Documents Preperation

Here are several tips on preparing the documents for your application; you're welcome 😄🫰

Last updated: April 3, 2025

Edited by: M. J. Lesmana (M20)

Identification Documents

The identification documents are pretty straight to the point, whose purpose is solely to identify the applicant. The documents included are usually only an identity card (ID card) with your citizenship listed and/or a passport. Make sure your passport is valid! You can always re-apply for a new passport online through the M-Paspor application from the Directorate General of Immigration.

The identification documents are important as they serve to validate your name and birthdate provided, and they must be the same on all your documents (ID, transcripts, degree certificate, etc.). The name on your documents must match the name you reported. If the full name or birthdate is different from any other documents, the difference must be explained with official documentation.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Every graduate needs to have a well-made CV, either for graduate studies or a job application. A CV is a comprehensive statement of your educational background, teaching, and research experience. Both are somewhat different depending on their purpose. We are going to cover the tips on creating an academic or a professional CV.

General Rule

Tailor your CV to the specific positions to which you are applying and place more relevant sections earlier in the document.

• For a position at a teaching-focused liberal arts college, the CV will strongly emphasize teaching.

• For a position at a research-intensive university, the CV will accentuate research. 

• For a position as an engineer in an industrial role, the CV will highlight your professional working experience as well as any leadership/organizational roles.

Your CV must be well-organized and easy to read. Choose an effective format and be consistent. Use bolds, italics, underlines, and capitalization to draw attention. List all relevant items in reverse chronological order in each section. Be strategic in how you order and entitle your categories (place the most important information near the top and/or left side of the page).

Articulate what you have done and take advantage of the opportunity to describe your research and teaching experiences—do more than simply list them. Use active verbs and sentence fragments (not full sentences) to describe your experiences. Avoid pronouns (e.g. I, me), and minimize articles (a, and, the). 

Finally, “Why should we select YOU?” – That is the question on the top of your reader’s mind, so craft your CV to convince the reader that you have the skills, experience, and knowledge they seek!

Academic CV

An academic CV should highlight research and teaching experience, publications, grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and any other details in your experience that show you’re the best candidate for a faculty or research position advertised by a college or university. Unlike resumes (and even some other CVs), academic CVs can be any length. This is because you need to include all of your relevant publications, conferences, fellowships, etc. 

The basic sections that are typically included in the CV are:

• Headings: Name, email address, phone number, and any contact details

• Education: List of academic degrees, You can include the name of institution, city and state, degree type and major, month and year degree was (will be) awarded, and your thesis title and advisor, if applicable 

• Research Experience: If you have been employed as a research assistant, include the relevant dates, job titles, and employers here. You can also include bullet points detailing your research achievements in each position. 

• Teaching Experience: Since teaching assistantships are very common in FMAE ITB, make sure you include all teaching experience, such as lab demonstrating, exam marking, small group teaching, supervising research projects, or one-to-one teaching. Group this sensibly to avoid needless repetition. 

• Professional and Organizational Experience: You might also want to include any related internship positions or working experience. But be selective; choose the most relevant to be put into your CV. The same thing goes when adding any organizational experience. Do not include terms that are not understood by the general public. It is great that you were an active student, being the Senator of HMM ITB, the Head of Division of something, or the Minister of Social-Politics in KM ITB. But honestly, no one out there really understands what you were doing. Therefore, highlight the impact you made from those positions rather than just pointing out the title.

• Awards and Prizes: List here any prizes you have won for academic merit, again in reverse chronological order. Any competitions you have won  If the prize will not be understood by the reader, give a brief explanation. Any scholarships given to you should also be added in this section with the name of the donor and the year of the recipient.

• Publications: This is one of the most important sections of an academic CV. It is essential to ensure that you present your publications professionally. Peer-reviewed journal articles are the publications that really matter in the academic job market, and these should be listed together first. It should be clear where the article is in the publication process, for example, ‘submitted,’ ‘under review,’ or ‘accepted for publication.’

