Fourth, focus on depicting your development into a competent candidate.

  • 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.

Fifth, outline a rough draft. Feel free to find online examples and templates.

  • 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.

Sixth, draft the cover letter. Start as early as possible.

  • 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.

Seventh, prepare to revise as much as you can.

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

Ninth, before submission, edit, proofread, edit, and proofread again.

  • Review the grammar and sentence variety to ensure that your paper feels professional, lively, and engaging.
  • Read your paper backwards to catch spelling errors.