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Personal Statement References
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Aims and Objectives
• What Are Universities Looking
For?
• What to Include in the Reference
• School Information
• Student Information
• Looking at Real Examples
• Further Information
• Personal Statement Tips
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What Are Universities
Looking For?
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• Potential for success at Higher Education
• Fair assessment of the student’s abilities, achievements, skills and attributes
• As directly related as possible to the student’s desired career path
• Evidence or examples to demonstrate your assessment
What Universities are looking for
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A fair analysis of the student in the context of:
The course• Skills, abilities and motivations?• What have they done in school to
support their choice?
Higher Education in general• What they can bring to the
university
A particular profession or career• Have they done their research?
Suitability of a prospective student
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Put any important messages at the top of the page
Avoid generic statements
“We recommend *** to your institution”vs
“*** would make an excellent teacher because of her ability to interact and
engage with younger children effectively.”
Make it specific
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• The student’s personal statement and application form.
• Course prospectus pages and information:• Entry criteria• Desirable student attributes
• Courses and institutions the student has applied for.
Information that might help
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Reference Content
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School Information
Very brief statement of the key
information, putting the reference in
context of the school/college
Prospective Student Information
Relevant and important information about
the student and their Motivations,
Academic abilities and achievements,
Skills and abilities, Work Placements,
Additional information
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School Information
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Keep it brief (A few sentences at the most)
For Example:The Sixth Form College offers a range of A-Level and BTEC National Diploma qualifications to 500 sixth form students. approximately 70 of whom go on to university each year. All students take a critical thinking module as part of a non-examined General Studies Programme. 25% of our students come from a widening participation background.
School Information
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Student Information
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• Best completed by someone
who knows the student.
• Make it specific to the student.
• Reference to their abilities,
strengths and achievements.
• Some reports can come from
other teachers…but not all.
General Tips
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• Proposed career ambitions, attitude,
motivation and commitment
• Motivation and commitment towards
the chosen course or career
• Commitment or motivation shown in
the school/college context
• Suitability for their career choice
Motivations and ambitions
If you are unsure of the chosen career path of the student, talk
about their general suitability for Higher Education
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• General background of academic
standard.
• Current achievements.
• Reference to subjects relating to the
courses for which they are applying.
• Relevant curriculum enrichment and
other activities.
• Potential (other than predicted
grades).
Academic Achievement and Ability
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• Any relevant skills or achievements.
• Powers of analysis and independent
thought – skills that will be useful in
Higher Education.
• Qualities or strengths beneficial to
their chosen course or career choice.
Skills and abilities
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• Relevant work experience, such as
work placements, voluntary work.
• Relevant curriculum enrichment and
related skills.
• The more competitive the course the
more important this element will be.
Work Placements
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Additional information:• Any extenuating circumstances
affecting the student or their academic achievements
Concerns for or about the student:
• Admission tutors are good at reading between the lines
Additional Information
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• Information or concerns about a student can be delivered subtly
For example:‘*** is capable of hard work’
could be interpreted as:‘*** could work hard if they could be
bothered, but they can’t’
• Information that can warn a university that a student may need a kick start may be useful
Concerns about the student
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• You do not need to input predicted
grades onto the reference unless
you are making a particular point.
• If the predicted grades are not a
reflection of the student’s
potential or abilities, this needs to
be explained in the reference.
Predicted Grades
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Looking at Real
Examples
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Examples of referee references for
applications to Edge Hill University
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• Provide additional information about the student and a fair assessment of the student’s skills, abilities and potential for success in higher education.
• Make it specific.
• A consistent message between the Reference and the Personal Statement.
Summary
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Useful Websiteswww.edgehill.ac.ukwww.ucas.comwww.ucas.com/advisers/online/references
Useful Documentswww.ucas.com/documents/ucasguides/adviserguide2012.pdf
Further Information
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Thank you for listening
Please feel free to contact us:
Daisy Jayes 01695 584258 [email protected]
Chris Bayes: 01695 584198 [email protected]
Ryan Duncan: 01695 584 243
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Personal Statements
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• Varying levels of importance on personal statements – the more competitive a course, the more important the personal statement.
• For most courses the personal statement and the application are the only things that an admissions tutor will look at to make an offer.
• A very strong personal statement can create an offer.
Why is it important?
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o Do we want this student at this university?
o Do we want this student on this course?
The personal statement should provide all of the information relevant for admissions tutors to make a decision on students’ suitability for the course.
What are Universities looking for?
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• Qualities and Skills
• Motivation and Interest
• Relevant Experiences
• Dedication, Commitment and
Enthusiasm
• Preparation
What are Universities looking for?
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Top Tips
“The statement needs to provoke interest at the beginning, sustain interest throughout, and leave an impression at the end”
Admissions Tutor
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• Research the courses• Students need a good awareness of
what the course will give them• Look at university information
• Start Early
• Continuous process
• Relevant Experience
• Test out a career and gain some
valuable skills
Preparation
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• Will it give students what they
want?
• Are they prepared for the demands
of course?
• Career aspirations that match the
course.
• Can they prove/demonstrate that
they want to be on this course?
Pick the right course
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• Motivation
• Relevant Experience
• Academic Ability
• Personal Qualities and Attributes
• Outside Interests
Content
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Specific• Provide details and examples.• Avoid the generic and boring.
Truthful• Modesty can be a good thing.
Spelling and Grammar• 19% of Primary QTS
Applications are rejected because of poor spelling.
The personal statement
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Personal Reflection• Offer thoughts about motivations
and lessons learned.• Provide analysis of work
experiences and experiences gained.
• Reflect on own skills and abilities.
Demonstrate and evidence• Provide details and examples to
back up claims.• Give examples to highlight
important information.
Personal Reflection
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• Start the journey as early as possible.
• Good preparation is obvious in a personal statement.
• Encourage your students to critically analyse their own skills, abilities and experiences.
Summary
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Thank you for listening
Please feel free to contact us:
Daisy Jayes 01695 584258 [email protected]
Chris Bayes: 01695 584198 [email protected]
Ryan Duncan: 01695 584 243