Well, well, well... where do I even begin? Admittedly, this post is one that was due to be posted a fair bit later - but given the government's announcement of school closures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought it was only right to hurry the posting process and get this out to both Year 12 and Year 11, for whom I feel a whole lot of sympathy towards right now in the wake of exam cancellations and/or potentially months worth of missed teaching time. Given the fact that I will now have a lot more free time as I will no longer be sitting my A-Level exams, I am dedicated to help keep the younger years on track and there will be a lot of blog content coming in these upcoming few weeks so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that. I am also more than happy to work with you on a one-to-one basis to provide you help with your personal statement if you wish - feel free to get in touch with me at @everylittlethingblog on Instagram! As for now, though, let's jump right into the subject matter of this post - which is all about personal statements! Get a cup of tea or coffee on hand, as this is going to be a long one...
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First and foremost, I want to preface this by saying that I have collected together a variety of exemplar personal statements that I will be referring to throughout this post - the link to which you can find here (https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rr6SCW3vPy3bl_Kcepgakp0eYdgV5QjX). These are not necessarily perfect personal statements, nor is this post as a whole a definitive guide as to how to write one, but these are some excellent examples and many of these applicants applied to and received offers from the top UK universities - including Oxford and Cambridge.
I have received every person's permission to share their personal statement and many have told me that, if you are interested in applying for their subject, get in contact with me on Instagram (@everylittlethingblog) and I can pass on your details to them. In terms of plagiarism, while I would rather not make such reminder, I thought I would mention that UCAS has a rigorous algorithm designed to detect such acts - given that I am uploading these documents online.
In this post, I presume that you are already familiarised with the basics such as the 4000 character count and what a personal statement actually is - but if not, there are a plethora of brilliant resources that you can find on YouTube.
I have received every person's permission to share their personal statement and many have told me that, if you are interested in applying for their subject, get in contact with me on Instagram (@everylittlethingblog) and I can pass on your details to them. In terms of plagiarism, while I would rather not make such reminder, I thought I would mention that UCAS has a rigorous algorithm designed to detect such acts - given that I am uploading these documents online.
In this post, I presume that you are already familiarised with the basics such as the 4000 character count and what a personal statement actually is - but if not, there are a plethora of brilliant resources that you can find on YouTube.
W H E R E T O B E G I N ?
It is undoubtedly the beginning of this whole process that is the most overwhelming - trust me, despite having looked into this whole process religiously since the start of Year 11, I still didn't know where to begin when I started myself!
Once you've gotten to grips with the basics, I would suggest making a separate document where you list everything that you have done which can be mentioned on your personal statement. In fact, if you are still in the younger year groups, this is something that I would suggest starting early and keeping updated as you go along. For me, I made an initial document where I noted down some questions I had about my subject such as "Can something truly be 'lost in translation'?" as well as my wider reading, online courses that I had taken etc. Then, I made a more in-depth document where I listed, say, the books I've read and went on to briefly entail what they were about, what I learnt from them/what I found interesting, anything I didn't enjoy/disagreed with and what I went on to do afterwards. This is something that would go on to help me when it came to my narrative - which I discuss below. While I was at the Eton College Universities Summer School, I was given a very handy document with a list of questions a personal statement should aim to answer - I highly suggest having a look at this document, which can also be found on the Google Drive link.
Having done this, I would go on to read a variety of exemplar personal statements - and not just those from people applying to your subjects too! I have, of course, listed my Google Drive link above where I've compiled many up-to-date exemplars - but you can also find many online on websites such as The Student Room, and it would be worth asking your school or those in the year above for some in-school exemplars.
From there on, it's all about jumping into the deep-end; at the end of the day, you can never fine-tune what it is you already have if you don't have anything put down on paper! Your first draft will almost never be your final draft, so the sooner you can complete a final version, the sooner you can begin asking for feedback - which will save you a lot of hassle rather than if you save it until the last minute.
