Having worked as a university co-ordinator in a sixth form college, I've processed hundreds of UCAS applications over the last few years.
Here is some advice to help students writing personal statements.
1. This is obvious advice but, before doing anything, make sure that you have done your research and are sure that you actually want to study a particular subject for 3+ years. It's much harder to write a personal statement if your heart isn't in the task. Too many students drop out of their degree courses in the first year, wasting time and money.
2. Remember that the purpose of a PS is very simple: to show that you are sufficiently interested in your chosen course to commit to studying it for three years or more. Don't include any detail that doesn't fulfil this purpose. Be ruthless about cutting unnecessary details.
3. Don't agonise over the opening sentence.
It's almost impossible to write an opening sentence that doesn't seem vague or clichéd. It sometimes makes sense to postpone writing your opening sentence to the end of the process. It's better to begin with an honest, plainly worded explanation of your motivation to study your chosen degree than to try to come up with something original and contrived.
4. Begin by using a dictation app to record yourself explaining why you want to study this subject and how you have demonstrated that you are interested in it. Don't over-prepare and speak naturally. Use the transcript to establish a set of points that you definitely want to include in your PS. Prioritise those points that demonstrate your commitment to studying the subject.
5. A PS is not a mini-autobiography. Too many students write things like “I have always wanted to be an architect” or “I have been fascinated by biology since the age of five.”
It doesn't matter how long you've been interested in the subject; what matters is that you can prove that you are interested enough to commit to studying a degree in it.
6. Outstanding personal statements demonstrate that applicants have extended their knowledge by reading beyond the syllabus. It's not enough to write “Having studied The Great Gatsby at A Level, I am fascinated by Fitzgerald's portrayal of Gatsby's tragic narrative arc.” The best applicants will, for example, have researched the novel and discovered that it is influenced by both romantic and modernist traditions. They will have done some wider reading into these traditions and can discuss how they manifest themselves in the novel. They might also be able to discuss how specific modernist writers (e.g. T.S. Eliot) influenced Fitzgerald or discuss his influence on subsequent generations of American writers.
7. Students applying for science degrees, particularly Medicine, sometimes neglect the “hard science”, devoting too much time to soft skills such as communication and empathy. These degrees are among the most competitive so demonstrate your interest in the technical side of the subject.
8. First drafts of applications to study Medicine often spend a lot of time explaining that their writer wants to help others, sometimes including anecdotes about family illness. While this is a laudable motive, it should go without saying that a prospective doctor will want to help their patients. It's better to use this space to discuss your interest in immunology, for example.
9. If you're applying for a degree in Politics or Economics, try to avoid promoting your own political persuasions, whatever they are. I've come across too many statements that read like pieces of propaganda. Maintain a critical detachment from any ideology you discuss.
10. Try to avoid using quotations from famous figures, past or present. They don't demonstrate an ability to think critically about a subject. Keep your writing formal and sophisticated but avoid showing off recently-learnt vocabulary for its own sake. It is, after all, a personal statement and you give the admissions tutor a better idea of yourself if you write using your own voice. Avoid using humour or being too light-hearted, however: there should be no exclamation marks in a PS.
11. If you can demonstrate some inter-disciplinary approach to learning, do so. For example, if you can connect ideas of the superego and the id learnt in Psychology to Shakespeare's presentation of tragic heroes, you will demonstrate an independent approach to learning that equips you well for university study.
12. You should only discuss extra-curricular activities under two conditions:
* If they help to demonstrate your interest in your degree course (e.g. taking part in MUN debates for a Politics degree).
* If you can say, honestly, that you are proud of what you achieved (e.g. captaining a successful sports team, charity fundraising, winning an essay prize).
13. Too many students mention extra-curricular activities from years ago, such as completing the Bronze level of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Year 9. Unless you have done something exceptional, refer only to activities that you have completed during the sixth form. Your reference-writer can always mention less important, non-academic contributions to school life if you feel it essential that the university admissions tutor knows about them. Make sure that you know which member of the school's staff is writing your reference and that you tell them the achievements that you would like them to mention in it.
In general, universities are much less interested in the idea of students being 'well-rounded' than schools are.
14. Avoid spreading yourself too thinly – write about a few specific areas of interest in detail. It's fine for a prospective applicant for an English degree to discuss two or three aspects of the subject, demonstrating a critical understanding of it. No admissions tutor will expect your statement to exhaust your interest in the subject.
15. Make sure that you know the content of each course for which you are applying. Some history courses don't cover ancient history so make sure that what you discuss in your PS is appropriate.
16. Avoid pleading. Some students seem to think that it's enough to show how 'passionate' they are about studying a subject and their statement turns into a slightly undignified attempt to demonstrate this strength of feeling. This approach is unhelpful.
Demonstrate your passion for a subject by explaining how your reading in one area led you to develop a particular interest in another.
17. Even if you have an obvious first choice of university, don't gear your application towards one specific course. If you are applying for, say, a series of History courses at five different universities, make sure that your PS shows your overall curiosity about the subject, rather than a particular aspect of the syllabus covered by one of your choices.
18. Avoid blandness. A number of first drafts include phrases like 'Taking part in Activity X taught me the importance of teamwork and time-management'. While this might be true, phrases like this occur in so many statements that they don't offer a strong sense of you as an individual applicant. Given the tight limit on the number of characters that you can use, it is much better to free up this space to explain how you pursued your interest in a specific area of study, i.e. through work experience, wider reading, attending conferences, seminars, etc. You can then reflect on how this experience developed your understanding of this particular topic.
19. In summary, a good personal statement will demonstrate a student's:
* Curiosity and enthusiasm
* Attention to detail
* Ability to reflect on what s/he has learnt
* Ability to work independently
As ever, I am always happy to answer queries and offer advice.
swlondontutor@yahoo.com
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