Cover Letter / College Entrance Essay / Personal Statement Tips

A cover letter, essay, or personal statement reveals who you are beyond grades and test scores and what makes you different from someone else.  It should not be an autobiography but a story about you that makes you memorable and tells people something they don’t already know about you. In addition, it brings forward information about yourself they wouldn’t be able to figure out the rest of the resume or application.

TIPS FOR WRITING

• Steer away from fake, phony, outrageous, controversial stories
• Don’t be too formal or try to be too humorous
• Keep brief and specific - Limit to 1-2 pages (650 words)
• Use a basic font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri, size 10-12 points in black 
• Do not abbreviate words such as Street, Lane, Avenue, and Drive.  Spell them out
• Keep in mind, why would the reader care?
• Give Specific details and examples.
• Avoid regurgitating your resume.

WRITING IDEAS (choose one) 

Tell about:

• Being faced with a challenge, setback, or failure, how and what did you learn
• Choose a defining moment, experience, or realization, that changed you.
• Someone who greatly influenced or changed you; reflect on something they did for you, how did it affect or motivate you
• A crucial part of your identity, your best characteristic, talent
• Your biggest passion or a unique hobby and how it shaped you
• A problem you solved, a valuable lesson, or an obstacle you overcame.
• What captivates you and makes you want to learn more? How? Why?
• An accomplishment, event,  or realization that sparked personal growth and understanding of yourself
• Question or challenge a belief, what prompted the thought, and what was the outcome  

COVER LETTER EXAMPLE  

Use the sample below to compose a cover letter. Then, print and sign your letter.

Guidelines for addressing business envelopes

• Use a No. 10 Business Envelope
• Neatly print in black/blue ink or a printed address label with the above font.
• City, State, and Zip - example: Seattle, WA 24342 (no punctuation after the WA, just a space)