Once you've gotten to grips with the basics, I would suggest making a separate document where you list everything that you have done which can be mentioned on your personal statement. In fact, if you are still in the younger year groups, this is something that I would suggest starting early and keeping updated as you go along. For me, I made an initial document where I noted down some questions I had about my subject such as "Can something truly be 'lost in translation'?" as well as my wider reading, online courses that I had taken etc. Then, I made a more in-depth document where I listed, say, the books I've read and went on to briefly entail what they were about, what I learnt from them/what I found interesting, anything I didn't enjoy/disagreed with and what I went on to do afterwards. This is something that would go on to help me when it came to my narrative - which I discuss below. While I was at the Eton College Universities Summer School, I was given a very handy document with a list of questions a personal statement should aim to answer - I highly suggest having a look at this document, which can also be found on the Google Drive link.
Having done this, I would go on to read a variety of exemplar personal statements - and not just those from people applying to your subjects too! I have, of course, listed my Google Drive link above where I've compiled many up-to-date exemplars - but you can also find many online on websites such as The Student Room, and it would be worth asking your school or those in the year above for some in-school exemplars.
From there on, it's all about jumping into the deep-end; at the end of the day, you can never fine-tune what it is you already have if you don't have anything put down on paper! Your first draft will almost never be your final draft, so the sooner you can complete a final version, the sooner you can begin asking for feedback - which will save you a lot of hassle rather than if you save it until the last minute.
T H E A R T O F S T O R Y T E L L I N G
One of , if not the, best piece(s) of advice that I received when writing my personal statement is to create a narrative - a sort of USP, if you will - and to let that be a running theme throughout your personal statement, drawing particularly close attention to it at the start and at the end of said personal statement. Speaking from my own personal experience, something that I was often asked when people found out that I wanted to study Spanish was 'Why?' - given that we do, of course, live in an ever more globalised world. As you can see in my personal statement above, I decided to focus on nuances between languages and how a better appreciation of Spanish - and thus the differences with other languages - will allow me to better understand and communicate with those from all sorts of backgrounds, which is pivotal in the career path I am currently interested in. For me, this clearly shows admissions tutors that you are clear in your approach and you know exactly what it is you're signing up for.
It's perfectly okay to have no idea as to what your concept is going to be - though I think a good starting point would be to consider how studying your subject will help you in your future endeavours, as well as why it is beneficial for wider society and the reasons for which you are so enticed doing this subject for another 3-6 years!
Similarly, I think it is equally a good a idea to have mini narratives within each of your paragraphs so that you get a structure which sounds a bit like "I did this and I found X,Y and Z interesting, which then led me to do this - and that led to this." Personally, I believe this makes you sound like an engaged and independent learner who will go above and beyond what they have learnt to pursue their interests.
It's perfectly okay to have no idea as to what your concept is going to be - though I think a good starting point would be to consider how studying your subject will help you in your future endeavours, as well as why it is beneficial for wider society and the reasons for which you are so enticed doing this subject for another 3-6 years!
Similarly, I think it is equally a good a idea to have mini narratives within each of your paragraphs so that you get a structure which sounds a bit like "I did this and I found X,Y and Z interesting, which then led me to do this - and that led to this." Personally, I believe this makes you sound like an engaged and independent learner who will go above and beyond what they have learnt to pursue their interests.
P U N C H Y O P E N I N G S A N D E N D I N G S
The most important elements of a personal statement are the opening and the ending; as unfortunate as it is, given the time and effort that you have put into this document, many universities will receive thousands of applications - which means that, naturally, they will have to skim-read some applications or just not read all of them fully at all! For that, it's essential that you have a 'hook' at the beginning and at the end to make sure that they can't resist reading your personal statement fully.
First and foremost, I would suggest leaving your most 'impressive' activities for either of these two parts of the personal statement - preferably at the end to save your introduction for a nice opening. This is exactly what I did with my UN Work Experience to make sure I ended it on a bang, because it's a bit like saying "and on top of all of this academia, I've also managed to do this - you can't not give me a place now!"
Secondly, on the more practical side of things, I would suggest beginning and concluding your personal statement with a relatively short and 'to the point' sentence: this is something which is going to be more blunt and something which will likely stand-out structurally from the text, drawing further attention to the crux of the matter. Admittedly, I am quite the fan of an odd rhetorical question and believe that it can make for one of the most effective ways to conclude your personal statement; it is perhaps a little cheeky, almost as if you are turning the tide and questioning the tutor about the nature of their own subject, but certainly eye-catching and likely to be something to leave the person reading it with an afterthought.
