How to write a motivation letter in English. How to write a motivation letter for university: a practical guide

Starting to write from a completely blank slate is terribly painful. Even if there are ideas and thoughts that are suitable, and some correct phrases come to mind, it is still so difficult to start writing if you literally have a blank sheet in front of you. It’s not clear what to say at the beginning, what to mention in the middle and how to even finish.

With a motivation letter it’s still “more interesting” because the text needs to be written about yourself, and not about something that you can research, read about and gain ideas.

How can you simplify this task and quickly prepare a convincing and original motivation letter?

Universities often “cunningly” and say that in the motivation letter you Just you need to write about your motivation to study at a certain university and in a certain program (itself obvious!).
Of course, this is the basis, but the admissions committee is looking for more in an applicant’s essay: to discern your character, understand your abilities and potential, see your plans for the future, make sure that you will be a worthy member of the university community, etc.

And how can you fit all this into one letter?

Start writing using the following structure as a guide. This way you can start preparing your motivation letter faster and easier. This is the key - the main thing is to start, and then the process will go faster. In addition, when you have written everything, you will think about where to add something, what to change places, what to rewrite - when there is a basis, it is much easier to further refine the letter.

So, prepare a short text in response to these 4 key questions:

§1 Why are you applying for this course?

Why are you interested in this direction and this program? Are you continuing your studies in the same specialization or have you decided to pursue your dream with a master's program? What specifically interests you in this program and why?
1.1 Tell me how your studies relate to the choice of master’s program
1.2 Tell me how your professional experience relates to choosing a master’s program (work, internships, participation in projects, conferences, etc.)

Helpful phrases:

I am applying to the program………. at the University of ………. because I am very interested in ………. My interest in this area first arose during/when ………. I also did my final year research on / participated in a project on ………. During this research / project I learned………. and………. in relation to the topic and I am keen to further deepen my knowledge and expertise in this area. Your course not only covers ………., but will also introduce me to new areas as ………. and……….

In addition to my academic experience I did an internship at ………. which reinforced my interest in………. My main role was to………. I analyzed / surveyed / monitored effects / ………. This experience helped me to learn………. and develop………. And I’m now committed to become a professional in the area of ​​……….

§2 Why are you a suitable candidate for this program?

Here you can reiterate that your academic and professional experience perfectly matches the program requirements. And it is appropriate to provide more information about your achievements, skills, experience, discoveries, which strengthen the admissions committee’s understanding that you are an ideal candidate.

Helpful phrases:

I always believed that academic studies should go hand in hand with practice and there is no better way to learn something that practicing it. That is why during my studies I was always eager to participate in student case championships / conferences / research projects / ………. This year I assembled a team of three members to take part in………. and in final round we were among 3 best teams in Russia. This taught me……….
I believe the qualities I developed throughout these competitions are essential to succeed in ……….

§3 Why are you choosing this particular University?

This is a very important part where you need to clearly say why you chose a master's program at a particular university. And general phrases like “highest ranking” and choice of “best university” immediately give a superficial tone to the entire essay. Do a mini-research and find the key reasons why the university is interesting to you. Look at the website (there is always a lot of information there!), look for opinions in forums, talk to alumni, look at reviews in newspapers and magazines.

Helpful phrases:

I am evidently keen to study at the University of ………. because of the excellent reputation in research / top ranking / employment rates of the graduates / ………. But specifically what attracts me most is the international reputation of the department/University that brings such a variety of students together and this creates a very sulatingtim environment for Master level studies. And I was pleased to learn that at least half of the faculty members are also actively involved in business which I believe, ensures the highest applicability of all knowledge and skills taught.

I also appreciate that the University provides first class sport and recreation facilities for the students. As I’m a very active person in my free time, for me it is a great advantage to have a gym and all the facilities on site.

§4 What are your future plans after graduation?

Even if at the moment you do not have a clear idea in which country and in which company you want to work after graduation (this is normal - 90% of all applicants are not sure of their future choice of employer), indicating the slightest hint of future plans is captivating. These may be only 2-3 sentences, but they show that you have goals for career development.

Helpful phrases:

Following the Master’s Degree I aspire to work in………. / pursue with my research in the area of ​​………. by joining………. I believe my knowledge and skills will serve to make a difference in society.

Have fun with your writing!

