How to write motivation letter for university
How to write motivation letter for university
How to Write a Motivation Letter to the University
There are 2 reasons why it is crucial to preapare a motivation letter carefully.
The first reason – this is your chance to stand out among equals and even stronger competitors. To be admitted to a foreign universities you must the best students from around the world. Your competitors’ school scores and level of English are (if not higher than yours) definitely not less. You could have no time to retake English exam and change its score. A brilliant motivation letter will distinguish you among others.
The second reason – a motivation letter could minimize the disadvantages of the some components of your application. Perhaps, you have chosen a program that does not coincide with the previous education, you don’t have relevant work experience or just lack a few GMAT points. Motivation letter helps to present this information and shift the focus on your strengths.
I. Read the Requirements to Motivational Letter
If requirements are not specified on the program website, register online to get an access to the University application form and find a description of the requirements in this system. Please note that you schould cover the required amount of words or characters and the questions. Check how many motivational essay are required to chosen University: the majority of programs of the first higher and graduate programs usually require only one motivation letter, but there are exceptions, for example: the University of Edinburgh normally required to submit two essays for its graduate programs.
Sample questions for motivation letter for the program MSc Management University of East Anglia in 2016: «The motivation essay should be about 500 words. Describe why You chose the program, how it relates to Your future career plans, Your experience, practice, volunteer activities, and other experience relevant to the program, what You hope to gain, after studying on the program.»
II. Define the Structure of Your Motivation Letter
Think thoroughly about your paragraphs which will become part of your essay, how these topics are interrelated; don’t forget to include an introduction and conclusion. Consider and what you will write in each paragraph of your motivational essay.
Below, we have the most simple structure of a motivation essay to University, successfully tested on the motivation letters of more than 100 Russian-speaking students, enrolled in foreign universities:
If You are confident enough to write in English, it may be easier to write your motivation letter in Russian and then translate it into English.
III. Define Your Career Goals and Describe Them
Most foreign universities include in motivation letter questions, a question about student’s future career. The older student or the higher level of education, the more specific and thoughtful should be a description of his career plan. What industry attracts you more and why? Are there companies for which you would like to work with and why? If you want to start up your own business, describe why you choose the entrepreneurial path, and what area you will work in.
Try to determine Your career goals for the next 2-4 years when applying for a bachelor’s degree, 5-7 years for master’s and MBA. Goals should be:
— Not simple, but realistic;
— Professional goals should be related to life goals;
— Specific, demonstrating your understanding of the industry, the area where you want to work;
— Aimed to improve not only your life and the your bank account, but also the lives of people around you, your society, country and perhaps the world in general.
Try to tie Your career and life goals. In the example below you will find the connection of career and life goals of a student from Moscow, entered the BSc program Biomedical Science at the London UCL: «I have always been interested in the nature of living things. Illnesses that befell my family members and some friends taught me that health is one of the most important things in life. Yet, most people get sick throughout their lives, and I have always seen being able to help find a cure for illnesses as a good purpose in life.»
IV. What to Do if There Isn’t a Career Plan Yet?
Whe many students applying for an undergraduate program, there is no clear understanding what they will do and where after completion of high school. In this case you should describe the area which you see yourself in and tell the admissions Committee that by studying at their University you hope to make a more detailed career plan.
Below there is an example of career plan description of a student who hasn’t chosen an exact profession, and applied for the BA program in Film Studies University of Reading: «I have not yet decided what type of career path in cinematography I should choose. I hope this course would help me gain a clearer understanding of the activities involved in the filmmaking process, so that I could make an informed decision regarding my career.»
V. Tell about Your Qualities, Knowledge and Achievements
How and what to tell about yourself in the motivation letter may puzzle many applicants: we do not often write our own biography. However, this task can be very lightweight, if you will ude the following guidelines:
1. Determine what special qualities and knowledge are necessary for success in your chosen programme and your future career, and which of them you have. Describe these qualities, giving examples from study, work and life.
2. Determine what persona qualities you have will help you to succeed in your chosen path. Describe these advantages, providing examples from your academic, professional, public, sports etc. life.
3. If You have an interesting hobby or you are involved in activities that may be useful in your learning or help you become an valuable for the University, briefly describe them.
