Motivation letter

Hi, I'm thinking of applying for a MSc and it's driving me mad all the burocratic stuff. Now I'm with the motivation letter... It's pretty long and I don't know how to shorten it. I don't know either if I'm saying too much or too little or if I have important mistakes (I've been trying to correct them all)

I would higly appreciate if you could help me here.

Dear Sir or Madam:
I am applying to your Master Program of “_______” with a specialization in “ “ starting in __September 2013. My career ambition is to become a doctor researching social, cognitive and affective neuroscience.

I have always found learning and discovering some of the most enjoyable experiences. That is why - wrongly thinking that Psychology was only limited to clinical psychology - I started a Bachelor of Journalism trying to pursue a career which would allow me to be in constant “search of the truth”. But what I really wanted to know was why does the human being act as he does. That is why in June 2013 I will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. All these years have sparked my determination and perseverance towards achieving an in-depth knowledge in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience and the new emerging Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Affective Neuroscience.

As part of my degree course, I chose the track of cognitive psychology that my university offered and studied various subjects relating to diverse aspects of cognitive neuroscience which includes https://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikiversity.org%2Fwiki%2FFundamentals_of_Neuroscience&ei=aZNRUfaMDcXDhAftyoGoBA&usg=AFQjCNFdEVZuS7jVSHiyFT9C9Pazs1Hcig&sig2=HjBF3JtTYkBV8G1XlGO0gg, Cognitive Science, Cognitive Psychology, Physiological Psychology and Basic Neuropsychology amongst others. I am proud to say that, due to my constant effort and desire for self-improvement, I have successfully achieved high marks, not only in these subjects, but in the whole bachelor study (with an expected average score above 9,35 out of 10), as it is reflected in the several consecutive excellence scholarships I have received.

Besides my bachelor studies, I have also undertaken several courses related to Cognitive Neuroscience and other fields within Psychology as I consider myself an open-minded and always thirsty for knowledge person. Within the field of cognition and neuroscience, I am most interested in Social Cognition and the interactions between emotion and the different cognitive processes. But I also find that the topics of decision making (and executive functions in general) and its possible relations with personality traits the neural basis of emotions and affective, psychiatric and personality disorders, and the evolutionary underpinnings of social cognition, are fascinating.

For the last two years I have taken any opportunity I have had to gain practice as a future researcher as you can see in my CV. In __ 2013 I will give a talk and participate as an author in a symposium about the evidence relating the brain and meditative practices in the International and National Congress of _____ in ______. Furthermore, last year I received a collaboration scholarship and for the latter seven months I have been working as a research assistant. The aim here is helping me to get hands-on experience in relevant techniques within this field such as the management of SPSS, Presentation or the use of EEG/ERPs and also to figure the big picture of an experimental design. It has also given me the confidence to pursue a Master’s degree and kindled a strong desire to do research.

I want to enroll to your programme at ___ University because of your outstanding educational system, with a perfect combination between theoretical knowledge and research practice, and your excellent facilities. Also, the pioneering works taking place in the ____ department, which include _______, perfectly match with the field of my interest. I am confident that studying at your university is the ideal choice for an exciting research career. At the same time, one of my main aims is contributing to the ongoing work at your department. By working under the guidance of a distinguished faculty, I shall certainly be able to exploit my potential to the fullest.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Should you require further information of any kind, please contact me at _____.

Yours sincerely,