What is a motivation letter or Statement of Purpose? Letter of Motivation (SOP) which stands for Statement of Purpose is one of the documents required for applying and registering for scholarships that most universities request from the applicant. The purpose of this letter is to know more about you and your desire to get accepted and continue studying at that university. The stronger a letter of motivation is, the more effective it is in attracting the professor’s opinion in accepting a candidate or awarding a scholarship.
that each person’s motivation letter should be different from other people’s, so using pre-prepared samples is to your detriment.
The most important points of motivation letter
1) Distinctive and specific writing is a very important point that makes the professor pay more attention to you for admission. To avoid repetitive writing, it is better to mention the names of influential characters in your life, the companies you have worked in, and your favorite and influential professors in your writing.
2) Pay attention to avoid telling stories and having a separate tone because the professors definitely don’t have time to read your life story and one-by-one stages of your life. It is better to tell your interests and motivations to continue studying in the relevant field. For example, while these letters should be very, very personal and reflect you, your personality, thoughts, and goals, this does not mean that you should tell your life story in it.
3) Keep in mind that the motivation letter is more about your future and motivation than anything else. Your past definitely affects your future and motivations, but in general, the future is more important in this letter, for this reason, try to balance the amount you devote to expressing past and future issues.
motivation letter named:
- Statement of Purpose
- Letter of Intent
- Autobiographical Statement
It is also known that it is one of your most important documents in the process of applying for further studies. This article contains 5 parts of information:
What field do you want to study and what field do you focus on?
- Why did you choose this field?
- What is your background in this field?
- Why did you choose this particular university?
- What are your plans after graduation?
These 5 items give a comprehensive introduction about you to the admissions committee. With this knowledge, this board is able to recognize that you are seriously interested in this field and have acquired the appropriate experience in this field. It also measures your compatibility with the relevant university.
Below are some examples of another international document you must have for your migration journey
- Research Proposal for Scholarship or Grant Applications
- How to Write a Resume for Scholarship Application
- What is a letter of recommendation?
- What is a motivation letter or Statement of Purpose?
How to summarize this text?
Including only these 5 points is too small. to be accepted; You should make your motivation letter unique. Many applicants for continuing education talk about the topics of the study course, their goals, and reasons for their choice so that they have answered the main questions.
In order to make your motivation letter stand out from others, it is not a bad idea to start your work by expressing an idea or a story related to your field to show off your intelligence. This is a simple topic and allows you to write about something related to you that will benefit you. The idea you talk about and the explanations you give often tell the admissions board more than just introducing yourself.
musts:
- Demonstrate your ability to obtain a master’s degree or even a doctorate.
- Clearly state the reason for choosing the university.
- Be sure to get help from another person to proofread the text you have prepared.
Don’ts:
- Do not bring material that is not important for the admissions committee.
- Do not express your extraneous words or unrelated activities.
- Do not use a letter of motivation for several universities.
Structure:
The first paragraph of the motivation letter, which is one or two sentences, should show the purpose of your writing; Provide a background and brief about you and explain your scientific interests and future goals regarding graduate studies.
The second paragraph of the letter of motivation describes your educational background for the admission board. This paragraph shows your preparation for this course and course, and if you have been a strong student during your previous studies, it will attract the attention of the board. If you have had many ups and downs during your undergraduate course, you can draw the board’s attention to your growth, the difference between the average at the beginning and the end of the study period, and other issues.
If you got a good grade in an exam that is important for the master’s course, mention it. Remember that the admissions office is looking to ensure that you will be a successful student. If you have had relevant experiences, quote them here. Some disciplines, such as applied sociology or resource development, look for evidence that you can put your academic background into practice.
In short, this paragraph should ensure that you have matured in your undergraduate years your professional and intellectual interests have been formed and you have started to grow continuously in line with your expertise.
The third paragraph is a description of your professional goals. Although this letter provides a summary of your goals and background, it can also be a confirmation of your eligibility to be accepted into a particular field of study. The logic behind this is as follows: I know what I am interested in, I know what issues I should be involved in as a profession, and I believe that the most logical way to succeed in my career is to obtain a master’s degree or a doctorate in this field.
This paragraph expresses your knowledge in the field of professional duties and what this education includes for you. Usually, people who are looking for graduate education are looking for 4 job fields: teaching, public services, private industries, and self-employment. Although you do not need to prove your competence in a job field, you can explain your reasons for obtaining a degree with this article.
Such a cover letter shows that you are goal-oriented and can define what you want and create the means to achieve it. This paragraph, together with the previous paragraph, guarantees the admission board that you are a targeted student.
The fourth paragraph, which describes your interest in furthering your studies, should make your statement more focused. Now that you’ve defined your interests, background, and career goals, you should consider that the best way to bridge the gap between your undergraduate years and your success in your career is to study a specific field that You have requested to continue studying in it.
Be as specific as you can. Be aware of the course units of this field; Get to know the faculty members and their research fields and be aware of the importance of the course and its strengths and weaknesses. Bachelor’s degrees can help you a lot in this field. If you are stating your reasons for choosing a particular major, relate your interests to what is in the program.