4. Inform about the qualities and knowledge that are necessary for success in your career you would like to develop while studying the program; universities often indicate these questions as «points of improvements».
5. Do not praise and do not understate yourself, but describe yourself as objectively as possible, citing facts, based on the opinion of others and, if possible, quoting him.
Examine the brochures and website of the selected University. University often reports about what qualities are required from the students and what criteria to meet.
The following is an example description of the personal qualities by a student from Moscow, applying for the program the MBA in the business school, University of Aston: «I enjoy challenges and the learning experience I can gain from them. At university, I learned to value quality knowledge and efforts needed to acquire it. Throughout my career I learned how to be a results-oriented manager and motivate others. I believe my most important quality in this respect is my ability to collaborate and communicate effectively. However, I believe that to implement my business ideas, I still need to learn more about organizations and entrepreneurship in global business.»
If it is difficult to describe yourself, you can start listing your strongest personal qualities, knowledge, skills, hobbies and achievements, write them in a separate list to analyze them, and leave it 3-6 items, that mostly fit your suitability for the selected program. These are the qualities you will need to highlight in your motivation letter, recommendation letters and resume.
VI. Tell Us why You are Interested in this Program and University
Remember that the person who is evaluating your application, is likely to be an expert in the relevant subject area, and it will be important to see the proof of your sincere interest and understanding. A motivation letter for master degree program should demonstrate a deeper understanding of the subject than an essay for admission to a first degree. Samples of motivation letters in English and Russian.
VII. Put the Final Pieces Together
Following the structure of the essay, make the first version of your essay and modify it, making sure that all parts of your work logically relate to each other.
VIII. Check and Edit Motivation Letter
In the motivational letter thoughts need to be expressed clearly and simply. It is easy to achieve if you limit the length of the sentence as 12-20 words. Avoid as overly familiar and overly formal style. Write so the committee acn understand you easily. Make sure each sentence contains important information and there is no redundancy such as repetition of ideas or words.
Some essays could start with a catchy quotes, others could contain jokes or untypical layout. Sometimes it works, but it can have the opposite effect. Members of the selection Committee may not share your sense of humor and viewpoints, so be careful trying to make your essay too unusual.
Check grammar, spelling and punctuation. Essay, compiled with errors, creates a negative impression of the skills and efforts applied for admission.
It is impossible to rely entirely on the function of «spell Check» in your computer. Print a letter several times and read it carefully, trying to detect tricky inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Let people whose opinions you trust read your motivation letter. Make sure the text of your writing clear to readers.
MOTIVATIONAL LETTER TO THE UNIVERSITY
Writing a motivational essay for studying abroad at a university often confuses students. What to write in a motivation letter? How to write a motivation letter according to all the rules?
Below we will tell you all about the rules for writing an excellent motivation letter, the contents of which will be to the taste of the admissions committee of any foreign university.
What is a motivation letter?
A motivation letter is an essay 1 page A4 long that a student attaches to other documents when entering a higher education institution. Depending on the university, the presentation of a motivation letter may be needed at the undergraduate, graduate and even doctoral levels. Depending on the institution, the list of entry requirements may also be referred to as “statement of purpose” or “personal statement”.
In the essay, the student should write about himself, talk about his merits, talents and why he should be enrolled in the course. It is on the basis of a motivation letter that the selection committee can judge the identity of the applicant, its goals and its advantages.
When submitting documents to a university for the first time, most students are faced with the need to write an essay about themselves, so they often make mistakes. In this article, we will talk about the basic principles of writing a motivation letter and how to maintain the desired style and semantic balance in our text.
Motivation letter structure
The classic motivation letter is divided into three parts – the introduction, the main part and the conclusion.
Pay special attention to writing the introduction and conclusion, they will remain in the memory of the host committee and help you make the right first impression.
All three parts of a motivational essay should be clearly structured. In order for your letter to be interesting and informative, it may contain answers to the following questions:
Samples of motivation letters to the university
As we have already noted, a good motivational letter for a university must meet several criteria at once, so it is important to pay attention to the competent preparation of this document. On the one hand, the letter should reflect your motivation, and on the other hand, motivate the university to accept you for study.
