Motivation letter - need comment concerning content

Could someone please correct my motivation letter and give me some suggestions in terms of content? I haven't done the language check yet, so please ignore it.

Thank you very much! T.

XXXXX, 15th November 2006

Dear Sirs,

I would like to express my interest to attend the XXXX program at the University of XXXX.

I became interested in this program already during my first university year after hearing some great references about the university from my friends who were studying in XXXX by that time. The more information I was acquiring about the program, the more I was interested about it and I soon became very convinced that XXXXX offers exactly the breadth of course I am sure I will thrive on. My aim is to work in an international field related to IT or telecommunications and I am certain that the XXXX program would allow me to gain a deeper theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills in general management. I especially like the multicultural nature of the program, which I find essential for today’s globalized business, and also the fact that XXXX is an interdisciplinary program and thus gives its students a possibility to obtain a wider range of knowledge than standard specialized programs do. Furthermore, I believe that the challenging academic environment of the University of XXXXXX would be very motivating for me and provide me excellent conditions to achieve my goals.

I am currently in my last year of the BA program in International Business at the University of XXXXXX. During this intense 3-year course I received a very good theoretical knowledge from all fields of economics. During my studies, I belonged for the whole time to the top 10% of the students at my faculty and always actively engaged in university clubs and other activities such as Buddy System or student newspaper. However, I found the academic atmosphere at the University XXXXXX rather impersonal with emphasis on individual studying and great distances between professors and students. Since I’m rather a type of person who enjoys teamwork and group discussions inside a small academic community with subjects based on personal relations with professors, I am more than sure that the approach used by University of XXXXX and the size of the XXXX program would fit my needs better and enable me to gain the most from the classes.

Apart from my studies, I am also very active in several non-governmental organisations. Since 2002, I have been a member of the XXXXX, an organisation committed to actively engaging with the relevant issues of today’s Europe. My participation in more than 20 international sessions allowed me to gain an extensive international experience and developed my teamwork and leadership skills. Furthermore, I had chance to discover different cultures and work with various experts ranging from scientists to politicians. I have also organised an international session for 250 participants in my hometown XXXXX in 2004, during which I have led a team of 30 organisers from different European countries. This experience allowed me not only to develop my organisational skills, but also to improve my communication and leadership abilities.

I have been always putting emphasis on the application of my theoretical knowledge in a real business practice. That is why I took two full-time internships during my university studies. Both of these placements enabled me to experience the environment in big international corporations as well as work on interesting projects. I also took part in several trainings in consulting companies such as XXXX or XXXXX. I personally find these workshops as an excellent opportunity to develop soft skills important for future career and therefore complement a standard university curriculum. Moreover, I also lead a very active social life. I’m involved in many voluntary civic activities in my region and regularly do sports. Sport has always provided me with a distraction from my work and possibility to clear my mind. I have played actively basketball at an international level for more than 6 years and later also represented my school in regional competitions.

I am deeply convinced that the XXXXXX program would provide me with necessary knowledge and skills to realize my professional aims as well as my lifelong dreams. I understand that admission to this program is very competitive, but I also fully believe that I have the relevant abilities to both – study successfully at the top level and contribute to the academic environment in XXXXX. Therefore, I would be more than glad if I were allowed to take part in this demanding international program, prove my high level of motivation and study the challenging subjects I have a great passion for.

Thank you very much for considering my application. I look forward to your response.

Best regards, XXXXXXX