№1 What should I write about? I don’t have any work experience or striking achievements, and I haven’t studied or interned abroad.
The basic principle of Motivation Letter - show yourself as an interesting, developing personality with a focus on new knowledge.
The fact that there is no work experience at school age is acceptable. You can tell about other areas of your life, where the result is positive and weighty.
What about sports? School social life? Drama club? Practice in a school lab? Maybe, you have led a school newspaper or published articles in a columnist on school subjects? But what about essays on the topic (insert the subject yourself), which blew up the class? Yes, not only in class, it was discussed throughout the school.
Perhaps, you took part in a Talent Show in a summer camp, and won a prize?
Something that definitely sets you apart from your peers.
Now much essential! Not just to describe your experience and achievements, but to emphasize what such an experience or achievement taught you, and even if the result is not outstanding, you need to outline the conclusion it brought you to anyway. And, the way this very experience and own conclusions relate to the program you are applying for?
No. 2 Can I lie? Easier to decorate than to suck from a finger!
Mmmm, NO! The recipient of motivation letters has vast experience in such matters. Very sharp eye-sight! The admission committee reads such letters in the numbers equal to thousands, and they can easily distinguish the linden from the truth.
Most facts are verified literally in three Internet searches.
And do not forget about the stage of a personal interview. With 100% probability they will ask additional clarifying questions to verify the stated facts.
Remember the series where the hero of Tim Roth - an expert in lies - could detect any lie. The thing is he knew what to look at, and he cracked a lot of liars. The situation is the same here. Any agitation (and at the interview it is natural) provokes additional questions.
If you opt for lying, get ready not only to remember it all to the last, but also to invent details for the legend. Again, when the liar refers to the imagination, and not to the memory, it is very noticeable.
You can decorate a little, but in small doses!
No. 3 Write me a motivation letter?
My usual reaction: "Do you want me to recommend you to a university?" I can, and this is not a motivation letter, but a recommendation. Or do you want me to write a letter FOR YOU?
NO! Rather, not exactly NO.
I propose two tablets like in the Matrix :) 1. Together we sketch the plan, and you write the letter yourself.
2) You write, and then together we analyze, correct and polish.
You choose. I do not propose the third option.
All of my colleagues and I at Red Arrow Studio work on the principle of a “sea node” with the client and his tasks.
When preparing students for exams, we all mean assisting in various issues with a focus on the ultimate task, because we take responsibility. Motivation letter is one of those.
Be sure when preparing for exams with us, you will not be left face to face with writing a Motivation Letter.
Of course, many these-and-those should be taken into account in such letters. In fact, you are selling yourself. This is not only a presentation and motivation, but also work with objections, sticking out the right one, and smoothing out the unnecessary, substantiating the choice and looking into the future.
But this is the topic of the next article. To be continued....
Author: Elena Kupriyanova
Academic Director at Red Arrow Studio
