Now that you've identified a career that interests you and a college or university with a related program, it's time to take the next step in your career path. In this activity you will write a letter to that college or university, requesting more information about its application process and any programs you might like to investigate.

Important questions to ask in this letter include:

• What are your application requirements?
• How do I get financial aid to attend this college or university?
• What do you look for in your students?

1. Start by typing your address. It can be positioned at the left margin or centered.

• Start with your first and last name.
• Type your street address with apartment number if you have one.
• Type your city, two-letter state abbreviation, and ZIP code.

Here are two examples:

María Gonzalez 123 Ocean Drive Apt. 12 Los Angeles, CA 99999

Mohamed Brown 654 Main St. Riverdale, NJ 02007

2. Type today's date. Here are two examples:

25 January 2006

January 25, 2006

• Start with Admissions Office.
• Type the name of the university.
• Type the university's street address with building and room number if it has one.
• Type the university's city, two-letter state abbreviation, and ZIP code.

4. Begin by greeting with "Dear Sir or Madame:" at the left margin.

Dear Sir or Madame:

5. Leave one blank line, then introduce the purpose of your letter and ask for information. Give a little personal information about yourself. Separate paragraphs with blank lines. Here is an example:

I am interested in a career as a geologist [replace geologist with a career of high interest to you]. I have studied volcanoes [replace volcanoes with a unit you've studied that is related to your career interest] and researched job possibilities related to this fascinating area and think I would be very good at it.

Does your university have any related majors in this area? What are they? What are the specific high school classes I need to take to be prepared to start this major? What is the GPA requirement? What are the required SAT or ACT scores to be admitted? Could you give me an estimate of how much your semester tuition and other fees will be in the year I wish to be admitted, 2012? Does your university provide financial aid? How can I get some financial aid?

Thank you for your response.

6. Close by stating "Sincerely," followed by three blank lines and your typed first and last name. These should be typed either indented to match your address at the top, or flush with the left margin. Sign below bellow the closing and above your typed name. Here is an example:

Sincerely,     María Gonzalez

Congratulations! Through this module you've taken some important first steps in identifying a career path. You can continue to use the Center for Educational Technologies^® Career Information System to investigate other careers. Learning about your options will make you better prepared to make these important decisions when the time arrives. Good luck in your future pursuits!