Waiting for the result can take from one to two months. In addition to the invitation or refusal, the college may announce that you are on a waiting list. In this case, the university often calls the date of the decision on your application. Remember also that after receiving an answer from the university, you, in turn, must officially confirm that you are ready to study there.
March and April bring no less, and maybe even more joy. During these months, schools send out solemn emails announcing enrollment, sincerely congratulating entrants for making the right choice among the many options and deservingly receiving a scholarship package.
In the summer, as soon as decisions made on waiting lists, the feeling of joy returns. But what to do when you have not received an answer? Writing a letter of continued interest is the best way to clarify the situation and calm your nerves.
To not wait and worry about whether you got to the school of your dreams, you need to write a letter. To avoid a situation where you may be excluded from the list at all. If you have already reassured yourself, then know that you can do some actions, and how to do it learn more in our article.
What is expected of the Letter of Continued Interest?
Letter of Continued Interest – this stage is necessary if you are on the waiting list, after it, the selection committee will be invited to an interview if you are successful. This is your chance to stand out from other candidates from all over the world, to show that you have a great interest in the training program. Write in the letter why the program is so important to you, how does it correlate with your success. And career plans, what skills do you want to acquire, and how to use them in the future?
It is believed that the higher the university’s ranking position where you apply, the more thoughtful the letter of continued interest should be. This is an essay in which the applicant talks about why he wants to get into this particular educational institution, how he is interested in this specialty, and who he sees in the future. The primary purpose of such a letter is to show the commission that you deserve this place more than others.
There is a timid hope that having sat down to write a letter, the applicant will once again think about whether he needs this particular profession and not some other. According to the test results, it isn’t easy to understand the personality, and universities have their requirements for the profile of the students they select.
Some would like to be more socially active, others – sports, others – scientific, the fourth pay attention to leadership qualities. The letter always shows how you fit with their requirements if the first cover letter did not provide a specific introduction. Such a message is an additional opportunity to assess the potential of the student.
What the commission expects from students on the waiting list?
If you are smart, capable of creating brilliant ideas, then getting into the best university, if your documents are on the waiting list, perhaps the teachers lacked your energy. You can always get support by writing a letter.
Go to the website of your educational institution and review the information in detail. If you see that when you send a letter, you do not have any difficulties, then you can quite sit down to write, but if you have any questions, it is better to turn to qualified specialists for help. If you understand that you will not be able to get a scholarship, then get ready to look for money to study. On the one hand, it isn’t easy, but there is a way out.
In this letter, the commission expects to see strengths, motivation to study in general and to study this course and this particular educational institution. Why a technical university and not a liberal arts university? Tell us about what benefits the university will get by teaching you, and what you will achieve with the knowledge gained.
Show that you understand the purpose of the training. Many do not think about it at all! Do you want to save the world? Cure Cancer? Find a cure for ageing or baldness? Does it duplicate information on a resume or biography? Write down what you will achieve thanks to your education in the USA, emphasize your desire to learn.
What to add to a Letter of Continued Interest
Much depends on the university itself. There are universities where it is easy to enter, and there the letter is just a template, a formality. In this case, feel free to open a search engine and see tutorials. You can write as teachers say in video lessons, and it will pass, because, most likely, no one will read your letter.
In more prestigious universities, the story is different. There, the management is interested in the student’s identity, so the letter is a chance to prove that you should be removed from the waiting list and allowed to study. The prestigious university needs bright, interesting people who will succeed after graduation, get on the Wikipedia page, and promote their university.
Therefore, in a letter for such an educational institution, you can write about your active life position, volunteering, work in groups, part-time work. All this shows the entrant as a person interested in action. The university’s leadership, reading such a letter, most likely thinks: “Oh, so he will also be active in our country, and after graduation, he has a better chance of gaining popularity.”
In general, when writing a letter, you need to remember that the university is not just about learning. These are your interests, aspirations, desires. All this has been working in the system for decades, if not centuries. Sometimes it is difficult for entrants to identify something specific, and they operate with general phrases. You do not need to do this. Think about what you achieved during your school years and how it can all come in handy.
