The Personal Statement

Roisin Hurst

Education Liaison Office

Queen Mary, University of London

r.m.hurst@qmul.ac.uk

What I will cover: UCAS School reference Importance of the personal statement/how it is used

by the university The basics of the personal statement What the admissions tutor is looking for Examples: good and bad How to get started Last-minute checks

UCAS

On-line application through UCAS One application – 5 choices of course Deadline for 2014 entry

15th January 2014 15th October 2013 (Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry,

Vet. Med) An early application is advisable Good personal statement and reference are

crucial to success

UCAS

Wait for university responses: Conditional/unconditional offer Interview Rejection

April – decide on which 2 offers to hold as firm and insurance choices

If holding no offers, student can go through UCAS Extra

Reference

Subject teachers comment on your approach to your studies

State your suitability for the course Comment on your contribution to school

life/voluntary work/positions of responsibility Predicted grades for your final examinations Should complement your personal statement

The Personal Statement

Becoming increasingly more important: Predicted A/A* grades are more common Fewer universities are interviewing Helps universities choose between candidates with

high academic profile and excellent reference

Take it seriously and take your time It will get read!

The Personal StatementThe Basics:

4000 characters 2/3 academic, 1/3 responsibilities/interests Make it positive Personal to you – reflect your interests,

abilities, personality No templates One personal statement for all 5 choices

The Personal StatementThe Basics:

Simple and concise language Spelling and grammar Don’t state the obvious No jokes or threats! Use quotations carefully Get someone who knows you to read it Be patient – lots of drafts needed

What impresses admissions tutors?

Motivation: Reasons for subject choice Awareness of what the subject is about Enthusiasm Career aspirations Mention relevant summer schools/taster

courses etc.

What impresses admissions tutors?

Academic ability/potential: Predicted grades Mention your current subjects What do you enjoy/find stimulating? Relevant projects and coursework Extended Project Skills and qualities

What impresses admissions tutors?

Work experience: It’s essential for certain subjects Helpful for competitive courses Include details of what you did, what you

learned and what you observed If you found the placement yourself, say so! Keep a diary while on work experience

What impresses admissions tutors?

Responsible attitude: Positions of responsibility in and out of school:

Head boy or girl, prefect Captain of sports team, head of drama society Part-time work Community or voluntary work/mentoring Duke of Edinburgh scheme What skills have you gained from doing these?

What impresses admissions tutors?

Outside interests: Show you have a life away from your studies:

Hobbies/clubs/societies/team activities Achievements: music or sports awards Don’t exaggerate! The “so what?” test Show you can relate your studies to the outside

world Read a quality newspaper/specialist magazines

“My friends all say that I am wordy,

False starts…

“I had always harboured vague medical ambitions,

which crystallised into a genuine passion,

when a motorcycle struck down my grandmother.”

- Medicine Applicant

I prefer to say verbose”

- English Applicant

What do you think?

“I have chosen to study for the LLB Hons Degree, as I believe that this course will help me achieve my goal to become a solicitor. I hope to be practicing in the field of either human rights of family law. I have considered human rights law because at the moment in the democratic world today many human rights issues have arisen, that of the British citizens in Guantanamo Bay. I have experienced the English Law system and have encountered many different problems not only my own but for everyone else involved in the issues.”

Law applicant

How about…..

I first developed an interest in Law when my parents got a divorce. I was immediately introduced to the world of solicitors and barristers and this had a direct impact on my life. My father was able to leave the country, thus breaking a court order that said he was to pay maintenance. As a consequence of this slightly troubled introduction to the Law I have developed a keen interest in the legal system and the way in which it works and have made it my goal to enter the legal profession. I would love to study Law or Law with European Legal Studies as this would allow me to combine my enthusiasm for the academic study of Law and my strong interest for other cultures.

Law applicant

How about…..

Harvey Cushing once wrote, “a physician is obligated to consider more than the diseased organ, more even than the whole man - he must view the man in his world.” This statement encompasses some of the more appealing aspects of healthcare provision to me, as it considers both the practical and social elements of a vocation in medicine.

Medicine applicant

Or…..

I am captivated by the way writers can interact with the reader, how they challenge our understanding, and how the societal and personal experiences of the writer emerge, even as they project their own convictions. My enthusiasm for 19th century literature was initiated when I read ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ by Thomas Hardy and examined the novel’s tragic conventions, the portrayal of the female character and the nature of sacrifice. This last motif was something I also considered in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, by Charles Dickens, a novel that wove together my A-level subjects, English literature, History and French.

English Literature applicant

Endings...

“I am looking forward to my time studying illustration”

“I want to become a professional illustrator and I am very determined to make the most of a degree course that will help me achieve my ambition.”

Rather than…

How about…

Disasters

“ I am 23 years old I have an incredible ability to learn but due to a childhood illness was unable to achive my full potential. I just wish to hve the cnace to forfill my lifes deram and be able to support my wife and child.”

Medicine applicant

How to get started: summary

Question: Why am I applying? …. And what do I know about the course? Visualise: spider diagrams What’s great about you? The “so what?” test Think laterally Give yourself plenty of time

Last-minute checks

Realistic course choices – check points and grades required

Course content Location, location, location Have you been consistent? Proof-read it! Get the balance right