When you writing a letter of intent for grad school, your only goal is to be accepted. This is you one chance to impress the board and get your foot in the door. That is a lot of pressure. If you find yourself at this stage right now, there are a few things to remember. You have to allow yourself enough time to get it right and you have to invest some hard work. It seems like a task one can do within an hour, but you might want to consider some key-factors.

1.    Story telling

Everyone likes a good story and you can use this to your advantage. Let the board know about your journey to being here. By the time you get to grad school, you have a few years of hard work behind you. This information is important and can be the reason why you are accepted.

2.    Understand the program

Know exactly what you are applying for and mention a few points of the program in your letter of intent. It does not have to overshadow the entire letter, but just let them know you have thought this through. You also want to acknowledge how this ties in with your life and career goals.

3.    Your goals

Continuing form the previous point, be clear about what your goals are. When this is directly aligned with your purpose of doing this program, you become convincing. Always keep in mind that you are trying to convince random people that you are a good candidate for their school.

4.    Extra-curricular activities

You are more than just your grade scores. If you are writing a sop accounting, what else do you do besides scoring in class? Being a well-balanced student and candidate is about having a balanced life. Also, giving back to the community always looks good on a letter of intent.

5.    Attention grabbing

If you want the board to read through your entire letter of intent, don’t write generically. Grab their attention from the get go. This is the only way you are going to impress anyone. It takes a bit longer to writ attention grabbing content, but it is possible.

6.    Be specific

Everything you write in this letter should provide specific information. If you had to include a gmat waiver letter let it be known. They need to know where you are at this stage and how probably it is for you to attend this program. Don’t leave any surprises for when you start the program.

7.    Employment or research

After you complete your studies, would you like to find employment or be part of a research team? This is important information. You can change the industry if you join in research, but you have to be honest about your intentions.

Final Advice on Writing a Winning Letter of Intent

This is your opportunity to shine. You can write a winning letter of intent and you can be accepted into this grad program. Start by believing that you have done enough. All of the hard work you did up until this point is not in vain. This all contributes to your success with this application. Also note, this is not the only way to success. If you aren’t successful this time around, it does not determine your worth. Keep pushing forward and you will win.