How to Write

an Appealing Motivation Letter?

By: Adibah
Fulbright Master’s Grantee at the TESOL Program,
Teachers College, Columbia University
 Before we start…

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 Today’s Menu:
1. Scholarship requirements
2. Different types of essay
3. How to write an appealing essay?
4. Do’s and Don’ts
5. General Tips

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 1. Scholarship Requirements
• Diploma and transcripts in Indonesian
and English
• IELTS or TOEFL iBT
• Recommendation Letters
• Essay(s)
• CV

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 Please note that
• Scholarship/university check on your application holistically.
• They consider all aspects of your application.
• But again, what put you aside with other applicants is your personalized ESSAY(s).
• Essay is the heart of application after all your qualifications meet the requirements.
 Essay Terms:
SIMILAR but NOT THE SAME!
• Motivation Letter: All countries, EXCEPT the US.
• Statement of Purpose: the US universities
• Personal Statement: Fulbright, the US universities
• Study Objective: Fulbright
• Study Plan: LPDP
Note: Every university or scholarship requires
different essay(s) and prompt (questions)

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 What is the difference?
• Motivation Letter: a letter to explain your
motivation to pursue higher studies..
• Statement of Purpose: an essay elaborating
your purpose of why you study in the
program.
• Personal Statement: an essay about your
past personal experiences that leads you to
your current interest (program study)
• Study Objective = Statement of Purpose
• Study Plan: an essay about your study plan
for each semester in your graduate studies.

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 Can you guess?
• Please choose whether this essay is:
1. Motivation Letter
2. Statement of Purpose
 Can you guess?
A B
 Types of Essay
• Function: essays for SCHOLARSHIP or UNIVERSITY application.
SCHOLARSHIP UNIVERSITY
-Elaborate why that country. -Elaborate on why the university.

-Focus on your contribution in the past, -Contribution can be anywhere in the world
present and future to Indonesia.
 Why Scholarship or University need your essay?

To find whether you are a GREAT fit to the

scholarship or program study.

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 Types of Essay in Scholarship Requirement

• LPDP
• AAS
• Fulbright

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LPDP
 Australian Award Scholarships
• Supporting Statement
1. Why did you choose your proposed course and institution?
2. How will the proposed study contribute to your career?
3. How have you contributed to solving a challenge and to implementing change or
reform? (Be specific and include: what aspect/s of your leadership knowledge, skills
and practice you consider to be well established and effective; which people or
organisations you worked with to solve the problem; and what creative methods were
used.)
4. Please:- a) give up to three practical examples of how you intend to use the
knowledge, skills and connections you will gain from your scholarship. Possible tasks
can be personal and/or professional; and
b) list any possible constraints you think may prevent you from achieving these tasks.
Fulbright
 How to start?

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Let’s watch this clip!
 How to start?
• Browse samples from alumni
• Check questions/prompts
• Look for CORE theme

• Just write the essays!

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 Are you ready?
• Essay:
1. Introduction
2. Bodies
3. Conclusion

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1

3
 Introduction
• One-of-a-kind introduction:
1. Personal approach:

Source: @America presentation by Fina Alatas

OR
 Cont. Introduction
2. Challenge(s) happening in Indonesia
Challenges
-What are the problems
that happen in
Indonesia related to
your program interest?

Master’s program
-To help tackle the
problem, I want to
study in this program
 Body 1: Past and Current Experience
Body #1
Past experience/
achievement
-Show leadership
-Add number/data is
better
-MUST be related to
your program interest
 Cont. Body 1
Body #1
Current experience
-Display your current
work/responsibility
-Be more SPEFIC
-MUST be related to
your program interest
 Body 2: Why that country?
Body #2

Why?
-Show your effort
-Find academic reasons
Body 3: Future goal?

Contributions
-In what field?
-Where? Be specific!
-Mention network to
reach your goal
-Be ambitious!
#3 Conclusion (Optional)

Use linkers
-In summing up
-To sum up
-In conclusion

Relate it to your
program
-Contribution to
Indonesia
 Let’s Refresh the Essay’s Structure!

#1. One-of-a-kind introduction

#2. Body 1: Past and current experience
#3 Body 2: Why that country?
#4 Body 3: Your future plan!
#5 Conclusion: Restate your contributions

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 Do’s
1. Give some time, at least three months to write
2. Make sure you answer all questions asked
3. Comply with the maximum words/page (usually one page, 500-750
words)
4. Begin with attention-grabbing introduction
5. Be concise and clear in each paragraph
6. Use appropriate linkers
7. Use concrete examples of life: academic and professional experiences
8. Focus on your strengths
9. Leave it for a moment and read it again, you may find a new
idea/perspective to add or omit in your essay
10. Incorporating data/survey/research with numbers

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 Don’ts
• Grammatical errors
• Merely list all your past and current experiences or
achievements like what is listed on CV
• Contractions (It’s... I don’t…)
• Assume that your readers understand everything
• No proofreading

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Finally, another movie clip!
 General Tips
• Confused? Search and read samples.
• Writer’s block? Try to write in a different place and just write even in Indonesian.
• Lazy? Do you want to repeat the same struggle next year? Then, yes go ahead!
• Not sure good enough? Ask others to read your essay(s). At least one from your
background study to check on the content and terms, and another one to check the
flow, structure, and grammar.
• How to start? Read this part again!
 The end note
Writing an essay is a journey within self.
The more you reflect on yourself and know yourself,
the more personalized it will be,
the better it is.
-Adibah-
 Credits:
• Presentation by Fina Alatas @America:
https://www.facebook.com/atamerica/videos/2560143287439236/

• Fulbright Alumna Blog:

https://iifhaniffa.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/ups-and-downs-of-my-fulbright-
journey-4-study-objective-vs-personal-statement/

• My own experiences
 Useful resources:
• https://wordvice.com/how-to-write-a-strong-grad-school-statement-of-purpose/

• https://english.washington.edu/writing-statement-purpose-general-advice

• https://iifhaniffa.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/ups-and-downs-of-my-fulbright-journey-4-
study-objective-vs-personal-statement/

• http://comatosed-thoughts.blogspot.com/2015/06/my-fulbright-experience-ananda-
muhammad.html
 Any questions?

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 Survey

• Go to www.menti.com
• Insert code: 79 92 69 3

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 Connect with me
• IG: @toefl.asyik or
@hersimple.story

• Email:
adibah.dib@gmail.com

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 Thank you!

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