• Fellowships/Grants/Fundings: It refers to obtaining funding for research (i.e., not scholarships, which would be listed under ‘Awards and Prizes’). If you have gained experience in obtaining research funding during your studies, then you should list it under this section (such as PKM research fund, etc.)

• Conference: In the early stages of your research career, this may simply be a list of conferences you have attended. However, as you gain experience, that list becomes too long, and researchers cut it down to the list of conferences and talks given.

• Patents: If you have been involved with a patent, then you should list it.

• Projects: This section typically includes any engineering projects you have done, any research (besides your thesis), prototyping, or any social services you did in the past.

• Skills/Interests: A summary of particular or relevant strengths or skills that you want to highlight (any computing or language skills). You may also include any research topics that you specialize in or are interested in.

• References: References are taken seriously in academia. This could be a supervisor, collaborator, or thesis examiner, for example. You should always alert your referees that you are putting them down as a reference and what you are applying for.

Note: Some of these sections might not be applicable to your field, so remove any that don’t make sense for you. 

Professional/Career CV

A professional CV for job seeking is typically also known as a resume and is quite different from an academic CV. Your resume provides an overview of your experience and is often an employer’s first impression of you. Recruiters spend just a few seconds on average looking at a resume, so it is crucial to use a format that makes relevant information immediately visible. 

In terms of length, a resume is typically only one page long (especially for fresh graduates with minimum experience), so please be very selective on the information you include in your resume. Repeatedly ask yourself, 'Is it really necessary for the recruiter to know I'm involved in this position?' 'What part do I want to highlight regarding this position when it was during the interview session?' 

A resume should heavily mention your professional working experience and relevant skills or certifications you might have. Any other information is generally the same as mentioned previously in the academic CV section above.

Here are some additional sources that might be useful to tailor your CV:

• Harvard GSAS

• ICL

• University of Illinois

• Harvard FAS

• MIT

University Degree and Transcript

A degree certificate/diploma and transcripts are essential documents for graduate application or job-seeking. The academic transcript of completed courses and grades is also important to be attached to your degree. Both documents must be officially issued by a representative of the Academic Registrar's Office, the Examinations Office, or the equivalent office that issues official transcripts of records at your university. 

Be careful with the translation requirements. Fortunately, ITB officially issued both degree certificates and transcripts in Indonesian and English translation. If not, the documents must be translated into the designated language by a sworn translator.

All copies of officially issued university documents must be certified as true copies of the original. This means that the copies must be stamped and signed by the issuing institution. To certify a copy (legalized) of the diploma and transcript in FTMD ITB, you must bring a photocopy of the documents and give it to the administration office of FTMD and pay the corresponding fee.

In addition, some institutions may require you to have a notarized copy of the diploma and transcript. If this is the case, find yourself a public notary and bring the legalized copy of the documents from FTMD, then bring it to the notary to get it stamped.

In another case, you may also be asked to apostille the documents. An apostille is a certification that verifies the authenticity of a document's signature, seal, and/or stamp, confirming that it was issued by a competent authority. It's used to facilitate the international recognition of documents. These are the steps you need to follow:

1. Create an account at https://apostille.ahu.go.id/

2. Create an application, fill out the form with the required data, and upload the scanned documents. To apostille, you must have the original copy of the document (all copies must be notarized beforehand). Choose the Kemenkumham office location for apostille collection (if required). 

3. After the application is approved, make the payment according to the instructions provided on the AHU website (Rp 150,000/document). 

4. The apostille process usually takes 1–5 business days, depending on the number of applications. 

5. If using the electronic service, download the apostille certificate from the AHU website. If choosing the printed service, collect the document with the apostille stamp at the selected Kemenkumham office.

*If the diploma will be used abroad, ensure that the destination country has acceded to the Apostille Convention (1961 Hague Convention). If not, additional legalization at the destination country's embassy may be required. 

In the case that you haven't completed your final year of studies, some applications to master's studies or job opportunities may allow you to submit a temporary certificate of graduation issued from the administration office of FTMD. The latest update regarding the temporary graduation certificate is that it can only be issued if you have finished your thesis defense, which may not be aligned with some application deadlines. Please contact the Head of Department of your study program for further details and more updated information.