PS - auxiliary phrases are provided as examples only! Please do not copy them word for word, otherwise it will be plagiarism and your application may actually suffer from it. I am sure that you can say the same thing in your own words and much better!

Are you preparing your admission documents yourself? Do you want examples of successful emails?

Then you will need systematic advice and proven recommendations for preparing a motivation letter for a master's degree abroad.

Instead of spending days and hours trying to figure out how to write each section of the letter (what should be included in the motivation letter, how to start effectively, what should not be written about...), you can take

You've probably heard that in order to enter many foreign universities, you need to write a motivation letter. Now you have an example of how to do it

When applying to study abroad, you are often required to provide a letter of motivation. Below is an example of my own letter, which I provided for training in Beijing. You can use it as a sample, but change the information a little to suit yourself, depending on your personal data and the city to which you are applying, as well as the specialty you choose.

Dear Sir/Madam

Why do I apply for the university in Beijing and what are my study plans?

Currently in the twenty first century, the century of new technologies, education has become an essential attribute for every successful, competitive person. The quality of education is continually rising, and the opportunity to study at a respected university is very valuable. The more qualified an education an individual receives, the easier it is to become successful in a variety of employable fields in the future.

It is not strange that many people are seeking profound knowledge. I am not an exception. At my home town here in Kazakhstan I currently work as a freelance translator, dealing with Russian and English. My current degree is bachelor of education; that means I am entitled to be both a teacher and a translator. I am interested in continuing my education in China, as I want to become a professional user of foreign languages ​​namely Chinese.

It is my firm belief that I cannot bring up well-educated pupils or be a good employee without becoming an all-round, highly-educated person first. Learning Chinese here in Kazakhstan has been a rather difficult process. In Kazakhstan, the main languages ​​are Kazakh and Russian, not Chinese and it is not very popular language in my northern region of Kazakhstan. This is why to fully understand Chinese, its culture and tradition is very difficult without being immersed in a country where people use the language in question.

Why have I chosen China and namely Beijing? To start, I would like to mention that today that Chinese universities are among the “World’s best universities”. For example, three paramount leaders of China such as Mao Tse-tung, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping graduated from Beijing universities. This fact shows the intellectual level of knowledge offered at the universities in the capital of China. I have chosen the faculty that I find to be most closely related with my profession and interests. Social and humanitarian sciences typically research various viewpoints of human life.

They do not give exact facts concerning anyone’s specific actions in their society. Rather, these sciences only investigate the principles and factors of plausible outcomes. Take into consideration the historical background and similarities between Kazakhstan and China. Our countries have been living next to each other for centuries, so it means they have a lot in common. Nowadays China has made a tremendous progress in almost every aspect of life including education. And today China is one of the most developed countries in its region.

The professors at Beijing universities are well-experienced in their realms. They know their subjects very well, as they have been studying them for a long time. I want to be a student trained by these professors who can teach me a lot. Kazakhstan also has knowledgeable professors, but they are not of Chinese origin and their native language is rarely Chinese. I believe I will achieve more experience and knowledge from the professors at the universities of Beijing. After I complete my studies, I will better understand how to use Chinese effectively in any field I will be dealing with.

The opportunity to study in the one of the best cities of Asia is very exciting. I want to discover the life of the Chinese community. I want to understand the people and culture living in on the most ancient civilizations in the world. Here in Kazakhstan I can only read about Chinese culture in books, or on the internet. Living and studying in China among other Chinese people, I will become more aware of their life, culture, habits, and history. After I return to my home country, I am planning on using my acquired knowledge to help the welfare of both of my country and China since I will be speaking Chinese and help our countries to communicate effectively between each other.

My country really needs highly-educated professionals. This is precisely why I wish to study at Beijing. I believe I will be helpful to my country. The people around me will understand more about Chinese life from my own experience. It will be easier for them to understand Asians, especially Chinese culture. Many other students will have a great motivation to study well, because only specific number of them will be able to study abroad.

Sample motivation letter in English for admission to a university abroad.

I am Alex Smith citizen of country XXXXXXX. I have cleared my degree from the famous University of XXXXXXX in XXXXXXXXXX. However I always have been interest on business field as my family here in XXXXXXXX runs small business, so since my childhood. I am influenced by it and till today.

As all know that being the richest in natural beauty XXXXXX’s economy is poorest and now its economy is all dependent on remittance and donation. I wonder why is it so aren’t we prefect for the international business? This question always pinch on my heart or else we are missing something in the field of business so we are getting difficulties in coping up the international business field to fill up this gap the people should understand the international marketing and the world's economy keeping these in mind .

