Dear Sirs and Madams:My name is Alexandra Zimireva.

Im a student of
gymnasia 9 in the city of Ekaterinburg.Let me tell you a few words about myself.
Being an ordinary girl, I possess unique desires andviews on life and the world
around me. My native town is Ufa, a most beautiful one inBashkortostan, with its
mountain air and astounding countryside, which surely may provide aquiet life
for anybody. However, such a calm and easy life is not for me; like my parents, I
wouldhave chosen the same challenging way of life as they have preferred, but I
was too young tomake my own decisions at that time, so my parents have
determined this way for a better life for myself and I fully approve of their
choice.At the age of six, my family moved to the capital of the Ural Oblast,
where I started goingto school. I have become an accomplished young lady
thanks not only to my devotion to thestudies, but also to many other occupations
and activities. It is my Grandmother who hasdeveloped valuable qualities of my
character, which save me from gossiping, scheming, andarguing with my
schoolmates. Due to my Grandmothers attention and care I have become
ayoung lady of determination and moderation.Ever since my childhood Ive been
leader; Im an energetic and creative person; I alwaysfind pleasure in work. The
more difficult the task is, the more exiting it is for me is one of myfavourite
sayings. I hate unfairness and I try restoring justice in any situation.At the age of
five I learned to read, to do arithmetic, and to play chess, which made
myentrance to a secondary school, where maths is taught thoroughly, a piece of
cake. However, Ididnt study there, because that school was too far away from
my home and my parents did notlike it, so they transferred me to one near my
house. Meantime, I attended the childrens musicand dancing group in the
Sverdlovsk (now Ekaterinburg) Theatre of Music Comedy. Everyweekend I
performed on stage. Dancing was my passion, and all my relations and friends
were proud of me, because I danced on the stage of a theatre of national scope. I
started my physicalactivities when I was five years old. I did some figure skating,
then embarked on synchronousswimming and developed my bodys flexibility in
the Circus Company. Unfortunately, all myoccupations were very time-consuming
and I followed my parents advice to take up volleyballinstead. Although
successful in each activity, I made focus on my studies, as my parents
wished,and I finished my mid-school with excellent results, so I found it only
natural to continue myeducation at one of the best elite school of the city and
become student of the Humanities class.It is my literature teacher who has
helped me to understand that I feel much better in theHumanities than the
Sciences; even in my early childhood I was fond of inventing short stories,and
later, I wrote adventure stories. Although my studies at school are extremely
hard and myhomework often happens to be so bulky that I have little spare time
for my hobbies or going outwith my friends, still, I am very happy at school and
find all school subjects fascinating andexiting! One of my extra favourites is
English. Thats where I enjoy most. Since twelve, I have been reading books and
watching films in English. In 2006, I visited Oxford and liked everythingabout it
the people, the language, the countryside, and the English mode of life. Now Im
sureGreat Britain is the country I adore, and which, I hope, will help me to fulfill
my dream of becoming highly professional specialist useful to people around
me.For the time being, I am preparing for my further education and career
devoting myself toschool studies, learning English, dancing and sports. I am very
hopeful of receiving your scholarship! I am looking forward to your contest
results.Thank you ever so much for your attention!Yours sincerely,Alexandra

Dear Sir or Madam:

With this letter, I would like to express my interest in studying at the University of XY as an Erasmus
student.
I am currently studying Masters Degree programme in Regional Geography at the ABC University in
London. Having looked through the materials of the Foreign Department of my university, I was very
delighted to find the opportunity to spend one semester learning geography at the University of XY. I
have decided to apply for this programme because I am sure it would strongly enrich my future
studies and help me in my prospective career. Moreover I consider this programme as a great
opportunity to get in touch with British culture and educational system. Last but not least, I am very
curious about different approaches to the geography at the foreign university.
I have chosen to apply for University of XY, because I really like its module system of study. I specially
appreciate the wide range of offered modules and the freedom in making your study plan. Many of the
modules offered are unique for me, because there is no equivalent at my home university. Very
important for me is also an Excellent rating for teaching of the Geography department and the
overall friendly atmosphere at both the university as well as the city. The third main reason why I have
chosen XY is its Urban and Regional Policy Research Institute. It specializes in interdisciplinary
research on key regional and urban policy issues, which is the field of geography very familiar to me.
During my prior studies I have found out, that I would like to specialize in Urban and Transport
Geography. The University of XY gives me a chance to get in touch with these subjects through
modules from both Department of Geography and Department of Town and Regional Planning. In my
last year at the ABC University I worked on an empirical study with main focus on transportation costs
of suburbanisation and urban sprawl. I really liked my project and I am keen to continue in it. I would
like to use my stay in XY for further developing my skills in empirical research and starting working on
my diploma project. The possibilities that gives me University of XY further expand those at my home
university. I would take modules focusing on Transport and Urban geography and European Studies.
I would very much like to spend one semester at the University of XY. This would give me a chance to
deepen my geographical knowledge in the inspiring, creative, and cosmopolite environment of one of
the largest British universities. Furthermore I could improve my English and increase my confidence in
passing the TOEFL examinations after I return. Moreover, I am confident that my experience in
London would be extremely exciting, fun, and valuable for both my studies and overall general
development.
Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours
Suzan Parent

faithfully,