how to write a motivational letter for university
how to write a motivational letter for university
Make sure your motivation letter for university is clear, concise and targeted.
>Make sure your motivation letter for university is clear, concise and targeted
Your statement of motivation is a great opportunity to show the admissions committee that you’re a strong candidate, but it should be as clear and concise as possible. You don’t have much space to make your case in your statement of motivation, so every word counts.
The following tips will help you avoid mistakes in your motivation letter for university:
- Avoid using filler words: Filler words are unnecessary words that needlessly take up space in your writing. Words like “that,” “really,” “very” and “very” often serve no purpose except to make sentences longer than they need to be. Avoid using these sorts of words whenever possible.
- Make sure each sentence serves a purpose: A good way to ensure that every sentence contains relevant information is by not writing until you know what you want to say. Don’t start writing until you’ve planned out all the details of what will go into the letter. Once you’ve done this, write out an outline that keeps track of all these points so that they won’t get forgotten when actually writing the letter.* Be careful with long sentences and complicated language: Long sentences can overwhelm readers, while complicated language can confuse them. Keep things simple by using short sentences and plain language whenever possible.* Edit ruthlessly: If any sentence doesn’t help move along your argument or provide additional information, it doesn’t belong in the document
Your statement of motivation should introduce who you are and why you’re applying to the university.
Your statement of motivation should introduce who you are and why you’re applying to the university. This portion should be a short paragraph between 3-5 sentences.
Introduce yourself and briefly describe any relevant personal or academic background. Then, list the reasons that you find the most interesting and unique about your chosen university. Next, explain why you are interested in this specific program at this school. Be detailed here; think of your ideal career and how this program will help you reach it. After introducing yourself, be sure to conclude by explaining what you hope to gain out of the program.
When writing a statement of motivation for university, make sure to explain your motivations to the admission officers.
When writing a statement of motivation for university, make sure to explain your motivations to the admission officers. You will need to convince them that you are an excellent candidate and should be part of their university. Answer these questions as best you can:
- Why do you want to study this subject?
- What are your goals and aspirations?
- What do you expect to gain from the course?
- What skills or experience do you have that will help with the course?
- How will you use the degree in the future?
Structure your motivation letter for university carefully so that it flows well and makes sense.
You have a good chance of being accepted to your university of choice if your motivation letter is well written. The structure of your letter should follow an all-purpose pattern: introduction, body and conclusion. Students sometimes try to spice things up by using a creative layout or complex vocabulary, but this can distract or confuse the reader, so it’s best to keep it simple. The introduction is where you tell the reader who you are and why you’re writing to them. This part doesn’t need to be long, just around two paragraphs should do the trick. The main body is the core of your motivation letter where you need to convince the reader that you are suitable for their program and what makes you stand out compared to other candidates. Explain why this program in particular interests you instead of some other one. You should also give examples from your life that show how motivated and committed you are as a student (getting good grades at school/college counts!). Make sure that everything ends with a powerful conclusion where you briefly restate everything from before, in particular highlighting why they should accept you rather than someone else by summarising what makes YOU stand out above all others.
Make your personal statement for university engaging by showing, not telling.
- Don’t use “I” statements in your application. Instead, choose the way you think about yourself and your experiences.
- Use specific examples to illustrate your points. Talking about a class is nice, but referencing the specific teacher and their teaching style is better.
- Explain the reasons behind your choices. If you don’t include this information it makes you appear indecisive or flaky.
- Don’t exaggerate or make things up! Your letter should be honest and tell a story that’s unique to you. You need to ensure that every claim is backed up by evidence because schools will check them out if they suspect foul play.
- Use active verbs instead of passive ones (e.g., learn vs was taught). This helps get rid of unnecessary words like “it” and “by me.”
Check that you’ve included all the information your target university is asking for in your personal statement for university.
Check that you’ve included all the information your target university is asking for in your personal statement for university. If you have trouble figuring out what to write about, try talking with people who know you well. The final quality check is to see if there’s anything relevant that you haven’t included, and also whether there’s any irrelevant info in there. If an idea comes up over and over again as you run through this exercise, it’s probably a good one to use in your writing. Remember that admissions tutors may need to read hundreds of applications; they won’t necessarily be able to tell from your application form how suitable you are for their course – so make sure that the reader knows exactly why you want to study the subject available at their university specifically (and not just ‘because I like it’).
Use active language in your application essay, not passive language.
Active language is stronger, more direct and shorter than passive language. The active voice is particularly effective in writing a motivational letter for university because it makes your application essay sound more confident, which helps demonstrate why you’re the best fit for the program.
Use positive language and be confident in your achievements when writing a personal statement for university.
Once you’ve written your first draft, read through it and make sure that you haven’t made any mistakes. Your personal statement needs to be grammatically perfect and structurally sound, as well as being packed full of ideas.
Think about how each sentence is adding something new – don’t repeat yourself or say things in a way you’ve said them before. Make sure that everything flows from one sentence to the next and that your personal statement reads logically.
It should also read fluently, so check that all the words are spelt correctly and there aren’t any awkward phrases or sentences which jar the reader when they are reading through it.
Edit and proofread your motivation letter thoroughly before sending it off.
The final step in writing your motivational letter is to check it thoroughly before sending it off. While you may be tempted to use every single word you wrote, this could end up looking unpolished.
You should:
- Check the spelling and grammar carefully (If English is not your first language, hiring an editor is a good idea).
- Ask a friend or family member to read through the letter and give you feedback on whether it makes sense and whether there are any errors.
- Make sure that the formatting is correct for the person or organization that you’re sending the letter to.
- Keep the overall length between one-half page and one page (two pages at most) — no more than 500 words in total.
When translating a statement of motivation, be sure to check every detail after it’s been translated, including visual aspects like line spacing and dates.
Before you send a translated statement of motivation, please ensure that the text is proofread to ensure that the content and format of your translated statement are identical to those in the original. Simple spelling errors can dramatically affect the quality of your letter, as well as its meaning.
If you are using a translation company for your documents, make sure that every detail is checked. This includes:
- Line spacing
- Avoiding words which aren’t used in academic English (i.e. “nice”)
- Dates which can be easily misunderstood if not translated properly (i.e., write out months instead of including a numeric date)
A good motivational letter can help get you into the school of your choice
Dear Professor,
I’ve decided that I want to continue on my education at your university.
I am very excited about getting a degree from your institution.
Your school has given me an opportunity that only a few other universities in the country can.
As a student at the University of Toronto, I have had the chance to meet many different people who have contributed to my education and growth as an individual.
The one thing I would like most is to expand my horizon and go beyond what was possible in high school.