You may write your cover letter in English or French. It must not exceed 2000 words.
The motivation letter is one of the most important documents in your application. For the cognitive science master’s program, it is even the first document we review when assessing applications.
Why it matters
Your application includes your grades and transcripts, and nearly all the candidates whose applications we receive have excellent academic records. The letter is how we tell these outstanding applications apart: it is your opportunity to show who you truly are, beyond your grades and honors.
The master’s program aims to recruit original, open-minded students who are interested in the diversity of courses offered at ENS-PSL. We are not looking to recruit the best averages; we are seeking the best minds. The two are correlated, but only in part. Help us understand your background, what drives you, and what your scientific passions are.
Tips for writing your letter
“I don’t know where to start; I’ve been staring at a blank page for two weeks, and nothing comes out.”
There is no need to panic: writing a motivation letter is a very challenging exercise that takes time. Do not try to write polished sentences right away. Start by jotting down fragments of text without worrying about structure. Ask yourself what you are proud of; think of moments in your life when you accomplished difficult things, and write them down. Reflect on what you enjoy about cognitive science and try to remember what led you to want to study it at ENS-PSL. Make a list of the newspaper or magazine articles that caught your attention. If you have read popular science books on cognitive science, jot them down. You might not use these notes directly, but they will help you recognize your qualities and reinforce your motivation to apply. This step may take several days, or even weeks. Allow time for these ideas to surface. Only after this step should you think about organizing them into a meaningful structure.
What to include in your letter
Your letter should answer three questions: Who are you? What are you looking for at ENS? What do you want to become? Here are some tips for addressing each of them.
Who are you? We already have your CV. If your letter merely repeats the content of your CV, you will miss the opportunity to say more interesting things about yourself. Use the letter to show the meaning of your path and to explain your choices. Tell us how you decided to pursue cognitive science. Perhaps you read press articles or books, watched YouTube lectures or TED talks, or took online courses: explain how these experiences influenced you. Most applicants to the master’s program have not yet done a research internship; if you have, tell us what you learned from it. Avoid name-dropping, however: if you mention specific aspects of cognitive science, say something precise about them.
What do you want to become? The goal of the master’s program is to recruit academically talented and original students (we are not looking for a “competition machine” profile). We are looking for students interested in being trained by research, and for research. This training is valued in all research professions, as well as in other careers. Students of the master’s program in cognitive science go on to very diverse careers: some become researchers or research professors, others create start-ups, some become science communicators, others work as consultants in the public or private sector, some work in the private sector as data scientists, and others work in public or semi-public institutions such as SNCF or EDF. All these careers are valued in the master’s program. We organize numerous research seminars, as well as seminars that help students discover the wide range of careers cognitive science can lead to.
What are you looking for in the master’s program and at ENS-PSL? ENS-PSL is a prestigious school, which in itself is an excellent reason to want to study there, but it is not enough. Find out about the master’s program, its courses and the research done there, and show in your letter that you have thought about what the department and its training can offer you. Think about what you would like to study in the master’s program and, more broadly, at ENS-PSL, and explain it to us.
A final piece of advice about content: the jury may use your letter as a reference during your interview, so be prepared to discuss it. Do not overstate your skills or claim to have read overly complex works, as this could backfire during the interview. Instead, highlight what you are most eager to discuss. If your letter is well constructed, it will be your best ally during the interview.
Advice on presentation
Content is what matters most, but good presentation increases your chances of making a good first impression. Here are a few tips:
- Do not write your letter by hand.
- Be careful with colors, illustrations and unusual fonts. If graphic design is not your strength, keep it simple: black on white, in Times New Roman 12 pt, usually works very well.
- Make sure your spelling and syntax are impeccable. Prepare your letter well in advance so that people you trust (friends, teachers and others) can proofread it.
- Avoid clichés (e.g., “I’ve always been interested in the brain”).
Questions and common myths
“I got bad grades in my second year; there’s no point in applying.”
Do not self-censor. It is the jury that decides, not you. If you do not apply, you are guaranteed not to be accepted; if you apply, you give yourself a chance. If you had poor grades for a semester and there is an explanation, mention it in your letter. Do not assume the jury will overlook poor grades; assume instead that it will notice them, but that it is understanding and wants to know why. Illness, family difficulties, financial problems or a job alongside your studies should all be mentioned, because they help us understand your transcripts better.
“I got bad grades in preparatory classes (classes prépas, in France); there’s no point in applying.”
The ENS-PSL jury is very familiar with the workings of preparatory classes. We know that grading in prep school can be harsh and that teachers’ comments can be severe. We also know that prep school students’ grades are generally lower than those of university students. Again, do not self-censor. If you want to apply to the cognitive science master’s program, do so, even if your prep school grades are not outstanding. The jury will take everything into account.
“My academic background is ordinary. I have no remarkable experiences to share; I’m not an exceptional musician, I’ve never traveled abroad, I don’t do humanitarian missions. There’s no point in applying.”
What interests us most in your application is your potential to make the most of the scientific and intellectual life of the master’s program and ENS-PSL, and to transform what you learn here into a research or professional project that will have a positive impact on society. This potential is determined by two equally important factors: your academic abilities (whether you succeed in your studies) and your socio-behavioral abilities (whether you are serious, disciplined, hardworking and persistent; whether you can bounce back after failure and understand that mistakes are simply signals to keep learning; whether you have the energy to undertake new projects). These qualities may be reflected in certain hobbies: playing the violin for ten years at a conservatory, for instance, likely reflects discipline and persistence. But they are also, and often more strikingly, evident in other areas of life: being an athlete requires discipline and persistence; balancing studies with a student job demands discipline and persistence; and it takes a certain amount of courage to leave your hometown to study elsewhere (much more than it takes to travel the world on vacation). Tell us who you are, and help us evaluate your potential.