Give people / university information◦ Because you supplement the hard data of OLE

records Prepare for a review or interview, e.g.

university admission officer, prospective employer.

Keep it short, precise but attractive. Demonstrate originality and honest—

reflective account of one’s unique experiences

Main body Consist of events, experiences and activities

you have selected for illustration of your experiences and targets, as well as developments over the years

Illustrate your potential or skills that make you successful in the tertiary education

◦ Always provide evidences It is more convincing to write ”taking the lead

of a 50-member voluntary team, we learnt through…” to show your leadership than just mentioning “I am a good leader.”

◦ Each and every paragraph should have a separate theme, and developed within and throughout the paragraph

◦ A conclusion Provide a dramatic point Round up insights and impact of various experiences

you have Connect you to the programs or disciplines you aspire

for Give the reader a positive impression of you Be clear, straight forward and end with a bang.

e.g. Rather than claiming, “I have worked hard in school as a tutor, and I believe that I will be successful at your school,” try

“my academic results, experiences, and incomparable traits make me the outgoing, accomplished and promising candidate that your schools is looking for.

It can be… Overcoming adversity Experiencing personal growth Revealing the impacts of family history Reflecting on one’s life goal

Hobbies Projects you have completed Particular jobs and responsibilities Accomplishments—both professional and

scholastic Major life events that you believe have changed

you Challenges and personal hurdles you have

overcome Life events which motivate you to apply for this

particular course of education Individuals who influence, prepared, or motivated

you to pursue a particular profession or school

Particular traits, work habits, attitudes or sensibilities that you have developed which will insure your success in school or in a profession.

Your goals If you are applying for a university / a specific

programme, you have to show ◦ Knowledge about faculty / university / school

/programme◦ Background which nurtures your interest in a

specific programme/ area◦ Reasons for choosing a certain university (a specific

programme) amongst others

Review your Student’s Self-Account written in S4

Complete the worksheet: Brainstorming Exercise on Self-Account/Personal Statement

I love raising questions. How do we live in our society? How do we behave under the current social system? ….These are the questions I have always asked and I really enjoy finding out their answers. That’s why I am interested in Social Science and Sociology as well as its rigorous and systemic way of studying the society.

As a sociable and active student, I enjoy dealing with people… Being elected by my schoolmates as a member of the Student Union, I got a lot of chances to get along with different people by taking up the role as External Vice Chairperson… I’ve also learnt how to cooperate with others.

Being a member of the Chinese Debating Team, I have learnt how to collect useful information, how to analyze data, and in what way I should present my materials hand how they can be made persuasively….. I am sure all these experience would be very helpful for being a Social Science student.

With all these activities I have participated, I am now becoming more independent and mature. I am able to make decisions in critical time and work effectively. Moreover, I have acquired a valuable leadership skills and it could surely help me in the future.

I believe that university education is not really about job training. It helps us develop intellectual ability and expand our knowledge base. I hope that I can be one of the candidates you find suitable for your university.