Choose the correct justification and spacing. Most business letters, including letters addressed to universities, should be justified to the left (paragraphs and sentences start on the left-hand side of the page) and the body of the letter should be single-spaced.
Write your return address at the top of the letter. This is part of the heading. The return address should look something like this:
Your street address
Your city, state and full ZIP code
The date (month and day, year)
Write the address of the person or entity to whom you’re sending the letter (the addressee). Search for the full name of a contact person at the university to which you’re writing. The addressee’s address should look like this:
First and last names of the addressee
Addressee’s street address
City, state and full ZIP code
Write a formal greeting before you begin the body (the main text) of your letter. Leave a vertical space between the greeting and the body of the letter, and add a colon after the last name in your greeting. A proper greeting should look like this:
Dear Mr./Ms. (full name of the addressee):
Begin writing the body of the letter. Use formal language, check your grammar and spelling, and stick to the information you wish to impart without getting into tangents.
Write a farewell or closing, and leave room for your signature. Leave a vertical space between the body of the paragraph and your formal farewell. Leave several spaces between the closing and your typed name; you’ll put your handwritten signature in this space. You can use any of several common phrases when signing off:
Best regards/Best/Sincerely/Sincerely yours,
(Your handwritten signature)
Your full name