In a lot of Australian scholarship programs such as the Australia Awards Scholarship, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of Intent (LOI). Letter of intent, statement of purpose, or personal statement are all the terms that are used interchangeably.
The aim of this intent letter is to explain why do you want to study a certain degree in a specific university, and why do you want to get a particular scholarship, or what are you intending to do once you get your degree. LOI is an important document that gives the students a chance to prove that they are worth every penny that will be invested in them. It is a way through which students can talk about their co and extracurricular activities and achievements in order to prove that they have what it takes to successfully go through college and professional life.
Letter of Intent (LOI) Writing Guidelines:
First of all, get in touch with the management of your Australian institution or Australian scholarship awarding organization. Ask them if there is any format to follow for writing a letter of intent, or if there is any limit to the number of words or how long should an intent letter be.
After that, you can begin writing your intent letter specifically for a scholarship program. The rules are pretty much the same as a cover letter. You can include your email address, posting address, along with the date of posting the letter. If you know the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed greet them with their name.
Different parts of a Scholarship Letter of Intent (LOI):
So, what are some things that can help you make an effective letter of intent (LOI)? A letter of intent can be written for admission into a university, for a job, or for a scholarship. You have to keep in mind what results do you want from a letter of intent. Following are the parts that a scholarship letter of intent should have:
- Introduction:
It goes without saying that you will start off by introducing yourself. Then you have to swiftly move on and explain why are you interested in studying a certain course in a certain university. Tell them why do you want this scholarship. Relate how all this will help you achieve your academic and career goals.
For example, you can say that you have always aspired to adopt teaching as your profession, and getting into the ABC program at XYZ university will help you turn this dream of yours into a reality.
- Previous Qualifications:
You can’t just say that you want to do this or that with your career or degree. You have to prove that the investment that will be made in you will be worth it. You can do so by showcasing your previous grades, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements.
- Work Experience, and related skills:
If you had a job or internship in the past, do not forget to include it in the letter. If you have done some voluntary work, make it a part of the letter to show that you have the spirit of giving back to the community. If you do not have any work experience, you can compensate for that by enlisting the skills that will help you to become successful in your career.
- Future goals and Your Passion:
Finish off by talking in-depth about your future objectives. These objectives can be short and long-term. You should be concrete with your words and sentences so that you sound purposeful and dedicated. The scholarship jury should think that you already have a career ladder to step on and it is just this scholarship that will help you go up in that ladder.
The DON’T’s of an Intent Letter:
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- Do not just repeat what is already in your CV. Of course, you can talk about your qualifications in-depth in your LOI but it shouldn’t be just a repetition of your resume.
- Do not introduce yourself flatly. Introduce yourself in an interesting and intelligent way.
- Do not force hilarity in your letter. Just sound positive, career-oriented, and optimistic.
- Do not forget to proofread before sending it off. A grammatical or spelling error here and there can ruin your whole game.
- Do not rush into writing an LOI. Start writing it well before the deadline to prevent last-minute stress.