In terms of quotes, I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of starting or ending personal statements in this way as it defies the very nature of the statement: you're using wasting characters using somebody else's words and not your own. That being said, this one is more of a personal taste matter and some people have been able to pull it off very well - just make sure that it is something you explore or, at the very least, return to and not just shove in because you think it makes you look smart.
First and foremost, I would suggest leaving your most 'impressive' activities for either of these two parts of the personal statement - preferably at the end to save your introduction for a nice opening. This is exactly what I did with my UN Work Experience to make sure I ended it on a bang, because it's a bit like saying "and on top of all of this academia, I've also managed to do this - you can't not give me a place now!"
Secondly, on the more practical side of things, I would suggest beginning and concluding your personal statement with a relatively short and 'to the point' sentence: this is something which is going to be more blunt and something which will likely stand-out structurally from the text, drawing further attention to the crux of the matter. Admittedly, I am quite the fan of an odd rhetorical question and believe that it can make for one of the most effective ways to conclude your personal statement; it is perhaps a little cheeky, almost as if you are turning the tide and questioning the tutor about the nature of their own subject, but certainly eye-catching and likely to be something to leave the person reading it with an afterthought.
In terms of quotes, I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of starting or ending personal statements in this way as it defies the very nature of the statement: you're using wasting characters using somebody else's words and not your own. That being said, this one is more of a personal taste matter and some people have been able to pull it off very well - just make sure that it is something you explore or, at the very least, return to and not just shove in because you think it makes you look smart.
L I N K S , L I N K S A N D M O R E L I N K S
Those of you applying to either Oxford or Cambridge probably know that your personal statement ought to be almost if not entirely academic - but in all honesty, even if you're solely applying to the other top Russell Group universities, I would highly recommend making your personal statement as academic as it can be. In the nicest way possible, you're about to dedicate the next 3-6 years of your life to this subject and universities want to be sure that you're up to the challenge - not that you play netball every Tuesday after school. That being said, there is a clever way to incorporate your extracurricular hobbies with academia: you have to look for the links - they may be obscure, but trust me when I say that absolutely anything can be linked to your subject! And think about it... the more obscure the link, the more personal and unique it is going to be to you - which will help you to stand out against hundreds, if not thousands, of other applicants! A personal statement that particularly stood out to be in the way in which it did this was the 'Medicine (1)' that you can find on my Google Drive link, when this person discussed how playing badminton recreationally would prepare them for lengthy ward rounds by improving their physical fitness. If you can't think of the link automatically, ask other people if they can help you!
T H E D E A L W I T H W I D E R R E A D I N G
Now that I've stressed the importance of academia, I thought it would be worth highlighting the ways in which you can do that - one of the main ways, of course, being wider reading. It's all fair and well listing the twenty odd books that you've read for your subject - but let me tell you now, you're not going to be in a better position than somebody who has read three books but somebody who has really taken the time to think critically about what they have read and commented upon what particularly intrigued them or something that they even disagree with (a brave, but good move to take in my eyes - particularly for Oxbridge candidates as you already expect to be questioned and challenged on your criticisms at interview). In terms of your super-curricular activities, it really is a case of quality and not quantity - while you are expected to have read around your subject, not even Oxbridge expect you have read a ridiculous amount of books!
When it comes to choosing what books it is you're going to read, I would be strategic; don't necessarily stray away from bestsellers as they are often a good starting point, but be sure that not every book you have mentioned is currently in this list - at the end of the day, tutors will have seen the same titles over and over again and seeing something a bit different is naturally intriguing and, again, makes your application all the more personal to you. Similarly, I would suggest a few key areas to focus on; for my personal wider-reading, the vast majority of the books I read were centered around The Spanish Civil War so that I could explore this topic in depth - rather than trying to gain a very brief idea of every literary period to have existed in Hispanic literature. Leading on from the point above, this will allow you to make links between texts and present a more logical and structured argument. For humanities/literature-based courses, I would highly recommend seeing if there are film/theatre adapted versions for texts and commenting on any differences in portrayal that you witness. That being said, don't limit yourself to just one area and sell yourself short; this is something I feel the exemplar personal statements, particularly those of the medics, have done very well: they've found a few key areas that have really intrigued them from their personal encounters and chosen to look into those in significant depth, rather than trying to become experts on every medical issue known to mankind. Similarly, I would pay close attention to the university courses you're applying for and tailor your reading accordingly; I applied to universities that were literature-heavy over, say, linguistics modules and whatnot else - hence I spoke a lot about works of literature. If you're really unsure of where to start, try asking your teachers/people that have gone through the process themselves - or even have a look at the books studied in some exemplar personal statements! Something I thought was particularly interesting was advice shared in the PPE exemplar personal statement to read academic papers rather than books - just going to show the importance of reaching out to others.
