If you intend to pursue further education in any of the renowned graduate schools in the country, a letter of intent, which will help you make a decent first impression, would be your trump card. Here is a graduate school letter of intent sample, intended to give you a rough idea as to how you should go about it.
In academia, a letter of intent is a formal letter, limiting to about a page, written by aspiring students to the institute in which they intend to pursue further education. Simply put, it’s a personal essay written by a graduate school aspirant, giving an outline of his profile and highlighting his intention of joining the said institute (along with reasons to do so.) While your degrees and certificates give an overview of your academic records, the letter of intent gives an insight into various facets of your life and helps the authorities judge you as a person.
You need to be thoroughly prepared when writing the letter of intent, as it is meant to help you make a good first impression on the authorities. Considering the intense competition involved, with hundreds of aspirants vying for the same spot as you are, the impact you leave on the authorities becomes all the more important.
A Few Things to Consider
» Before you begin writing the letter of intent, create a list of achievements you would like to mention in it; this will help you format it properly.
» You are ideally expected to mention your academic records, achievements, strengths, weaknesses, and career plans in brief.
» It should also have a mention of your long-term goal with reference to the particular course, i.e., what you seek to achieve by pursuing graduate studies.
» Your letter of intent should be free of grammatical errors, as your command on the language will also be under scrutiny when it comes to first impression.
» Avoid redundant statements or including too much details about specific classes you have taken.
» In some cases, the institute itself would provide clues about what it expects, by asking specific questions. If so, you need to make sure that your answers are to the point.
» Keeping your letter short and precise is of utmost importance; unnecessary flattery is not going to take you anywhere.
» It’s important to be honest, not just with the particulars, but also with the reason(s) you provide. If you are shortlisted and they decide to run a crosscheck, you might end up getting caught for fabrication, and that may result in a blot on your career.
The whole motive of an intent letter is to convince the authorities that you are really passionate about pursuing your studies in the said institute, without going overboard and trying to portray something that is not true.
| Sender’s Address
Date: January 21, 2013 Recipient’s Name Dear Sir/Madam: I am writing to you to express my interest to take up graduate studies in your department. I have been aspiring to pursue a Master’s degree in Health Informatics at your esteemed university. I have a rich four-year working experience in the health science/pharmaceutical field, and I have soaked myself in measureless perception in the pharmaceutical area over the years. I believe that pursuing the said course in your university will enhance my earlier skills and help me add to my experience. I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Microbiology in 2009 and since then, have been working at MediCrux, an online drug tracking and clinical analysis database, in various positions. Over the last 2 years, I have been working as a team leader at the firm, and managing a team has helped me enhance my communication skills and master time management. My presentations and ability to deliver my points across the table have been praised by the management and my colleagues alike. My experience in totality has been extremely enriching and rewarding as I have put in a great deal of efforts in all my endeavors. Sincerity and hard work were the virtues that were inculcated in my character since the beginning, and as a result I never shied away from challenges. Learning on my own and sharing my knowledge with others has been most worthwhile, which I believe will work towards my advantage in the future. I wish to pursue further education as I believe that learning should be a continuous process. I also believe that my personal qualities and the skills that I have acquired will surely aid me in fulfilling your requirements and hopefully increase my chances of securing a place in your institution. To conclude, I look to pursue a Master’s degree in order refine my knowledge and skills in my areas of interest, and graduate study at your university will be the most rational expansion of my academic pursuits and a major footstep towards attaining my goal of a career as a research professional at an acclaimed organization. I would be thankful if I am bestowed with an opportunity to pursue my study in your institute, and am able to validate your faith in me. Sincerely, |
Before you send the letter, you should make sure that it’s free of any grammatical or factual errors. For this, you can either proofread the letter yourself, or to be on the safer side, consult the guidance counselor from your current institute and make the necessary changes.
As with any important document, it is wise to create a copy of your letter of intent and keep it with yourself. In the worst-case scenario, if something goes wrong you should not have any difficulty in resending it at the earliest. You need to treat this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and give it your best shot. Some efforts at this point of time will not just ensure you a seat in a prominent graduate school, but will also guarantee you a bright future.
