Trying to write my letter of intent...

[Whoody51]

I am currently working on my letter of intent for Madonna Universities nursing program. The guidelines for the letter are: "The letter should be written in the first person, typed, double-spaced and not exceed two pages. It should include a plan for completing any remaining pre-requisites to the program and address the choice of nursing as a career and why the student chose to apply to Madonna University's program. Students may consider adding personal goals, any additional qualifications that may be relevant and any applicable community service experience."

I've never had to write anything like this before and I'm not really sure what to focus the letter on. There is so much to discuss in only two pages... I feel like they get a lot of stories in these letters and they must be pretty repetitive. What are some good ways to make a letter stand out from the rest? Any advice on what I should include in my letter would be appreciated.

[portalhop]

I think you should stick to the basics and follow the guidelines that they have provided. I work in the admission's office at my university (not the nursing section, just general admissions), and we don't like to read letters that stray off topic.

Start off by including why you want to attend Madonna University's program (because of its academics, quality reputation, whatever it is that draws you to it), why you want to be a nurse (include skills that you have that make you a good candidate, also maybe include what type of nursing you plan to specialize in), and how you plan to complete any prereqs you have left so that your admission to Madonna University's nursing program is complete. If you have any community service or work experience that's relevant to nursing, include it with an explanation of how that comm service/work exp has solidified your decision to become a nurse.

Basically I just restated what they told you to do. I find that just answering the questions that they've given you (w/o going off topic) is the best thing that you can do. You don't HAVE to submit two pages; a solid page to page-and-a-half is good.

It's not a story contest, you know? They're going to appreciate that you answer all of their questions fully w/o delving into an irrelevant story. Take your paper to a writing tutor or someone who's good at editing papers. Proper grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation will make you stand out in a GOOD way.

[mermcm83]

I find that just being honest always works in my favor. Administrators get tired of reading what people think they want to hear. I keep it simple and to the point, all the while making my letter professional. Do a little research on the University if you already haven't and incorporate a little of that info into your letter....Good Luck!

[Whoody51]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice.