Writing your personal statement
When considering studying in the UK, your personal statement should be the initial aspect you focus on. There are two primary reasons for this:
The first step is to understand yourself. Identify your motivations and inspirations, and determine your life goals to align them with the most suitable course and university. This is where you should commence by putting your thoughts on paper.
Your personal statement plays a crucial role in guiding you through the necessary steps to study in the UK.
Self-Assessment and Goal Clarity
Your personal statement prompts you to contemplate your academic objectives, career ambitions, and reasons for selecting the UK. This clarity aids in strategizing the essential actions to reach your goals.
In essence, your personal statement serves not only as an admission document but also as a tool to assist you in organizing and implementing the fundamental steps for studying in the UK. It promotes self-awareness, research abilities, and organization—key elements in navigating the complexities of international education.
When you're applying to university, a personal statement is your opportunity to stand out from the crowd. It’s really important to take time to think about, plan, and write the best possible statement.
Try the three-page method as you go about preparing your statement. It is your chance to sell yourself.
Writing a personal statement is crucial when applying to a British university for several reasons:
1. Personalization:
It allows you to personalize your application and showcase your individual strengths, experiences, and aspirations. This gives admissions tutors a better understanding of who you are beyond your grades and test scores.
2. Demonstrating Motivation:
Your personal statement is an opportunity to demonstrate your genuine interest in the subject you're applying for and the university itself. You can explain why you're passionate about the field of study and how it fits into your future goals.
3. Highlighting Relevant Experiences:
You can use your personal statement to highlight relevant experiences, such as extracurricular activities, work placements, or volunteering, that demonstrate your skills and suitability for the course.
4. Addressing Weaknesses:
If there are any weaknesses in your application, such as lower grades in certain subjects, you can use your personal statement to address them directly and explain any mitigating circumstances.
5. Writing Skills:
It's an opportunity to showcase your writing skills and ability to communicate effectively, which are important qualities for success at the university level.
6. Setting Yourself Apart:
A well-written personal statement can help you stand out from other applicants with similar academic backgrounds. It's your chance to make a memorable impression on the admissions tutors.
Overall, a personal statement is your chance to make a compelling case for why you're the right candidate for the course and why the university should offer you a place. It's an important part of the application process that allows you to present yourself in the best possible light.
Page one: all about you
The first sheet to complete when preparing your personal statement is a list of all the activities you've undertaken that could be relevant to your university application.
This could be virtually anything, but some good things to get you started are listed below.
Hobbies and interests
Sports clubs or teams
Collecting things
Following a team or pursuit
Other clubs or activities
Singing, dancing, or playing an instrument
Clubs and groups you belong to
Guides, Scouts, Boys’/Girls’ Brigade
Young scientists
Charity work/volunteering
Work experience
Organized through school
Part-time jobs
Activities through school/college
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Debating society
School council
Prefect
Head girl or boy
Field trips and ‘residential’ activities
You can arrange this information in whatever way is easiest for you; Don’t worry about whether your examples are ‘good enough’. All you’re doing is creating a really big list so that when you come to write your statement, you've got a lot to work with.
Page two: person specification
The second sheet is fairly straightforward. It’s basically a ‘person specification’ describing the ideal student for the course you’d like to study. It should outline the skills, abilities, and talents of the ‘perfect’ student for the course.
This is where prospectuses and open days will come in really handy as they can give you an insight into what is expected from students who study the course and what they should be able to do. If you’re at an open day, don’t be afraid to ask tutors to explain what skills their ideal student would have – they’ll be very happy to tell you.
Types of skills that pretty much all successful university students should have; Leadership and teamwork; Communication and presentation; Planning and organization; Working to a deadline; specialist subject knowledge; Problem-solving and analysis; and managing pressure.
These should be enough to get you started, but have a think about which ones are likely to be more important for the course you want to study so you can prioritize those.
Once you've finished sheet two, it's time to move on to Sheet three: your personal statement.
Page three: your personal statement
This is going to be your actual personal statement. What you need to do is connect the skills that are required to be successful on the course you want to study (page two) with the experiences you’ve gathered (page one).
The personal statement is a set of claims about the skills you have, which are backed up with real examples of how you've gained or developed those skills.
Remember, it’s no good to make a claim about a skill without backing it up. If you tell us ‘I’ve got excellent communication skills’, we might be asking ourselves ‘Where’s the evidence?’ Remember, anyone can claim to have a skill so it’s crucial that you back up your claims with real and interesting examples.
There’s also very little point in you telling us that you’ve done something without explaining to the Admissions Tutor how it makes you a better candidate for the course. So, if you tell us ‘I’ve got my Duke of Edinburgh Award’, we might be asking ourselves ‘So what?’ You need to make it clear how your experiences have developed the skills you need to succeed on your course.
Things to consider
Quality not necessarily quantity
Try to be articulate and concise wherever possible. You need to convey a real interest in, and passion for, the course(s) for which you’ve applied. Redrafting and editing are important. Be careful not to repeat yourself, overuse individual examples, or repeatedly demonstrate the same skill with different examples.
Don’t waffle
Remember you only have 4,000 characters to make the best possible impression, so use them wisely. Make everything in your personal statement as relevant as possible to your application. Your task is to demonstrate that you’re the best possible candidate and secure a place.
Work experience/sporting achievements
Be sure to include information on relevant interests, work experience, and social activities and explain how these relate to your course or your ability to be a successful student. Make sure that you show yourself as a rounded individual. University life is not all about study.
Spelling and grammar
You must make sure that your spelling and grammar are checked. Ask friends or family to read your statements through – don’t just rely on a spell-check. Be sure to look out for typing errors. Bad spelling, poor grammar, or typos instantly create a bad impression and can make a tutor lose confidence in your application.
Be individual and original
You need to be aware that admissions officers and tutors see thousands of applications each year. If you’re able to make yours stand out from the crowd, this will put you ahead of the rest.
Learn More
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