We suggest you study a sample of a motivation letter to a foreign university:
With this letter, I would like to express my interest in studying a Bachelor’s Degree in Design at ABC University. I am interested in beginning a career in design and I am certain that this degree will help me to fulfil myself in both professional and personal contexts.
Currently, I am finishing my last year of high school, where I have spent a lot of time and effort learning arts and drawing, among other subjects. While studying in high school, I also attended art and design school courses, which clearly reflects my preferences and interests. In recent years, with the support of my school, I participated in a number of cities and regional design competitions where I often ended up in prize-winning places. Examples of my prize-winning works are presented in my portfolio.
My current goal is to start my career in design. After doing some research I realised that a Bachelor’s Degree in Design at ABC University is the best choice for me for a number of reasons.
First of all, this program covers a number of topics that interest me the most, such as Interior Design, Art History, Contemporary Design Concepts, Design Software, etc. As a future designer, I must be an expert in these fields. I am certain that the numerous traineeships and workshops I will take part in during my studies will help me to gain the necessary knowledge and skills.
Secondly, my attention was attracted by a highly international environment of ABC University. Looking at my future, I understand that I want to become a successful designer working in an international context. At your university, one of the most international universities, I will learn how to communicate with people from different backgrounds to achieve the best results which I believe will be the next big step in my development.
Thirdly, studying at ABC University will significantly improve my English skills. As one of the most important languages in the world, English will help me to form new connections and expand my social network to a global level.
Finally, a Bachelor’s Degree in Design at ABC University will help me to develop myself as a team player. The program will help me to establish strong international relations and to meet a lot of famous and influential people from the global design industry. Besides, I am attracted by the possibility of doing an internship during my studies. This great opportunity will give me the valuable professional experience necessary to build a successful career in modern competitive conditions.
Overall, I believe I will make the most of the knowledge and experience gained through the study program at ABC University. I hope to contribute my talents and efforts to your university and become a worthy member of the team.
Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your positive response.
As you can see, a good motivational letter to the university is by no means a short text, which consists of several thematic parts. The above sample contains both the student’s story about himself and his strengths, as well as an explanation of why he chose this particular curriculum and university.
Tips for writing a motivation letter
So, here is a monitor with a clean sheet of Word and the need to write an essay. Follow our tips, and your letter of motivation will certainly be successful and will attract the attention of the university admissions committee!
Make an essay informative
Before writing a motivation letter, collect all the information about yourself that is worth knowing the admissions committee. Remember that your essay should be as informative as possible, otherwise it may seem superficial, and you – a person who is inattentive to details. Do not forget to carefully select the information, because you should cause positive emotions in people who do not know you personally.
Meet the interests of the institution
Some universities publish questions on their websites that students are asked to answer in a motivational essay. Do not ignore them! In your letter of motivation, try to give the admissions committee all the information that it wants to receive.
Take into account the requirements of the university
A number of educational institutions have specific requirements for students’ motivation letters. For example, you may be asked to send a handwritten essay, mentioning even the ink (black or blue) with which it should be written. Follow the recommendations of the university!
Place accents correctly
Correct semantic accents are the key to a successful motivational essay. Regardless of the requirements of the institution, in your text focus on three critical issues:
Do not be afraid to praise yourself
In fact, your main goal when writing an essay is to show your candidacy in a favourable light. Do not hesitate to praise yourself, tell about your merits and talents, but do not be boring and monotonous! Tell us about your advantages, as well as how you would like to improve, and how the chosen course will help you with this.
Write in a beautiful and fairly simple language
Without being a native speaker, writing on it can be quite difficult. A motivational essay should be written in a competent, but relatively simple language. Do not overload him with long sentences and abstruse words, avoid conversational vocabulary and do not try to demonstrate on one sheet your knowledge of all revolutions of a foreign language! Remember that everything written by you should be clear and appropriate in meaning.
Be careful with your personality.
Each student, due to his motivation letter, seeks to stand out from hundreds of other applicants. You can do this by maximally showing your personality. However, do not overdo it – do not add pictures, photos, videos and graphics to the essay if this is not required. Do not try to joke or come up with an original format, all this may be inappropriate. A much better recommendation will be given to you by a structured and competent essay containing important information and written in the correct style.
