<p>What's the deal?</p>
<p>I vaguely remember reading that attaching a cover letter can improve your chances of admission.. but know nothing else. </p>
<p>enlighten me.</p>
<p>There's no point in attaching a cover letter if you submit your application online.</p>
<p>If you submit supplementary materials (music, art, etc.) it's probably a good idea to attach a cover letter to give some background info on your talent.</p>
<p>I couldn't tell you whether or not attaching a cover letter would improve your chances of admission... but personally, I think it's a little extreme to attribute a rejection from a school to the lack of a cover letter. I wouldn't worry.</p>
<p>What is this "cover letter" Is it like a "Why our college" essay?</p>
<p>"Cover letter" is a business term for a letter which "covers" enclosures and any details pertaining thereto. E.g., you send identical resumes to ten different potential employers, but each resume is sent with a personalized letter specific to that company. In the case of college apps, if there is no "why this college" essay and if you have not answered that question in another essay, then you can write a short "why this college" in your cover letter. If you have already written a "why this college" essay, there is no particular reason to include a cover letter with the application. If the application is submitted online and you are sending supplemental materials via snail mail, a brief cover letter explaining what you are sending would not be out of order, but as long as everything you send has all the necessary identifying information clearly marked on it (name, social security number, etc.), you won't lose points for not including a cover letter.</p>