Politecnico di Milano Motivation Letter: Optional?

Politecnico di Milano Motivation Letter: Optional?

Yes, it is optional. Politecnico di Milano lists the letter of motivation under "Optional documents". If you apply to two programmes, you write two different letters of "max. 2 pages each" in one PDF. Nothing can be changed after you pay the fee, and the engineering first call closes 1 December 2026.

"Optional" does not mean "skip it". Polimi's own page says the optional documents "can improve your chances of being positively evaluated", and it locks every upload at payment. So your real letter deadline is the moment you pay, not the end of the call. If you are drafting now, the one-page European motivation letter rubric reads a letter for programme choice, preparation and forward plan.

Every Politecnico di Milano page quoted below was checked on 31 October 2026. They are the pages for applicants with a foreign (non-Italian) degree applying to a Laurea Magistrale, which Polimi calls a Master of Science, for the September 2027 intake. Recheck the deadlines page before you pay, because the fee and the call both depend on the date.

Contents:

• What Polimi asks the letter to do
• The upload lock
• Calls for September 2027 entry
• Two letters for a first and a second choice
• Architecture and design
• Before you pay: a ten-point check
• Questions

What Polimi asks the letter to do

Polimi's list of documents defines the letter in one sentence:

"A letter of motivation (also called a "statement of purpose" or "personal essay") is a brief essay in which you explain what you hope to achieve, as well as what qualifies you as a top candidate for the admission, why you selected that specific programme, and why you have chosen Politecnico di Milano among other universities."

The length rule sits in the next sentence, and it is written for applicants with two choices:

"If you apply to 2 courses, please write 2 different motivation letters (max. 2 pages each) and combine them into one pdf file to be uploaded on your profile."

The page gives no word count, and no separate number for a single letter beyond "a brief essay". It also sets the language: "Motivation letter(s), Portfolio and CV must be provided in English or Italian." (Polimi, list of documents)

That one sentence holds four questions. Answer each one in its own part of the letter:

Our view: keep a single letter to one page, even though two pages are allowed. Polimi calls it "a brief essay". The CV, which is mandatory, is capped at "Maximum 2 pages long", so your history already has a home. The letter only has to answer the four questions. The countercase: a career changer, or an applicant with a gap or a weak semester to explain, should use the second page. That explanation belongs nowhere else in the file.

The upload lock: optional does not mean later

The warning appears more than once across the two application pages:

"Please be aware that after paying the application fee, applicants will NOT be able to modify any of the uploaded documents or add any extra documents."

The application page adds that "Submitted applications will be assessed for admission only once the application fee payment is received." So you cannot pay first to hold a place and add the letter later. If the letter is not in the PDF when you pay, it is not in your file. (Polimi, application)

The optional section is broader than the letter. It also lists:

• GRE (General Test), "Only for applicants of Engineering and Architecture programmes", with "No minimum score" set.
• A letter of recommendation from a professor, or from a manager if you graduated years ago.
• Detailed course descriptions, in "A document, 4 MB max".

The page introduces them with this line: "In order to submit a more competitive application it is advisable to add the following optional documents which can improve your chances of being positively evaluated."

The countercase that matters more than the letter: the CGPA rule. The same page says that "if your CGPA is below the minimum we require, we will not proceed with the evaluation of your candidature." Check the country-specific minimum for your degree first. If you are below it, no letter changes the result.

One more rule from the application page, stated as information: Polimi has official representatives in some countries, India and China among them, and writes, "We strongly discourage students from seeking assistance from unauthorized agents for their application to Politecnico di Milano."

Calls for September 2027 entry

These calls come from the Polimi deadlines page. Every closing time is 11.59pm CET.

The engineering tab is headed "Academic year 2026-2027 (Engineering)", but its rows are for the September 2027 intake. The fee depends on the date: "Early Bird fee of €50: from 1st October to 1st December" and "Standard fee of €150: from 2nd December". Those two lines carry no year; in the 2027 tables, the early-bird period ends 1 December 2026, a Tuesday.

Polimi's own tip is "To increase your chances on admission and to receive results sooner, we encourage you to submit your application by December 1st ("early bird")." Note that the outcome line for every call in the table reads "By the end of May 2027". From this check, 1 December is 31 days away (our arithmetic).

Other rules from the application page:

• "You can apply once per semester for up to two Master of Science programmes at the same time (1st and 2nd choice)".
• "DESIGN and ARCHITECTURE programmes accept candidatures for the 1st semester only."
• "Applicants of Design will have their second choice evaluated only if not admitted to their first choice. Therefore, please select your first choice carefully."

For the other European calls in the same season, see the master's in Europe deadlines for 2027.

Writing two letters for a first and a second choice

Polimi asks for "2 different motivation letters". Different means each letter answers the four questions for its own programme. A letter that works for both programmes answers "why you selected that specific programme" for neither.

What must change between the two letters:

1. The first sentence. Name the programme, the intake and whether it is your first or second choice.
2. The programme paragraph. Use features from each programme's own page.
3. The goal. If both programmes lead to the same job, say why each route gets you there.

