Hej everyone! In today’s post, I will give you some tips and tricks to write a convincing cover letter (or “letter of motivation”) to apply to KTH, since drafting one may be challenging if you’re not used to writing in English or have never written something like that before. You can find out whether you are required to present a cover letter by checking out your programme’s requested documents.
Keep it structured and straight to the point
When it comes to cover letters, you have to treat them like proper English texts. As such, they should have a rigorous structure: an introduction, a couple of main paragraphs, and a conclusion. Remember: every section must have its purpose. For instance, you may want to use one paragraph to state why you’re writing, then talk about your past experiences, what made you choose KTH or why you chose that specific programme, and then conclude by summing all up and thanking the reader. Also, don’t forget to use the right tone in your letter: it is a formal document and while it may be okay to put some irony here and there, maintaining a respectable tone is still very important. Finally, keep your letter relatively brief: some courses indicate a maximum number of words you should not exceed but, generally, try never to write more than one page – focus only on what’s really important!
Realistically show your motivation
When writing a cover letter, what matters the most is to transmit to the audience your motivation and make them understand what is pushing you to study at KTH. However, to be persuasive, you shouldn’t limit yourself to the classical “I’ve always dreamt of being admitted to KTH” or “Being an Aerospace Engineer has always been my dream”. Instead, you should show that you’re actively interested in what you are about to study. You have always wanted to study at KTH? Then you should talk about how KTH ideals reflect yours, proving that you’re actually involved and informed about the university. And if being an Aerospace Engineer has always been your dream, what did you do to make it your reality? Have you been involved in any extracurricular activity? Do you read a particular magazine? Do you like watching airshows? In general, you should not only say what your dream is but also show what you’re concretely doing to realise it.
Get informed on your programme
Showing that you’ve done your homework and you’re informed about what the programme entails may come in handy to prove your active interest in what you want to study and KTH. Also, it is particularly useful if you do not know what to write in the cover letter – e.g. when talking about how your experience would make you the perfect fit for that specific programme. Knowing where to focus in your letter will help you make it straight to the point and down-to-earth.
Tell your personal story
People love hearing personal stories! When talking about your motivation and past experiences, why not use a story to tell the audience something more about yourself, your past, or what made you choose to study what you study? Sharing a personal anecdote may help you give your cover letter a pleasant feeling of uniqueness and personal touch that, in the end, may make the reader remember you.
That’s all for today. If you have any other suggestions or if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
Also, check our last posts on how to write a good curriculum and portfolio and stay informed on our upcoming webinars!
See you at the next post!
// Lorenzo
Thank you so much. This will really help me with my applications.
This is very helpful.
Thank you Oyagah! We wish you the best of luck with your application 🙂