Therefore, this clause has two final points; You place this field of study continuously with your professional development and show that you have made this choice for a specific and purposeful reason.
Your motivation letter should end with a brief summary of your background and goals in just one or two sentences. This proves your preparation and confidence in choosing your field of study.
What is a motivation letter or Statement of Purpose? – Video
Features of an effective motivation letter
The motivation letter is perhaps the most difficult thing you will write to get accepted into graduate school. It’s safe to assume that almost all graduate school applicants will get it wrong when they start writing their first draft for this job. Everything you’ve learned about writing and introducing yourself will come in handy here. For example, this is the beginning of a draft:
“I am applying for a course in Fine Arts at the University of Okoboji because my writing will improve during your course because this is where I am challenged and can hone my writing skills.”
How is? It is obvious that this writing is clear, clear, and relevant to the field of study. Is that so? no! Is wrong.
The admission board knows that you have applied to continue studying in this field because all applicants have done the same. It also knows that your writing skills will shine because in their opinion this is a strong field. They also know that you will be challenged in this course and every student will develop their writing skills.
In fact, this is not only obvious in the first paragraph, but it can also be very boring. Imagine who will read your text and where they will do it. 5 professors in a closed room with about 500 students applying for further studies. Do you think this opening will catch their attention? You judge. Will they remember this applicant in the future?
– You need a clip to summarize your writing.
One of the students applying to continue studying in the field of library science had a very good clip. I don’t remember his exact words, but the opening paragraph of his writing was something like this:
“When I was 11 years old, my great aunt passed away and gave me something that changed my life: a library of about 500 books that I spent the best days of my life sorting and reading. From then on, I always wanted to be a librarian.”
Very well, this is clear, explicit, and more importantly, it contains this message for the admission board that the student has spent a lifetime not only looking for books but also looking for their maintenance. When the boards are discussing applicants, don’t you think they think of the girl who carefully maintained her personal library? Of course, they do this because having a personal library like this was a dream for all of them when they were 11 years old.
Suppose that the student wrote his opening paragraph like this:
“I am proud to be applying for a degree in Library Science at the University of Okoboji because I have been dealing with books for as long as I can remember. “I wanted to be a librarian since I was 11 years old.”
This article had the same volume as the previous article, but do you think the admissions committee will remember this applicant in the future? Perhaps more than half of the applicants start their writing in this way.
All of us have had an experience similar to this student that has led us to our current field of study. I talked to several students about this. Someone said that he wanted to continue his education in speech therapy, and when I asked him why, he said that he once participated in one of its sessions and enjoyed it very much. Then I asked him if he had a personal reason to spend his life doing this.
At first he said no, but later he said that his brother has speech problems. This showed that he unconsciously entered this field because of his personal issues. But it was like this and this student also had his own grip. Be thorough and explain exactly why you are interested in this field.
Now let’s go back to the scene of professors surrounded by applicants’ writings. Do you know who they are? What do they want and what interests do they have? of course not. On the other hand, do they know you? Obviously not. But the motivation letter gives you the chance to introduce yourself to them. A motivation letter can show you as a person who is different from other applicants.
This is one way to do it. I used to know a master’s student who told me that he wrote a three-sentence motivation letter and went to Stanford!
“I want to teach English at the university level and for this, I need a doctorate. That’s why I am applying to continue studying in this field.”
It was the whole article which was not more than 45 words. These few sentences showed the student as a risk taker, frank, and thoughtful. If you want to show your mood like this, do it. But remember that the above student used an all-or-nothing approach. Surely, some people in the faculty found this article disgusting and disrespectful and they didn’t want this person to enter their university. On the other hand, he may not have wanted to go to that university.
Use vivid language. Be dynamic and speak specifically.
Remember that the motivation letter should identify you:
1- Very interested in the field
2- Smart
3- Highly prepared in terms of personality and science
4- Ready to engage in education
5- Able to establish communication with professors
6- Able to finish studies on time and
7- A person with the ability to shine in the course of education and future work to show
If you have had a problematic academic record, mention it so that the admission board trusts you. For example, say you got all C’s in one semester. In a short paragraph, explain that you had emotional problems in that semester, which caused you to fall academically in that semester, but overall your average is high. If you do it right, the admissions board will get a good picture of you as someone who takes on challenges and completes his studies on time.
In the end, I present a checklist that can form the overall structure of your motivation letter:
[ ] A clip that guides your content and explains your interest in the field and the reason for it.
[ ] Refer to academic record in this field
[ ] Description of academic history in this field
[ ] Naming and explaining the classes you have taken.
[ ] Mention the professors you have worked with, especially if they have names.
[ ] Your extracurricular activities in this field
[ ] Publication of articles and books or other works in this field
[ ] Explanation about the problems that arose during the study, if needed
[ ] Explanation of the reason for choosing this special university
[ ] Name one or two professors of the destination university and mention what you know about them.
[ ] Aspects of the desired field that attract your attention.
[ ] Consulting previous professors regarding writing approach and writing technique
[ ] Proofreading and editing, asking friends to proofread and edit
