At the heart of connecting people to higher education

The personal statement

Richard Allon-Smith: Inspiring Futures

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

At the heart of connecting people to higher education

In this session

• Why is your personal statement important?

• Who will read it?

• What are admissions tutors looking for?

• Getting started

• What to include and how to make it relevant

• Practicalities & useful resources

Plus, a quiz to see if you have been listening!

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Which of the following lines is NOT from a real UCAS personal statement?

It was a catch 12 situation

Twice a week I attend marital arts classes

I think of myself as a worm hearted individual

English is like a second language to I

All are real!!

How important are they?

An opportunity to stand out from others with similar grades

Chance to showcase your writing style and talents

The weighting of the personal statement can vary from university to university and from course to course

In short, an important selection tool for higher education providers (including all top universities)

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From a Russell Group university perspective….

“With many highly qualified students applying to

university, the personal statement is crucial in helping us

identify students with the greatest merit and aptitude for

our courses.”

University of Manchester

Who will read them?

Academic staff?

Departmental administrators?

Central administrators?

How do they decide?

Own personal judgement?

Check-list of criteria?

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What are admissions staff looking for?

In most cases, evidence of:

Independent study skills Self-awareness Motivation and commitment An understanding of the course Good numeracy and literacy Essay writing Research skills Time management skills Enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus

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Getting started

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As a starting point….

Think of it as an opportunity (not a threat)

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What can you write about?

Why do I want to

study the

course?

ActivitiesExperiences

Achievements

Abilities

Skills and qualities

HobbiesClubs

Positions of Authority

Volunteering

Projects or coursework

Work Experience

Why do I want to

study the course?

Why am I suitable for the course?

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Skills and qualities

Creativity Logical ThinkingWriting Skills Leadership SelfDiscipline Critical ThinkingTeamwork Problem Solving Research Skills Analytical AbilityMotivation EnthusiasmResilience Dedication Listening Skills Independent Working

Which skills on the left are particularly relevant for your course?

How to write about skills – the ABC method

Good

Better

Best

Activity: What have you done?

Benefit: What skills have you gained?

Course: How will this prepare you for the course?

TIP: GIVE IT THE ‘SO WHAT?’ TEST

(Could an Admissions tutor say ‘So what?’ to anything in it? If so, work on it more or consider if it needs to be included)

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Content and structure

An essay format

▪ At least two thirds of the personal statement should be focused around your desire to study the subject

o Where did your interest in the subject come from?o What have you done to develop this interest?o Why do you want to study the subject at HE level?o How have your current studies shaped your desire to study this subject?

The rest of the statement should be about you as a whole person – hobbies, jobs, interests

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Opening SectionProvide insightful reasons for choosing the subject

Demonstrate commitment to the subject

Middle SectionOpportunity for the writer to identify themselves

as a reflective and mature individual with appropriate skills, knowledge and attitudes

Final SectionNeeds to be ‘punchy’ and leave the reader with a firm impression of a strong desire to

study the subject chosen

Running order….

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During Work Experience

Observing a dentist

Saw him/her calm a distressed patient

Realised how important communication skills are for dentistry

Example: showing subject insight

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During a History debate

I had to critique argument of opposition

Needed to listen carefully to identify flaws in their argument; then took the lead in prioritising the points that we wished to make in support of our case.

As a result, our team won the debate

Example: critical thinking & analytical ability

Example: reflection

I have always been fascinated by the past, beginning with childhood interests in time travel and mythology. This interest continued with student ‑exchanges to France and Germany, giving me the opportunity to study 18th century French history and dictatorship respectively, broadening and deepening my historical scope. A subsequent trip to Poland, where I studied archived materials relating to the World Wars, fortified my interest in historical research and my decision to pursue the subject at degree level. At university I look forward to analysing varied interpretations of history and the original sources upon which they are based.

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Rewriting, editing and polishing

Hints and tips

1. Avoid repetition and using over-long sentences that are full of generalities or lists

2. No matter how good you are at writing English, be prepared to edit and cut

out anything not relevant

3. Make sure that the paragraphs flow in a logical way

4. Insert some line breaks (i.e. take the opportunity to use paragraphs) & do not obsess

about using all 47 lines!

Adopt good habits..

Get into the habit of being very critical with the number of words you use in each sentence. Once you have written something, go back and decide if each and every word you recently wrote deserves to be there. Get into the habit of being very critical with the number of words you use in each sentence. Once you have written something, go back and decide if each and every word you recently wrote deserves to be there.

Be ruthless with excess words - take no prisoners!

