Dear Sir/Mam,
I would like to vie for the highly sought after A*STAR Graduate (NUS/NTU) Scholarship. An illuminating talk by A*STAR in NUS allowed me to appreciate how seamlessly the programme suited my aspirations. Being a graduate of Bachelor of Science (Hons) specialising in the Biomedical Sciences, possessing keen intellectual curiosity and diligence, I believe that I am a strong contender for your graduate programme.
In many ways, biology has been my first love. In Junior college, I came across a Higher 3 subject titled Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Although this was not strictly biology, I was very interested in the drug-making process, and how drugs affect the body. Learning these processes allowed me to see how the drug molecules could be manipulated to tweak the effects on the patient’s body. This lit a desire in me to earn a degree in Biomedical Sciences. Coming into NUS, I managed to obtain advanced placements in two of my first year core modules. In my first year itself, I wanted to try my hand at research through Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in Science (UROPS). The UROPs project was in the field of cancer research. This project targeted to isolate the Hes1 gene and translate it in a bacteria/baculovirus and subsequently analyse the Hes1 protein structure through X-ray crystallography. I had taken the module earlier than most thus, it was highly challenging. However, as a testament to my tenacious character, I persevered on and achieved a distinction for the entire project. Another experience that I feel verifies my interest in research is my summer research stint with Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology. This was a 10 weeks long intensive research attachment in the field of neurobiology. I believe I am well-versed in the field of research as I have worked with both minute genetic details as well as animal models.
I believe that I will be able to contribute greatly to A*STAR through my love for learning and ability to follow through. My consistent academic grades throughout my education substantiate my diligence and astuteness. I have achieved distinctions in various Biology modules relating greatly to the field of research that I want to pursue. This illustrates my proficiency in the afore mentioned areas. Sterling results in my GCE ‘A’ and ‘O’ Level have granted me the NUS Faculty Award, as well as academic honours such as being the top national Indian student during the ‘O’ Level and being offered a place in the National Society of High School Scholars for meritorious scholastic achievement. I believe that I will be able to excel in A*STAR as it is a vibrant scientific research ‘headquarters’ of Singapore where I can hone my research skills putting my theoretical knowledge into practice, simultaneously advancing A*STAR’s ascent.
In addition to my research stints and academia, I also partake in several community and cultural outreach programmes. These have allowed to me to nurture my interpersonal skills and contribute back to the society. Events such as a charity dance concert organised completely by Gujarati youths, where I played a pivotal role as a member of the sponsorship team as well as the costume manager, have cultivated leadership qualities and an ability to perform under pressure. These are life skills that would be nifty in any field. Through various buddy-reading and tutoring underprivileged children programmes, I have tried to use my talent at hand to assist the community in any way I can. A sense of responsibility and loyalty to the society is a quality that I feel, will be useful in the long run especially in my service commitment period to A*STAR.
Thus far, I have highlighted the essence of my character that will be an asset to A*STAR. My strong desire to conduct research, together with my determination and astute academic understanding in the field makes me a strong candidate for this programme. Over and above, I truly want to learn. We are an embodiment of biology, thus, studying biology is not really studying at all. An innate desire to understand more about ourselves is why I would be a compelling candidate for this programme. I would be very appreciative if you would consider me for an interview where I would be glad to elaborate on any of my experiences. Please feel free contact me at 97564744 or U0805643@nus.edu.sg. I will be eager to follow-up with a phone call in a couple of days. Thank you for your time and attention.
Yours Sincerely,
Jigna Rajesh Kumar
*P.S. I have not been able to find the name of the person i am writing to yet coz the whole process of application is all through an online portal but i am will be trying to find out the name next week so please excuse that! thank you!
**The brochure for the programme can be found at this link
http://www.a-star.edu.sg/Portals/0/Awards/forms_brochures/AGS_Brochure.pdf
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Hi Jigna,
ReplyDeleteYour application letter is great! As I can see you really have an excellent academic record! (making me feel a bit inferior as well...) Definitely meeting all the criteria for the scholarship! In the letter, you have also shown your strong interest in research by highlighting your research experience like UROPS and summer research program.
I have also noted that awardees have to have good GRE scores. But looking at your achievements thus far, you can definitely achieve it.
However, I think that your application letter may be slightly too long. Maybe you can talk about a few strong points to show them that you definitely meet the criteria.
Overall, UROP and summer research, academic excellence and CCA portions can be separated into 3 paragraphs so that the paragraphs can show each and all criteria being met.
Hi Jigna,
ReplyDeleteQuite an impressive application letter! You've done a really good job of highlighting your academic achievements. May be its the formatting on the blog, but it's not quite clear what the different paragraphs are. You could probably divide the body section of the letter into different paragraphs according to: your achievements in JC, your UROP experience and any modules you've done well in NUS, and your experience at MIT, and finally your community activities.
Also, you could indicate the research field you might be interested in pursuing on getting the scholarship. And may be, try and shorten the letter a little. Again, quite impressive and well written.
Hi Jigna,
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else who has commented, I agree you have an impressive application letter and you truly are a 'strong contender' :P
I think it would be good to include your contact email and phone number after you sign off.
Other than that, I'm impressed =)
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ReplyDeleteGreat application letter! I wish I can write that well haha.
ReplyDeleteDo take note of the font and length of the application letter though.
All the best in your finals!