Personal Statement Writing - top ten tips

It’s that time of year again – summer feels like it's only just finishing and already UCAS deadlines are around the corner, with schools demanding first and second drafts of personal statements imminently. Writing a first draft of a personal statement can be a daunting task – how can I sound self-assured without sounding arrogant? What aspects of my school and personal life should be included and what should I leave out? Some schools will provide more support than others during this process, but either way it is likely that you will need a few drafts before you are close to a final product. Below are our top 10 tips that will hopefully help along the way!

1. It’s all about the course

A lot of applicants make the mistake of thinking that their personal statement should be an overarching character reference, complete with extra-curricular activities, hobbies and life experiences that have contributed to them being well-rounded human beings. Whereas this might be true for applications to Colleges in the US, personal statements to UK universities are altogether different. These statements are reviewed by university academics who not only have dedicated their entire lives to the course that you have chosen, but are also likely to be your tutors if you are successful! As such, all they want to know if why you are passionate about their chosen subject and why you would make the perfect student at their university – they are unlikely to be swayed by your trial for Chelsea Under 11s or your trip to Thailand in the summer of 2017! The most important thing is to relate as much as you possibly can to your course, be this your reading, work experience, chosen subjects and academic endeavours at school, even the extra-curricular activities that you can mention at the end of your PS. Doing this in an authentic, fresh and intelligent way provides the backbone of a great PS.

2. Do your research

A useful exercise to ensure that you give across a genuine passion for your subject seems an obvious one but is all-too-often ignored. This is to do your research into your course at university in detail before submitting your application. Visit the university faculty website and if possible find out what topics are covered in the first year of your course. You need to convince your tutor that it is their course specifically that you are fascinated in and will thrive studying at university, rather than just having a vague interest in the course because you studied it at A-Level. You can also research the university’s tutors and lecturers along with their individual areas of expertise. If possible, read up on their work and do some preliminary study on the topics that are covered in the first year to show that you are on the ball and invested.

3. How to start

Often applicants feel the need to start their PS with an eye-catching opening line. This can help if you have a particular quote or experience that perfectly sums up your attitude towards the course, but with such a limited word count it is often preferable simply to jump in and explain how it was that your fascination in the subject was sparked. In this first paragraph, outline what particular areas of the subject you have been drawn to, have read up on and what you look forward to researching further. Make this personal, and be sure to not slip into essay-writing mode – the tutors reading your PS want to know about you and why you are passionate about their course, they don’t want to be lectured on a subject they are already experts on!

4. Go into detail about your reading

Your subject-specific reading will give the clearest indication of your academic enthusiasm for your course, and as such should be the primary focus of your PS. As Oxford University say on their website: “[Tutors] want to see that you are truly committed to the subject or subjects you want to study at university but it’s not enough just to say that you have a passion for something: you need to show tutors how you have engaged with your subject, above and beyond whatever you have studied at school or college.” In your second paragraph it is important to go into more depth about the reading and research you have done. Explain what this process has taught you about the subject, and which avenues of future study it has opened up. If at all possible see if you can extrapolate and draw comparisons between different books that you’ve read. If you are applying to a university that requires an interview, discussions about your reading will constitute the core component of the interview so it is important that you have analysed it in significant depth. If you are short on reading, write about books you intend to (or better yet, are in the process of) reading. You will still be able to analyse these to some extent, particularly if you can discuss them with teachers at school or graduates from your course.

5. Work experience / relevant projects

Your next paragraph is the perfect opportunity to discuss any other course-related academic achievements outside of the classroom. If you have taken part in any academic projects, essay prizes, debates, societies or guest lectures this will show real endeavour and academic vigour on your part. Go into detail about these achievements, particularly if they involved skills which are transferrable to university – extensive independent research into topics for an essay and composing extended, coherent arguments are fundamental to the work you will do and will demonstrate your suitability and preparedness for university life. Again, if you’re called for interview, tutors are likely to want to discuss these achievements in greater detail so be prepared to talk about them enthusiastically. This paragraph is also a great opportunity to mention any relevant work experience that you have done or plan to do. Again, the more relevant this can be made to your course the better. Often work experience constitutes a lot of coffee-making, but focus on any projects that you have been involved with. If you are applying for Economics and were asked to create a spreadsheet or help with a presentation, link it to business analysis and corporate strategy. If you are applying for Chemistry and spent the summer cleaning hospital bedsheets, discuss the patients’ conditions and your conversations with doctors. 

6. Subjects at school

Now is the time to discuss the subjects you are currently studying at school – again focussing on the training and skills that they are providing with you in preparation for university. You’d be amazed at how many of these skills are transferable. If you are studying Maths at A-Level, you can highlight the need for analytical reasoning and methodical, disciplined problem-solving. If you are studying an essay-based subject like English or History, the diligent reading and research along with the need to compose fluid and coherent arguments are all skills that will prove invaluable at university. Learning languages exposes you to different cultures and philosophies, studying Sciences requires a huge amount of learning and application. All these subjects and more can provide crucial training during your formative academic years. It is worth mentioning, too, if there have been particular topics or modules that you have enjoyed or have played to your skill sets.

7. Extra-curriculars

It is at the very end of your PS that you’ll have the opportunity to mention any extra-curricular activities which are not directly related to your course. Again, try to accentuate the lessons they have taught you. For example, a prefect position at school might have required a large amount of organisational responsibility, which will have provided great training for university given the challenges of independent study and time-management. Sports teams can of course provide lessons in “teamwork”, but saying this risks sounding clichéd, like saying you’re a “perfectionist” at a job interview. Try to be original so that you can stand out from the crowd. This section of your PS can afford to be the smallest, as it is the least relevant to your course and as such will hold least sway with the tutors reading it.

8.Tone

Be positive and try to give off some of your personality where possible. These are your potential future teachers, and they’ll to see what it would be like teaching you for the next 3 or 4 years! Of course the most important thing is that you share a passion for their academic subject, but a positive and enthusiastic attitude is also crucial. Tutors will want you to be confident in your opinions, whilst also being open minded and willing to learn. This is particularly important if you are invited to interview – you need the conviction to argue your opinions but don’t want to be so stubborn that you can’t accept any new information or challenges.

9. Length

As I’ve mentioned, the character count is surprisingly small. 4,000 characters equates to roughly 500 words, and you will most likely find that your first draft far exceeds this. Don’t worry – first drafts tend to include a fair amount of waffle and there will be a lot that can be be trimmed or removed after consultation with your school or tutor!

10. Different courses

Don’t worry, too, if there is a slight variation in the courses that you are applying for. As long as they don’t differ wildly you should be able to cover all of your bases in your PS, and universities will understand that courses vary between them. It is also worth noting that universities like Durham offer applicants the opportunity to submit a separate personal statement, which helps circumvent this issue.

And that’s it! We hope that some of the above tips help give you an idea about what you should be looking for in a first draft of your personal statement. We are, of course, here to help if you need any further support at all. If you would like to discuss this or any other aspects of UCAS applications, Oxbridge pre-tests and interviews please don’t hesitate to get in touch by contacting alex@pegasustutors.co.uk. Best of luck!