English Proficiency Test (IELTS or TOEFL)

The standard English test scores, whether IELTS or TOEFL, are very fundamental to have for those who want to study abroad or even work in a multinational company. 

The required test scores are different depending on what institution you apply to. For instance, it might range from an average IELTS score of 6.0 for admission to an international course in Japan to 7.5 for admission in the U.S. and the U.K. Also, make sure you know the minimum required score for each section (listening, reading, writing, and speaking), as some might also require you to have no lower than a certain score to be processed for admission.

If possible, get your English language certificate as soon as possible since it will definitely be handy if you ever need it someday. Make sure to check its validity prior to application because IELTS and TOEFL test scores are only valid for up to two years since the certificate was issued. The tests are typically available for general and academic purposes, but choosing the academic version of the test would be more versatile as it is valid for both job applications and graduate studies. For IELTS, you can schedule a test online through the British Council or IDP.

The price of the test in Indonesia for IELTS Academic is Rp 3,150,000. For TOEFL ITP (used for job applications and domestic university purposes), the price ranges from Rp 500,000 to Rp 650,000. While TOEFL iBT (used for applying to universities abroad) has a price range of Rp 2,900,000 to Rp 3,300,000.

Another important thing is to make sure that your institution accepts IELTS and/or TOEFL. Most institutions may accept either, but some may only recognize one of them. Although IELTS is mostly accepted, some institutions, such as Stanford University, only accept TOEFL for its admission process.

The key is to practice! Remember, there is no such thing as an instant process for you to be proficient in another language. It's far better to study little by little for months prior to the exam rather than cramming a lot at the last minute. There are A LOT of free practice materials available online (web pages and videos), so please utilize them. Here are just some useful links to start your IELTS preparation journey:

• IELTS Exam Library

• IELTS Advantage

• IELTS Liz

GRE Test

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test used by many graduate schools worldwide to assess a person's critical thinking skills, including verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. A GRE test assesses broader graduate-level skills, unlike the GMAT, which primarily focuses on business-level skills. Practice for the test as early as possible because although the test is relatively simple, it might not be as easy as you think.

However, also make sure that the GRE test is necessary when you are applying to a graduate school. Although most schools nowadays do not require the applicant to submit their score, some graduate programs may still require you to submit a test score as part of the application (i.e., MSc of Energy Science and Technology at ETH Zurich, etc.). Some schools may also consider the GRE test as an optional document, which could potentially improve your chance of admission (i.e., Graduate of Mechanical Engineering at MIT or MSc of Energy Science and Technology at EPFL). 

The price for a GRE general training test is about Rp 2,900,000 to Rp 3,300,000. Therefore, it is essential for you to be well-prepared and familiarize yourself with the test. You can find strategies and tips for the test from the ETS website. 

Here are some practice resources you may find useful:

• GRE Resource 1

• GRE Resource 2

• GRE Resource 3

Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter

The statement of purpose, also known as a motivation letter or research statement, is a standard part of the application process for graduate studies applications. It is the most important part over which you have full control since you are writing it yourself. Unfortunately, many statements give no useful information, not because the candidate is unqualified but because they do not know what information they should include.

Audience

The target audience of a research statement is made up of scientists; thus, you should write for scientists: stay concrete and support allegations with evidence. Remember that scientists have varied backgrounds, and it is unlikely that all of your audience shares yours. In science, you are expected to be neither overly bombastic, which comes across as egomania, nor overly humble, which comes across as self-hatred. On the flip side, mention things that seem obvious to you but are not standard everywhere, such as having a full-time job during your studies, being a high-level athlete while maintaining high grades, and other such evidence of commitment, organization skills, and teamwork.