How to Write a Motivation Letter to the University
There are 2 reasons why it is crucial to preapare a motivation letter carefully.
The first reason – this is your chance to stand out among equals and even stronger competitors. To be admitted to a foreign universities you must the best students from around the world. Your competitors’ school scores and level of English are (if not higher than yours) definitely not less. You could have no time to retake English exam and change its score. A brilliant motivation letter will distinguish you among others.
The second reason – a motivation letter could minimize the disadvantages of the some components of your application. Perhaps, you have chosen a program that does not coincide with the previous education, you don’t have relevant work experience or just lack a few GMAT points. Motivation letter helps to present this information and shift the focus on your strengths.
I. Read the Requirements to Motivational Letter
If requirements are not specified on the program website, register online to get an access to the University application form and find a description of the requirements in this system. Please note that you schould cover the required amount of words or characters and the questions. Check how many motivational essay are required to chosen University: the majority of programs of the first higher and graduate programs usually require only one motivation letter, but there are exceptions, for example: the University of Edinburgh normally required to submit two essays for its graduate programs.
Sample questions for motivation letter for the program MSc Management University of East Anglia in 2016: «The motivation essay should be about 500 words. Describe why You chose the program, how it relates to Your future career plans, Your experience, practice, volunteer activities, and other experience relevant to the program, what You hope to gain, after studying on the program.»
II. Define the Structure of Your Motivation Letter
Think thoroughly about your paragraphs which will become part of your essay, how these topics are interrelated; don’t forget to include an introduction and conclusion. Consider and what you will write in each paragraph of your motivational essay.
Below, we have the most simple structure of a motivation essay to University, successfully tested on the motivation letters of more than 100 Russian-speaking students, enrolled in foreign universities:
If You are confident enough to write in English, it may be easier to write your motivation letter in Russian and then translate it into English.
III. Define Your Career Goals and Describe Them
Most foreign universities include in motivation letter questions, a question about student’s future career. The older student or the higher level of education, the more specific and thoughtful should be a description of his career plan. What industry attracts you more and why? Are there companies for which you would like to work with and why? If you want to start up your own business, describe why you choose the entrepreneurial path, and what area you will work in.
Try to determine Your career goals for the next 2-4 years when applying for a bachelor’s degree, 5-7 years for master’s and MBA. Goals should be:
— Not simple, but realistic;
— Professional goals should be related to life goals;
— Specific, demonstrating your understanding of the industry, the area where you want to work;
— Aimed to improve not only your life and the your bank account, but also the lives of people around you, your society, country and perhaps the world in general.
Try to tie Your career and life goals. In the example below you will find the connection of career and life goals of a student from Moscow, entered the BSc program Biomedical Science at the London UCL: «I have always been interested in the nature of living things. Illnesses that befell my family members and some friends taught me that health is one of the most important things in life. Yet, most people get sick throughout their lives, and I have always seen being able to help find a cure for illnesses as a good purpose in life.»
IV. What to Do if There Isn’t a Career Plan Yet?
Whe many students applying for an undergraduate program, there is no clear understanding what they will do and where after completion of high school. In this case you should describe the area which you see yourself in and tell the admissions Committee that by studying at their University you hope to make a more detailed career plan.
Below there is an example of career plan description of a student who hasn’t chosen an exact profession, and applied for the BA program in Film Studies University of Reading: «I have not yet decided what type of career path in cinematography I should choose. I hope this course would help me gain a clearer understanding of the activities involved in the filmmaking process, so that I could make an informed decision regarding my career.»
V. Tell about Your Qualities, Knowledge and Achievements
How and what to tell about yourself in the motivation letter may puzzle many applicants: we do not often write our own biography. However, this task can be very lightweight, if you will ude the following guidelines:
1. Determine what special qualities and knowledge are necessary for success in your chosen programme and your future career, and which of them you have. Describe these qualities, giving examples from study, work and life.
2. Determine what persona qualities you have will help you to succeed in your chosen path. Describe these advantages, providing examples from your academic, professional, public, sports etc. life.
3. If You have an interesting hobby or you are involved in activities that may be useful in your learning or help you become an valuable for the University, briefly describe them.
