How to make sure your study applications does not end up in the trash can?

Admissions to foreign universities are a hard nut to crack, and not many are up to this task. I am not trying to dishearten or dissuade you. In fact, my intentions are completely the opposite. Students need help to secure an admission in a foreign university of their dreams. And the application process is not the only thing you need to be prepared for and be diligent about.?

To make sure you have a seamless experience through the application process and other formalities towards getting an admission in a foreign university, I would suggest you take care of a few things, the most important of them being to make sure you have a solid application that no one can reject. Now in order to know how to do that, we will have to know why most student applications to foreign universities get rejected.

The reason most often cited for application rejections is that the application was not found suitable or the applicant’s credentials were not found compatible with the course design and curriculum. What does this mean? You must have researched a lot and looked around the universities worldwide to find the course and the university most suited to what your expectations and your qualifications are, then why does the university tell you that your application is not “suitable” or “compatible”??

There is a very simple answer to this- it is that the applicant was not able to express his or her motivations and objectives clearly enough in their application. And this is one of the things that the university looks for in an applicant- their ability to express themselves and the ability to set out clearly what they expect to do if granted an admission to the university. This also entails justifications for your admission- including information on how your qualifications and experiences equip you and would help you with becoming a successful student at the university.

Therefore, one of the most important components of a successful student application is a cover letter- a document stating information about your academic and professional background. It may also include information on your purpose of contacting an organisation, whether for admission to a study course, or applying for a research position, a scholarship, a fellowship or even a job. A good cover letter will put forth your personality clearly- such as who you are, what you have done in your career as a student or professional, and what you intend to do with your future. Although it should not be typically very lengthy, it will also explain to the university your case for applying to them, and how your selection would benefit them.?

Writing a good cover letter is therefore essential in making sure that your application is not rejected, because a badly written one will end straight in the trash can, along with your application and your dreams of studying in a foreign university. And although not the only reason for selection, a well written cover letter does help in impressing and convincing the selection committees at foreign universities about your credentials.?

While writing cover letters, you should therefore keep in mind a few things. It is also a good idea to brainstorm before you start writing. It helps you to gather your thoughts and makes writing the letter easier. And like I said in the beginning, I am here to help you with that. Read on-

1. Keep it crisp

You read it. Keep the cover letter crisp, and short, like a good hot steaming bowl of french fries. Cover letter are typically one page, say around 600 words. But the length would also depend on the requirements of the university. Some universities ask you to write short cover letters, while some, and especially for positions such as doctoral positions and those for fellowships, ask you to write more detailed ones. Whatever the length, what is important is that you keep it tightly woven and cram in as much useful information about yourself in it as you can. Do not use glorifying sentences that serve no purpose in the document, and avoid hyperbole at all costs.?

2. Keep it honest

Be honest about yourself- that is the clearest and the simplest way of describing yourself to the university.? Like I said before, avoid useless information and hyperbole because all it does is make you seem arrogant and overconfident. You can and should write about your strengths, but write them properly and in good taste, not by degrading others. Keep in mind that a cover letter is a supplemental document, and it is not your resume. So you should not be repetitive.

3. Keep it about yourself

State your record and include details about your background including personal history, childhood, education. Do not just simply list your grades, your certificates and your academic records. Of course you should include all that, but do also try to make this section interesting by putting in small anecdotes or connecting sentences that state your interest and traits about your personality. Once again, these should also be relevant to your academic and professional records and not just ramblings that the university would find irrelevant.

4. Keep your confidence

Write a little about where you stand right now, what encouraged you to take this direction, the experiences that shaped your plans and where you want to see yourself in the future. Put in a few sentences about why you are applying to that particular university or college, why you are choosing the particular course and what the ultimate purpose of those plans is. Do all that with a dash of confidence. This part is important as it will explain to the university why you are applying and how your selection will prove beneficial to both you as a student, as well as to the university as a nurturing institution.

5. Keep your records

Provide details about where else you have been, and how your training and your selection benefit the community that you come from as well as the community that you will be joining for the duration of the studies. Many among the university authorities who are in charge of admissions and who check the documents are short on time because they have to read so many of them during the day. So sometimes what happens is that they skip straight to this part of the document. Therefore, it is important that you write this carefully and as passionately as possible. Although you should also try not to sound desperate.?

6. Make a promise?

Make a promise to yourself, that you will work hard and will give your best. You do not have to put this part in the letter, but you can put in another promise in there. You can promise the university a great student if they choose you. It is here that you call the university to take action, to have faith in your, like you have in yourself, and award you with the admission. This part should not sound condescending, and you should not sound like you are ordering them to give you the admission. But you should also sound confident and make the reader understand that you trust yourself, and would like the organisation to put their trust in you as well.

Cover letters, like other components of your application are important documents. You must therefore write them with care and caution, and then rewrite them until you feel it is in the best possible form. It is best that you will have to give every step of the way if you are to succeed in securing an admission in a top class university.