Context

Your statement will be read alongside your CV and transcript, so restating its contents is a waste of space (considering that most SoPs have a word limit, usually 1000 words). Instead, your statement is an opportunity to elaborate on your past experience and future goals. Your statement will be read by people with a limited time to review a pile of statements, so it must be short and to the point. The beginning especially needs to go straight to the point: if the reader finds it cliché and lacking specifics, such as “When I was little…”, they may not even read until the end.

Your application will be evaluated alongside hundreds of other applications, so you should focus on what makes you different, not on general facts that are true of most applicants. Your interest in research is not unique, but your experience and motivation may be. Your grades are not unique, but the specific projects you did may be. The person reading your statement is trying to answer one question: would I want this person as a colleague? That is, will this person be motivated, competent, and nice to work with?

Structure

Your statement should start with a summary of your interests, past experience, and motivation. You should write this summary after writing the rest of the statement. The rest of your statement should convince the reader that you are motivated, competent, and nice to work with. Please keep in mind to make your essay personal and specific for each application. If you are applying to several schools, be sure to make each of them personal. Remember, this is the same as a CV, for which there will never be one essay that fits all applications!

Describe your motivation: a specific challenge you want to tackle, a set of ideas you’d like to explore, the general area you want to dive deep in, and the reason why you are interested in these. Keep it focused enough that readers can see you as a good match but not so focused that readers think they do not have the expertise to supervise you. Avoid looking like a “jack of all trades” by suggesting an overly broad range of subjects since you cannot possibly have expertise in every topic. It is a good idea to use broad questions such as “How does sustainability affect the power generation sector in my country?” as a first question that you then refine into a specific interest. Mention specific pieces of work you find particularly inspiring, and explain why.

If you have research experience already, describe what problems you worked on, why they were interesting, and what you contributed. What approaches did you try and why? What did you learn? Would you want to continue working on this? Why did you enjoy doing research? Paint a clear picture of you as a scientist and human being: what drives you, how you make decisions, how you resolve dilemmas, and so on. Convince the reader that you have some idea of what research entails and that you would like to do it, even if you’ve never done it before. Include experience that backs up your claims, such as leading a student club, as evidence that you have leadership and management skills.

Finish by describing examples of work you like from the place you’re applying to. Are there specific advisors you’d like to work with? What specific work particularly influenced you? Which courses are you interested in from the program's curriculum? And why? This is not a commitment, only a way to explain why you are applying to that specific place. Such examples should not merely be one sentence stating names and paper titles. Explain why you want to work with specific people/professors and what you found interesting in their work. This is not easy, but it will make you stand out. However, do not make your statement entirely about how you’d like to work on a specific project older than 3-4 years, as this risks dooming your application if the advisor is looking for people to work on something else, for instance, because the student behind the project has graduated. Instead, you can say you enjoyed that project and would love to work on a similar topic.

Details

Spend some time researching the challenges, ideas, and areas you mention. Avoid coming across as an amateur by using wildly incorrect terminology or describing challenges that are known to be either trivial or impossible. Readers care about who you are now, not who you were in the past. Describe your current research dreams, not your childhood ones. Mention your past when it is relevant to who you are now, such as the experience you gained from past jobs or a specific life experience that led you toward research.

Tell a story! Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience, and be specific about it. One of the worst things you can do is bore the admissions committee, so finding a 'hook' is vital! The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important part. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. But don't be too dramatic. Don't try to be the 'ideal' candidate; just be yourself!

Explain oddities in your record if possible. For instance, if you want to do research in combustion technologies but got a barely passing grade in your thermodynamics or fluid mechanics course, clarify what happened if there was a good reason. Avoid abstract and unnecessary flattery toward your readers and yourself. Only praise your readers if you have specifics that make sense in the context of your application. Only boast about accomplishments that are impressive from a scientific perspective, not vague ones such as having been on many continents. Do not put down people, institutions, or entire research fields, no matter how much you dislike them.

Language

Be specific whenever possible, illustrating with clear examples. Avoid unnecessary introductions, vague philosophical statements, and overly verbose descriptions. Avoid subjective assessments and hyperbole. If something is “significant,” you can state it quantitatively. If something is “important,” it has some concrete effect you can point to. This is doubly true for soft skills, which are harder to provide evidence for. It is better not to say anything than to make grandiose claims such as “I am a perfect fit” without evidence. 

