15 minute read
How To Put It All Together
2. Specific Areas of Interest
Having given a broad account of why you love your subject, now focus on specific areas of interest within it, particularly those you have researched in detail yourself.
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So if you have explained why you like Philosophy, the academic discipline, now think about particular problems in Philosophy (free will, personal identity, God’s existence) or particular philosophers (Aristotle, Hume, Nietzsche) you have explored further. Similarly, if you have outlined why Chemistry is so important in understanding the natural world, now think about particular chemicals you have researched or particular methods in Chemistry that you find interesting.
In what ways will the degree courses you are applying for help develop your interests further? You will need to read the course outlines for all the courses you are
applying to in order to write this part fully!
:Area 1: What is it about this topic that I have found so interesting? How will the course I am applying for help me explore it further?
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Area 2: What is it about this topic that I have found so interesting? How will the course I am applying for help me explore it further?
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Area 3: What is it about this topic that I have found so interesting? How will the course I am applying for help me explore it further?
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3. Evidence of ‘Passion’
This is by the far the most important part of your statement. Here you can really shine because it is the things you have done in your own time which will show your genuine passion for the subject and show you to be self-motivated. Try to avoid the word ‘passion’ –or use very sparingly!
Use your Participation and Progress Review/Log here to help!
Write down a list of things you have done, then write down what you have learned from that experience, book, article, documentary, trip, etc. that will directly help your degree course. Make sure you name all authors, directors, places, companies, and so on.
You do not necessarily have to complete the boxes below. Remember that the personal statement is largely an academic document and so your reading of books and articles is especially important.
Reading (This should be the most significant part)
Details
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What did you learn?
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Art exhibitions Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Historical sites Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Geographical landmarks or field trips Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Documentaries Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Podcasts and lectures Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Essay competitions and other prizes Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Other Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
4. Skills and Knowledge Learnt From…
A Levels
Do not forget that every one of your fellow candidates is studying A level or equivalent, so therefore just school work is not going to make you stand out, unless you can truly demonstrate your understanding of how your current studies can specifically help your chosen degree course.
Tell admissions staff how your current studies have been a springboard for further reading and research.
A levels
Subject 1: Click or tap here to enter text.
Relevant skills and knowledge developed
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Subject 2: Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Subject 3: Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Subject 4/EPQ/ Channing project / CT Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
4. Skills and Knowledge Learnt From…
Work Experience and Other Courses
If you have undertaken any work experience which relates to your subject, then write it down. Did hands-on work reinforce any principles you have only learned in theory? Did you realise the importance of accuracy, trustworthiness, efficiency, collaboration, empathy? Did your experience or course deepen your understanding of the subject? Go beyond generic
statements about time-management and communication! Again, use your Participation and Progress Review/Log! No need to re-write here but just reflect on your comments in your personal log.
Work experience
Details
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What did you learn?
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Voluntary work Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
Internships Click or tap here to enter text.
Community activities Click or tap here to enter text.
Summer schools Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
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Taster courses Click or tap here to enter text. Click or tap here to enter text.
4. Skills and Knowledge Learnt From…
Extracurricular Activities
This is where you will give an account of your non-academic achievements and the skills you have picked up along the way through your non-academic interests in or out of school.
In the real personal statement, avoiding listing activities or skills. You will need to weave them together more subtly. Focus on some key skills or activities and avoid trying to impress the admission tutor by outlining a huge range.
Skill Details of extra-curricular activities that developed these
Communication Click or tap here to enter text.
Commitment Click or tap here to enter text.
Time management Click or tap here to enter text.
Teamwork Click or tap here to enter text.
Using initiative Click or tap here to enter text.
Adaptability Click or tap here to enter text.
Organisation Click or tap here to enter text.
Leadership Click or tap here to enter text.
Responsibility Click or tap here to enter text.
5. Conclusion
Simply finish the personal statement with a summary of why you are a suitable candidate, what you hope to get out of and give to the university community. Make sure this sentence convinces the admissions staff of how much you are looking forward to it all!
Example: ‘I feel certain thatthissubjectwillprovideme withtheintellectualchallengebest suited to my personality and ambition ofpursuing an academiccareer in thesocialsciences. The prospect of studying such a stimulating and dynamic course truly excites me. ’
6. How to Put it All Together
Look back at the tables you have filled in – your next step is to choose which points are the most important to include.
What are the admissions tutors looking for? Genuine interest in the subject and what you have done to explore this interest further. Skills such as time management and teamwork are great, but secondary to evidence of an informed desire to study a subject. If you can ‘double up’ on skills and talk about things you have learnt and what you have done that demonstrates your interest in the subject at the same time as one of these skills, then great! But ensure that around 75-80% of your personal statement is academic in focus and 20-25% on your extra-curricular achievements and skills.
Go back and look at all that you wrote down, then highlight the aspects that you think an admission tutor will find most impressive/interesting and then rewrite them as brief bullet points.
