General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · application

Letter to University Admissions Regarding Education Gap

You are applying to university but have a two-year gap in your education.

Write a letter to the admissions officer. In your letter:

state the course you are applying for
explain the reasons for the gap in your education
describe how the experiences during the gap year will benefit your studies

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Sir or Madam,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to formally submit my application for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering programme commencing this autumn. Having reviewed the curriculum, I am confident that my academic background and recent experiences make me an ideal candidate for this degree.

Regarding my academic history, there is a two-year hiatus following my secondary education. During this period, I chose to volunteer with a non-governmental organisation focused on reforestation in Southeast Asia. This commitment required my full-time presence in remote areas, which made simultaneous academic study impossible.

However, this time away from formal education proved invaluable. Working in the field provided me with practical, hands-on experience in sustainable land management and soil conservation. I gained a profound understanding of the logistical challenges inherent in large-scale environmental projects, which will undoubtedly enrich my contributions to classroom discussions. Furthermore, this period of independence has sharpened my time-management skills and deepened my resolve to pursue engineering as a career, ensuring I am now fully prepared for the rigours of university life.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of joining your academic community.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Thorne

193 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response addresses all bullet points with sophisticated, cohesive language and maintains a consistent formal tone throughout. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to explain how the gap year experience specifically benefits university studies, instead focusing only on what was done during the time off.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

hiatus: a pause or break in a sequence or activity
commencing: beginning or starting something at a specific time
invaluable: extremely useful or having a very high worth
inherent: existing as a permanent or essential natural attribute
rigours: the difficult or demanding aspects of a situation
enrich: to improve the quality or value of something

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.