Develop a collection of experiences and accomplishments that have made you who you are. Mention any professional development!

Graduate School: Focus on the reason you completed your academic journey. Then, focus on what abilities made it possible.

Medical Residency: Focus on the reason you took this journey through the medical field. Then, focus on what abilities made it possible.

Committees read hundreds of letters, so focus on clarity and specificity.

Show, do not tell!

Instead of writing that you are passionate, do you have a story, experience, or award that shows how much you care about others and your career?

For the outline, make sure to...

organize your letter with a header, an introduction; an expression of interest, skills, experiences, and accomplishments; and a respectful summary and send-off. (see pages 3-4)

create a hook at the start to grab attention.

utilize your keywords and research from the second step.

Do not mention everything word for word. Expand on it with synonyms, stories, experiences, leadership, and accomplishments!

expand on the résumé and not repeat it.

be confident by using specific action verbs and direct sentences.

Graduate School: mention the professors you want to work with and why.

Medical Residency: focus on medical knowledge and stories.

avoid clichés.

Use a professional 11 or 12 pt. font, do not indent paragraphs, and single-space the paper.

Place an extra space between every paragraph.

At first, just try to get words on the page.

Reach out to professors, peers, and the Writing Center to receive diverse feedback.

Review the grammar and sentence variety to ensure that your paper feels professional, lively, and engaging.

Read your paper backwards to catch spelling errors.