6.8: Composing Your Cover Letter
- Page ID
- 304825
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Your cover letter is a chance for you to speak to the ENGL 160 Committee directly to explain what skills you have improved this semester, how you approached each of the three assignments in the portfolio, and why you feel the work you’ve included demonstrates your readiness for ENGL 160. Your cover letter is the first thing the Committee will see when reviewing your portfolio.
A. Cover Letter Purpose and Guidelines
The cover letter to your final portfolio should be a letter (addressed to the ENGL 160 Committee) which discusses your personal writing experience throughout this class. In particular, you should focus on the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, peer review, revising, evaluation, re-revising) for each of the pieces in your portfolio, what you have learned from it, and how writing and revising that piece has improved your writing skills.
The body of your letter should discuss the three pieces you’ve included in the portfolio. For each piece, explain the following in a detailed paragraph or two:
- why you chose the piece for your portfolio
- how the original writing process went for the piece
- how you changed the piece for the portfolio
- why you feel the changes you made improved the piece
- how the piece illustrates your abilities as a writer
You should write a fairly detailed explanation for each piece included in your portfolio. The goal of your cover letter is to help your instructor and the committee understand your approach to writing and revising as well as the specific changes you made as you compiled your portfolio.
Your concluding paragraph should make a case for why you feel you are ready for English 160. It might include any realizations you’ve made about yourself as a writer and any changes you’ve made (or plan to make) in your writing process.
Your cover letter should be typed, single-spaced, between 600 and 750 words, and written using formal paragraphs. Editing, grammar, and proofreading count; remember, your cover letter is the first piece of writing the committee will see.
Click on the PPT link below for more information on the cover letter.
COVER LETTER INTRODUCTION PPT
B. Organizing Your Cover Letter
Use the following suggested template to help you compose your cover letter to the ENGL 160 Committee. Your letter should be between 600 and 750 words long and should discuss each of the three writing projects you chose for your portfolio. It should also include comments about how your writing has improved this semester.
Heading:
27 July 2017
First-Year Writing Program
University of Illinois at Chicago
Dear ENGL 160 Committee Members:
Part 1 (each part may be a single paragraph or multiple paragraphs):
Start with a few general statements about what you have accomplished in the course and what skills you feel you have improved on.
Part 2:
Focus on Project 1. Try to include the following:
- why you chose this piece to be included in your portfolio
- what your goals were for improving this project for the portfolio
- specific ways you improved the piece
- whether you feel you have successfully improved this project and why
- specific challenges you faced when working on this project (in both the original writing process and in this final revision for the portfolio)
- how this project reflects your strengths and weaknesses as a writer
- how this piece shows you are ready for ENGL 160
Part 3:
Focus on Project 2. Respond to the points above.
Part 4:
Focus on Project 3. Respond to the points above.
Part 5:
Conclude with a discussion of how your writing has improved during the semester, what challenges you still face in your writing, and how you plan to address those challenges in the future (like in ENGL 160).
Closing:
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Type your name
PRACTICE: Analyzing Cover Letter Paragraphs
Following are cover letter paragraphs written by EAP II students. After reading each paragraph, identify what it does well and how it could be improved. Consider the following:
- content and organization of each paragraph
- how well the paragraph covers the recommended points to include in each paragraph
- how well the paragraph demonstrates the specific changes and improvements made to the assignment
When you are done, compare your feedback with a partner.
1. INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
EAP 2 was a tough course to me. Online class, time difference, and new environment made the course even harder. At the beginning, I thought I would be okay to pass this course because I already had learned the most of writing skills in EAP1. In addition, I did pretty well on EAP1. However, EAP2 wasn’t as easy as I thought. As I mentioned first, the new circumstance came to me as a big challenge. The criteria of evaluation also got more selective. I had to write essays more logically and critically. However, despite the hard work and hard time, I have been able to write cohesive and sophisticated essays. Now, I feel I’m able to attend ENG 160 and I deserve it. Here are some improvements that I made throughout the course.
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| WHAT THE PARAGRAPH DOES WELL: |
| \(\bullet\) |
&
| HOW THE PARAGRAPH COULD BE IMPROVED: |
| \(\bullet\) |
2. BODY PARAGRAPH: SUMMARY
For summary \(2, I\) think I did a better job than before and the article I think I understand more than the first summary, I think I improve a lot after this semester. This semester we are focusing on summarizing and responding, both of these things are helping me get into english 160.
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| WHAT THE PARAGRAPH DOES WELL: |
| \(\bullet\) |
&
| HOW THE PARAGRAPH COULD BE IMPROVED: |
| \(\bullet\) |
3. BODY PARAGRAPH: SUMMARY-RESPONSE
Further, In this course, my second assignment was a summary/response essay. In this assignment, we have to read an essay, summarize it as well as write a response to two quotes from the author and respond to it by using different sources or by sharing personal experience for this assignment. Before writing a summary/response essay, I was unable to develop an organizational pattern and write a thesis statement by reading the essay. I think this assignment has helped me a lot to improve my writing in
summary/response and it also improved my writing skills in developing organizational patterns and thesis statements as I mentioned above in this paragraph. I would say that not only this assignment developed my organizational skills and thesis statement but it also helped me to improve my vocabulary skills for further assignment in English courses.
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| WHAT THE PARAGRAPH DOES WELL: |
| \(\bullet\) |
&
| HOW THE PARAGRAPH COULD BE IMPROVED: |
| \(\bullet\) |
4. BODY PARAGRAPH: RESEARCH PAPER
At last, my third and final assignment was about a research paper. In this assignment, I wrote about the research with relation to globalization and its positive and negative effects to the health and lifestyle of people. I had written about the positive effects of globalization such as improved health care, education based on new technologies and improved academia which you see below in detail in my research paper assignment. This assignment helped not only for the academics but also I came to know more in detail about globalization and its positives after doing research about globalization. For this assignment, I took help from sources as well as I share my personal experience about education. I think that research paper was one of the best assignments for me that have written and shared personal experience in this assignment.
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| WHAT THE PARAGRAPH DOES WELL: |
| \(\bullet\) |
&
| HOW THE PARAGRAPH COULD BE IMPROVED: |
| \(\bullet\) |
5. CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
All in all, in this course, with the encouragement from my teacher and classmates, I learned a lot in this course, from different summarizing skills to work and discuss with classmates. I feel confident enough that I am willing to take ENGL 160 as my next goal to achieve to be a higher level English writer.
WHAT THE PARAGRAPH DOES WELL:
\(\bullet\)
HOW THE PARAGRAPH COULD BE IMPROVED:
\(\bullet\)
COMPOSING YOUR COVER LETTER
Write a paragraph focusing on today’s Workshop Assignment. Try to answer the following questions and provide details about how you are improving the assignment.
- Why did you choose this piece to be included in your portfolio?
- What were your goals for improving this project for the portfolio?
- How, specifically, did you improve the project?
- Do you feel you have successfully improved the project, and why?
- What specific challenges did you face in working on this project (both in the original process and in the final revision for the portfolio)?
- How does this project reflect your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
- How does this project show you are ready for ENGL 160?