Pupils and students often ask – what part of the application package is the most important? Although the selection committee draws attention to all documents, applicants very often underestimate the role of essays and motivational letters in the admission process. How to write motivational letters to convince the university to take you to study?
First, it is important to remember why American colleges and universities require motivational letters or essays?
The selection committee is important to understand what makes you unique. An essay is a chance to show that side of yourself that is not yet disclosed in other application documents. For admission to undergraduate programs, universities want to see in the essay a certain level of self-reflection, that is, your maturity and willingness to study and live on the American campus. The selection committee also evaluates how well you studied the university, and understand how it meets your exact needs and interests. For admission to master’s and doctoral programs, it is more interesting that the program matches your career goals. Why does it help you achieve your goal?
When to start?
Writing and editing essays and motivational letters lasts several months. It is better to start this process 2 or 3 months before the deadline for applying.
Where to begin?
Start by reading the instructions carefully. At the bachelor’s level, there will usually be a specific question or topic that needs to be addressed. If you use the Common App, there will be 7 thematic assignments, of which You choose one for writing an essay. At the master or doctoral level, specific topics may not be. But, the selection committee expects that in a motivation letter you will tell about specific career goals, previous academic and professional experience, and also why this particular program suits you best.
The second step is brainstorming. You can start with three questions: Who are you? Why do you want to study in this university or this program? Why should this university choose you? It is important neither to write an essay that supposedly should satisfy the selection committee. Write about what is really important to you, and this passion will be obvious to the reader.
The third step is to write! Remember that an essay or motivation letter must have an introductory paragraph, at least two paragraphs in the body of the essay and one paragraph in completion. The structure of the essay plays an important role, because the reader’s reaction depends on your idea and on how well it is formulated.
The fourth step is editing. This is one of the most important steps, because editing helps to identify opportunities for improving the essay. There are a lot of editing methods, try to read the essay aloud, ask for a peer review or a colleague, work with the EducationUSA adviser. Improvement will take time, so do not rush things. Postpone the essay after writing for a couple of days and then look at it with a fresh look. Wash grammar and lexical errors, because the selection committee will pay attention to your ability to express thoughts in high-quality English.
The fifth step is repetition! Go back to the first step and make sure that the updated essay clearly answers the question posed by the selection committee. Continue to follow these steps until your essay is perfect.
Final tip
Remember that the tone of the essay should not be very formal, but not too frivolous – this is exactly the part of the application package where the reader wants to hear your personal voice. An essay or motivation letter is an opportunity to show what makes you unique.
Поэтому скорее, начинай писать свое идеальное эссе и обращайся к советникам EducationUSA за бесплатной консультацией, чтобы получить ответы на все вопросы. EducationUSA – Твой официальный источник информации о высшем образовании в США.
