How to write a motivation letter
Writing an excellent motivation letter is one of the decisive elements influencing your admission to university. While your CV and academic transcript demonstrate your knowledge, experience and work ethic, your motivation letter shows your passions, interests, and who you really are. And in the case that your academic experience is somewhat lacking, your motivation letter can work as a ‘buoy’, keeping your application afloat and catching the attention of admissions officers.
Your letter should answer two main questions: why do you want to study this programme, and why are you better than the other candidates? Read on – we’ve got some tips on how to write a great motivation letter – a powerful tool when you know how to use it!
Before writing your motivation letter
Work on your motivation letter starts a bit earlier than the actual writing process. The first step is to do extended research on the programme and university. Consider the university’s values (and if you share them), and identify if the programme is what you’re looking for. Then, honestly ask yourself why you want to study there. Has it been your childhood dream? Is it a family tradition to study this subject or at this university? Will the programme guide you towards your future career?
The motivation letter itself is just a quintessence of your thoughts, so writing down all these ideas will help you to create a solid text after. Mind maps in particular are very useful for combining and structuring your thoughts.
- Did you know? A motivation letter is commonly called a ‘statement of purpose’ at US universities.
Structure of your motivation letter
A good motivation letter has a clear structure: introduction, body, and conclusion. Every part should play its role, and all parts should come together as a coherent, concise text. Nothing missing, nothing excessive.
Salutation
Before the introduction, address who you’re writing to. If you know their name, you can use “Dear Mr/Mrs,”. If you do not know who’s going to read your letter, the phrase “To whom it may concern,” is appropriate.
Introduction
Next, the introduction. This part prepares the reader for the rest of your letter and hooks their attention. Briefly introduce yourself, mention the programme you’re applying for, and outline your main motivation. Don’t worry about writing your letter chronologically. As with academic papers, it’s often easier to write the introduction once you have an idea of the main body.
Body
The body of your motivation letter is the most informative part. You must carefully read the application requirements beforehand, as they often have tips about what the commission expects to read, e.g. your relevant background, preferable research fields, career goals…
You should thoroughly and convincingly explain what drives you, why your qualifications and expertise make you the right candidate, and how your experiences so far have led you to this point. Between 1 and 3 paragraphs are acceptable, arranged in order of importance. You don’t have to list all your academic qualifications or experience in your motivation letter: that’s what your CV is for. So use the valuable space in your letter only for your strongest, most relevant qualifications.
Conclusion
The conclusion is about emphasising the most important things that you want to convey. Restate your interest and express appreciation for the opportunity to prove yourself. As with the introduction, the conclusion should be vivid and concise. From a psychological point of view, a reader better remembers what was at the beginning and at the end of a text.
Sign off
There are two phrases with which to sign off your motivation letter. If you know the person’s name, then use ‘Yours sincerely,’. If you don’t, then use ‘Yours faithfully,’. Make sure that you don’t confuse the two!
Design and layout
As the phrase goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. But writing a motivation letter is not the place to neglect accuracy and formatting, a vital skill in the academic environment.
A beautiful layout demonstrates that you care about your application, putting you in the admission officer’s good books before they even read it. At the same time, your motivation letter is not the place for experimentation: no crazy colours or unusual fonts (Calibri or Times New Roman in size 11 is good), and normal sized borders. Consistent formatting is key: the entire paper should be in one font, with the same intervals and indents.
Make sure you follow the word limits, too! The ability to write concisely is another key academic skill. Your motivation letter should be no longer than one page. It’s better to say less than to make the commission read a novel (let’s be honest, they won’t even bother).
Language and style of your motivation letter
Despite adding the personal touch to your application, a motivation letter is still a formal document. So, avoid slang, abbreviations, colloquialisms and other forms of speech which could be considered informal. At the same time, the text should not be too complex or convoluted. Imagine yourself in the position of the admissions officer: you want to read a clear and engaging text, not solve a puzzle (even if it is a really good one!)
However, you shouldn’t ignore your own style of writing which shows your personality and attitude. You can be certain that the admissions officer reads tons of similar papers during this period, so it’s in your interest to catch their interest, and stand out from the mass of other applicants.
Shyness? Not here!
Save your shyness for another occasion! Your motivation letter is your finest hour. Talk about your achievements and strengths with passion and interest. Are you the top student in your faculty? Have you participated in conferences? Do you have experience in volunteering? Were you active in the student council? It’s time to tell the world!
Think about it – everyone applying for a programme has roughly the same qualifications and academic background. So, universities are interested not only in smart students, but in those students who will play an active part university life, and bring something unique to the table. Show them what they’ll be missing out on!
Stay positive
Another tip for writing a successful motivation letter is to be positive. Maybe you want to move away from your home country because you don’t like your government or current university. But don’t tell the admissions officer – that’s definitely a road to nowhere. At the same time, you should even avoid using words such as ‘negative’ in the text! This is again from the field of psychology: we’re better disposed towards an author with a bright and positive attitude than towards a person who only sees the bad in everything. So, cheer up!
Check, re-check, check again!
At the final stage, it is crucial to carefully check your motivation letter. Read it several times, get your friends to do it, ask your professor to check it. If you know a native speaker, you’re very lucky! Ask them to help you, too. When possible, leave your letter for a few days and then check again – you’ll find errors or wrong wording that you didn’t even notice.
Maybe you can’t change your work experience or academic qualifications at this point, but you can certainly influence your accuracy. Treat it as an academic paper: misspellings, bad grammar, and typos should be non existent. With the volume of applicants to university, the admissions officers need a reason to choose one student over another. Don’t make it easy for them to remove your application from the pile.
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To sum up: think carefully about what you’re going to write, answer all the commission’s “why’s”, write clearly, and don’t be shy. Your motivation letter is there to explain why you are the best candidate, and to show that you’re really passionate about what you’re going to study. It can be your trump card, so it’s really worth investing your time and effort.
All of this might sound quite complex, but don’t stress! Aplic.io’s expert mentors are ready to assist you with writing and checking your motivation letter, CV, and other documents for university and scholarship applications. Visit our website to learn more!
Your success is our goal! Good luck!
