Applying for a scholarship might be giving you hard times – there are so many things you need to address and take care of. One of such tasks that you need to complete is to create a scholarship motivation letter as it is a part of your application. If you struggle with writing one of yours, this article will give you some great tips that will ease things up a bit.
Know Your Reader
It’s always a great strategy to know as much as possible about who will be reading your letter, what their values are, and what they are looking for in the letters like yours. For example, you might check the website of the learning institution (or a scholarship provider) to look for their mission, values, the vision of a perfect candidate. Once you find what you are looking for, you will better understand what qualities of yours you should focus on. For example, some institutions are very focused on teamwork; others value students’ personalities; one might search for great athletes, while others might prefer a socially responsible and proactive student. The info on the website will be the first hint for you on what you should put into your letter.
Get to the Point
It’s better to use more facts and reasons rather than pretty but pointless words. You might be expressive if you would like to, but remember that your letter is not just a piece of creative writing. It should have a point, provide evidence to support your words, and (what’s the most important) it should fulfill its aim – to convince the committee members that you are a great student with noticeable achievements. Your motivation and your goals are the key elements of the letter. Everything else is just a frame for them. So, don’t waste your time searching for fancy words that might impress the committee members.
Remember About the Structure
When structuring your letter, be sure to stick to a common form that consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Yes, this essay structure is also applied to the letter like this, but it differs slightly. For example, the introduction part should provide the basic information about you, such as your name, your education, etc. While the concluding part should highlight your objectives and goals and sum up the whole piece into answering the question, “Why should they pick you?”
Take Your Time
A piece like this requires some time to create a draft and then polish it. Be sure to start your letter as early as possible rather than writing it the night before the deadline. Take your time to proofread your letter a few times, edit it and make sure there are no grammar or punctuation mistakes that might ruin the whole piece. Sometimes, you might need some help from professionals – don’t be shy to turn to our team if you need us to create a letter for you or to edit it according to the standards.
Don’t Just Say – Prove
A motivation letter is not a piece that begs, nor a piece that brags. You need to understand that there is a classy way to introduce yourself and your achievements to the committee members. What they want to see in your letter is some proves of your words. Show them what you mean when you talk about your goals or qualities by using examples and proves. Being specific won’t hurt, though you don’t want to put too much of it into your letter. For example, it’s not enough to say that this scholarship will allow you to fulfill your professional goals. It’s much better to specify a few goals of yours, like opening your own school, creating a club, starting research, or developing an existing program, etc. Being specific sometimes can be really convincing.
Wrapping Up
There are various types of scholarships that you might need to apply to. All of them require a different approach, so what you really need when you work on your motivation letter is time and significant research on what your letter should be about and who the reader is. These are the basics that you should always consider when writing a piece like that.