Motivation letter for Ph.D. application

Pls help me out to write a motivation letter for Ph.D. I would appreciate your help if you can reply to me asap. Since deadline for application is quite near.
thanx in advance.
I tried to write a letter on my own after reading various threads.
Its given as-------

Dear Dr. xx and Prof. yy
I am writing to apply for Ph.D. in xx at xx. This program is a concrete step towards continuance of my research in the realm of Structural Engineering.

I am typically among the top two in my class and was among the top performers in the entrance tests conducted by the academic institutions of my education. In 2010, I ranked 75 of around 19000 candidates (top 0.4%) who appeared in the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineers), ensuing my admission at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. I ranked 3042 of about 300000 candidates (top 1%) appearing in SEE-UPTU (State entrance exam for Uttar Pradesh Technical University) and secured admission in the Bachelor program at U.P.T.U.

In 2010, I earned a bachelor degree with a specialization in Civil Engineering from U.P.T. U. With the broad spectrum of Civil Engineering, I had been exposed to a wide range of courses. Having studied the specialized courses, I had acquired basic skills of Structural Analysis and Design of Concrete and Steel Structures in addition to Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures. Most importantly, it provided me with insight into Structural Engineering, leading to pursue Master in Structural Engineering from one of the best college in India, IIT Delhi.

In bachelor, I excelled in academics in all dimensions as I got highest marks in mathematics in U.P.T.U., which consists of around 450 engineering colleges. While my academic career is vitally important to me, so are my extracurricular activities. Apart from academics, I participated in various events to sharpen my extra-curricular activities at the college level and became active member of Civil Engineering Society. Through these experiences, I learnt to manage my time effectively and improved my leadership and decision making skills.

I pursued my research interest in Structural Engineering by joining IIT Delhi with support from scholarship awarded by Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India. My current academic focus is specialization in the domain of bridge engineering and my courses thus far have familiarized me with current technologies in the areas of Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering.

My interest in bridge engineering provided me with the subject for my dissertation research. The project investigates the seismic response of long span bridges for near field and far field earthquakes in National Capital Region. Comparison carried out with Indian standard code recommendation gives some interesting results. Results obtained were used to write research paper which has been sent to committee of Indian Society of Earthquake Technology Golden Jubilee Symposium for acceptance.

I have worked as a teaching assistant for undergraduate students, a position that involved instruction in design of Steel Structures. I believe that this kind of one-on-one interaction to students is considered be essential to their development as researchers and professionals and to accomplish to teachers continuous learning process. I use to get enthusiastic with their research ideas, which helped me to think innovative.

Good grades, though important, are not the only indicator of one’s research potential. What stands out in my case is the strong confluence among my passion for Structural engineering and my academic interests. To delve deeper, I took up the relevant courses in Structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. Currently, I am working on my thesis under the aegis of xx.

At IIT Delhi, my interaction with people belonging to diverse Indian cultures has certainly fortified interpersonal skills. Moreover, I met people from all over India with different backgrounds and cultures

I want to carry out my research at xx because your active research going on at your university in the Structural Dynamics as well as Structures Adaptive. The Bridge research group’s work encompasses quality research and its conversion into technological tools that are socially and entrepreneurially germane. Moreover, having such experience will allow me to better understand basic principles and to combine practice with most advanced theories. Added to that, the international dimension provided by carrying out research at xx will prepare me for the most diverse situations in professional activities. I believe obtaining a Ph.D. Degree will provide the necessary background for research activities.
Given my record of high academic achievement and strong interest in your division research, I am certain that, if given the opportunity, I will enjoy working on the research project aforementioned. Moreover, this research area is a passion for me; I will do my best to exceed your expectations. In addition to my academic qualifications, I am confident that my international background will add more diversity to your program.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to your acceptance.

Yours truly,
Ankit G.