I am now much more interested in this field and I know I have to get success in it, in the way of achieving my goal. I have to study hard, know international people of this field, how they think and what are the main strategies they use for their success. I better know that the business style of western countries are timely, focused towards customers desire and wants and is completely different then those of here in eastern countries, they are so more practically then the theory that’s the main reason of their success.

I also have known that the practically implemented theories are much more beatifically than the hypothetical theories, and also students on business over there are given the chance of internship on reputed companies which is the main gate of their success. Due to the Natural beauty of XXXXXXX, Many people around the world are visiting and here we do not know their culture and the way they think, it makes us very difficult in dealing with them among these tourists.

I found most of them are from Holland so I choose my study country for this. If I get a chance to continue my study in this country then I am sore that it would help my future plan of doing business with these people as I would be able to know their striates build up business. Further more the course offered by this university are much more realistic then others and also the course fee affordable to me that’s the main reason why I choose this course and university as well as country.

I hope after finishing my study there in the Netherlands I would perfect in the western way of doing business and what labor is required for it. Anybody who wants to be successful in his/her life should study hard implement the theories in the field must be practical know much more technique be able to cope with time etc to get all abode mentioned points I have to have much more study and knowledge in this field, so

I decided to study this course to quench my thirst of doing international business with western country and teach more XXXXXX the way of doing business with them so our remittance and aid dependent economy can lift up and be independent which finally brings economic boom to the country for this we the new generation must contribute our effort and time.

It is also said that healthy the see is planted the healthy and more crops you get if you plant rice and hope for wheat that is foolishness which is now what is happening in our business world so that’s why I am fully motivated to this study.

One of the fundamental points for successful admission to a foreign university is a correctly and accurately compiled motivation letter. With its help, convincing the admissions committee that you are a worthy candidate for admission to the university will be much easier.

Where to start

So, you have already prepared the documents for admission to the university, and now you need to write a letter of motivation that will set you apart from other applicants and give you a chance to enter the university and implement your plans for the future. First, you need to think through the content of the letter, make a list of questions that will need to be answered in the letter.

• Briefly tell us about yourself. What motivates you? What is most important to you? What results have you achieved? If you consider yourself purposeful, then show this based on specific life examples. For example, how you managed to achieve certain results in the field of activity that interests you most.
• What exactly interested you in your chosen field? Probably, something specific attracted you to your future profession, for example, experiments, impressions, discoveries.
• What is your choice of university based on? Study the history of the university you plan to enroll in. Which professor's teaching attracts you the most? What subjects will you study at university? Probably only at this university is it possible to obtain certain unique knowledge?
• Describe your professional goals for the near future. How will studying at this university allow you to develop in the future? Will acquiring this specialty continue what you have already started?

Correct text structure

So, let's divide your motivation letter for studying abroad into three blocks: introduction, main block and conclusion. The first describes the author's academic life, where he studied, practiced, his goals, profile. The main block is a brief description of the author’s motivation for studying at this particular university. Finally, indicate your planned place of work and the country where you would like to apply your knowledge.

How to write a motivation letter for admission to a foreign university

To begin, answer the previously prepared questions orally. Record all your ideas on a voice recorder. Then write down all your ideas for visualization. Then you can break them down point by point.

Point 1. Introduction

You need to immediately attract the reader with your main and most exciting idea, which you will later reveal in more detail.

Point 2, 3, 4: Main part

Here you need to reasonably describe your idea, supporting its relevance with facts. Surely, you know a lot of examples from life that prove the value of your idea.

Conclusion

• The main idea, the idea is repeated and intensified. Add optimism, confidence, draw a connecting line between the beginning and the conclusion;
• The text should not be overly formal; the main task is to convince the reader of your sincere intentions and add personality;
• From generalized phrases and sentences, it is best to move on to specific examples, name the names of famous people in the area in which you plan to develop, who are role models for you;
• The most convincing thing is always sincere words and intentions, don’t lie;

After the text is written, you need to look at it again.