Aim for a high density of information in your statement. A one-page statement that tells a lot about yourself wins over a two-page statement stuffed with platitudes.

Use appropriate titles for people. If you’re not sure, use “Prof.” for everyone. Avoid accidentally calling someone by a lower title, such as “Dr.” for a professor. This can look particularly bad if you happen to only do so for members of underrepresented groups, even by accident.

Do not start the statement with an opening such as “To whom it may concern” (unless it was asked for); this is a waste of space. If you insist on having one, at least make it gender-neutral and not “Dear Sirs.” Similarly, an end such as “Please feel free to contact me […]” is not useful as it is implicit. Make sure your grammar is correct. Spell-check! Minor typos are fine; everybody makes those, but triple-check names, such as the professors and labs you’d like to work with. Ask people you know for feedback, especially if you know people who are already doing research, such as former colleagues or advisors in internships. While not everyone may have the time to help, asking is free.

Last Tip!

Though this is the last tip, this might be the most important of them all. 

The Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter is a personal essay that provides admissions committees an opportunity to learn about an applicant's background, goals, and aspirations. It also serves as an example of aptitude in scientific exposition and writing. 

As such, this essay must be written entirely by yourself. DO NOT use generative AI to create texts for your essay! The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate text for essays is not acceptable and could lead to rejection of the application or rescindment of admission.

Please use AI responsibly. The use of AI only to generate ideas for your essay is typically still acceptable. Remember that your essay is a reflection of your academic writing. If you do not take accountability and be responsible for your own writing, then you are not yet ready to pursue graduate studies! 

Research Proposal

A research proposal is essential, especially if you are applying to a PhD program. From a research plan, you can try to convince a professor to be willing to supervise you for your research if it aligns with his/her interest and specialization. But beforehand, you need to find the right professor to whom your proposal will be addressed.

An attractively prepared research proposal is also crucial for achieving sufficient resources to conduct a successful project/study. Funding agencies that sponsor research use a proposal as the basis for making their funding decisions. 

A research proposal should contain the following sections:

• The research title of the topic area 

This should accurately reflect what it is that you want to study and the central issues that you are going to address 

•  Synopsis

A concise summary of what your research is about. It outlines the key aspects of what you will investigate as well as the expected outcomes. It briefly covers the what, why, and how of your research.  

• Background

In this section, the researcher should make the reader aware of what has already been done and what is already known in the area (through some literature searches).  It should strengthen the author's argument concerning the significance of the study and point out how the proposed research will augment that knowledge and why this is important. The problem that the intended research will address should be stated in such a way that its importance is apparent to the reviewer. The background should demonstrate the researcher's command of current knowledge in the field, forming a logical reason ending in the research question.

• Significance

The proposal must clearly describe how the proposed research will make a contribution to existing knowledge and why it is important. The proposal should indicate the expected generalisability of the research, its contribution to theory, possible applications, or consequences of the knowledge to be gained.

• Objectives

Specific, achievable objectives provide the reader with clear criteria against which proposed research can be assessed, and this section should be kept short and clear. A statement of a research hypothesis or specific model to be tested is preferable as it can be defined as true or false.

• Research Questions

This will help the reader to identify which variables are going to be measured. The question should be relevant when judged in relation to the background and the objectives. The questions must also be researchable and answerable using appropriate research methods.

• Methods

In your proposal, suggest the methodological approach that you might take and make a reasoned case as to why the research questions you have posed are best addressed by this approach. Cover what materials and equipment you will use, what theoretical frameworks you will draw on, and how you will collect data. Highlight why you have chosen this particular methodology, but also why others may not have been as suitable. You need to demonstrate that you have put thought into your approach and why it's the most appropriate way to carry out your research.  

• Timeframe

Within the timeframe, you will need to demonstrate your awareness of time management and planning, for example, the length of time for primary research/ fieldwork. A work plan is a critical component of your research proposal because it indicates the feasibility of completion within the timeframe and supports you in achieving your objectives throughout your degree. Consider the milestones you aim to achieve at each stage of your research. 

