Motivation letter

Hi everyone! I am writing a motivation letter to apply for Utrecht University and its scholarship. Could you please take a look a it for me? I think it's a little bit too long but I don't know which part should be deleted.

Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Nguyen Quynh Bich Anh and I am writing this letter to apply for the Bachelor program of “Economics and Business Economics” offered by Utrecht University. I also have a desire to be considered for Utrecht Excellence Scholarships.

My country, Vietnam, is one of the youngest members of the World Trade Organization and the inexperience has put my home nation into a precarious position in the highly competitive global market. In order to meet the challenge, young professionals with new ideas are needed. I perceive myself as one of those experts, a professor in business to be specific. My ultimate goal is to work in research-based groups as well as local universities to analyze and invent fresh solutions for economic issues. Therefore, I would like to prepare myself by obtaining a degree in the Netherlands, the affluent country with eminent foreign trade sector.

When studying at Le Hong Phong high school for the gifted, my majors were English and Literature but thanks to the logical thinking strength, I stood out in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as well. In 2012, I was awarded as merit in the Australian National Chemistry Quiz held by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. The all-rounded knowledge and genial charisma helped me to be elected as the class’s academic vice-president and my responsibility was to assist the other members in education matters by organizing tutor groups and individual assistance. In the last year of high school, I successfully guaranteed the excellent diploma for not only myself but also my classmates. Then I was accepted by both Foreign Trade University and University of Social Science and Humanity for passing the national university entrance exam with top score. The enthusiasm for Economics drove me to enroll for the former and, despite the short engagement, I realized how well-suited I am for the field. I am intensely interested in Macroeconomics, especially studies on how governments use fiscal and monetary policies to stabilize the economy. The ardor to study the subject from an international perspective is one of the reasons making me decide to have a gap year to prepare for the abroad course in Utrecht.

The gap year gives me the convenience to be expose to social activities held by both local organizations and the university. One of the most memorable programs that I have participated in was the Talking-book, which was aimed at visually impaired children. As the leader of fund-raising team, I was in charge of maximizing the profit from selling handmade souvenirs to run the program. Through discussions on plan formulation and task distribution, I was given an opportunity to develop my leadership as well as interpersonal communication. Also, in order to balance the workload in class and voluntary tasks, my time-management ability and flexibility showed great improvement after each program.

Taking advantage from the commitment to excellence in high school, I have had a part-time job as a personal tutor for secondary and high school students. Besides lessons, I advocate time to listening to their stories and giving advice as a genuine friend. It never stops surprising me how fragile teenagers are. I help them to overcome their insecurity by sharing experience, exchanging impression and encouraging them to follow their dream. I have a pure feeling of happiness when being someone’s rational and emotional support, from which I learned to express myself in a persuasive way to inspire the buried passions.

Equipped with sound knowledge and essential skills, I have a wish to pursue my higher education in the Netherlands. Since my first visit to the land of windmills last summer, I have grown a burgeoning love towards this peaceful and hospitable country. I met a lot of new friends with international backgrounds during the trip and was deeply impressed by egalitarian society in the land of bikes. Moreover, beholding the prosperity and high living standard in the Netherlands prompted me to emulate your achievements in my home country. I am fully aware that I should start with the economy since a buoyant economy is a solid base for other social problems’ solutions.
Utrecht University is my first choice when thinking about studying Economics, because of not only your highly ranked prestige in the subject but also the suitability of the program for my future career. The broad-based view of Economics presented by the curriculum will give me the flexibility required to apply for any MSc degree in the same field. The knowledge gained from my study will contribute to my personal research as well as that of my colleagues in the university or public institute where I intend to work. My focus will be on how to foster the Vietnamese products’ volume imported into the global market, especially to European countries. Hopefully, the increase in national output benefited from foreign trade sector will enable Vietnamese government to improve public services and facilities, thereby standardize people’s living conditions.

Having carefully consulted the course’s requirements and the curriculum, I believe that it perfectly matches my profile and interests. The optional minor in Geography included in “Economics and Business Economics” program particularly captures my attention since I am eager to learn about the geographic patterns of international trade. I also look forward to challenging myself in the highly advanced environment of the honor course provided for the talented. Moreover, the method of education concentrating on critical thinking from multicultural perspectives is also my concern. Students in Vietnam are supposed to follow the same path that the curriculum specialists/authors have already experienced. I believe the different approaches offered by Utrecht University will assist me in the future when I, as a business professor, stimulate a new generation of Vietnamese to think beyond the established perceptions.

Despite my longing to independently finance my study, the lack of initial capital is unavoidable due to my short lifetime. Utrecht Excellence Scholarship will decidedly encourage my study progress by lightening the living cost in the Netherlands. Of course, should I be enrolled by Utrecht University, I will find myself a part-time job to partially cover the expenses in the Netherlands. The scholarship, however, will still be a significant incentive that empowers my potential abilities to flourish into a distinguished expert, who will transform the fortune of Vietnam’s economy and residents. Moreover, I will be a positive addition to your international community for my background and my enthusiasm towards social activities. I will also enrich the program by enabling fellow students and professors to benefit from my ambitious and open nature.

In other words, I am eager to gain new experiences in the international surroundings, improve my skills and broaden my understanding of the dynamic economic world. I have been getting acquainted with economic field specific words in English since the day I decided to study in the demanding environment like Utrecht University. Though there will be inevitable difficulties, I have the concrete belief that I can do everything if I work hard enough for it, which was proved when I accomplished the given extracurricular tasks and simultaneously scored as the top student in high school and first semester in college. That is why I am certain I can handle all the pressure and demands which are parts of completing the academic program in Utrecht University.

To my knowledge, the program I am applying for is very competitive, attracting highly motivated students, but I am convinced that I can meet your requirements and exceed your expectations. I would be honored if you decide to accept me to be a “Economics and Business Economics” student with Utrecht Excellence Scholarship.

Thank you for your consideration.