XXXX
Singapore (XXXX)
11th February 2010
Dr. Sherwin S. Desser
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Toronto
25 Harbord St.
Toronto , ON
Canada , M5S 3G5
Dear Dr. Desser,
I am a fresh candidate from the National University of Singapore with a keen interest in pursuing a Masters Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. I believe that my research experience and aspirations are in line with your focus in biodiversity and systematics. Hence I would be much obliged if you would consider accepting me as a graduate student at your laboratory.
My undergraduate years pursuing Bachelor of Sciences in NUS were not just spent in the classroom. Due to my avid interest and passion for environmental studies, I was part of a myriad of projects that revolved around systematics, insect morphology and behavior. I feel that my experience in both morphological and molecular techniques will enable me to successfully carry out a more thorough research project in biodiversity.
Throughout my academic career, I have actively participated in various community involvement projects that have enabled me to hone both my leadership and interpersonal skills. Having led a team on a community service project to India, I feel I have the capacity to be calm under pressure while tackling problems. It also gave me much insight into working well with others. This, I feel, can be a great asset to your laboratory and the collaborative projects you and your lab members are working on.
Any opportunity to discuss with you possible avenues for candidature at your research laboratory would be much appreciated. A resume of my extensive research experience had been attached with this letter for your perusal. Do feel free to contact the referees mentioned. Should you require my academic transcripts, I would be happy to send them to you as well. I can be contacted at Jayanthi@nus.edu.sg or +65 91896394. Thank you very much for your time and attention.
Yours faithfully,
Jayanthi Puniamoorthy
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hey babe, i commmented on your post but again it cant be pasted here so can you go look at it at my blog? sorry for the inconvenience!
ReplyDeletejigna
Hi Jayanthi,
ReplyDeleteI meant to call you earlier, but my grandpa passed away a few days ago. Been really busy, tired, and drained.
You have a beautifully crafted letter here, highlighting your strengths, which is good. I also like your concise letter, as it fits a page nicely.
Below are some suggestions which you may like to consider:
1. I am still missing your job adv. It may be difficult for your classmates to comment on your letter if they are not aware of what programme you are applying to. That possibly explains the lack of comments for this post.
2. I have visited the website (as the job adv submitted was cropped) and read the section on application process. The first point requires you to submit "A one-page statement describing your interest in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, your goals, and your reasons for choosing this department for graduate studies. Include a list of names of potential supervisors and areas of research in which you are interested." I understand that you are writing this letter to a potential supervisor, so what do you think if you highlight the above in your letter to the supervisor?
3. "…a myriad of projects…" - any significant project that you may like to bring up?
4. "Having led a team on a community service project to India, I feel I have the capacity to be calm under pressure while tackling problems." - it is not obvious from the example you'd shared how you have the capacity to be calm under pressure. Be concrete.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Ms. Lim