Most impressive or interesting points:
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Turning it into prose
Personal statement advice can seem conflicting:
But in the end, you should:
● Transfer the activities you have deemed worthy of your personal statement to a
Google document. Don’t worry if you are over the character limit at this
stage!
● It doesn’t matter which order you start working on your personal statement (many students find it easier to complete the introduction last) as long as you eventually keep to something along the lines of the structure suggested.
(Introduction; subject relevance; work experience; extra curricular activities; conclusion)
● Give enough detail but do not bore them: 2-3 sentences on any topic should be enough
● Illustrate your skills and abilities rather than state them. Avoid saying something like
‘and this shows I have communication skills. ’
These phrases may help:
Furthermore Enable me
Additionally Used my initiative Of particular interest to me
Strengthen
As well as Commitment Reinforced On reflection
Skills I have gained through This has furthered my Moreover My pursuits Taking part in Creatively
Intellectual exploration Thrive under pressure
I learned from
Benefit
Efficiently In addition Hard work I undertook I aspire to
My interest in
Combining… with…has taught me Thoughtprovoking I particularly enjoyed
This has expanded my knowledge of Learnt to prioritise I continue to develop
Challenging
Highly competitive Through regularly attending
Immensely rewarding
Responsibility To improve
Brought to my attention
How not to write your personal statement
● Do not start every sentence with ‘I’.
● Do not include jokes – try not to be flippant or trivial.
● Do not repeat yourself or waste valuable space listing GCSEs or A level topics.
● Do not lie or exaggerate.
● Never include text speak.
● Do not expect universities to understand Channing terminology.
● Do not include pretentious language or say lofty, important-sounding things that deep down you don’t understand!
What universities are looking for:
● Interest in the course (most important) ● No spelling or grammatical mistakes ● Clearly written statements ● Motivation ● Able to balance studies with non-academic life ● Interesting person ● Relevant working experience ● Wider key skills
Advice from previous students:
‘Just do it’ andstart early
Word of Warning
You will find that there are many useful websites (from which some of this advice is taken) with information about how to write a good Personal Statement, such as www.studential.com/guide/write_personal_statement.htm
Many of these websites allow you to look at personal statements written by others. Whilst this can help you to get started and give you some ideas, it is essential that the personal statement is all your own work and really reflects YOU! All personal statements are put through anti-plagiarism software by UCAS who will inform your universities if there is evidence that you have lifted phrases or paragraphs from others. For further details of this, please see www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/filling-your-application/fraud-and-similarit y
Past examples of personal statements
Examples of paragraphs to give you an idea of what has been written in the past:
1. General opening paragraph describing what you want to study 2. Description/reflection on your A’ level subjects (starting with the most relevant) and remember to include your Channing project here too! 3. Description/reflection on extra-curricular activities in school 4. Description of outside school activities / work experience 5. Closing paragraph (to get the reader to confirm why you should be given an offer)
Sample opening paragraphs:
My zest for performance and other aspects of drama began at a young age and has since been fuelled by the different genres of theatre that I have both seen and been involved in. I have recently been inspired by the RSC's production of 'The Crucible' as well as Stephen Schwartz's 'Wicked'. I feel that a vocational degree in a performance subject would enable me to channel my enthusiasm and flair in this area in order togrow as an actor , in thehope of following this path in the future.
I find History absorbing. Ienjoy extendingmy knowledgeofindividualsandevents, as wellas trying to weigh up how the world has been shaped by its past. Historical context is
illuminating as societies, like individuals,can rarely shake offtheirhistory. Inmodernhistory I have been particularly engaged by the revolutionary ideas of Marx and Lenin and their emphasis on the role of class-consciousness as the cornerstone of the historical process, driving the development of social and political change.
Sample A level subjects paragraphs:
I love studying ClassicalCivilisationfor Alevel, as Ibelieve itcomplementsEnglishvery well, not only with thelanguage analysis but from a historical and factual point of view. Tragedies are my preferred aspect of thesubject and my particular favourite is "Electra"bySophocles. Economics has helped me improve the quality of rational argument within an essay and allowed me to gain a wider understanding of current affairs.
My enjoyment of science subjects stems from theopportunity to apply one's knowledge to solve specific problems. Chemistry, in particular , allows great creativity andsatisfactionfrom reaching a correct solution. I like Maths as it constantlyencouragesthoughtandprovidesan excellent grounding in calculations for other closely related subjects. I have studied Latin because I find the construction oflanguages interesting and it has helped me to think more logically when faced with a problem.
School has given me the opportunity to learn and think independently. Alongside Biology, which has been an introduction to the workings of thehumanbody , studyingChemistry has given me experimental and analytical skills. Maths is a joy to learn,fromsolvingproblemsto its active roleinsociety . Art at ASlevelappealedto my creative sideandgave me thebalance between science and non-science subjects.
