The letter of intent is part of your graduate admission package.
A letter of intent is the most important part of your graduate school application; a good letter of intent will set you apart from other applicants with similar qualifications. The University of New Mexico's Letter of Intent guidelines describe the letter as "an intellectual autobiography" that talks the admission committee through your preparations for graduate study, making a strong argument for your admission to their program.
Reason for Attending
According to the SUNY Buffalo English Department, a letter of intent should explain why you want to work at the graduate level. Discuss goals you have that cannot be reached outside a graduate degree program. Describe one or two projects or questions you will pursue if admitted and explain why these pursuits are important.
Benefit to the School
Schools want students who benefit them by improving the school's status, attracting top applicants and drawing funding. Tell the admissions committee where their program will lead you, emphasizing intended accomplishments such as publishing in respected journals, achieving faculty placement in a good school and other forms of public success that would reflect well on the program.
Past Accomplishments
Admissions committees read your history through your grades and school rankings, but a letter of intent can turn the raw numbers into a persuasive narrative. Describe how your previous academic experience prepares you for graduate work and outline your plan for making the most of your graduate degree. Use the letter of intent to explain if you feel your past grades do not accurately reflect your abilities.
Personalization
Show the admissions committee you have done your research by naming specific resources, classes and opportunities you find attractive in their program. Always keep the letter's audience in mind, advises the University of California Berkeley's career center. Naming the faculty members with whom you would like to work may flag your application file for that professor's reading; if the professor wants to work with you, she can act as a powerful advocate for your acceptance.
Why You Fit
Your argument for why you are a good fit for a graduate program is the most important part of a letter of intent. Show the admissions committee what sets you apart from other candidates; describe how your unique abilities and plans make the program the right place for you. Even the smartest applicant will not be accepted to a graduate program if he is not a good fit; programs invest too much time and money in graduate candidates to risk accepting a student who does not promise to complete the degree.
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