Board of European Students of Technology

The motivation letter is the most important step of the application. It is the foundation for the acceptance.

There’s no are perfect templates or instructions on how to write your motivation letter because everyone is unique, and this should be reflected in this letter! However, there are some general tips and hints that might be useful, and might help you in getting accepted more easily!

First of all – when writing a motivation letter, keep in mind that it is going to be read by students, just like you. They get many applications from which they have to choose – and the only tool they have to choose is the student’s motivation letters. It might be that the organisers have to read a few hundred motivation letters, so to attract their attention, try to be creative and funny. Do not write a formal letter, do not start it with “Dear Madam or Sir”, and importantly, do not make it look like a CV – do not state all the schools you visited, all the jobs you did during your life, etc.. Write an interesting letter in prose style!

Write something you would like to read!

The motivation letter should depict:

• Something about yourself
• Why you want to go abroad
• Why you are interested especially in the course

Something about yourself

You should write something about yourself:

• studies
• life
• hobbies
• sport
• languages you can speak

BEST courses are always a lot of fun, so the organisers should know that you are a funny person! Don’t be shy to be different!

It is important for the organisers to have internationally minded, open persons – the course does not consist only of the academic program! It’s also about socialising and meeting new friends. Be funny and relaxed, but be careful with jokes (political…). Let them know that you are an open and sociable person, not afraid of meeting new people.

Thus think of something funny about you, the topic or something completly different, that is connected to you!

One aim of the course is that you gain knowledge about a certain topic. Thus you should include in your letter:

• why are you interested in this topic
• what previous knowledge do you have about this topic
• how can you apply the knowlege you are going to learn

The letter need not to be longer than the text box you can see, it does not need to be formal – you are writing to students just like yourself. Try to be creative than these students often have to read hundreds of motivation letters. On of course the letter has to be written in English.