1. Pay attention to the structure and connections between all points of your letter;

2. The letter must be sincere; do not overload it with unnecessary emotions. The text carries a piece of your personality;

3. All paragraphs must be written in the same style;
4. Read the text again and remove all unnecessary things; the main idea should be clearly visible;

5. Will your letter be of interest to the admissions committee? From the first proposals?

6. Your motivation letter should stand out from the rest, describing your best thoughts, main ideas;

7. It is advisable that your letter is read by a person with knowledge of spoken English or German;

8. Look for the most interesting things, express your thoughts beautifully, reformulate sentences, reread, rewrite the letter.

Language of presentation

If the program in which you plan to study is English-language, then the motivation letter for the master’s program must be in English. If you are applying to study at a German-language university, then you need to write a letter in the language of the country where the university is located. Take translation as seriously as possible, since you need not just to write words, but to convey to the reader the meaning of what you wanted to write.

Universal motivation letter Exists or not

All educational institutions are unique, with completely different training programs. That's why do not send the same motivation letter to several universities at once. You can leave unchanged only the block with personal information, information about work, practice. The motivation letter should be drawn up in accordance with the specifics of the university. can serve as a skeleton for writing your unique essay. This is just a visual, small hint for the author.

Editing

Be as careful as possible when editing your finished essay. Any mistake will be considered as negligence in writing the letter. Proofreading the text and its final revision may take several days. Do not waste your time, perhaps this will be a decisive plus in your favor. Editing is carried out step by step.

1. Checking the document for integrity;

2. Checking for the presence of a logical connection between all blocks of the letter;

3. A minimum of adjectives that express excessive emotions;

4. The motivation letter should not be too long; two A4 pages will be enough;

5. Unified style of text in the letter;

6. Text checking by a professional in English.

The result of such editing will be a deservedly positive review, as well as the admissions committee’s interest in such a competent applicant.

Errors

The best opportunity to finally convince the admissions committee of a foreign university that you are the most worthy candidate for admission is to write a unique motivation letter. Prove that you are active and capable of participating in student social life, achieving academic success, and are excellent for studying at this particular university.

But still, try to eliminate the most common mistakes in your letter.

1. Do not repeat what you wrote in the application form again.. You have already filled out the application form for admission to the chosen university. Your motivation letter is a chance to open up and show the selection committee your individuality. Do not repeat information known about you;

2. Standard motivation letter. Such a letter will not set you apart from the crowd. It is necessary to reasonably answer the question of what exactly attracts you to this university. Imagine that you are in the shoes of the admissions committee. What arguments will help you choose one or another candidate for admission?

3. The beginning of the letter is not interesting. From the very beginning, try to express your thoughts in such a way that
s and further reading of the letter fascinated the selection committee. Develop your thoughts smoothly. Describe a specific situation in your life.

4. All statements are superficial. Avoid common words and phrases. Support each of your statements and ideas with facts, examples from life, and personal experience.

6. Bad check. The written text must be carefully checked, because every mistake made can affect the decision of the selection committee. Proofread your letter carefully, preferably several times.

7. Poor attempt at a joke. People's opinions do not always coincide. Perhaps the admissions committee will find your joke inappropriate.

8.Try to be yourself. Don't exaggerate your knowledge and talents. Write the truth about yourself. Reality will best reflect the real situation and your personality.

9. The issue has not been resolved. The application contains instructions that detail what your motivation letter should be about. These are the instructions you must follow. Be careful.

10.Don't put it off until the very last moment. A hastily written letter is unlikely to be of high quality and will fully reveal all your talents. Think over your essay in advance, re-read it, perhaps fresh thoughts will come to you.

Video review: “How to write a motivation letter”

Make sure your motivation letter looks attractive and aesthetically pleasing in appearance. It must be error-free, clearly printed, signed, and have the correct address of the sender and recipient.

To study at a foreign university, there are some requirements for the package of documents. It must include a resume, recommendation and motivation letter for the applicant. If the first two documents are familiar to a Russian person, then what is the third accompanying notice? It turns out that the selection committee attaches great importance to his role. And how well it is written determines whether its author will be chosen as a candidate worthy of studying at a particular university.

What does it contain?

The incentive to action is nothing more than motivation. An increase in wages is an incentive for an employee to perform his or her job duties better. When entering a foreign university, an applicant submits documents for consideration without being present there. Therefore, a motivation letter, an example of which will be given below, should have a motivating effect on the commission in order to admit its author to the educational institution.

In this letter, the writer describes his education, professional skills, and his position in public activities. A correctly composed letter can cover failures in academic life and create a positive portrait of a student applicant.

Where to start?