Being that we are in the twenty-first century, though, I would highly recommend completing some online courses (MOOCs), watching relevant documentaries or something of the like as it helps to diversify your learning and will add a different dimension to your personal statement that others will likely not have.
When it comes to choosing what books it is you're going to read, I would be strategic; don't necessarily stray away from bestsellers as they are often a good starting point, but be sure that not every book you have mentioned is currently in this list - at the end of the day, tutors will have seen the same titles over and over again and seeing something a bit different is naturally intriguing and, again, makes your application all the more personal to you. Similarly, I would suggest a few key areas to focus on; for my personal wider-reading, the vast majority of the books I read were centered around The Spanish Civil War so that I could explore this topic in depth - rather than trying to gain a very brief idea of every literary period to have existed in Hispanic literature. Leading on from the point above, this will allow you to make links between texts and present a more logical and structured argument. For humanities/literature-based courses, I would highly recommend seeing if there are film/theatre adapted versions for texts and commenting on any differences in portrayal that you witness. That being said, don't limit yourself to just one area and sell yourself short; this is something I feel the exemplar personal statements, particularly those of the medics, have done very well: they've found a few key areas that have really intrigued them from their personal encounters and chosen to look into those in significant depth, rather than trying to become experts on every medical issue known to mankind. Similarly, I would pay close attention to the university courses you're applying for and tailor your reading accordingly; I applied to universities that were literature-heavy over, say, linguistics modules and whatnot else - hence I spoke a lot about works of literature. If you're really unsure of where to start, try asking your teachers/people that have gone through the process themselves - or even have a look at the books studied in some exemplar personal statements! Something I thought was particularly interesting was advice shared in the PPE exemplar personal statement to read academic papers rather than books - just going to show the importance of reaching out to others.
Being that we are in the twenty-first century, though, I would highly recommend completing some online courses (MOOCs), watching relevant documentaries or something of the like as it helps to diversify your learning and will add a different dimension to your personal statement that others will likely not have.
S U M M A R Y :
THE DO'S• Form both an overall and mini-narratives to create a logical structure • Save the best 'till last - or first! • Begin and end your personal statement with short, punchy statements or rhetorical questions • Keep an academic focus, but don't be afraid to create an academic link with perhaps non-academic activities • Do complete relevant wider reading - but comment on everything you mention and be critical • Read others' personal statements to gage what certain courses and universities are looking for • Do explore other 'super-curricular' activities, such as completing online courses • Put your personal statement through a proofreader, there is a high chance you could have missed something having read the same document many times over and over again • Mention any significant achievements in the area - such as winning an academic prize • Start the process as soon as possible - the earlier you start looking into ways you can ameliorate your personal statement, the more you will have to put in a personal statement that will make you a competitive applicant | THE DON'TS• Do not just stick to reading best-sellers • Don't just list activities you've completed - it's about quality, not quantity • Don't ramble • Don't prioritize breadth over depth - you can't be an expert in everything • Don't use a thesaurus for every other word - your intelligence will translate itself naturally • Don't mention activities you haven't done - particularly in applying to universities that hold interviews, you will be caught out • Don't try to be funny - while one tutor may like your joke, the other may think that you are not taking your application seriously • Use cliché's or over-used quotes - aim to use your own words as much as possible, for it is a personal statement • Get too bogged down in academic articles so that your personal statement could have been written by anyone - find something that tailors it to you • Exaggerate any achievements |