punch by giving the right advice.
Almost all of my relatives are closely connected with medicine, so I believe that I have a responsibility to continue the family traditions. That is why after school I want to enter the first state medical university.
Essay for master's degree
When applying to a master's or graduate school, the whole point is to write a slightly pretentious letter, which shows that they need this particular applicant, and not someone else. Particular attention should be focused on two things - your academic achievements and work experience. If there are any professional qualities, then it is also important to clarify this, this will motivate you to make a positive choice.
There is no need to write a lot of descriptions and facts in the letter. The main thing in an essay is considered to be a competent presentation of oneself and confidence.
Motivation letter for master's degree, example:
My name is _____, I am finishing my undergraduate studies at the faculty of _____. I would like to continue my further education at _____ (name of university) on a master's course in _____ (name of specialty).
(The following is a short story about myself.)
I am most interested in studying contemporary art. Particularly interesting is the representation of gender identity in art, which is what I devoted my dissertations to. I have been researching Weimar painting, literature and cinema.
The knowledge that I received at the faculties of philosophy and cultural studies made me think differently not only about art, but also about society. I believe that a Master's degree in Cultural Studies will certainly give me the opportunity to combine these interests with my other great passion - visual culture.
The university attracted me with its rather rare program, which will allow for interdisciplinary research in the context of culture in a wide range of areas that interest me... In addition, as a passionate film fan, I am especially pleased to see that, among other theorists of interest to me, special attention will be paid to Vertov, Lang and Haneke.
I hope that I will have the opportunity to continue my master's studies in the specialty "_____" in _____. Waiting for your reply!
Formatting a motivation letter
Speaking about the design, it is worth noting that a large volume of the letter does not guarantee a positive assessment from the inspector. It is important concisely , so do not write in long, complex sentences.
The motivation letter should occupy no more than one A4 page of printed text in font 12 Times New Roman .
The letter must be clearly structured and divided into meaningful paragraphs.
How to write a motivation letter for admission to a foreign university?
Basic moments
Most candidates make many common mistakes when writing essays, because if they make them, they will be much less likely to get their place at a prestigious university. It is better to familiarize yourself with these mistakes in advance and avoid them. Here are some of them:
Other people's examples are good, but your own version can be much better. Nothing good will come of simply copying some letter on the Internet and putting your name on it. The essence of the essay is feelings and sincerity. The commission must feel how strongly the candidate wants to apply to them.
Introduction is important. From the very beginning, the committee should be intrigued. If the beginning is written dryly, then no one will read it, even if the candidate would be perfect for them. Care must be taken to ensure that the introduction does not bore readers.
Light jokes can be used, but only if the commission likes the joke 100%. If you don't like it, this could be a serious reason for refusal, so you need to be careful with this.
It is acceptable to use a friendly style. You need to imagine that the letter will be sent to your friend and the story is about recent achievements. Just don’t get too carried away; the style should be simple, but with business elements. Such a letter will be easy and pleasant to read, so you should choose this style of storytelling.
All success depends on self-presentation and the image presented. All the details need to be worked out and the letter should make it clear what the applicant is like, why he is interested in it, and how the profession is connected to his future.
You should not write about unnecessary facts. In your letters, it would be better to talk only about the merits associated with the activity for which you are applying. Therefore, if it is not necessary, then there is no need to say that you had work experience, for example, as a cashier in a store.
Give reasons for your statements. If you have a goal to enroll in a program, then you also need to justify all this, and not say “I want and that’s it.” It is also necessary to say how this knowledge will help in achieving your goals.
Most often, people choose their place of study themselves, so you need to talk about why they chose their university, as well as other knowledge related to it. The admissions committee will definitely like this kind of interest.
No need to impose. In all communications, you need to know when to stop, you shouldn’t talk about yourself a lot, and it’s also better not to beg, ask to take you for training and praise yourself. In short, you need to know when to stop.
Almost everyone associates capital letters with aggression and a raised tone; this should be avoided. Therefore, there is no need to write words in capital letters to attract attention; this can only be done in headings.
It is better not to disappoint the commission, which has already read everything, with the conclusion. It’s good if, instead of “thank you for your attention,” you give attention to yourself again. You can end something like this: “I dream of meeting in person at the university,” or something similar.
Admission usually requires an essay, portfolio and resume. The design should be done in the same style. It would be great if the university logo was placed on the letter on which documents are submitted. Such a letter will stand out against the general background and the admissions committee will definitely appreciate your efforts.
Principles of writing a motivation letter
Motivation letters are usually addressed to a specific person in the company where you are applying for a position. The sender's address should be indicated in the upper right corner of the letter. If you don’t know who exactly will be the recipient of the letter, instead of the phrase “Dear..!” use a neutral greeting - “Hello!” or “Good afternoon!”
In the first part of the letter, briefly inform about where you found out about the vacancy - for example, on the portal www.cvmarket.lv - and also indicate the position for which you are applying. Then you can devote a few sentences to why you want to work in this particular company, and what attracted you to the vacancy announcement.
In the second part of the letter, describe your professional experience. Show the employer that you would be a great fit for the job. Briefly describe your achievements and successes at work. Tell the recipient of the letter which of your skills could be useful in the position for which you are applying. At the same time, try to avoid verbosity and meaningless phrases in your motivation letter. Bring only those skills and abilities that, in your opinion, would be useful to the employer and correspond to this vacancy.
It is good form to end your motivation letter by thanking the recipient for taking the time to read the letter. At the end of the letter, also indicate that you hope to receive an invitation to an interview from the employer.
Checking readiness
Before submitting your finished essay, you need to check it thoroughly. Everything is fine if it clearly answers the following questions:
- Why did you decide to apply to this particular university?
- How did you hear about this program?
- Why do you want to learn this profession?
- What are the differences between this university and others?
- What kind of education do you have?
- Are there any hobbies related to this profession?
- What real life examples did you give regarding this activity?
- What are your goals related to this profession?
- How do you want to use this knowledge after training?
Writing a motivational essay can be difficult even for skilled people, because here you need to show creativity, correctly compose your appeal and present yourself. If you do everything correctly and try hard, then the members of the admissions committee will definitely accept the documents right away, but this is already half the success!
Contents of the motivation letter
The purpose of writing an applicant’s motivation letter should be expressed in the first sentence: what program you have decided to enroll in, what university and what specialty.
Important: do not start your letter with a quote from a famous person or with an aphorism.
The body of the letter should contain answers to the following questions:
- What is your current education?
- Why did you choose this specialty;
- Why do you want to study at this university and in this country;
- What are your academic interests;
- What knowledge and skills do you want to acquire during the course;
- How do you see your future career?
- What are your personal interests (hobbies, sports, literature, travel, music, etc.), and can you develop them within your chosen university?
