Broaden your Horizon guide - Oulu

2.3. Application Enclosures
MOTIVATION LETTER
A Motivation Letter, also known as Personall
Statement or a Statement of Purpose, is a
mandatory enclosure for all exchange destinations
coordinated by the International Services. The
aim of a motivation letter is to give a clear and
concise description on why the student is applying
for an exchange place. The letter should also tell
something about the personality of the applicant
as well as underlining why the applicant is suitable
for the specific destination(s) s/he has chosen to
apply to.
At . least the following matters should be included
in a motivation letter:
1. The name of the university the student is
applying to and the period of exchange.
2. What are the aims of the exchange and the
possible long term advantages gained from the
exchange.
3. A description of planned studies and why those
studies are beneficial to the applicant.
Other matters can also be included should they
seem important for the writer. It should be borne
in mind that the main emphasis of the letter should
be on academic reasons. A motivation Letter is
written in English and should not be more than
one A4 sheet in length (one sided)
LETTER OF REFERENCE
A Letter of Reference (or Academic Reference),
written by a member of the academic staff,
highlights the applicant’s academic skills and
achievements. It is desirable that the person
writing the reference has some kind of personal
insight to the student’s personality, for example
through teaching. This way the reference will be
more in-depth without being simply a summary
of the applicant’s transcript of records. The
person giving the reference does not need to
be a professor, although especially American
universities might value a professor’s opinion more
highly. The most important aspect is that the
person actually knows the student.
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