Getting accepted to graduate school is no easy feat. Admissions committees review hundreds, even thousands, of applicants for limited program spots. So how do you make your application stand out? An excellent letter of intent.
The letter of intent highlights your passions, skills, and purpose so admissions committees can quickly see your fit for their program Crafting a compelling, memorable letter is crucial to show why you’re an ideal candidate and should be chosen
Follow this comprehensive guide to learn how to write a letter of intent that gets you accepted into your dream graduate program.
What is a Graduate School Letter of Intent?
A letter of intent sometimes called a statement of purpose, introduces who you are and why you’re applying to a particular graduate program. It complements other application components like transcripts, test scores, and resumes by bringing your background to life on a personal level.
The letter of intent serves multiple purposes:
- Demonstrates your motivation – Explains why you’re passionate about this field of study
- Highlights unique qualities and strengths – Skills, experiences, and personality traits that make you stand out
- Explains academic journey – Details how experiences led to this field/program
- Establishes goals – States your career and educational objectives
- Conveys writing abilities – Written skills and style as a sample of work
With the right approach, your letter convinces admissions committees you have what it takes to excel in their program.
How to Format Your Graduate School Letter of Intent
Before writing, consider how to structure your document:
- 1-2 pages – Concise and scannable for admissions officers
- 12 pt standard font – Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.
- 1″ margins on all sides – Formatted neatly and evenly
- Single or 1.15 spaced – Enough white space to read easily
- School name and program in header – E.g. Letter of Intent for ABC University Psychology PhD Program
- Your contact info in footer – Name, phone, email and date
Follow any precise formatting requirements provided in the application. Neat, organized documents convey care for details.
What to Include in Your Graduate School Letter of Intent
Craft a compelling narrative that checks these boxes:
- Grabs attention with a relevant anecdote, statistic, or question
- States the graduate program you’re applying for
- Provides brief background on your current education and work
2. Academic interests and goals
- Discusses what intrigues you about this field of study
- Explains the specific issues or topics you want to explore through research
- Aligns interests and goals with the program’s strengths and specializations
3. Relevant experiences
- Describes previous academics, activities, internships, jobs, or volunteering in the field
- Emphasizes transferable skills gained through these experiences
- Makes explicit connections between the experience and the program/discipline
4. Unique strengths & qualifications
- Highlights specific hard and soft skills that make you a strong applicant
- Provides examples of skills demonstrated through an experience or achievement
- Explains why these strengths make you well-suited for the program
5. Purpose of pursuing this graduate program
- States what motivated your interest in advanced study of this field
- Discusses how the program aligns with your educational and career goals
- Identifies specific things you hope to learn in the program
- Names faculty members you hope to work with and why
6. Plans to contribute to the academic community
- Mentions previous leadership activities and collaborations
- Discusses your involvement in professional associations or societies
- Describes ideas for contributing to research or onboarding new students
Letter of Intent Writing Tips
Follow these best practices in writing your letter:
- Be authentic – Admissions can detect disingenuous language
- Avoid cliches – “I have always been passionate about…”
- Focus on academics – Limit personal background to 1-2 sentences
- Explain gaps – Address any resume gaps clearly and positively
- Use active voice – “I analyzed data” not “Data was analyzed by me”
- Vary sentence structure – Avoid starting every sentence the same way
- Check for flow – Use transitions between ideas and paragraphs
- Be precise – Back claims with examples and specifics
- Proofread thoroughly – Check for typos, grammar issues, missing words
Mistakes to Avoid in Your Letter of Intent
Steer clear of these common pitfalls:
- Overusing “I” statements
- Making unsupported claims about skills
- Focusing too much on personal background
- Repeating verbatim information from resume or transcripts
- Going significantly over page limits
- Submitting the exact same letter to multiple programs
- Having typos and writing errors
- Using pretentious language to sound intellectual
- Waiting until the last minute to write the letter
Avoid platitudes, cliches, and gimmicks at all costs. Admissions committees see right through them.
