Frequently asked questions about preparing the Letter of Intent (LOI) for METU COGS

1. Do I need a degree in cogsci to apply?

We do not expect you to know cognitive science before you apply to us, although certainly this would help in our decision. We welcome complete newcomers to the field.

2. Is LOI expected to be personal?

We would like to see what you have to say personally, rather than say what you think we want to hear.

3. What must be in a LOI?

LOI is your chance to tell us what you cannot do in a 5/10-minute interview, or with transcripts. Please include short descriptions of the following:

• What brings you to cognitive science?
• How can we contribute to you? What research and/or development skills do you expect to acquire?
• How can you contribute to us? What research and/or development skills can we expect you to bring in?
• (for PhD candidates): What kind of research do you have in mind? We ask for a writing sample from phd applicants. This does not have to be cognitive science related; but, it must be something that shows your academic writing skills and expression of ideas. Published work is preferable because it is usually polished in these respects before publication.
• Will you be able to allocate time for courses, which tend to require more time in the early terms? (Think twice before you say yes; we will ask you to live up to it in our assessment of your progress.)
• This is quite a technical field; some combination of math, stats, modeling,testing, experimentation, and programming will be required. Are you prepared for this, or prepared to be prepared? (Again, please think carefully before you write something about this; we will use it in assessment later; and, you have about two years to come to research level, and two and a half years for development work.)

4. How shall I structure the LOI?

We would appreciate it if you could write LOI as a structured text so that we can identify the points above easily. You can itemize them in that order.

5. What need NOT be in a LOI?

Your school history; your childhood dreams (which are great but not LOI material); verbose statements;