4. Inform about the qualities and knowledge that are necessary for success in your career you would like to develop while studying the program; universities often indicate these questions as «points of improvements».
5. Do not praise and do not understate yourself, but describe yourself as objectively as possible, citing facts, based on the opinion of others and, if possible, quoting him.
Examine the brochures and website of the selected University. University often reports about what qualities are required from the students and what criteria to meet.
The following is an example description of the personal qualities by a student from Moscow, applying for the program the MBA in the business school, University of Aston: «I enjoy challenges and the learning experience I can gain from them. At university, I learned to value quality knowledge and efforts needed to acquire it. Throughout my career I learned how to be a results-oriented manager and motivate others. I believe my most important quality in this respect is my ability to collaborate and communicate effectively. However, I believe that to implement my business ideas, I still need to learn more about organizations and entrepreneurship in global business.»
If it is difficult to describe yourself, you can start listing your strongest personal qualities, knowledge, skills, hobbies and achievements, write them in a separate list to analyze them, and leave it 3-6 items, that mostly fit your suitability for the selected program. These are the qualities you will need to highlight in your motivation letter, recommendation letters and resume.
VI. Tell Us why You are Interested in this Program and University
Remember that the person who is evaluating your application, is likely to be an expert in the relevant subject area, and it will be important to see the proof of your sincere interest and understanding. A motivation letter for master degree program should demonstrate a deeper understanding of the subject than an essay for admission to a first degree. Samples of motivation letters in English and Russian.
VII. Put the Final Pieces Together
Following the structure of the essay, make the first version of your essay and modify it, making sure that all parts of your work logically relate to each other.
VIII. Check and Edit Motivation Letter
In the motivational letter thoughts need to be expressed clearly and simply. It is easy to achieve if you limit the length of the sentence as 12-20 words. Avoid as overly familiar and overly formal style. Write so the committee acn understand you easily. Make sure each sentence contains important information and there is no redundancy such as repetition of ideas or words.
Some essays could start with a catchy quotes, others could contain jokes or untypical layout. Sometimes it works, but it can have the opposite effect. Members of the selection Committee may not share your sense of humor and viewpoints, so be careful trying to make your essay too unusual.
Check grammar, spelling and punctuation. Essay, compiled with errors, creates a negative impression of the skills and efforts applied for admission.
It is impossible to rely entirely on the function of «spell Check» in your computer. Print a letter several times and read it carefully, trying to detect tricky inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Let people whose opinions you trust read your motivation letter. Make sure the text of your writing clear to readers.
We can help if you want to be sure in your cover letter
For applicants to Bachelor, master and MBA in universities of Australia, UK, Holland, Canada, USA and other countries, in the universities included in the international rankings of universities
Individual consultation
You will be able to ask questions, how to make a motivation letter in your case, which sides to emphasize and how to smooth out the shortcomings
Motivation Letter Preparation
You will receive a motivation letter written by graduates of Cambridge and Oxford, drawn up by all the rules and clear admission Committee of the University
Most university courses, from undergraduate degrees onwards, expect a fair bit from applicants. Not only does each course have set academic requirements and forms to fill out; most applicants will also be asked to provide examples of their work, a CV, and even undertake special course-specific preparatory exams. Many masters courses – especially some very competitive ones, like the top MBAs – encourage applicants to obtain letters of recommendation from senior colleagues or academic supervisors. Atop this sheaf of papers sits the most intimidating prospect of all: the motivational letter.
A motivational letter, also known as a personal statement or a cover letter, is a short piece of writing all about you; your past, your ambitions, your personality, and your interests. While completing CVs and forms can be a little dry and boring, motivational letters can be hard to write. The combination of needing to produce such an intimate piece of writing, worded in such a way that it comes across as both authentic and professional, and then using it to sell yourself to a university, creates the perfect recipe for social awkwardness and writer’s block.
Despite the difficulty of writing a decent motivational letter, it’s a fundamental skill in today’s jobs market – once you leave full-time education, you’ll need to write motivational letters to potential employers. With this in mind, writing a motivational letter for a masters degree is excellent practice. Below, we’ve prepared a couple of fail-safe techniques you can apply to writing a motivational letter so that it won’t either sound sterile or arrogant, and will help you stand out from the crowd.
