The motivation letter is a 1-page A4 essay that a student encloses with other documents when applying to a higher education institution. Depending on the university abroad, a motivation letter may be required at the undergraduate, postgraduate, or even doctoral level. This document may also be called a “statement of purpose” or “personal statement” in the list of admission requirements.
In the motivation essay, students must write about themselves, their merits, talents, and why they should be admitted to the course. It is from the motivation letter that the admissions committee can judge an applicant’s personality, goals, and merits. Most students are faced with the need to write an essay about themselves when applying to university for the first time, so they often make mistakes and in this case, you can use college paper help and don`t boost your anxiety.
In this article, we will discuss the basic principles of writing a motivation letter in English and how to maintain the right style and semantic balance in your text.
A classic motivation letter is divided into three parts – introduction, main body, and conclusion.
Pay special attention to writing the introduction and conclusion, as they will be remembered by the host committee and will help you to make the right first impression.
All three parts of the motivational essay must be clearly structured. To make your letter interesting and informative, it may contain answers to the following questions:
✓How and why did you become interested in your chosen subject or course?
✓ How can you demonstrate this interest?
✓ Why did you choose this particular institution?
✓ Why did you choose to study abroad?
✓ What career prospects are you considering?
✓ Have you had to overcome difficult situations and obstacles (financial, social, physical) to achieve your goals?
✓ What skills and personal qualities do you possess?
✓ What are your achievements and experiences?
✓ How do you show your personal strengths in life?
✓ What would make someone who reads hundreds of these texts every day remember you and make you stand out?
Tips for writing a motivational letter♕
So, you have a monitor with a blank Word sheet and the need to write an essay. Follow our advice and your motivation letter will be a success and will attract the attention of the admissions committee!
1. Make your essay informative
Before you write your personal statement, make sure you know all the information about yourself that admissions officers need to know. Remember that your essay must be as informative as possible; otherwise, it may seem superficial and you may not pay attention to detail. Remember to choose your information carefully, because you need to evoke positive emotions in people who do not know you personally.
2. Cater to the institution’s interests.
Some universities have posted on their websites questions that students are asked to answer in their motivation essays. Do not ignore them! Try to give the admissions office all the information they want in your motivation letter.
3. Take into account the requirements of the institution.
Some schools have specific requirements for student application letters. For example, they may ask you to submit a handwritten essay, even mentioning the ink (black or blue) in which it must be written. Follow the university’s guidelines!
4. Get the accents right
Correct semantic emphases are the key to a successful motivational essay. Regardless of the institution’s requirements, focus on the three most important questions in your text:
- Why do you want to study this particular course?
- Why do you want to study at this particular institution?
- Why do you want to live and study in this country/city?
Your answers will demonstrate your personal and academic goals and help the committee understand why you should be admitted.
5. Do not be afraid to praise yourself.
In fact, your main purpose in writing an essay is to make your candidacy stand out. Feel free to praise yourself, and talk about your merits and talents, but don’t be boring and monotonous! Talk about your strengths and what you would like to improve in, and how your chosen course will help you do that.
6. Write in beautiful and reasonably simple language.
Without being a native speaker, it can be quite difficult to write in the language. A motivational essay should be written in literate but relatively simple language.
Do not overload it with long sentences and abstruse words, avoid colloquial vocabulary, and do not try to demonstrate your knowledge of all the turns of a foreign language on one page! Remember that everything you write should make sense and be relevant.
7. Be careful to show your personality.
Every student wants to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants through his or her motivation letter. You can do so by showing your personality as much as possible. Nevertheless, do not overdo it – do not add pictures, photos, videos, and graphics to your essay if it is not required.
Don’t try to make jokes or come up with an original format, all this may be inappropriate. A structured, well-written essay containing important information and written in the right style will give you a much better reference.