LETTER OF MOTIVATION FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL

Hi everyone, I'm applying for graduate studies in the UK. I wrote this letter of motivation and I need your critiques to make my application stand out. PLEASE FIND THE LETTER BELOW. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR HELPING.

I am applying to your Master of Research programme in Microbiology starting September 2014. My career plan is to study further after my master’s to earn a Ph.D and become a researcher and teacher in Microbiology. Though my interest is focused, I have decided to enroll in the aforementioned programme which I know will equip and help me discover more of my research potentials so as to make informed choices regarding the specific discipline in my chosen field I will want to study comprehensively in attaining my ultimate objectives of earning a Ph.D. and also successfully pursue my research and teaching career.

Biology was easy for me to understand in high school and thus, I opted for studies in biological sciences at the undergraduate level. I realised a high level of interest in microbiology and immunology and this was evident in the very good grades I made in courses centred in these fields. During my studies, I had the opportunity of doing internships in some clinical laboratories during vacations. This offered me an occasion to learn valuable microbiological skills such as sample collection from patients, media preparation, culturing bacteria, preparation of slides and microscopic analysis, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. One observation I made that kept my interest more focused was seeing mixed growth of bacteria colonies on a number of plate cultures of individual patients. This kept me asking myself questions about the social life of these microbes and how the human body would interact with them in case of an infection. Field trips to firms such as the ABCD Water Company, where I learnt how bacteria were exploited in water treatment deepened my curiosity to know more about microbes especially bacteria because I recognised how these microbes, though some being harmful, could be manipulated for the benefit of medicine, industry, and our environment.

Taking a job as a teaching assistant in the University of XYZ after graduation, and later on teaching in a senior high school as an elective biology tutor have taught me basic teaching skills and also enhanced my research skills as I assisted lecturers within the department I worked during my teaching assistantship, in collecting and analysing their research samples in the laboratory. Key among the research works in which I assisted were those that focused on malaria and schistosomiasis which are endemic in our community.

My life is characterised by discipline, determination, and perseverance which are virtues I learnt from my parents seeing their struggle to raise five children with their meager incomes. These have been my guiding principles both in my education and private life as I was advised that strengthening myself was the only way to improve my situation. As a result, I am able to adapt and thrive in challenging environments.

As part of my training in the University, I have developed advanced proficiency in leadership and communication. In a number of projects during my undergraduate studies, I served as the convener responsible for planning and leading my project team. Within my team, I was a member of a subgroup which reviewed literature for the purposes of specific projects that were assigned to the entire team. As the convener of my team, I also was responsible for assigning tasks to members of the team, creating awareness of projects whenever they were assigned, and making sure projects were completed and submitted on time. At some points in time, I made presentations on behalf of my team when individuals who were assigned those duties did not turn up during class seminars. Moreover, I served as the secretary of RAAS, a student religious body, for two consecutive years and also as a counselor for FOSA, which is an alumni association, for a year. I was also an active member of MENNY, a student medical network. All these experiences not only exposed me to different people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, but also helped me to learn about them while augmenting my interpersonal relations. Through these social activities, I have impacted some lives especially students by granting them personal interviews regarding the value of my programme of study which helped them in getting over their doubts and making decisions on their career.

In choosing the University of UVW, I have been influenced by your exceptional educational system, your focus on career development, the environmental friendliness of your campus and its surroundings, and your topnotch faculty and facilities which place the University among the top one percent worldwide.
Correspondence with professors and alumni from your University make me confident of my choice. With many eminent scientists as professors, whose research focus on biological systems at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels, I am sure of receiving firsthand knowledge in advances in the realm of science. With my qualities of dedication to excellence, I have no doubt that I will contribute meaningfully to the challenging academic environment of the University of UVW while taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the University to also build my potentials in order to pursue a successful career.