Cover the basics: The central function of a motivational letter is to convince the admissions team at the university of your choice to offer you a place, or invite you to interview. Make sure that the letter is structured in such a way that it serves this purpose – it is usual to conclude a motivational letter by asking directly that you be admitted or invited for interview, depending upon what the next step of the admissions process is. Equally important is the calibre of your written language; if your motivational letter is riddled with grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, or doesn’t make sense, the university will almost certainly refuse to admit you. A great starting point is to look at some templates for motivational letters in your chosen field, to see how they are structured, and what key points you need to cover.
Get personal: A standard for all cover letters – including those for job-seekers – is that you must address your letter to a specific person. For your masters course, it could be the Head of Department, or the academic staff member responsible for your masters study programme. If you will be working closely with an academic supervisor – as with most research degrees – your cover-letter should be addressed to the academic you’d prefer to supervise you. Use the university’s website to figure out who the right person is, and address the letter to them using their name and title.
Show, don’t tell: This is true of CVs, and is true of motivational letters too. “I am a good leader” sounds a lot weaker than “I led a group of my fellow students on a week long climbing expedition, where we successfully…”. Avoid any overly ambiguous statements, as these can diminish the confidence the admissions team may have in your motivations. Also, make sure not to show things twice – if you’ve discussed something extensively in your CV, don’t dwell on it in your motivational letter.
Do your research: Academic institutions often have a lot to say about their values, priorities and vision. What’s your target institution’s motto? Do they prioritise sports, arts, or something else? Do they have a statement of values? How do you reflect these things? The most important question to think about in relation to these things – why is it that you want to go here? Weaving your knowledge of these things into your letter is a great way to assure admissions tutors that your choice to study at their institution is an informed one.
Be specific: One of the biggest problems at application is that candidates don’t adequately explain why it is they want to study what they’ve applied for. Remember, you’ve got to explain your choice of subject, and your choice of institution. Not just “Why Biology?” but “Why Biology at this university?” If you don’t yet have answers to this question, then it is well worth going through the University’s website again, to work out what inspired you to take the next step, and apply for your chosen course.
Write a story: People love stories. They like to be taken on a journey, and brought to a satisfying conclusion. A list of superlatives or accomplishments is nowhere near as compelling as an epic story that weaves all that you’ve done into a coherent account, that supports the choice you’ve made to apply. Like all stories, make sure your motivational letter has a clear beginning, a middle, and an end. These should all follow logically on from one another, so that the reader is left feeling convinced of the suitability of your chosen course and institution, to your skills, experience, and goals.
Be interesting: This is without doubt the most important feature of a motivational letter – you absolutely must capture the reader’s interest. If you come across as boring (or worse, bored) on paper, it’s much less likely that you’ll get a positive reply. But furthermore, the interest you express has got to be personal, and it must relate directly to your motives. It’s absolutely no use whatever to produce some bland, boring page or two about hard work and how interested you are in your subject. This is exactly what every other candidate will write, and for the most competitive courses, you will want to stand out. But the best way to do this is not to try to be someone else; be yourself. Mention the fact that you like juggling. Talk about how you felt when your father was laid off work. Begin from your earliest memory. So long as what you say relates to what makes you the person you are, and then why that person has chosen to apply for this course, it deserves to be there.
What underscores all these points is a simple, and very ancient, piece of advice; know thyself. Nobody expects you to have everything figured out when you apply for a masters, but they will at least expect you to have a firm grasp of what you want out of the degree you’ve chosen to apply for. It’s in nobody’s interests for students to undertake courses for which they are ill-prepared, or that they haven’t really thought through – all you need to do is show your chosen university that this doesn’t apply to you.
And let’s face it; a masters degree is a fantastic opportunity, that will allow you to gain an expert understanding of a field about which you are passionate, and will build a bridge to a career that excites you – what could be easier to write about than that? But if you prefer to get some guidance, have a look at our motivational letter templates below.
Example 1: Motivation Letter for a Masters of Science Degree (MSc)
My name is [name] and most recently I have been working as a [job title] at [company name]. I hold a B.Sc degree in [subject] from [university name].