• Ethical Awareness

Any ethical implications of the study should be described, and an explanation as to how they will be handled should be given because the integrity of the study participant must be protected at all times.

• Resources/Budget

Provide details of the resources you will need to carry out your research project. Consider equipment, fieldwork expenses, travel, and a proposed budget to indicate how realistic your research proposal is in terms of financial requirements and whether any adjustments are needed. The funding requested must be justifiable in relation to the information derived from the study.

• References

You should include a reference list of all the sources that you referred to in the text using a recognized referencing style appropriate to your discipline.

Here are some resources that might be useful to help you write your research proposal:

• University of Sydney

• University of Brighton

Commitment and Contribution Essay (For LPDP)

This essay is relatively similar to the Statement of Purpose mentioned previously, but specifically for the contribution essay required by LDPD, it requires you to focus heavily on your plan after obtaining the degree and what problem you're going to solve in Indonesia. The contribution essay is a bit longer, with 1500 to 2000 words.

The commitment and contribution essay may be considered the most important section for an LPDP application as it will be required from the beginning of the application process, and it will be brought up in the substantial selection (interview) process. This will allow the committee to evaluate your consistency and dedication to your study as a step toward your larger plan in the future.

First things first, you need to have a strong understanding of the essay's purpose, which is to assess your suitability for the scholarship, including your potential, motivation, and commitment to contributing to Indonesia's development. Therefore, you need to start researching LPDP's vision, even Indonesia's vision as a country. Be updated on the latest news and updates about Indonesia! You cannot hope that a country will give you a scholarship if you are ignorant of it.

In writing your essay, show your worth and uniqueness while being concise and specific at the same time. Simply focus on explaining the problems and your proposed solutions, then show them your future contribution. Start by making points of these topics:

1. Problem identification

2. Proposed solutions

3. Gap analysis (competency and opportunity)

4. Choose the proper study field and university

5. Formulate your concrete contribution

Structure

In the opening, make an intriguing title that represents your plan of contribution. It's important to create a 'hook' for the readers. You can start with the problem/issue you are going to discuss in the essay. It can also be interesting if the problem was encountered from your personal experience. Explain its urgency. Why does it have to be addressed? Why now? Support and justify your findings with valid data. Show that the need for scientific knowledge, skills, or competencies to solve it is something you have not yet acquired with your current academic background.

Show the importance of the field you are taking. The urgency and relevancy of the field you are taking to the problem you are going to solve must be specific and detailed. It must also correlate with the study program/campus/country of your target and why they align. Is it because of the curriculum offered? Is there a specific professor you want to work with? Are there any specific facilities that support your upcoming research? The other important thing is to show your field of expertise could fill the working role/qualification at the institution you are planning to work in the future.

The plan for your contribution can be broken down into short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans. All of them must have a clear correlation with one another, which represents the steps in how you can reach your proposed solution. Show your bargaining power! Please make sure that your contribution is real and tangible (use the SMART method). Make it achievable because the evaluators are someone who also has experience in their field, so there will be no use in bluffing your expertise.  This contribution must resonate with your career plan after you graduate (either in academics, practitioner, or both). Derive the steps you are taking to achieve your career plan. Find the common thread in what has been done, what is currently being done, and what will be done!

Finally, make a conclusion of your essay and show your optimism. You can restate the problem/issue you're going to solve, make it clear! Convince that pursuing further studies can enhance competencies and opportunities to solve problems and achieve national development goals. Why should you be the one to do it all?

*Key takeaways

You are smart..., but then what?

While you are exposed to lots of information and knowledge, equipped with up-to-date issues, you might have a much higher 'dream' to achieve. You know that you are going to graduate from one of Indonesia's top universities; therefore, you may believe that you have a high level of academic ability and deserve to have high aspirations to study in America, Europe, or Australia. One thing is that it is good to have high self-esteem and set ambitious goals so that you are motivated to jump as high as possible and then give back to this nation. 

