Tailoring each application

You will adapt one strong core statement to each program, supervisor, scholarship or employer without starting from scratch or sending something generic.

Do this first

Open your top program's website. List three specifics: a faculty member's recent paper, a course, centre or resource you would use, and one requirement you had missed. Write one sentence linking each to your goals.

Steps

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Separate the core from the tailored parts
Keep a master version of your anchor, preparation and long-term goals. Expect to rewrite the opening, the plans and the fit paragraph for every program; the rest usually needs only light changes.
Check how the program admits students
Many research-based programs in Canada, the UK and Australia admit you to work with a specific supervisor, so you may need one to agree before you apply. Other programs, including many US PhD programs, admit a cohort and match supervisors later. Read the department's guidance before emailing anyone.
Email potential supervisors well
Keep the email under about 250 words, write each one individually, and give a specific reason their work fits yours. Attach your CV and unofficial transcript, and mention any funding you hold or are applying for. If you hear nothing in two weeks, send one polite follow-up, then move on.
Match scholarship essays to the criteria
Use the funder's own wording from the selection criteria as a checklist, and give evidence for each point. If the funder asks how you will contribute after your studies, give a concrete plan rather than a general wish to give back.
Tailor cover letters to the job
Keep a cover letter to one page: the role and why you are writing, one or two paragraphs matching your evidence to the main requirements, and a short close. Use the key terms from the posting, and expand on your CV rather than repeating it.
Ask referees early and brief them
Ask at least six weeks before the deadline, ideally eight to ten, and choose people who know your work well over famous names. Send your CV, draft statement, transcript, a list of deadlines and submission instructions, and two or three things you hope they can speak to.

Templates

Email to a potential supervisor

Subject: Prospective [master's / PhD] student: [your research topic], [term and year]

Dear Professor [Last name],

I am a [current role, e.g. final-year BSc student in Economics at University of X], and I plan to apply to the [program] at [university] for [term and year].

I read your [year] paper on [topic] with interest, especially [one specific point]. My own work on [project or thesis] [what you did and found], and I would like to extend it by [brief research idea].

Will you be accepting new [master's / doctoral] students for [term and year]? If so, I would be grateful for a short conversation about whether my interests might fit your group. [Optional: I hold / have applied for [scholarship or funding].]

I have attached my CV and unofficial transcript.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
[Full name]
[Email] | [Link to profile or website]

Asking for a reference letter

Subject: Reference request: [program or award], deadline [date]

Dear [Title and last name],

I am applying to [program or award] at [institution] and would be grateful if you would write a reference for me. You know my work from [course, project or role, with dates], and I think you could speak to my [two or three qualities, e.g. research skills, writing, reliability].

The deadline is [date]. You will receive [a link from the application portal / instructions by email] from [institution]. I have attached my CV, draft statement and transcript, and a one-page list of programs and deadlines.

If you are not able to write a strong letter at this time, I will completely understand.

With thanks,
[Name]

Cover letter frame

Dear [Hiring manager's name],

I am applying for the [job title] role at [organisation], advertised on [where]. [One sentence on who you are and why this role.]

In [current or recent role], I [achievement matching requirement 1, with a number if possible]. [Second example matching requirement 2.]

[Organisation]'s work on [specific project, service or value] matters to me because [reason], and I would bring [skill] to [team or goal].

I would welcome the chance to discuss how I could contribute. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
[Name]

Check your draft

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Each statement names the correct institution and program everywhere.
The fit paragraph mentions specifics that apply only to this program.
I have checked whether this program expects me to contact a supervisor before applying.
Each supervisor email is under about 250 words and mentions a specific piece of their work.
Scholarship essays address every stated criterion with evidence.
Each cover letter names the role and responds to its main requirements.
Referees have my materials and the deadlines at least six weeks ahead.

In your field

In lab-based fields, admission and funding often depend on a supervisor with space and money, so supervisor emails matter most here. Tailor by naming the group's methods, instruments or recent papers.

Common mistakes

Leaving another university's name in a statement or letter.
Sending the same long email to dozens of professors.
Asking a referee a week before the deadline with no materials attached.
Choosing a senior referee who barely knows you over a lecturer who supervised your project.
Writing a cover letter that repeats your CV line by line.

Go further

Queen's University: Contacting supervisorsHow to research faculty and structure a short, personalised first email, plus common pitfalls.
McGill University: Connecting with a supervisorExplains that some programs expect contact before you apply while others assign supervisors, with email etiquette.
Purdue OWL: Letters of recommendationTimelines for asking (six weeks minimum, eight to ten ideal) and what to give your referees.
Purdue OWL: Cover letters, formatting and organisationThe four parts of a cover letter (heading, introduction, argument, closing) and how it should work with your CV.