The undergraduate curriculum in [subject], [university name], introduced me to a wide variety of subjects in the field of [subject]. Various courses like [course 1], [course 2], [course 3] (name all relevant courses) provided me with a strong footing in [subject of the masters degree].
While offering both depth and breadth across this field, these courses put into perspective the importance and relevance of [subject] and the application of its fundamentals to the problems faced by the real world.
I am much eager to adopt and know new technologies. I am really enthusiastic to attend a Master of [subject] at [university name] in order to understand different [subject] concepts and its applications to more complex real life situations. The good reputation of high-quality education standards, an extremely distinguished faculty members, and research facilities are the factors which have motivated me to apply for my masters studies at [university name].
Moreover, I feel I am responsible for making a big move in this field and this scholarship will give me a big chance to be one day someone who is remembered for his innovations. I think it is our duty as people sharing life in this world to make our future better because the future is not only ours. The next generation should be proud of us one day when they look back and find how hard we worked to make the world a better place. I believe my qualification and your needs would be an excellent fit. I will be happy to provide any further information or documents if required. I look forward to your positive response. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Example 2: Motivation Letter for a Masters of Art Degree (M.A.)
I am writing to inform you of my interest in the Masters of Arts [name] program at [university name].
I currently hold my Bachelor’s of Arts in Art History [subject] from the University of [name], having graduated with cum laude with a GPA of 3.82 [grade]. After attending the University of [name], I completed a 3 month internship at the National Gallery in London (GB) followed by a 6 months internship at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (USA).
During my studies and internships I developed a deep interest in Italian Art, with a particular focus on artists form the 17th century. Having worked under the supervision of Prof. [name] at the National Gallery enabled me to get a very deep understanding of [specific subject] and I see the Masters of Arts [name] program at [university name] as a unique opportunity to intensify my knowledge and continue my studies.
Given my education and experience from [university name], National Gallery and Museum of Modern Art, I am confident that I am an excellent fit for the Masters of Arts [name] program at [university name]. I have researched the program and determined that the coursework and research profile of the college are a strong match. I’m particularly impressed by the volumes of [name] books in the university’s library, which are of particular interest for me and which I would love to study in great detail.
If you have any further questions, please contact me using the information at the top of this letter.
Did you know that most students apply to 5-7 different masters programs? The reasons for that are very simple: the more programs you apply to, the more options will you have to choose from in the end. You should therefore always apply to multiple programs. The best way to find alternative programs is to just search for them here on mastersavenue. It’s free and super fast. Why don’t you give it a go?
Motivation Letter Writing Guide + Examples for 2022
Writing a motivational letter can be nerve-wracking.
When presented with the question of “Why would you like to be part of this organization?” you find yourself staring at a blank page, thinking of how to correctly word “I’m passionate about going to college so I don’t starve to death.”
Two hours and three coffees in, you’ve scrolled through your Facebook newsfeed (twice), watched one episode of the last season of Game of Thrones, sent angry tweets to its creators, and donated for the knee surgery of two dogs. You go back to your open Word doc and you have only managed to write: “This organization seems like fun” or “I’ll totally be a great fit”.
You know you are not this generic or basic. You’re a capable guy or gal who has a lot to offer and there are genuine reasons behind your decision to apply.
It’s just hard to put it into words… And we get that!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a motivation letter that gets you accepted anywhere.
What is a Motivational Letter and Why it Matters?
A motivational letter is a one-page letter that’s used to describe why you are the perfect candidate for a certain position. It is usually attached to your resume.
You are required to write a motivational letter in these 4 specific scenarios.
The motivational letter shouldn’t be confused with a cover letter, the purpose of which is to highlight how specific information on your resume matches a job opening. Think of a cover letter as the introduction to your resume for a hiring manager and your motivational letter as the powerful closing sales pitch for a university or non-profit.
So why exactly does the motivational letter matter? You’re a doer more than a talker: you’ve listed everything there is to know about you on your resume. That should be enough, right? Wrong!
All organizations are looking for people who genuinely want to be there and are excited about what they do. The intent should be your driving motivation!
Writing a good motivational letter can be an absolute game-changer. It can provide a boost for your resume, but also make up for lacking required skills.
