Dear Dr Lindqvist,
I am writing to apply for a place on the exchange programme with the University of Helsinki, which was announced at the beginning of this month.
I would like to take part because I have never lived abroad, and I believe that studying in Finland would be a unique opportunity for personal as well as academic growth. I am particularly attracted by the strong reputation of the Department of Education there, and I would be glad to see how a different school system works.
I hope to learn a great deal about modern teaching methods, especially the use of technology in the classroom. I also hope to develop independence and to make friends from many countries.
As for my language skills, my first language is Russian, and I have studied English for ten years, reaching an upper-intermediate level; I achieved 7.0 in the IELTS test last year.
Thank you for considering my application.
Yours sincerely,
Viktor Lebedev