Maths was possibly a poor choice for A-level as I found it very challenging after GCSE, and perhaps neglected it in favour of those subjects that I enjoyed more.
My A levels have been an excellentpreparation for thedemandsofadegree basedon media and sociology. I found History A Level enormously satisfying, particularly my personal investigation on the Iranian Revolution. It developed my research skills and my ability to sift through and analyse a huge amount of information in order to extract key points.
Sample descriptions of extra-curricular activities in school:
Sport is a large part of my life. I have represented my school in the netball, hockey and rounders teams, and received full colours in netball for my contribution, effort and hard work in the team. I have taken part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Bronze Award scheme, completing 12 hours of community service at a local primary school assisting with a Year 2 class. This taught me theimportance ofpatience and responsibility as Ihelped with reading and writing tasks. I also enjoy playing the piano at Grade 5 level. Following the Tsunami in
2004, I initiated the selling of 300 'WaveOfHope' wristbands of which the proceeds were donated to Tsunami victims via my school.
Last year I was awarded a Bronze certificate in theSeniorMathematicsChallengeandIhave competed in the Hans Woyda Mathematics competition. I represented Channing at the Financial Mathematics day at Barclays Bank, which involved problem solving exercises in groups and attending lectures about the use and importance of mathematics in the financial industry. In Year 12, I completed the Young Enterprise Scheme which showed me how businesses operate and theimportance ofgood organisation and as the Financial Director , I achieved a Credit in the examination. Enrichment courses have been enjoyable whilst broadening my knowledge and skills. Ialsothrive ontakingpart insportingactivities, suchas hockey, rounders, tennis and I am currently the captain of the senior netball team.
In my finalyear at school I took on theresponsibilityofbeingeditoroftheFrenchmagazine 'La Vache Qui Dit'. It was a fantastic opportunity , working with writers of all different ages and abilities.
Sample descriptions of outside school activities / work experience:
My hobbies are playing the cello and singing. Ilove theoutdoorsandInow skicompetitively appreciating landforms such as corries which I had learned about in glaciology, as much as the sport itself! I also enjoy sailing a topper , for pleasure purposes as well as in regattas in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and this has certainly strengthened my understanding of coastal landscapes and marine processes.
For work experience, I spent a week in July 2005 in a jewellery shop where I learned first hand how a company works and how to dealwiththepublic. Thiswas relevant lastsummer when I worked for six weeks at a tennis club organising children's activities, tennis tournaments as well as family suppers where my people skills were testedwithcustomers. I also teach at a Sunday Schoolandenjoyhelpingchildrenproblemsolve andallowing themto explore their capabilities. The latter two experiences have allowed me to interact with children and have fuelled my ambition to become a Geography teacher after leaving university .
My other interests are varied; Iplay the flute and dance has been an enduring passion from an early age. I am currently working towards ballet Grade 8 and tap Grade6.Iamproudof my Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Awards, in which I have been able to exercise my leadership qualities and demonstrate my ability to work in a team.
I have carriedout voluntary workat KentishTownCityFarmandhave contributedgreatly to
The British Divers' Marine Life Rescue charity , raising money at both school and public events to support the conservation work they endeavour to carry out.
Over the past few years I have accumulated a wide range of work experience relating to animal welfare and management. I have been assisting in consultations and operations at a local small animal veterinary surgery. This has comprised evening surgeries over sixteen months and two one-week stints. During summer 2006 I spent two weeks working in London zoo looking after a variety of mammals ranging from giraffes and okapi to meerkats and marmosets. Other farm related experience includes two weeks on a dairy farm in Staffordshire helping with milking, feeding calves, fixingfences andgenerallygetting my hands dirty; animal care and general maintenance over a six month period at Kentish Town City Farm; a weekend lambing in Milton Keynes and a brief spell helping on a pig farm.
Sample closing paragraphs:
I believe that I am ready for university life and the fresh challenges it will inevitably present, and that with the education I have received to date, my hard work and determination, combined with a good university degree, I will be able to make a positive contribution to society in the near future.
I enjoy reading New Scientist magazine, which has increased my knowledge of recent breakthroughs in Science. Its independent stance, such as the unbiased report on MMR vaccines, has developed my enthusiasm for studying further into this field. Science is rapidly advancing and to read Natural Sciences, I am sure, would be an exciting and worthwhile challenge to undertake.
I am looking forward to the challenges of university and the rewards that my career will bring.
Dates /deadlines for Year 12
All students:
UCAS registrations and first few sections must be completed by the end of the Summer term (we will work on the registrations before the end of term).
Personal statement DRAFT must be completed by the end of the Summer term -1st JUly
Early applicants:
Must have the UCAS form (excluding thepersonal statement) completed by the first week of the Autumn term.
Must liaisewitha relevantmentor/departmentprior to thesummer holidays. Inmany cases, departments will set work for students to complete in preparation for the application process.