What can stay: your evidence, if it truly serves both. Re-angle it so each letter uses the part of the project that matters to that programme. The same logic applies to Aalto's paired letters, set out in two study options, two motivation letters. If you are sending one letter to several universities, the sibling guide on using the same motivation letter for several universities covers what has to change.

Constructed example: first-choice and second-choice openings

Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant statement. Context (invented): Ananya Rao holds a mechanical engineering degree. Her final-year project was a pump test rig. She applies to the MSc in Mechanical Engineering (first choice) and the MSc in Energy Engineering (second choice), both listed among Polimi's MSc programmes.

The weak version, pasted into both letters (40 words):

I am writing to express my keen interest in the Master of Science programme at Politecnico di Milano. Since childhood I have been fascinated by machines and energy, and I believe your prestigious university is the perfect place for me.

The revised first-choice opening (59 words):

I am applying to the MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, my first choice, for September 2027. My final-year project cut the resonance peak of a 3 kW pump test rig by 18% through a mount redesign. I want [one track named on the programme page] to take that work from the test rig to production design.

The revised second-choice opening (57 words):

I am applying to the MSc in Energy Engineering at Politecnico di Milano, my second choice, for September 2027. The same pump project showed me that most of the rig's input power never reached the fluid. I want [one course named on the programme page] to learn how to measure and recover those losses at plant scale.

Why the revision works: each opening names its programme and intake in the first sentence. Each one shows "what qualifies you" with a number from the project. And each states a goal that only makes sense for that programme. The bracketed parts are for you to fill from the programme page. Never invent a course name.

Architecture and design: the portfolio comes first

For "Architecture, Urban Planning and Policy Design or any Design programmes", the portfolio is mandatory, and the letter is still optional. The rules:

• The portfolio "cannot be bigger than 20 MB".
• Hard copies "will not be considered".
• "Although submitting a portfolio is preferable, applicants coming from non-design backgrounds may replace the portfolio with an abstract of their thesis and/or a report on curricular or extracurricular internship experiences."

Our recommendation: in a design application, use the letter to point at the portfolio. Name two projects by their page in the portfolio, and say what each one shows about the programme you chose. The sibling guide on the architecture master's motivation letter and portfolio covers how the two documents split the work.

Before you pay: a ten-point check

1. Your CGPA meets the country-specific minimum for your degree.
2. You know your call and its closing date, and whether the €50 early-bird fee still applies.
3. Each letter names its programme and intake in the first sentence.
4. Two programmes means two different letters, each "max. 2 pages", merged into one PDF.
5. Each letter answers all four questions in Polimi's definition.
6. The letters are in English or Italian.
7. Your CV is two pages or fewer.
8. Your files are PDFs, "named without special characters or accents", with scans of originals, not of photocopies.
9. Optional extras are added if you have them: GRE (Engineering and Architecture only), a recommendation letter, course descriptions of 4 MB or less.
10. Design and architecture applicants: a portfolio of 20 MB or less, or the permitted thesis abstract or internship report.

Only then pay.

Questions about the Polimi motivation letter

Is the motivation letter mandatory at Politecnico di Milano?

No. It is listed under "Optional documents", which the page says "can improve your chances of being positively evaluated". Design and architecture applicants must still upload a portfolio.

What is the Politecnico di Milano motivation letter word limit?

There is no word limit. The page sets "max. 2 pages each" when you apply to two courses. It calls the letter "a brief essay" and gives no separate number for a single letter.

Can I change my motivation letter after paying the fee?

No. After payment, applicants "will NOT be able to modify any of the uploaded documents or add any extra documents."

Can I write the letter in Italian?

Yes. The page accepts the motivation letter, portfolio and CV in English or Italian.

Do I need a separate letter for my second choice?

Yes. The page asks for "2 different motivation letters" when you apply to two courses, combined into one PDF.

Get a free review of your motivation letter

Get a free Quick Review of your motivation letter against GradPilot's one-page European motivation letter rubric. It checks whether the letter states which programme it is for and why you chose it, answers what the programme asked, ties your preparation to the programme, and fits the space allowed. For a two-page letter, the UK and European master's motivation letter rubric reads programme fit, evidence and future direction.

More guides for European master's letters:

• Bocconi MSc motivation letter: the other Milan application, with four rounds and no published limit.
• ETH Zurich and EPFL one-page motivation letter: a strict one-page rule to compare with Polimi's two.
• Italy student visa cover letter: the consulate letter you write after admission, which is a different document.
• The graduate school essays hub lists every master's and PhD guide by destination.

Sources

Retrieved 31 October 2026, except where noted.

• Politecnico di Milano, List of documents required by the Admissions Office (no year stated): the letter's definition, its optional status, two letters of max. 2 pages, languages, CV length, portfolio rules, GRE, course descriptions, the CGPA rule and the upload lock.
• Politecnico di Milano, Application (no year stated): two choices per semester, the design second-choice rule, assessment after payment, and the agents statement.
• Politecnico di Milano, Deadlines (September 2027 intake): call dates, outcome dates and fees.
• Politecnico di Milano, Laurea Magistrale programmes: Mechanical Engineering and Energy Engineering as MSc programmes, used in the constructed example.