Getting a scholarship these days has become highly competitive. This is due to the massive number of applicants from around the world if it is an international scholarship.
Notwithstanding, some factors are responsible for successful applicants gaining the scholarship. Having met the scholarship requirement and all, the most important determinant of your application being considered or not is motivational letters.
Most aspiring undergraduate or postgraduate students when applying for scholarships pay little or no attention to their letter of motivation while some do not know how to write a good motivation letter and in most cases, this results in the rejection of their applications.
Worry no more, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we will be exposing you to what a motivation letter really is, its primary purpose, how to write an outstanding and easy-to-understand motivation letter that will get you that scholarship you desire, and many other things.
What is a Motivation Letter?
A motivation letter is a one-page letter document that which an applicant is required to give reasons why him/she should be considered for a scholarship or job than other candidates. The main purpose of the letter is to give a detailed explanation to the concerned authorities on why they should choose you for the scholarship and how you intend to utilize the education you will receive.
Motivational letters are also referred to as a statement of purpose. It is mostly requested from candidates applying for scholarships as a prerequisite document that will aid the selection of successful candidates. In addition, the motivation letter will determine if to accept or reject your application.
Why Write a Scholarship Letter of the motivation
- Explains why you should receive the scholarship
- It gives insight into your aspirations and goals if granted the scholarship
- It tells how you can affect your community if you are a beneficiary of the scholarship
Motivation Letter Example
How to Write the Best Motivation Letter for a Scholarship
Many have often seen writing a motivational letter to be difficult and challenging and even pay people to help them draft one when asked to write one. On the contrary, writing a motivation letter or statement of purpose is very simple. The motivational letter is more like your cover letter that is for convincing the person that will be reading it to send you an offer letter.
Below is a guide that will aid in writing the best motivation statement.
#1. Create an Outline
Before commencing anything you must first plan. This principle also applies to writing a motivation letter. You should write out every point that you would be talking about in the actual motivation letter. Most importantly, endeavor to arrange the points properly so as to enable the person that will be reading it to enjoy doing so.
To be more specific, your points can address some of these topics:
- Reason for your interest in the scholarship
- The qualities and skills you have will be of benefit to the school you are applying for.
- Above all, why they should grant you the scholarship as a beneficiary
Note that your outline can address more topics, it is not mandatory that it addresses only the topics listed above only. Additionally, while making your outline, plan how you would write the body of the letter of motivation.
#2. Make an introductory Paragraph and the body of the letter
The next thing to do is to expand the points earlier noted in your outline to form the introduction and body of the letter of motivation. Do well to make a catchy and simple introduction about yourself before moving ahead to the body of the letter.
Construct your point in the body of the letter so that each point will have its own paragraph. Have in mind that the actual purpose of the motivation letter is to inform your recipient of the value and skills you possess hence, use more persuasive words.
#3. Conclude Your Letter of Motivation
Write a detailed and summarized conclusion of your motivation statement that leaves a good impression on you. In your conclusion, include a paragraph appreciating the recipient for taking your application into consideration and reaching out to you for any clarifications needed.
#4. Go Through The Whole Letter
Having completed the letter, you should ensure your letter is free from grammatical errors, wrong spelling, or any other human error. This is why you should read the whole letter again after writing and preferably some days after writing. This is because by then, you would have a clearer mind and be more efficient in detecting errors easily.
Effective Tips For Writing Motivational Letters
a. Follow the specified guidelines
Most scholarship board already has a standard of how they want your motivational letter to appear which they would communicate to you. Information such as font size, type of font, number of words, and a few others. However, in the case of no information being provided, it is advisable you use a font size 12 and font type Arial or Times New Roman. Also, ensure the words ranges between 500-1000 words.
b. Write as You Would Speak
As you already know, other applicants for the scholarship will also write their letter of motivation so you must ensure yours is unique. When writing envisions you talking to the recipient alone in a room. This will help you better express yourself naturally like you would in person. Add interesting information that would make your later special from others.
c. Pay More Attention to Your Strength.
Remember to write more or tell the recipient more about your values in order to help the recipient understand better your value to the school. Notwithstanding, you can talk about some of your limitations or challenges however make it minimal and add more focus on your strength. Doing this will give you an edge over other applicants for the scholarship.
d. Use Clear and concise words
The main purpose of motivation letters is to convince, hence you should be mindful of your choice of words. Use words that are easy to read and understand so the recipient can really get the message you are trying to pass. In as much as you want to flex your lingual prowess, resolve to use active and short sentences. This is one of the things to look out for while going through the motivation letter.
Motivation Letter Format
To: [organization/school name/ recipient]
My name is [your name] and I am a [position/qualification/area of study]. I am writing to apply for a [scholarship/volunteer opportunity/place] at [name of organization].
I would love to [study/volunteer] with you because [reasons for wanting to study course or volunteer]. I am especially interested in your [school/non-profit organization] because [reasons for choosing a particular organization].
I am convinced I would be an asset to your organization because I am [list of positive qualities]. I am also skilled in [list of positive skills] which I garnered and developed through [experiences or courses that taught you skills].
In conclusion, I hope to get the opportunity to [study/volunteer] with you at [name of organization]. Thank you for taking the time to review my application. Please contact me at [preferred contact details] if you have any questions for me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Conclusion
A motivation letter for a University scholarship is no doubt a major determinant for gaining the scholarship. This is why it is very necessary to follow the motivation letter sample stated above when drafting yours and ensure you look out for other samples as well.
LEARN ALSO How to Write Financial Aid Appeal Letter
Scholarship motivation letter- FAQs
What are motivational letters?
Motivational letters are referred to as documents that describe in detail why you are the best fit for the opportunity.
How do i structure a motivation letter for scholarship application?
Ensure your letter consists of an introductory paragraph, the body, and lastly the conclusion.
What is a motivation letter sample
A motivation letter sample is a guideline to help you have an idea of how to write your motivation letter.
Are motivational letters for scholarships alone?
No, People also write motivation letters for work especially voluntary jobs that are not profit-oriented.
References
- Indeed– How to write a motivation letter
- Scholarshipowl– How to write a scholarship motivation letter
- Worldscholarshipforum– Killer examples of scholarship motivation letter
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