Before writing your application materials, it might be useful to think about the context in which you’re writing. The rhetorical situation of applications includes your audience, the purpose of your materials and the reasons why your audience read them, and the constraints you might face in drafting these materials.
When preparing to draft your materials, think about the following the questions:
- Who is my audience?
- What do they already know? What do they not know?
- What do I know about this audience and how can I use that to my advantage?
- What is my purpose?
- What is my audiences’ purpose in reading these materials?
- What constraints do I face in writing these materials?
- How can I overcome these?
- What constraints do my readers face in reading these materials?
- How can I overcome these?
