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When you apply to graduate school, you鈥檒l need to pull together a variety of materials for the admissions committee to review, including your CV, undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation, and, in some cases, GRE or GMAT scores (if your school uses a standardized graduate admissions test). Part of your application will also include a letter of intent鈥攕ometimes called a statement of purpose鈥攚hich is typically a one-page letter stating your goals in pursuing graduate school.听

A letter of intent is an opportunity for a committee to hear directly from you and learn more about your interest in their program. It鈥檚 also a chance for them to get a sense of your voice, research interests, and ability to communicate. In this article, we鈥檒l go over what you鈥檒l need to include when writing a letter of intent and tips for crafting a strong one.

Important steps before writing your letter

A letter of intent and a cover letter for a job have a lot in common, so if you鈥檝e written the latter, it may help you craft the former. Both documents tend to require research and more detail about your strengths and goals.听

It鈥檚 recommended that you apply to between four and six graduate schools, selecting the departments or programs that most closely align with your goals and needs. In that case, before you begin drafting your letter, it鈥檚 worthwhile to take some time and:听

• Reflect on your goals: Before you apply to specific programs, take some time to reflect on why you鈥檙e interested in attending graduate school. In other words, what are your goals? These can be academic goals, such as learning more about a subject or moving into an area unrelated to your bachelor鈥檚 degree. Or your goals can be motivated by your career aspirations.听

• Conduct research: Each program you apply to will want to know why you鈥檙e interested in attending it specifically. Is it because of a particular faculty member? Are the research opportunities desirable? Or does the curriculum structure meet your learning goals? You don鈥檛 need to include just one reason, but it鈥檚 helpful to know enough about each program so that you can discuss how it fits your larger goals.听

Take notes about the programs you鈥檙e most interested in attending and why. Think about how these reasons line up with your goals鈥攁nd even your needs. If you need to keep working part-time or full-time, perhaps a program鈥檚 flexibility will be worth mentioning. Or if relocating to a school isn鈥檛 an option for you, then finding online programs and calling out the benefits of studying remotely is worth mentioning.

How long should a grad school letter of intent be?

Typically, universities recommend fitting your letter of intent on one or two pages. However, some schools do not have a page limit, so verify each school's requirements. You should use a standard, professional font, such as Calibri, Helvetica, or Times New Roman in 10 to 12 size, and type the letter rather than writing by hand.

Letter of intent sections

Once you鈥檝e taken the foundational steps noted above, it鈥檚 time to start drafting your letter of intent. These documents tend to follow a straightforward format that includes a header, introduction, explanation of your research interests, what you鈥檝e accomplished so far (either academically, professionally, or personally), your goals in attending grad school, and a conclusion. You can adjust the main sections鈥攊nterests, goals, and accomplishments鈥攖o best suit the order of your overall narrative. Let鈥檚 review each one before turning to a full example.听

Header

Your letter of intent should follow the format of a formal business letter, which includes the name and address of the person you鈥檙e addressing, the date, and a formal salutation. Typically, you鈥檒l want to find each program鈥檚 graduate director and address your letter to them, using the program鈥檚 or department鈥檚 mailing address (usually found at the bottom of their webpage).听

Introduction

Use the first line or two of your letter to officially introduce yourself. You can state your name or take the opportunity to flag what you鈥檙e currently doing鈥攐r what you鈥檝e previously done鈥攁s a way to explain your interest in graduate school.

Interests

Explain what you鈥檇 like to study and your reasons for doing so at each program. This can be a great time to specify what unique factor attracts you to a program or department, such as a stellar faculty member, unique coursework electives, or job placement support.听

Goals

Go into detail about what you hope to get out of the program. It may help to think about goals in light of educational goals and career goals.

