University Motivation Letter Help Requested

Hey everybody! I'm from the Netherlands and want to study in Maastricht in the next year. To apply, I am to write a motivation letter for the University, where I really want to study. However, the procedure is quite strict. First a motivation letter, and if it's good enough you'll be invited for an interview. After that, the university chooses it's future students.

The university/study programme is a liberal arts and sciences institute, which means that it offers students to choose a broad array of subjects. Besides, it is also internationally oriented (English as main language and a lot of foreign students) and is considerably good among universities in the Netherlands.

Since I want my letter to be (very!) good, I had a look at all the other motivation/cover letters posted around this forum. Now it's time to post mine. It is not a draft or first version anymore, but I know that I can change a lot more. I just need someone else to look at it. Here it is:

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Dear sir or madam,

I am very interested in studying at University College Maastricht (UCM), and therefore would like to apply to the Fall term of 2011. The curriculum of UCM appeals to me a lot, mainly because of a few important aspects of UCM.

Firstly, I am interested in the liberal arts and sciences program offered by UCM. I find it hard to characterize myself, but if I had to say one specific characteristic of me, it would be curiosity. Curiosity makes you want to learn more, find out about the unknown. Learning something is for me not just a way to get a job, but a process of personal development. In my case this results in a very wide range of interests. Choosing one single study direction would be quite difficult for me, since I would regret not choosing other directions. In the liberal arts and sciences program however, I am able to adjust the set of subjects chosen to my personal interest and in that way follow a broad education. I really want to learn more at university than one single subject, and therefore I think fit very well in the Liberal Arts and Sciences program.

The international aspect of UCM drew my attention too. I am of the opinion that international collaboration and discussion can be useful and important in many situations. I have been raised in two different cultures, since my father is Dutch and my mother Polish, and therefore I know the differences and the similarities between the two countries and cultures. I also experienced that one culture may have a very different view on a subject than the other culture, but that does not mean that one view is less ‘true’ than the other, it is just different. It are these different opinions that contribute to a healthy debate and to an objective result. Studying in an international environment brings this principle into practice, because of the various backgrounds the students have. Besides the considerably large amount of foreign students and the use of English as main language, I like it that many subjects (such as politics and economy) are viewed in an international context. I personally consider international politics or international economy, or perhaps a combination of both, as a career in the future. Studying at UCM can prepare me well in achieving this.

Besides being enthusiastic about the study, it is also important to be motivated to work hard during the study. Working hard on my education is something I happily do, especially when I am interested in the subjects and therefore motivated. Perhaps my profielwerkstuk (High School paper) of the sixth grade in secondary school is an example of motivation, as well as broad interest and international focus. I analyzed the region sub-Sahara Africa in geographical, economical, political and historical contexts. Following, I tried to answer the question where the roots of Sub-Sahara Africa’s relative poverty to other continents in the world are. I was advised by my teacher to focus the subject, because it was probably too wide and too ambitious, but I decided to keep the subjects as it was. Consequently, instead of the compulsory 40 hours of work, I spent over 100 hours working on this paper. The result paid off in terms of grades, but even more in terms of me being content with it. Putting effort into a project is no problem for me, especially when I stay motivated and curious during the process of working. This would definitely be the case at UCM.

The specific method of learning at University Maastricht, problem-based learning, is something I am very curious about. I have experienced during my secondary school as well as during my Italian lesson in Italy that small, confidential groups are the best learning environments. I really enjoyed such lessons. I think that lessons in small groups on UCM motivate every student to be productive and to contribute to the lessons. Besides this being an effective way of learning, it also adds to the positive atmosphere during classes.

As a finishing word I would like to note that I had a very good feeling about UCM while visiting it during an open day. I like the concept of University Colleges in general, but of all University Colleges I have visited in the Netherlands, UCM appealed to me the most. In addition to that it is located in Maastricht, a place in which I would love to live and study.

Hopefully I could convey my enthusiasm for this study through this letter, and I am anxiously awaiting your response. I hope I get the chance to explain my motivation even further during an interview at UCM.

Yours faithfully,

[My name]

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There are a few point about which I am not sure if they are correct:
* The letter is to be submitted digitally, but do I have to include a header with adress and adressee anyway?
* I think my bicultural background could be elaborated more, since it has really to do with the subjects given at the university. I am just afraid I make it too long...
* Any better translations for 'profielwerkstuk' are welcome! (Profielwerkstuk is a paper you write, often in combination with research, in the last year at secondary school in the Netherlands.)
* The letter is 1 and 1/3rd page in MS Word. I think this is a good length. What about you?

I hope you can advice me how to improve this letter (I am sure you can)!

Best regards! Jan