However, in most cases, there is a disconnect between high self-esteem and what will actually contribute in the future. Some people can smoothly explain their study plans, but they struggle to logically connect their story with a clear explanation of how they will contribute. For example, someone wants to study renewable energy and aims to contribute by developing renewable energy infrastructure to electrify eastern Indonesia. But when asked how, they say they will start a renewable energy company and build micro-hydro power plants in remote rivers of Papua and Maluku, which will then electrify villages. Oh, come on, guys… You should touch the grass a bit more. Come back to reality and take a closer look at the real-world challenges.

So, humble yourself, observe the problems around you, reflect on them, and ask yourself what you can do. Then, create a logical and realistic plan. Of course, you may not yet be able to draft a detailed and comprehensive plan with all its complexities, but placing yourself and your potential within the context of the problem and giving your best effort is already enough.

Returning to the previous example—after coming back from abroad with knowledge of renewable energy management, you can simply state that you will join an NGO working in the energy sector and collaborate with them to find better ways to provide electricity access to communities. Even something as simple as that is sufficient to demonstrate how you plan to contribute. (This is quoted from an LPDP reviewer’s feedback.) The key point is that LPDP is not just looking for intelligent young individuals. What LPDP seeks are young people who are not only smart but also capable of using their intelligence to build this nation.

LPDP also needs to be convinced that you are genuinely sincere and serious about preparing for your contribution. Convincing them is not easy because it requires evidence, while contributions are something that will happen in the future. In such a situation, what LPDP evaluates is your track record, pattern consistency, and overall attitude. For instance, if you claim that you want to develop electricity infrastructure for rural communities but have no experience in social or community-based activities, it will be difficult for anyone to believe you. If you say you want to become a professor but struggle with communication and tend to be close-minded, people will naturally have doubts.

Pursuing further studies should be a well-planned part of your life journey, not just a side activity or something you do simply because the opportunity arises. It needs to be carefully prepared and supported by a consistent pattern of previous activities, followed by real contributions in the future.

Lastly, LPDP already knows that you need them. So, make LPDP feel that they need you too.

Recommendation Letters

A recommendation letter is another important aspect of supporting your application. It can almost definitely be used for graduate studies applications and some multination job applications as well. The letter is a formal document written by someone who knows you well, assessing your skills, character, and potential and vouching for your suitability for a specific opportunity.

Because the person needs to write a lot about you, so be sure to choose the proper referees who really know you well (not just a random colleague or even a random professor who has taught you in one or two courses). It is typically written by individuals who have worked with you, such as supervisors and mentors.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you must ask the recommender politely whether he/she is available to give you a recommendation. Not everyone is willing to give you a recommendation! It strongly depends on how your connection with the referee.

It is suggested that the recommender writes the letter themselves. On the other hand, the recommender (a professor/supervisor) might not have sufficient time to write it entirely on their own, so you can assist them in giving several details that you might want the recommender to write in his/her letter. You can mention bullet points on specific experiences or skills that you want to evaluate. 

In the case that you are asked to write the letter yourself firsthand, please do ask them to review the draft and change the writing style to his/her liking. Some graduate studies applications may require two to three recommendation letters. Therefore, you can differentiate each letter on certain aspects about you (i.e., referee 1 mentions your academic and research skills, referee 2 mentions heavily your organizational and leadership skills, etc.). If you didn't ask to change the writing on your draft, the admission committee may find similarities in the writing style and suspect you of writing everything on your own. This may negatively affect your chances of being admitted.  

A strong recommendation letter should be quite simple but substantial. It must show a clear statement of the writer's relationship with the candidate. The overview of the candidate's strengths and accomplishments must be shown not only by words but, more importantly, by giving specific examples that illustrate the candidate's skills and abilities in previous tasks. For instance, rather than writing that 'He demonstrated exceptional intellect and curiosity, where he exhibited outstanding problem-solving skills and also a very kind-hearted person...' it is much better to write, 'He once collaborated with me in a geothermal utilization design project in a small village where he not only excels his engineering skills but also he gets along with the community by teaching mathematics to several children there.'

