Porto, January 5th, 2019

Dear Sir/Madam responsible for the master’s programs recruitment of FEP,

Firstly, I would like to thank you for considering my candidature for the Master’s programs I am applying
and for giving me the opportunity to explain, in this letter, the reasons for my interest in this institution,
the skills I have and think are useful for this program and finally the goals I aim to achieve over the next
two years.

Since the beginning of my academic adventure I have ambitioned and set out to specialize in a highly-
ranked institution, like FEP. In my opinion, the internationalization of your school and the quality of its
programs are the differentiating characteristics of this institution and the main reasons why I am now
applying. Its success is the result of the investment in scientific innovative research and the very
heterogeneous and highly qualified awarded group of teachers and students. My motivation to apply to
your school deepened in the years of my degree at the Faculty of Economics at University of Porto (FEP),
during which I understood the relevance and importance of a highly educated and professionalized group
of teachers and the impact that caused in my academic growth.

I am applying for the Master’s program at FEP because I consider it meets my ambitions and my
knowledge. It is essential for the success of this program the commitment and the motivation of its
participants. In this sense, I consider that I will be an added value because I am immersed in management
fields and I am ready to study the main trends of recent research, draw my own path of study and
contribute to a more innovative and competitive society, with the theory and practise acquired in the
following two years. On the other hand, I am also aware I have a mediocre average grade that seems not
worthy of the quality standard of your programs. This is so because during the years of my degree I wanted
to fulfil my potential as a student and as political human-being, who likes to participate in the initiatives
and give her contributes. Investigating, collaborating with university institutions and reading scientific
books were my main daily tasks. As so, I was more of a practical student and I was always invested in
different kind of projects. Since I was a child I have been emerged in the business and management area,
specially because of my parents – they are self-taught business people and they instilled my taste for the
area and certainly were the catalyst for me to pursue an economic/management career. I had the unique
opportunity to join, in my first year of college, a politics organization in which I could see the financial and
political problems that Portuguese SME face nowadays, in which my parent’s companies were included.
For the most part of them, the main problem was the bad project management which has led to excessive
debt and financial leverage. In fact, the excessive rigidity of the Portuguese economy, as far as the fight
against the economic and financial crisis is concerned, is due, in part, to public debt but also due – in a
greater extent, I believe – to the private debt of companies and individuals.

At FEP, I will be able to expand my knowledge due to the versatile program that it offers and therefore I
will be ready to solve new challenges that many economies and companies face today, through the most
up-to-date theories and models. To fulfil what I believe it will be my role in the society, I must obtain good
analytical and research skills in a manner I can apply my knowledge and efforts into developing my own
findings and eventually contributing to a better economic organization. Furthermore, I hope that with
being in touch with professionals from different institutions and organizations I will be given the
comprehensive knowledge about how companies can be studied and put into practise actual measures
that help the economies and, consequently, people.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my deep interest and desire to join FEP. I know that your degree
programs have all the characteristics to help me build an international career (which I am aiming for) and
achieve a level of professional and personal fulfilment that will help me in my future career. For a
dedicated and competent student and for a passionate and interested attitude, you can count on this
application.

Yours sincerely,

Sílvia Gomes da Silva