What is a Letter of Intent?

So, the college you’re applying to asked for a letter of intent, huh?  Don’t panic!  This is your chance to be yourself and tell a school why you want to go there.  Hopefully, it’s a question you already know the answer to!  Putting your “intent” into words can be tricky, though.  Here are some things to help you along the way…

First of all, a letter of intent is essentially the same thing as a statement of purpose or a personal statement.  Schools may use the terms interchangeably, but the content they are asking for is essentially the same.  The key difference is that a letter of intent is in fact a letter.  

It may sound obvious, but when writing a letter, make sure you know who you are writing to.  A letter of intent should be addressed to a particular person in the department you are applying to.  Often this is the undergraduate or graduate coordinator.  If you are unsure who to write the letter to, call your school and ask for his or her name!

In the first paragraph of your letter, be sure to introduce yourself and name the school you are applying to.  For instance, you could say something as simple as, “My name is Amanda Smith, and I am interested in University of Maryland’s undergraduate geography program.”  You can then mention how you learned about the program (online, through a former graduate, etc).

An undergraduate letter of intent can be brief and serves as an introduction to the rest of your application.  A graduate letter of intent, however, is more intensive and specific.  Depending on what type of program you are applying to, you may want to go into more or less depth on the content.

Either way, the easiest place to start when choosing what to say in the body of your letter is by brainstorming.  Think about the best ways to show yourself off.  Mention some of your prior accomplishments.  Talk about your education, internships, inspiration, research interest, etc.  Say what you are good at.  Tell them why your skills and their program would be a good match.

At some point, you want to take a break from talking about yourself and flatter them.  Make whoever is reading the letter believe their school is your top choice (even if you are applying to two or three other institutions).  Mention names of people in the department you would like to work with and explain why.  Tell them how their program will help you meet your future goals.  Check out this great example of a graduate school letter of intent.

When you have finished the body of your letter, end by thanking them for their time, requesting a response, and giving them your contact information.  Last but not least, remember that you want to put your best writing skills to use.  Colleges read the letter of intent for content, but they also use it as a writing sample.  Make sure to edit for word choice and grammar so that you sound as professional as possible.  Be creative while maintaining a professional tone, and try to avoid using too many clichés/generic statements.  When you make your final edit, be sure that you answered any and all questions the application originally called for (if it was not open ended).

Follow this advice, and you should have no problem getting into the school of your dreams!