Writing application letters

• College admission letter

  Also known as the "letter of intent". A brief discussion of your intention or interest to be admitted in a specific course in college.
• Employment application letter

  Also known as a "cover letter". Used to introduce yourself to a prospective employer, usually submitted with a resume.
• Purpose of application letters

  • To demonstrate interest in the company, sell your services and qualifications, and show you are fit for the job position.
• Essential factors in composing application letters

  • Purpose
  • Content
  • Format
• Purpose

  The reason why the business letter is written. "What is this letter for?"
• Common purposes of letters used for professional correspondence

  • Application
  • Inquiry
  • Request
• Content

  Covers the texts found in a letter. "What should I say?" and "How should I say what I want to say?". It expresses the sender's purpose for writing the letter in a concise, coherent, and formal manner.

  
• Parts of a letter

  • Heading
  • Date
  • Inside address
  • Salutation
  • Body
  • Complimentary close
  • Signature

  
• Introduction

  The sender and the purpose.
• Conclusion

  The interest to communicate further.
• Format

  The main concern is how the letters look - the font styles and sizes, the margins, and the spacing between the parts.
• Letter formats

  • Block
  • Modified block
  • Semi-block
• Ideal characteristics of business letters

  • Neat
  • Inviting
  • Concise
  • Sincere
• Readability is the topmost concern in formatting application letters.
• The common fonts are Times New Roman and Arial, font size not less than 12, 1" all sides margins, and single space between all elements except the body which uses double spacing.
• The most common layout for business letters is the block format where all parts of the letter are aligned to the left.