Some Tips
For university teachers who will read this letter, it is an opportunity to evaluate the entrant not only as a person who has successfully passed the tests in the subjects required for admission and has the appropriate certificates but also to see him as a unique, unique and well-motivated person. Therefore, it is not necessary to make common mistakes when applying a letter of continued interest.
Contact information at the beginning of the letter (name, surname, telephone number, and postal address). Candidates usually indicate this information only in the resume, but do not make a common mistake – do not forget about them in the letter.
Be sure to introduce yourself, explain the purpose of writing, and why you are interested in the program. Your first sentence is like a firm handshake – a formality, but still very important. Give a little freedom to your personality, try to attract attention, because if you are on the waiting list, it means that the first time you failed to do so.
If we talk about personal, you then combine with professional plans. It is essential to point out the connection between hobbies and career opportunities or to prove that sure of your virtues are indispensable in your chosen future job.
Do not make the letter a separate type of torture. Have a good idea or apt wording – write it down. Find new information – add to the treasury, listen to an inspiring speech – take something from there. The competition for admission is so high that it resembles a professional sport, where one point can solve everything. So fight for your place!
The structure of a letter of continued interest for all students
Do not try to create one evening. Start writing it as soon as possible. Be sure to re-read and refine the document several times. Do not start the letter by repeating your biography. Remember, these documents should complement each other. Thank you for taking the time to review the message.
A Letter of Continued Interest should contain answers to the following questions:
- What are your goals? In which sector do you plan to work after obtaining the desired degree in a particular speciality?
- How could you be useful for the social, political, or technical development of the country?
- Why do you want to study in this program? What exactly fascinates you? Your main task is to make sure that this university and speciality are your conscious choice, that you have studied in detail the curriculum, the teaching staff, and your dream of taking advantage of all the university’s opportunities.
- Why do you approach the university? What skills you have already acquired would be useful; do you have any experience in the speciality; did you hold public positions at school, how would you describe yourself; what makes you unique.
Choose a formal writing style, but do not overload the essay with facts. Try to give the letter an emotional colour, make it unique. At the same time, do not joke – not everyone will understand your humour. The length of the message should not exceed 1-2 pages. Conciseness is a beautiful feature!
What do you need to know when sending a Letter of Continued Interest
You can write a letter if your application has postponed. It allows you to introduce yourself and state the reasons that prompted you to apply for training. The following tips and instructions should help you write an informal letter.
Content:
- Facts about your education, abilities, and knowledge;
- Prizes and awards – if available;
- Motivation to study;
- Why do you want to study in your chosen program or attend the summer course you are applying for?;
- What interested you in the university you chose?;
- What do you expect from studying or from attending a course
- (personally, professionally, for a career) ?;
- Motivation to receive a scholarship;
- How will the scholarship help you achieve your academic, professional and personal goals ?;
- Personal interests. Here you can tell about particular extracurricular successes and activities, as well as personal qualities.
The primary function of your texts is communication. Honesty, conciseness, accessibility are vital components of effective communication. Adhere to clarity and consistency of presentation. Do not write more than the title of the document indexes (motivation, research interests, a project plan, etc.).
The so-called “information style” will come in handy – a system of editorial advice collected by the authors of “Write, cut. How to create a compelling text “. But remember that your letter should also be personalized and reveal your identity.
Use the general structure of a Letter of Continued Interest
The letter and application communicate the connection between your professional, personal experience, current ambition, the vision of yourself, and the future project. Structure them around the key issues that reveal these positions.
Like: What are you going to do? What methods? What experience will you rely on? With whom? Where? Why is this important for you, for the industries? Describe in simple words the relevant experience, interests, needs, plans, expectations by these questions – this is the basis of your future text.
The introductory and concluding paragraphs are critical. They communicate the essence of the whole letter and application, set the mood, hook. There should be brief information about the text’s essential positions (who? What? Why?). In the final paragraph, you should repeat a concise but convincing form of why your application is critical and should reconsider.
Enthusiasm and confidence are more convincing than frustration and confusion. Many people think that confidence comes from self-help literature or leadership and emotional intelligence courses. It’s much more straightforward: focus on your strengths.
What do you do best? What can you talk about for hours and without preparation? What would you like to do regardless of the circumstances? What are you burning? Don’t waste time on what you think you don’t know and what the jury might think you don’t know. Be yourself, and you will succeed!
