Lal Joshi – Head of Outreach & Partnerships Liaison Hayley Phillips – Student Relations Manager How to support students on Personal Statements

Topics Covered Importance of a Personal Statement Points to consider: For the student For the adviser Guidance for writing a reference Access students Reference Tips & Deadline Dates Admissions Advice

Gives universities an insight into the applicant as a person Importance of a Personal Statement Gives universities an insight into the applicant as a person The first impression a university will receive May play a huge part in the offer decision Students chance to stand out from the crowd Displays the student’s personality and writing style Portrays the student’s enthusiasm for the course

Qualifications and awards Course of interest Career interest and reasons Personal qualities Work experience Activities, interests and hobbies Up to 4,000 characters (inc. spaces) or 47 lines of text Spellcheck and ask someone else to proofread Points to consider: For the student

Existing achievements, particularly those relating to their proposed course Motivation and commitment towards chosen course Relevant skills achievement (whether certified or not) Potential (other than grades) Extra-curricular activities Work experience (placements, voluntary work) Proposed career plan Points to consider: For the adviser Give an assessment of the suitability of the student for the HE courses that they have chosen and, where relevant, include:

Your reference should support the student’s intentions for progressing to HE Advise the students to narrow down their subject areas If a student has had a break in their education, it’s helpful to provide the reason Access and BTEC student applications are no different from A levels! Applicants just need the right guidance Guidance for writing references You will need to discuss these points with the student:

If the student is on a one-year course, you may not have known them long enough to write a full reference Provide a temporary reference with details of how the course is assessed and number of credits awarded Confirm that you will send a more detailed reference direct to all chosen universities and colleges at a later date Did you know? In the personal details section of Apply, applicants can choose to nominate a parent, teacher, adviser or carer to contact UCAS on their behalf if unable to phone themselves Access Students

Any special requirements  Do not give information about a student’s health or disability without their agreement Performance in individual units of qualifications, for example: GCE, AS and A levels that the student has not already given And don’t forget to include…

A realistic summary Likely achievements in future exams Suitability for the courses Ensure the application and reference are complete and do not have any misleading on false information Reference Tips

Applications for 2015 entry: between mid- September 2014 and 15 January 2015 Oxford and Cambridge/Medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or veterinary science: by 15 October 2014 All art and design courses: 15 January or 24 March 2015 Some institution accept direct applications UCAS Deadline Dates Reminders

“My current goal is to build a career in computer science and start working to gain experience and be able to analyse and implement computer programmes” Good Statements “I have further developed my leadership skills in a business environment. In a tight timescale I created proposals with a risk assessment for an event to raise money for the colleges chosen charity” “Intertwining my interest for business and entrepreneurship within a business management degree would be a perfect opportunity to explore, learn and gain an overall invaluable insight in to the world of business, moreover allowing me to gain the knowledge needed to pursue a successful career in management” “By researching more about studying business in University…”

Bad Statements …any quote (I.e. Ghandi, Mandela… etc.) “I have been a student all my life” “I’m well built, enthusiastic in science, 5’11, brown eyes, loves pizza and fast cars. Never persuaded with the sensitivity of the situation, always on time” “I have always been interested in Science and believe I have finally found my favourite field; Economics”