‘Powerful words’

Excellent Superior Instrumental

Creative Innovative Motivated

Dependable Articulate Meticulous

Confident Positive Tenacity

Hard-working Thoughtful Reflective

Dynamic Incisive Caring

Insightful Empathetic Integrity

Tip – use sparingly and with care

Spotlight on things to avoid

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Avoid writing lists

I enjoy watching football, I play basketball for Coventry schools, I sing in a choir, I am doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, I am a member of a debating society, I work in Tesco on Saturdays and I shop for my Granny on Monday after school.

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Instead, look for a key activity to expand

I have been an active member of an East Midlands debating society for the last three years. This has proved really interesting as I have had the chance to research and defend viewpoints that I would normally not agree with; an exercise which I’m sure will be prove valuable as a Law degree student.

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Also avoid…

Intellectual Pretensions

Misdirected humour

No mention of future aspirations / direction

Committing GBH on English

language

‘I so don’t want to miss this

opportunity’

‘I have been interested in Sport

from the get-go.’’

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10 things to double-check

1. How impressive is my opening? – score out of 102. Have I made a convincing case of why I have chosen my course? 3. At least one piece of evidence that I have researched what

the course entails 4. At least one piece of evidence of wider reading in the

subject5. At least two pieces of evidence of skills picked up in my

Level 3 studies6.At least one piece of evidence of skills gained from an out-

of-school activity 7. Have I suggested what I might do after university?8. Have I avoided using over-long sentences?9. Am I guilty of using any bland generalities (I love football)?10. Is the ending a positive affirmation of what I can

bring/contribute to a university staff/student community?

Tip: ask a friend or parent to sense check

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Practicalities & resources

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Personal Statement Application Section

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Too

Long

...

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Too

Shor

t...

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Similarity Detection Service

▪ Personal statements are checked against a library of those already in the system, and from a variety of websites and paper publications

▪ Each new statement is added to the library after processing

I have always been fascinated by the way writers can influence and even manipulate readers’ emotions by their expression of thoughts and by their ability to encourage the expansion of our imaginations and understanding. My favourite authors include Phillip Pullman and Caroline B Cooney whose novels are inspiring because of their enviable lucidity and innovative character development. I had a vivid imagination as a child possibly influenced by my interest in the captivating work of such authors as Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and Charles Kingsley. I still enjoy reading in my spare time. It is impossible for me to choose my favourite book but I have taken pleasure numerous times in reading 'A Child Called It' by Dave Pelzer, a book which I find mesmerising and deeply moving and 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott, a powerful and inspiring novel. I enjoy literature that can provoke a range of emotions in the reader from start to finish and I think that these books fit the bill perfectly. What attracts me most to English is not only the chance to expand my literary knowledge, but the opportunity I am given to communicate my own thoughts and ideas.

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UCAS Personal Statement Resources

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PERSONAL STATEMENT – QUIZ TIME!

Answer 1

A personal

statement is a

maximum of 47 lines

or 4000 characters

whichever comes

first

Question 1

There is no

maximum length

to a personal

statement

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 2

You can use

paragraphs in a

personal statement –

remember that blank

lines count towards

the maximum

Question 2

A personal

statement can

be written in

paragraphs

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 3

Apply will not spell check

your work – we

recommend you prepare

your personal statement

offline using a word-

processing package and

copy and paste it into

apply

Question 3

The UCAS Apply

software has

spelling and

grammar checks

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 4

You only write

one personal

statement and it

will be used for

all your choices

Question 4

You can write a

different PS for

each of your

choices

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 5

You cannot use italics,

bold or underlining in your

personal statement - the

system will automatically

remove these

Question 5

You can use

bold, italics &

underlined

characters

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 6

The personal statement

could be used as the basis

for an interview. Keep a

copy so you are prepared

to answer questions on it

Question 6

You should keep

a copy of your

personal

statement

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 7

All personal

statements are

checked by our

copycatch system for

similarities – see

www.ucas.com for

more details

Question 7

There’s no

problem in using

material I’ve

found on the web

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

Answer 8

The link on Apply will

take you to a section on

www.ucas.com where

you can find help and

advise on writing an

effective personal

statement .

Take time to read it

Question 8

There is a link to

a ‘Personal

statement guide’

on Apply

Personal statement exercise

TRUE

FALSE

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To end, a message from an experienced admissions tutor to all UCAS applicants…

“It is a pleasure (although a surprisingly rare one)

to read a personal statement where the

candidate’s voice comes across clearly – DON’T BE

AFRAID TO BE YOURSELF.”

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Any final questions?

Thank you for listening and joining in. Good luck with your UCAS

applications!