ucas writing a personal statement

No two personal statements should be the same (the clue is in the personal!), but there are certain additions that will get the attention of the admissions tutor reading it whatever subject you want to study. Remember: what you write could end up being the decider between you and another candidate.  Avoid the 10 things admissions tutors don't want to see in your personal statement at all costs - plus, don't miss out latest round-up of 10 MORE personal statement must-haves. Personal statements - tips from universities  We asked admissions tutors for their personal statement dos and don'ts –  here's what they said. 1. Explain your reasons for wanting to study the course What motivates you to take this course at a university level? Mention how your interest developed, what you have done to pursue it or how you’ve drawn inspiration from your current studies. Or, just demonstrate your enthusiasm for it. 'Be specific from line one.' (English admissions tutor) More useful advice: Subject-specific personal statement advice 2. Explain how you're right for the course Provide evidence that you fit the bill – not only that you meet the selection criteria but also that you’ve researched the course or profession and understand what studying the subject at university level will involve, and that you are prepared for this. 'Keep on topic and show that you’ve really done your research and know why you want to do the course.' (Sport admissions tutor) More useful advice: How to 'sell yourself' in your personal statement 3. Say what you’ve done outside the classroom If possible, outline how you’ve pursued your interest in your chosen subject beyond your current syllabus. For example, talk about any further reading you’ve done around the subject and give your critical views or reflective opinions about it. This could be from books, quality newspapers, websites, periodicals or scientific.
By Alan Bullock(Careers Adviser)|30 July 2015|4 min readBy Alan Bullock(Careers Adviser)|30 July 2015|4 min readUniversity admissions tutors will be reading your personal statement as part of your application, but what are they really looking for? Here are their top 10 tips.Our original top 10 of what to include in your personal statement was so popular, we decided to do it all again. Read on for 10 more things to tick off as part of your Ucas personal statement application (plus we've tackled 10 more things not to include, too). 1. Paragraphs Use paragraphs, rather than one solid block of text, to help organise your material and make it more readable. A statement with three or four clearly-defined, well-structured paragraphs will look a lot easier on the eye to an admissions tutor who has hundreds to read. Because you can’t indent on Ucas Apply, leaving a line between each paragraph will look even better. But on the other hand, the lines you leave will count towards your 47, so you won’t be able to say so much. In the end it’s a matter of personal choice - so it might be a good question to ask a tutor at a university open day, to see which they prefer.   2. A balance of academic and extra-curricular content Universities tend to suggest that you focus about 75% on your academic interests and why you want to study the course and 25% on the extra-curricular dimension that shows you’re a rounded person. This is a useful guideline.  Having said that, it's not a hard and fast rule. So, if you don’t do much outside your studies, don't pretend. Just focus mainly on your academic interests and talk about what you think instead of what you do. Different courses will need different approaches too, especially if you're applying for a professional course like medicine, primary teaching or social work, which will need much more emphasis on your relevant insights or experience. On.
The Personal Statement is the only part of the UCAS application form which gives you a chance to say something about yourself, and at the same time make a positive impression. It is vital to get it right and this guide explains how to put a good UCAS Personal Statement together. As our advice article Six Top Tips for an outstanding UCAS form explains, your personal statement may well be the deciding factor in whether you get an offer. Over the years the space for the Personal Statement has grown from a few lines to a whole page, emphasising how important it is to universities. You should give it similar attention. Take as much time and care as you can to make it effective. The most important thing is to explain why you are applying for your particular courses. The UCAS Personal Statement should also include details of your achievements in and outside school/college, your experience of work, travel, responsibility and helping others and what you enjoy doing in your spare time. Quite a writing challenge, but if you follow the guidelines below you should find you end up with something really effective. Tackle the UCAS Personal Statement in stages Getting started can be tough, but if you approach the task as a series of steps, you will find it easier. Get started early so that you can give the process the time it will need. You'll probably find that you need to come back to the task over several sessions. Starting before the summer holidays is ideal: it gives you time to do all the necessary thinking and to beef up your cv if you need to. Don't leave the Personal Statement to the last minute! You'll fill in your UCAS Form online, but when you start writing, work off-line so that you don't feel under time pressure and can cut and paste as much as you want. The very first thing to do is to check out what the university website says about the courses you are applying for.
Hannah Morton-Hedges is an independent careers adviser with over 10 years' experience of guiding students through the UCAS application process. She currently runs her own careers consultancy Momentum Careers Advice. It is often impossible to differentiate between students on grades and academic references alone, and it is for this reason that so much importance is placed on the quality of an applicant’s personal statement. It really can make the difference between an 'offer' and a 'reject'. The personal statement is your chance to show an admissions tutor that you are the ideal person for them to teach on their course, so it should be planned and executed to perfection. Treat it as you would an important piece of academic work. Don’t jump in with both feet first — take time to brainstorm ideas (try googling mind-mapping and spider diagram techniques) and think carefully about the content and structure. Academic Interests Remember that, first and foremost, this is an application for a course of study so aim to focus at least two-thirds of your 47 line (4,000 character) statement on your academic motivations and interests. Show that you have an understanding of the subject and a genuine interest in it. Ask yourself the following questions: What have I done to research my subject and show an understanding of what the course involves? (Remember, it is often not essential that you have studied the discipline before but you should be able to demonstrate exploration of the subject through other resources – reading periodicals and websites, attending public lectures or summer schools, writing blog posts, etc). Is there a specific topic of interest within the subject that may help to show I am a genuine enthusiast? Can I talk about a piece of work or research that I carried out which I found particularly interesting? Or a text that inspired me? Why is it important to study.