30 minutes
Applications Made Easy: Write a Top-Notch Essay or Cover Letter
Need a personal statement to apply to a teaching program? Or a cover letter that gets you the job? Our guide can help you figure out what to say and how to say it.
Need a personal statement to apply to a teaching program? Or a cover letter that gets you the job? Our guide can help you figure out what to say and how to say it.
Need a personal statement to apply to a teaching program? Or a cover letter that gets you the job? Our guide can help you figure out what to say and how to say it.
Your essay response—a.k.a. a personal essay, statement of purpose, statement of intent, cover letter, or some combination thereof—is your opportunity to tell exactly why you are the perfect fit for a teaching program or job.
For many (maybe even most?) people, the essay response is the hardest part of the application. If that’s you, you’re definitely not alone.
Here, we’ll look at ways to make it more manageable.
Before writing, take a breath. Get up, grab your phone, and call a friend or family member. Explain to them why you’re applying and why you think you’re a great fit. This will be helpful practice for starting your statement.
Better at brainstorming alone? Make a bulleted list of all the reasons you want to be a professional educator. More of an artist? Draw your feelings around the subject. No joke.
The goal here is to hone your thoughts and feelings around teaching. Once you’re clear on “why,” writing a statement becomes a straightforward task that you can spend time perfecting (rather than stressing over).
Now that you have some ideas going, you're ready to plan your essay.
In your essay, you want to:
Some applications break essay responses out into individual parts or questions. When this is the case, remember to choose reasons and specific examples that directly relate to the topic.
Visit the school, organization or program’s website and social media profiles. You can get a good sense for what they value (and what you might speak to in your essay) by doing a little recon.
Your statement is an opportunity to be creative—to a point. You still want to show your relevant skills, experience and vision.
Here’s our recommended outline. Just remember: You’re the expert on you! Take what works; revise what doesn’t.
If there’s anything on your resume or transcript you’re not proud of, consider addressing it here to use it to your advantage. Offer what you learned or how you grew from that experience.
When writing your essay, you want to sound authentic and set yourself apart from other applicants. Stay away from these sayings and clichés:
Before you upload your essay, revise, revise, revise.
Proofread, again. As any editor will tell you, it can take a few read-throughs to catch everything! Take another pass or two before you send off your application.
If you have any questions about your teaching program applications, reach out to a TEACH coach or admissions staff for support. We’re here for you.
Your essay response—a.k.a. a personal essay, statement of purpose, statement of intent, cover letter, or some combination thereof—is your opportunity to tell exactly why you are the perfect fit for a teaching program or job.
For many (maybe even most?) people, the essay response is the hardest part of the application. If that’s you, you’re definitely not alone.
Here, we’ll look at ways to make it more manageable.
Before writing, take a breath. Get up, grab your phone, and call a friend or family member. Explain to them why you’re applying and why you think you’re a great fit. This will be helpful practice for starting your statement.
Better at brainstorming alone? Make a bulleted list of all the reasons you want to be a professional educator. More of an artist? Draw your feelings around the subject. No joke.
The goal here is to hone your thoughts and feelings around teaching. Once you’re clear on “why,” writing a statement becomes a straightforward task that you can spend time perfecting (rather than stressing over).
Now that you have some ideas going, you're ready to plan your essay.
In your essay, you want to:
Some applications break essay responses out into individual parts or questions. When this is the case, remember to choose reasons and specific examples that directly relate to the topic.
Visit the school, organization or program’s website and social media profiles. You can get a good sense for what they value (and what you might speak to in your essay) by doing a little recon.
Your statement is an opportunity to be creative—to a point. You still want to show your relevant skills, experience and vision.
Here’s our recommended outline. Just remember: You’re the expert on you! Take what works; revise what doesn’t.
If there’s anything on your resume or transcript you’re not proud of, consider addressing it here to use it to your advantage. Offer what you learned or how you grew from that experience.
When writing your essay, you want to sound authentic and set yourself apart from other applicants. Stay away from these sayings and clichés:
Before you upload your essay, revise, revise, revise.
Proofread, again. As any editor will tell you, it can take a few read-throughs to catch everything! Take another pass or two before you send off your application.
If you have any questions about your teaching program applications, reach out to a TEACH coach or admissions staff for support. We’re here for you.