C. UCAS Personal Statements

Dr Jeremy Rawson, Undergraduate Admissions Tutor, Magdalene College.

Preparing for University:Things to do in the coming year to strengthen your personal statement

Congratulations on your GCSE results!

You are just embarking on your AS/A2 course

• So what’s UCAS?

• And why should I be worried about my personal statement now?

What’s UCAS all about?

• UCAS is the University and Colleges Applications System

• All applications to UK Universities are made through UCAS

• Most applications are made 1 year before going to University

2 for deferred entry if you are thinking about ‘a gap year’

• “So? I need to apply this time next year

• Why do I need to think about my personal statement now?”

A University Education

WHY?

If you want a career in many disciplines (Engineering, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Law etc) then a University qualification is an essential pre-requisite

• For many other careers the skills which come with a University degree are highly desirable.

• Whilst the subject skills are often important in their own right, the transferrable skills (strong organisation, motivation, commitment, leadership abilities, analytical and logical skills etc.) are highly sought after for many other jobs.

• University is a fantastic experience where you meet many life-long friends and learn many skills of being “independent” [also great parties and some occasional points of stress when you need to do some work!]

A University Education

HOW?

You will be competing against thousands of other applicants for places. You need to make your application strong!

Universities assess you on the information provided on your UCAS form:

GCSE grades

AS performance

A2 predictions

Personal statement

School reference

Too late!

Work hard now!

You need to work on this now

Some Universities might also ask for submitted work and/or invite you for interview (especially Oxford and Cambridge) in order to help them make their decision.

UCAS Personal Statements

Are you portraying the right image?

UCAS Personal Statements: Overview

• 4,000 characters (47 lines)

• Structure?

• What to Include ?!

General Structure of a Typical Personal Statement

• Beginning

• Middle

• End

Your motivation for the course: Why are you interested? How long? What initiated your interest? Extracurricular activities – further reading/study - and work experience which have helped confirm your decision.

More about yourself – your extracurricular activities and interests. Relevant personal characteristics and skills.

A concluding paragraph which re-emphasises your motivation/anticipation/excitement for study at a Higher level. Also include future aspirations here if you have them and/or how your proposed gap year will enhance your suitability for your chosen course.

Personal Statement #1: The beginning

“From a young age, I have been fascinated by law and was thrilled at the possibility of studying it at A-Level. In August 2007, I was able to spend two weeks working at Solicitors in . Most of my time was spent in the Conveyancing department, where , a partner in the firm, taught me how to draw up commercial leases and business contracts, and about buying, selling and renting residential properties.”

Law Applicant:

“I first became interested in Chemistry at GCSE level as this was the first time that I had studied the sciences separately. I found it a subject that I understood and have continued to find thoroughly enjoyable and achieve very well in. I am currently spending my year out working as an Analytical Chemist for and I am finding my interests towards a career using Chemistry continually confirmed.”

Chemistry Applicant:

Personal Statement #2: The middle

“I am currently on the schools sixth form committee. My role here is developing my confidence, leadership skills and capacity to work co-operatively as part of a team. By participating in a debate as part of the University Access Programme I have become more articulate in expressing my views. I have mentored a younger student, an experience that proved to be particularly rewarding when she acquired greater confidence in her reading. ”

English Applicant:

History Applicant:“Outside school, my interests in art and literature are a helpful balance to my academic work. I have also been a member of Circus Eruption, a group working with able-bodied and disabled young people through the medium of circus skills, for six years. “

Personal Statement #3: The end

English Applicant:“Although some would argue the study for an English degree is not vocational I see the next few years of my life as the opportunity to become immersed in a subject I love. To develop my potential as a writer, I need to analyse and understand the work of those who inhabit library shelves. This course offers me the chance to explore the depths of Shakespeare, unravel the mysteries of Byron and grow in confidence as a literacy critic and person.”

English Applicant:“There are many things that I still want to do and learn, and I see university as the best opportunity to get involved more in drama and music, try some debating and hopefully take up a sport. Although having done relatively little so far, I regard university as a place where I can realise my potential in every aspect of life and also have a lot of fun studying what I love.”

[Which is better? Why?]

Your personal statement:

- You need to show you have the right academic background and credentials for the course (GCSE/AS results plus school reference/predictions).

- You need to portray yourself as having more commitment, drive and enthusiasm for the course than the majority of other applicants.

- You need to show you are a mature and motivated student with good personal attributes (organisation, leadership, time-management etc.) capable of undertaking more independently-driven study.

HOW?!

Your personal statement: what can you do now?

You need to develop a breadth of experiences and abilities relevant to your chosen course:

Academic:

1. School subjects (fine but everyone does these!)

2. Wider reading

- Arts: Other books beyond syllabus by the same author or on similar topics

- Social Sciences: Current Affairs, Economist etc, the web

- Sciences: New Scientist, journals, the web

Wider reading takes time: You can’t expect yourself to master large numbers of texts next September when you start applying for University places!

Start Now

Your personal statement: what can you do now?

You need to develop a breadth of experiences and abilities relevant to your chosen course:

Academic:

3. Study beyond school?

- Olympiads

- Cipher challenge

- Essay competitions

- Articles/Views in school/local papers

- Attend University Taster Courses

Start Now

Your personal statement: what can you do now?

You need to develop a breadth of experiences and abilities relevant to your chosen course:

4. Work Experience:

especially vocational courses:

- Medicine, Vet, Engineering, Law, Architecture,

- Finance, Chemistry/Biosciences

Wider reading and study plus organising work experience etc show commitment to your chosen subject.

Investigate work opportunities for half-term and holidays now

Your personal statement: extracurricular interests

- Commitment

- Responsibility

- Organisational ability

- Time-management

- Motivation

- Skills related to the course

Extra-curricular activities

Generally speaking Universities are not bothered about the specifics of what you do for extra-curricular activities but they reveal strong personal traits.

Start Now

Extracurricular interests: Examples

Having several competing regular interests shows good time-management skills

Regular attendance for sports teams, choirs, drama etc. reflects commitment

The longer the better!

Setting-up/running a society/club reflects motivation and organisational ability

Some activities such as debating or public speaking, drawing, photography, repairing cars/motorbikes can have academic relevance!

Being a prefect or Head Boy/Girl reflects responsibility

Review of strong personal statements

“I have taken part in the RSC Analytical Chemistry competition in a school team; I am a regular subscriber to the New Scientist magazine and have attended several courses, including an ISCO course on Forensic Science.”

“The diversity of historical opinion I have discovered, in Kershaw’s historiographical surveys for instance, has particularly interested me, and led me to explore texts on historical theory including Carr’s ‘What is History?’ Peter Clarke’s ‘Hope and Glory’ drew my attention to the historical roots of contemporary political problems, as well as the timeless themes of politics.”

“For the past year I have been editor of the school newspaper, requiring of me the ability to work in a team and to deal with pressures of time. This role, along with my position as secretary of the school council, has seen me develop greater flexibility in my written style.”

“I have a real passion for current affairs and it is my long term ambition to go into journalism; a career in which the unique insight into society provided by the combination of history and politics would be invaluable. I have already completed a week of work experience at a local newspaper, during which I had two independently researched articles published

To relax, I enjoy sports including football, and cricket for which I was captain of the school team and my local team for the past 3 years improving my leadership skills.

Conclusion

In order to gain a place at the best possible University ACT NOW.

• Academic

Work hard for best possible academic results

Broaden your reading/experiences beyond the AS/A2 syllabus

Gain work Experience

• Extra-curricular

Think:

Commitment, time-management, responsibility, motivation, organisation