• Educational goals: These pertain to what you want to learn and why.听

• Career goals: These pertain to what you hope to do in your career and how your education will help you achieve that.听

Your goals don鈥檛 need to be limited to education and work. There are other reasons for attending graduate school, such as personal development or an interest in the subject matter. But whatever your ambitions for undertaking an advanced education, it鈥檚 good to clarify those intentions in your letter.听

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Discuss what makes you stand out as a potential candidate. Many grad school applicants come straight from their undergraduate program, while others might have worked before returning to school. No matter what category applies to you, it鈥檚 worth highlighting what you鈥檝e accomplished that showcases your ability to pursue graduate-level work.

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Lastly, wrap up your letter with a one- or two-sentence conclusion that briefly restates the points above and thanks the addressee for their time.听

After you develop a rough draft of your letter of intent, it鈥檚 a good idea to carve out time to revise and polish it. You may seek feedback from a trusted peer, colleague, family member, or friend who can give you helpful notes to strengthen your document.听

Letter of intent: Grad school example

Below, we鈥檝e applied the sections we discussed earlier to a complete example. You can reorder the sections about your interests, goals, and accomplishments to align with the overall narrative you鈥檙e seeking to create. In other words, there may be times when it鈥檚 best to lead with your goals before discussing the other sections or to open with your interests before moving into your accomplishments and goals.听

There鈥檚 some flexibility when organizing a letter of intent; you can use that flexibility to reflect your unique story.听

[Header]听

Dr. Marcus Williams

X University

Department of Public Health

123 College St.听

City, State

Zip Code

December 15, 2025听

Dear Dr. Williams:听

[Introduction]

After spending the first three years of my career working with data for a notable educational start-up, I鈥檝e grown markedly more interested in how to use that data to benefit public health measures as a biostatistician. I鈥檓 therefore writing to apply for the Master of Public Health program at X University.听

[Interests]

I鈥檓 interested in earning my master鈥檚 degree from the Department of Public Health because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program. I believe that taking core courses in a range of interrelated public health subjects, especially epidemiology and environmental health, will provide me with the foundation I need as I pursue a career as a biostatistician after graduation. I鈥檓 particularly excited to work with Dr. Harriet Bedelman, whose research on technology鈥檚 effect on community health measures has informed my interest in the field.

[Accomplishments]

I鈥檓 eager to explore the intersections between public health and data and believe a graduate education is the best way forward. After earning my bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer science, with an emphasis on data analysis, I began working as part of the data team at an educational K-12 start-up. I learned a lot about how to design algorithms to work with data, parsing a vast amount of information to provide actionable insights. It's an experience that I believe will set me apart from my peers and allow me to develop interdisciplinary research at X University.听

[Goals]

I believe data has the power to inform and improve public health outcomes, especially in light of global health events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and I鈥檓 keen to unite my background in data science with my future in public health. In fact, I believe my aptitude for statistics will serve me well in the program.听

[Conclusion]

I believe that the Department of Health is the program to best help me achieve my goal of becoming a biostatistician and that I stand to contribute a good deal to my cohort. Thank you for your consideration.听

Sincerely,

Alexandra James

Why is a letter of intent important?听

Letters of intent鈥攐r statements of purpose鈥攁re important for several reasons:

• It gives the admissions committee an idea about who you are.

• It frames the application to follow, personalizing some of the other data-driven documents.听听

• It shows why you鈥檙e interested in that particular school.

• It outlines your research interests and goals in attending graduate school.

Letters of intent also showcase your communication and writing skills, which are both valuable skills that most graduate programs鈥攏o matter what you study鈥攅xpect students to have and continue developing.听

Explore master's degrees as you practice how to write a letter of intent听

You鈥檒l find a range of flexible master鈥檚 degrees from leading universities on 糖心vlog官网观看. Explore degrees in computer science, data science, information technology, business, and more.

Many programs, like those from the University of Colorado Boulder or Illinois Tech, offer performance-based admission, meaning that instead of pulling together a formal application鈥攊ncluding a letter of intent鈥攜ou only need to take and pass a small number of courses to gain full admission.