Camille Moreau, edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: Jean-Michel Delage / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 06:23, March 31, 2024

Final year students are currently working, until April 3, on their cover letters to join training courses, as part of Parcoursup. To put all the chances on its side, Europe 1 has collected some writing advice from a school guidance coach.

Organizing your ideas, finding the right arguments to stand out, all in less than 1,500 characters: here is the ultimate test for final year high school students as part of registrations on Parcoursup. Since Thursday midnight, students applying for training must write a cover letter, and they have until April 3 to do so.

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But this mission is not an easy task for Sarah, met by Europe 1. “Everything we want in very few characters, it’s not easy,” concedes the high school student. “I try to get inspiration from things I find on the Internet and then do it based on my experience and what I want to include. Then, my parents reread and especially help me to shorten it,” she confides. -She.

Structure your letter into two major questions

On Parcoursup, each student applies for a maximum of ten training courses, which can therefore represent ten different cover letters to write. A gymnastics which first requires structuring one's thoughts, explains Henriette Larribau, school guidance coach. “There are two questions that form the outline of the cover letter: what are the reasons why you are applying for this training, and what are your assets to succeed,” she explains to Europe 1.

Then, the time comes to embody your message to stand out. "Say 'I am very rigorous and diligent in my work', I believe you or I don't believe you. On the other hand, say 'rigor, I was able to develop it thanks to my extracurricular activities' and you write a short sentence which specifies these elements, it radically changes things", says the school guidance coach.

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The last essential step for all these students is to track down spelling mistakes before sending their application.