How to Customize Your Letter for Each Program
Generic letters sent en masse get ignored. Make sure to:
- Research each program – Tailor content to its focus and strengths
- Name specific faculty – Match your interests with professors’ work and specialties
- Reference contributors – Note alumni or collaborators you want to work with
- Cite recent news – Ground your letter in current events of that department
- Highlights campus resources – Labs, facilities and other assets you hope to utilize
Customizing shows sincere interest and commitment to the program.
Who to Ask for Letter of Intent Feedback
Get valuable input by having others review drafts:
- Academic advisors – Provide guidance based on their admissions expertise
- Professors – Assess content relevance from an instructor perspective
- Peers in field – Offer peer feedback on compelling focus and messaging
- Campus writing center – Evaluate grammar, style, flow, and tone objectively
- Friends and family – Assess clarity and readability from a general audience
Use feedback to refine your letter before submitting the final version.
When to Submit Your Graduate School Letter of Intent
Admiralty deadlines are firm so make sure to:
- Note exact due date – Verify deadline for online submissions if any
- Plan drafts and revisions – Allow time for writing multiple drafts
- Request recommendation letters early – Give your references at least 3 weeks notice
- Follow up confirmations – Check status of received transcript or test score submissions
- Complete entire application – Submit letter and all components together before deadline
Rushing at the last minute results in mistakes and weaker letters. Give yourself ample time.
Following these tips will produce a compelling letter that makes you stand out for all the right reasons. Avoid sounding presumptuous, boastful or melodramatic. Your passion for the field and potential contributions should shine through naturally.
With a polished, professional letter of intent tailored to each program, you put your best foot forward to admissions committees. You convey genuine drive, ability and purpose that shows you have the right stuff to take your education to the next level.
Letter of Intent Examples
Use these excerpts from sample graduate school letters of intent as inspiration:
“As an undergraduate computer science student at ABC College, I was thrilled to assist Dr. Jones with compiling and analyzing data for his latest cryptography research study. This experience affirmed my passion for designing and developing data security solutions. Your Master’s in Cybersecurity program would provide the ideal environment to further explore…”
“My extensive volunteer work leading social justice campaigns sparked my interest in a career empowering marginalized groups through clinical psychology. The 3 years I spent coordinating educational events for at-risk youth showed me how trauma affects development, resilience and identity formation. I hope to conduct research preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences under Dr. Chen through your Developmental Psychology PhD program.”
“During my internships at two Boston-area HR firms, I discovered my talent for boosting employee engagement through startup culture initiatives. After spearheading a workplace diversity audit at XYZ Company, I realized I wanted to drive positive organizational change full-time. The Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at your school would build the ideal skills to make measurable workforce impacts through evidence-based interventions.”
Let these samples provide ideas without copying exact content. Use your own voice, experiences and program specifics to craft a compelling narrative that gets you one step closer to advanced studies in your desired field.
Be specific on the program application
I am applying to your master’s program in elementary education for the Fall 2021 semester. After earning my undergraduate degree program in elementary education from Teachers University, I worked for seven years as a fourth grade teacher at ABC Elementary School in Anytown, Idaho.
Sample Letter of Intent for Graduate School:
If you’ve ever written a business cover letter, the following information might seem a little familiar. That’s because the mechanics of writing a letter of interest are quite similar. In essence, a formal letter is comprised of a header, a salutation, the body, and the closing. Each of these needs to be present in your letter of intent and typically confined to a single printed page. Length requirements may vary, though, so make sure you’re familiar with the application requirements when you write.
- The header should contain each of the following elements, separated by a line break.
- The sender’s full name, address, and contact information (phone and/or email)
- The date the letter is being sent
The recipient’s name and address. (Note: It’s a great idea to personalize this as much as possible. If you can find out the name of the primary decision-maker who may be reading your application contents, address the letter to that person unless instructed otherwise. If you are unable to find this information, something more general like “Graduate Selection Committee” could be used instead.)
Ms. Alice Henry 432 Bridge Street Here, PA 00555 Tel: 555-555-5555
Scholars State Graduate Program Director Placetown, GA 00011