Additional tips on getting a recommendation letter in FTMD ITB:

• If you are asked to give a recommendation letter with the faculty letterhead, you must get the signature and acknowledgment by the Head of Department in addition to your academic supervisor.

• If you are asked to give a recommendation letter in the name of the Dean, therefore you must get the signature from both your supervisor and acknowledgment by the Head of Department, before you can proceed to give it to the FTMD Administration Office to get it signed and stamped by the Dean.

Portfolio

A portfolio is usually an optional document for application processes, but sometimes it is quite useful, especially if you are applying for a position/studies in the field of mechanical design. It will show your past experiences and projects in which you have participated. A portfolio can be in any type of format, from a simple PowerPoint slide to an entire web page.

A strong portfolio covers your diverse technical skills from a story of you as a capable and experienced candidate. It primarily uses visual communication to illustrate your experiences. It can also be another way to show that you can think or create things logically, consistently, and in a clean way by making a well-arranged portfolio.

In a portfolio, you can describe the objective of your research/project along with your specific technical contribution to the project. Provide enough detail to orient the reader to the project shown and give evaluations of how well it met the initial objective. There are some tips available online to create your own portfolio, such as from the MIT MechE Communication Lab.

Cover Letter

A cover letter is a professional document that introduces you to a potential employer and highlights your qualifications for a job. It's usually one page long and is often submitted along with a resume. The purpose of a cover letter is to highlight your accomplishments, projects, or skills that align with the requirements of the position.

This is an opportunity to convey special information that is not included on your resume but which may be of particular interest to the employer. While a resume includes your professional “facts,” a cover letter is a chance to tell a story, to weave together how your experiences, mostly professional but can also include personal, uniquely qualify you for a job. A cover letter should reflect your personality, convey enthusiasm, and showcase your writing ability. However, it should not deviate widely from conventional business formats. 

The same thing as writing a motivation letter, each cover letter should be tailored to a specific position and addressed. When possible, it is also better to address the letter to a specific individual, such as the hiring manager or the head of the department, division, or organization.

Make sure to keep your letter concise and factual, with no more than a single page, and avoid flowery language. Aim for a professional tone and give examples that support your skills and qualifications. Put yourself in the reader's shoes and ask yourself, 'Does this person convince me enough that he/she is ready and able to do the job?' Remember that this is a marketing tool, so use plenty of action words.

The format of writing a cover letter is fairly simple which consists of:

• Opening paragraph: Introduce yourself and explain why you are writing this. Clearly state the position title and where you saw it advertised. You can also start with your educational background. You may want to add a sentence as your 'thesis statement' on why you feel you are a good fit for the position and a great candidate.

• Middle paragraph(s): Write one or two paragraphs that explain why you are interested in working for this particular employer and/or specify your reasons for desiring this type of work, especially when you are changing fields. You may want to include a few sentences on how your interest in both the job and the organization developed and how your personal qualities match with the position. 

Draw on your research, especially what you have learned from other resources in addition to their website. For example,  speaking with their staff at a careers event or reading reports they have written etc. as this will demonstrate an awareness and understanding of them that goes beyond the basics. 

If you have had relevant work experience, be sure to point it out with one or two key examples; but do not reiterate your entire resume. Emphasize skills or abilities that relate to the job. In order to stand out from the potentially long list of applicants, you will need to make a coherent argument for why it was a logical decision on your part to apply for the position and why it would be a logical decision on their part to hire you. What kind of contribution will you make to their existing department? How will you fit in? Make sure you are writing for your target audience. 

• Closing paragraph: Summarize in a couple of sentences your relevant qualifications and experiences. Thank the reader for their time and consideration of your application. Express your interest in seeking with the addressee regarding your candidacy. Include an email and phone number where you could be reached.

Here are some additional sources that might be useful to write your cover letter:

• Oxford University

• Harvard GSAS

• Harvard FAS

• Harvard SPH