UCAS Personal Statement 2/11/18

An Overview What to include? Show commitment to the specific subject you are applying for Explain why you want to study it showing you understand what the subject involves (this should be the largest section) Detail relevant skills, qualities, experience etc. with evidence Other information you want the Uni to know about you

Introduction This can be short but must be positive and make an impact Show enthusiasm from the very start Completely avoid cliches like; since I was a child, from a young age etc. Avoid quotes unless they are meaningful/explained further- do not use well known quotes. For example “I want to be at the forefront of genetic research to help prevent and cure illnesses in the future” would show enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the subject.

The Main Body Admissions staff want to see evidence that you understand your course and have the relevant skills for this; make sure every paragraph relates in some way to the course/uni life in general; Go through your statement and rank each section from 1-5 (1 most relevant to 5 least relevant) then structure your statement keeping this in mind- your most relevant and convincing sections should be nearer the beginning A lot of people “hide” things like work experience but if these are highly relevant make them clear from the beginning

Prove It You must be specific with examples and explanations- do not list. For every activity/experience it is useful to give a specific example and then link this to the skill it shows i.e if you have a job, why is this important, what have you learned? Avoid generalisations like “I enjoy poetry” and instead mention specific things in this case name poems and why you enjoy these. Refer to things like; Communication , teamwork, organisation, research, critical thinking, people management Circle every experience, achievement etc you mention and go through this checking you have backed yourself up.

Conclusion This can be just a few sentences Must be obvious and clean Potentially express how much you are looking forward to your studies. “I look forward to studying the subject in greater depth and having the opportunity to study abroad in order to enhance my University experience” Do not underestimate the importance of a conclusion- you don’t want your statement to fall flat right at the end as this is what tutors will remember.

The Writing Make sure you are writing in your own voice, do not change how you write you need to come across as genuine- do not be tempted by “clever” words you wouldn’t normally use. Show rather than tell Count how many sentences begin with “I” and restructure to avoid using I too much to begin sentences. Watch repetition of words (this can be checked in some online word counters) No contractions- must be formal so no can’t or it’s.

Editing Read aloud to effectively spot mistakes in your own work Come back to it after a few days to notice mistakes PROOFREAD your final draft- go through it multiple times looking for specific things such as spelling, punctuation, typos,cliches etc. This is very boring but worth it.