Using cover letter templates for Ph.D. applications is acceptable as long as applicants personalize the content significantly. While templates provide a useful structure, relying solely on them can lead to generic submissions that fail to capture the attention of admissions committees. Personalization is crucial for standing out among numerous applications, as the cover letter often serves as the first impression. Therefore, applicants should focus on crafting unique narratives that reflect their individual experiences and aspirations.
PREREQUISITESUndergraduate students applying for Ph.D. programs, academic advisors, and anyone involved in the graduate application process seeking to enhance their cover letter writing skills.
BOAS said:I'm only an undergraduate so maybe this advice doesn't apply, but it's what I have always been told when writing applications.
The person that will read your application will be reading lots and lots of applications from other people and sometimes the covering letter is the only reason that person takes a deeper look into the rest of your application. Looking at templates is a good way to see the typical structure and content of a covering letter but you must find a way to make yours stand out from the rest.
If everyone uses these templates and does a little modifying, you're not going to stand out.