A study abroad project always begins with initial discussions, often with a request for information and an initial contact to find out what steps need to be taken.
Most of the time, these exchanges take place in writing, creating an initial link between you and your future school. Through an email, a message posted on a web application form, a written request in comments on social networks... the school discovers you through your writing.
And these letters are far from unimportant. You will no doubt be familiar with the first 20 seconds rule: it is said that when people meet, they form an idea of the person they are talking to in the first 20 seconds of their interview.
When you're studying abroad from a distance, your first 20 seconds are in a way your first message, the first words you say to the person you're speaking to. Most of the time, unconsciously but inevitably, they will form an initial impression of you from your first words.
Last but not least, "words fly but writing remains". In an ultra-digitalised world, you can be sure that all your written work will be stored in your school's data and will be permanently accessible.
For all these reasons, taking care with your written communication is much more than a piece of advice - it's an absolute necessity. Here are a few tips to help you avoid blunders:
1. Saying hello
Even though this is a social convention, there's nothing old-fashioned about it, and whatever the medium you use to communicate, you should start with an introductory word: good morning, madam, sir, dear manager or whatever...
For example, if you are filling in a form to request more information about the school's international admissions procedure, start your message with : “Hello” rather than “I would like more information...”.
2. Introduce yourself
You may think that in the age of ultra-connectivity, your digital identity is omnipresent to your contacts and that, consequently, you don't necessarily need to introduce yourself when you make contact with someone.
Unfortunately, this is a mistake: many email addresses say nothing about your identity, and the same goes for pseudonyms. It is therefore essential to give at least your first and last name when you first contact someone or send them a written message.
3. Avoid piling on the superlatives
Of course, a study abroad project is both exciting and enthusiastic. You also often want to stack the odds in your favour by showing how well your profile matches the programme or how much you like the school you're applying to. To do this, it's very tempting to use superlatives, i.e. adjectives or words that express a characteristic with very high intensity.
The most, the best, extremely, enormously, unique, rare... these are all terms that can certainly express your enthusiasm, but they are also double-edged.
Exaggeration can be frightening and lead people to think that it's hiding something. Aren't you suspicious when someone sells you the merits of the most effective product in the world?
So a word of advice: stay moderate. Write with sincerity but in normal proportions. Yes, you think this school is a perfect match for your project, but no, you don't think it's the best school in the world.
4. Avoid (also) spelling mistakes
You often write your messages on telephones or other devices whose screens are not easy to read. Of course, it's not easy to proofread, but as a result, your messages are often littered with spelling and grammatical errors. Despite the best will in the world, reading will inevitably be adversely affected by these mistakes.
What's more, when you're preparing documents such as your CV or covering letter, you sometimes turn to great graphic-editing applications. It's an excellent idea that allows you to stand out from the crowd and present graphically attractive documents. On the other hand, these tools are rarely equipped with automatic proofreaders, which unfortunately leads to many mistakes that remain engraved in those professional documents that follow you around. If you use this type of tool, a simple copy/paste of your texts into a Word document using the automatic correction option should help you to quickly check the spelling and grammar of what you have written.
And last but not least, take the time to re-read everything you send or write. I promise you, the time you spend will be well invested and will certainly contribute to make your study project a reality!
So get to work and don't forget that our teams are also here to advise you on putting your project together.
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