This question arises for everyone who needs to write something about themselves. It would seem that what could be simpler? Who, if not the author, knows their strengths and weaknesses. But practice shows the opposite: nine out of 10 people, when planning to write a self-presentation, are faced with the problem: what to present and where to start?

Experts who help students write a motivation letter for graduate school offer several tricks that help start the process:

1. Ask questions: “Why do I need to study abroad for a master’s degree?”; “Why do I want to become a student at a particular university?”; “Why do I need the chosen specialty?” and “What will completing a master’s degree give me?”
2. The listed questions should be spoken out loud and answered orally, while trying to record the entire speech on a voice recorder. For the best result, it is advisable to imagine that communication is taking place with your best friend, who is told all the delights of studying abroad.
3. After listening to the recording, it will become clear what theses will form the basis of the essay.

Correct text structure

A motivation letter, like all statements, should consist of three blocks: an introductory, main and final description. The first part of the essay provides specific information about the author's academic life. Here you indicate the place of study, practice, the name of the master's program, the purpose of studying in this specialty and why this profile is attractive to you.

The main block is motivational. Description of a university program that can provide the necessary skills in a specific field of activity, thanks to which the applicant will be able to achieve the goals described in the introductory part. The conclusion is the planned place of work and the country in which the author of the presentation wants to apply the acquired skills.

So, a motivation letter, a sample structure: what to study, why the specialty is relevant for the author and what results to expect.

Language of presentation

If the program for which you are applying for training is English-language, then filling out the documents must be in English. When writing a self-presentation to German universities, the national language of the specified country is used.

Experts recommend writing the text immediately in English, otherwise it will be difficult to avoid translation later. If the vocabulary is not enough to draw up documents in a foreign language, then you will have to be careful about translation. It is necessary not just to translate words with a dictionary, but to convey the meaning of the message.

A motivation letter in Russian is appropriate for Russian organizations. It can serve as an accompanying document to your resume. And an employer who did not impose requirements for its presence will most likely single out the employee from the total number of applicants.

Universal motivation letter. Exists or not?

Each institution and the programs it puts forward are unique. When applying to several master's programs at once, you should know that you should not use the same cover letter. The personal information of the author can remain constant in it: place of work and practice. The specifics of the university program dictate the rules for preparing the presentation.

Therefore, a motivation letter, a sample of which is not a problem to find, is not a skeleton for writing your own essay. It can help the author visualize the structure of the text to compose his own, unique document.

Editing

A motivation letter for admission to a foreign university must be completed correctly. Every error in the text is perceived by the commission as a dishonest attitude of the applicant. Therefore, it is advisable to spend several days checking the text, proofreading it and correcting errors. Basic editing steps:

1. Document integrity. There should be a logical connection between the blocks of presentation.
2. Minimizing emotional adjectives.
3. Text length. It is advisable to fit the letter on two A4 pages.
4. Following one style throughout the entire presentation. It is desirable that it be of an official nature.
5. Contact a professional (an English teacher will do).

After such editing, a motivation letter for a master's degree can form a positive portrait of the author.

Errors

The cover letter should not contain the information provided in the applicant's application form. A catchy beginning is the likelihood that the commission members will get to the main part of the text, and not immediately write a refusal to accept.

Externally, the document should look beautiful: no marks, clear structure, presence of signatures, high-quality printing, error-free filling of the address of the recipient and sender.

The motivation letter should describe the personal and unique qualities of the person. It cannot be universal for everyone. After reading the presentation, you need to make sure whether the text fully reveals the identity of the author. There should be no humor or sayings in it.

Motivation letter: example of an introductory part

As an example, here is an excerpt from an essay by a student who wants to go to university:

“The saying of the Greek mathematician Archimedes says: “Give me a support and a lever, and I will move the Earth.” The basic principle of a lever is that as its length increases, the force needed to perform a task decreases. This fundamental law is also applicable in life, in which experience and opportunity act as levers. The totality of these life components is the individual’s motivation to achieve the goal.

However, lever alone is not enough; properly placed and stable supports are also needed. Their role in life is given to the desire to learn. The absence of a dream to achieve anything in life leads to the fading of the desire to gain experience and opportunities. The thirst for knowledge, the desire for success, and the acquisition of experience must always be in balance. And I am one of those who have been looking for these opportunities all my life to build a successful lever that can help me achieve my goal in the field of life sciences.”