How to Structure a Motivational Letter
A good motivational letter is a one-pager where you introduce yourself, your story, and show your interest in the position or organization you are applying to.
There are two main ways to structure your motivational letter:
Now, which one do YOU go for? The rule of thumb is if you want to be more factual and to the point, go for the 7-paragraph structure. This way, you can use each body paragraph to discuss specific achievements or points.
If, on the other hand, you’re going for a more story-telling approach, you’d go for the 3 paragraph option, so as not to break the flow of the story.
The Structure of a Motivational Letter
Whichever structure you go for, it should consist of 3 main parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Here’s what to include in each one:
Introduction: A short, engaging pitch about yourself and why you are applying. Here, you can include:
And of course, don’t forget to mention contact information on top.
For example:
To: School/Organization Name
First Name Last Name
Relevant Social Media (LinkedIn, Quora, GitHub, etc.)
Dear [Name of The Contact Person],
My name is [Your name] and I would like to express my interest in applying for the Doctoral program in political science at [University Name]. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a politician and helping give back to my country, and I believe that a Ph.D. in politics from [University Name] would set me miles ahead to reaching my goal.
Body of the Motivational Letter: this is the main bulk of your motivational letter. This is where you really sell yourself, mentioning stories behind your achievements, skills, and passion for whatever you’re applying for.
Things You Can Mention in Your Motivational Letter:
I developed my passion for Online Marketing during my internship at [company name]. Working in a small startup allowed me to get surface-level experience in most digital marketing channels. Now, I would like to deep-dive and gain advanced know-how by attending the [university name] program in Digital Marketing.
Conclusion:
Finally, you can wrap up the motivational letter and send it in. In this section, you can:
Now that you know how to structure a motivational letter, let’s move on to the contents!
How to Write a Motivational Letter
So how do you write a motivational letter that stands out from the pool of applicants? The way to avoid generalizations and add depth to your motivational letter is by tailoring it to the specific organization and program/position you are applying to:
Questions to Answer in Your Motivational Letter [+Possible Answers]
I volunteered in Africa for three years. It’s one of my most fulfilling experiences because I am passionate about helping others and came out a better person. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I would pick a sleepless night conducting research instead of a night out anytime. I spend most of my mornings reading the last edition of the Journal of Marketing. I have worked on three separate research studies during my time at Colorado University.
Achieving a Magna Cum Laude required a lot of hard work and dedication, but education has been my biggest passion in life, so there was more joy than pain in the process!
Answer some/all of these questions in a compelling way that’s true to you and your experience, then turn them into a cohesive text.
An Example of a Great Motivational Letter
We’ll demonstrate how to write an awesome and inspiring motivational letter through Jane’s letter to the admissions team of Harvard University below. She is applying for a Ph.D. in the department of Political Science.
The general requirements are: being research inclined, a demonstrated passion for Politics, and an above average performance during undergraduate studies.
The values of the university are integrity, education, respect, and accountability.
She’s using the three paragraph structuring method.
You can see how Jane highlights through personal stories:
The same rules and spirit apply to non-university related motivational letters as well.
You can easily notice that Jane has essentially given a personal story of all his qualifications. After reading this letter, the admissions team will feel like they know Jane, and this is what you should also aim to do: communicate who you are through highlighting your story tailored to the institution and program you are applying for.
How (and why) to Create a Motivational Letter with Novorésumé
Now that you know how to write a motivational letter, you can decide on how it looks.
A black and white letter sheet with Times New Roman, 12-pt font size might be great for a formal document, but it does not make you stand out in the pile of grey applications.
How can you appear professional without being boring? Novorésumé’s motivational letter templates and intuitive editor add the tinge of personality that you’d need to stand out from the rest.
Conclusion
So, let’s sum up everything we’ve covered in this post:
A motivational letter is always attached to a resume. Want to also make that stand out from the rest?
Read our guide on how to create an impressive resume and submit it with your awesome motivational letter to get accepted anywhere!
Our motivation letter templates are created to mirror the resume templates and CV templates, which is critical when creating a job application. Choosing the same templates, fonts, colors will improve your personal brand and increase your chances of being called for an interview.