Supporting your students: personal statements and

references

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Seeking to recruit the most able and motivated students, irrespective of background, who can best benefit from a Durham University education.

•Fair, consistent, transparent, equal consideration•Decisions made within academic departments•College allocations made separately •Merit and potential•Interviews•Competition for places•Information available to the tutor

The admissions process

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What does “competitive” mean:

− High expectations for entry alone

− High expectations for entry plus intense competition

− Institutions (not all programmes)

− Programmes (at non-competitive institutions)

Competition

“I can accept the rejection from Cambridge, as so many able students apply, but I could not understand why I …

was rejected by the other universities”, which were Durham, Edinburgh and Warwick.”

Do potential applicants fully understand this?

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Why does it matter?

Applications per place available: 6.2 (up to 11.5)

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•GCSEs/equivalent

•AS/equivalent Results

•A2/equivalent Predictions

•Interviews

•Admissions Tests

•Academic Reference

•Personal Statement

Information available to the selector

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Access and Student Recruitment

• Low aspirations and/ or attainment

• Small pond syndrome

• Limited understanding of how competitive University admissions can be

• Confidence

• Pressure(s)

• Stress

In the applicant’s shoes…

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• Start early - teaching self awareness and pragmatism

• Active listening - the art of silence, use a form

• Skills development – research, time management & written communication

• Drafts – peer support

• The applicant must take personal responsibility

Providing support

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• Academic performance in post-16 education

• Personal statement & reference - integral part of process

• Potential for academic success in higher education

• Why is the chosen course suited to the applicant?

• Personal qualities that will benefit them at university

• What can the applicant bring to the university? (extra-curricular activities and interests)

Key information

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• 47 lines or 4000 characters including spaces

• UCAS Apply – with video tutorial

• Pasted from a word package

• Formatting removed

• Plagiarism

Personal Statements

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1. Why has the applicant chosen this subject to study to an advanced level for three or more years?

2. What have they done in the past that makes them particularly suitable to study this subject? What else have you done that prepares them for university study?

3. How will they benefit from the opportunities available at university? How might they contribute to the course and the university community?

Personal Statement Structure

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1.Demonstrate enthusiasm and academic potential

2.Knowledge of the subject area

3.Where it could it lead?

4.What does the subject entail?

5.Why the interest ?

6.Specific interest within

the broader subject?

The subject – in detail

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Enjoyment of subjectWhy is it important to the student?

Why is it enjoyable?

Enjoyment of a particular aspect

Which aspect stands out from the rest? Why?

A current subject in more depth/ A new subject or dimension

What is of specific interests within the programme offered?

Link to an element of a current course?

Interest reinforced by work experience

What did they do and how did this help?

What did they do/learn?

A prerequisite for a chosen career

Which career? How does the course fit into plans?

Inspiration from a person or event

Lecture, visit, book, programme, event, experience, film, protest, legal case…How or why?

The subject – providing examples

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• Project Work

• Voluntary work

• Extra-curricular interests

• Work experience (e.g. Law, Teaching)

• Books, Newspapers, journals, blogs

• Television programmes/ documentaries

• Year out

Providing examples contd…

What did they do? How has this helped? What did they learn?

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What makes your students who they are?

•What do they enjoy?•Hobbies, leisure•Sports•Extra-curricular•Responsibilities/jobs/unpaid•Achievements

How will they benefit from the opportunities available at university?

Make it personal

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• Original• Positive• Do not mention individual institutions• Avoid starting with a quote• Avoid humour• Avoid repetition and lists• Well structured and clear• Providing examples and demonstrating an informed

decision

Key information

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• Submit a statement directly to Durham

• Upload a MS Word document to our website within 3 days of submitting to UCAS

• Replacement – Not Required – No automatic preference

• Same parameters as UCAS statement.

Durham Substitute Statement

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• Providing context - general comments about School/College and applicant (providing context)

• Subject specific - individual comments about each subject

• General remarks - about the applicant, including non-academic information and their suitability for the programme

References

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• Size and type of school

• Number of students in year group

• School catchment

• Proportion going to HE

• Typical number and patterns of qualifications

• Specifics on school policy e.g. AS certification

Providing context

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Provide short paragraphs from each subject tutor on performance

A summary statement to bring this together

Be honest and clear, particularly about predicted grades:

What are their strengths?

Are they predicted low grades/ higher than expected – if so, why? Are there extenuating circumstances?

State where students are likely to improve in the time between the application and their exams

Subject specific

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• Supportive statements - ambitions, motivation, attitude and commitment

• Reflection - past achievement, current activities (focus on most relevant)

• Curriculum enrichment and skills (e.g. work experience and voluntary work)

• Involvement in gifted and talented programmes and University Summer Schools

General remarks

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After applications are made….

– Coping with ‘rejection’ – expectations must be realistic from the start

− Deciding between offers – select realistic choices for firm and insurance

− Exams and coursework all still to come – achieving the grade!

− Staying in touch

− Preparation and transition

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• Try to meet with the student first to discuss their application and progress to date - use this to inform their reference

• Read (and check) the whole application

• Avoid repetition, but back-up their comments if helpful

• Where required, an interim reference is fine, but state a full reference will follow

Key points

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Key points

• Admissions tutors appreciate an academic judgement from a fellow academic (especially where no interview is held)

• Be honest and where critical, constructive

• Provide a clear, personal reflection on the individual – their achievement and potential

• Make your stars stand out

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Quotes from selectors…

“What we are really interested to know from the Referee is whether the candidate has a fast mind, can work independently, can assimilate new concepts quickly, is good at project work, is a

good communicator, has imagination and dynamism, is well organised, has maturity, etc.”

“Don't hesitate to write enthusiastically about students

you think highly of… if the applicant is head and shoulders

above the rest of the class, make it clear.”

“If it says in the prospectus that you need A2 level

Maths, then you know what, you need A2 level Maths.”

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Quotes from selectors …

“Applicants seem to worry about their lack of work experience. Well it is simply not

easy to arrange chemical work experience and I don’t worry about that..”

“We often compare a candidate’s application to the other ones received from

his/her school, and finding that every student has the same positive attributes does not fail to give a bad impression.”

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Questions?