[AndersonsBentFoot]

Just putting some final touches to my PS and i find that i'm 3 lines more than the maximum of 47 lines but i've left spaces in between paragraphs. I've read my PS over and over again to see if i have content i can delete or edit but i dont think i have any. So i just wanted to know what the general consensus of using indentation(first of all, is it allowed?)

[xSkyFire]

I managed to cut out stuff after getting my statement reviewed for the 16th time lol

Try posting it on the PS help forum?

[PJ991]

indents won't work, so you've got to leave white space or not.

I made my PS into 3 big paragraphs, with a white line in between.

[AndersonsBentFoot]

Originally Posted by xSkyFire

I managed to cut out stuff after getting my statement reviewed for the 16th time lol

Try posting it on the PS help forum?

its been 3 days since i've posted it on the help forum. They're probably busy so i'm just trying to edit whilst i wait for a reply.

[Tefhel]

You can't indent. You'll have to delete something just like everyone else - I had to delete like 5 lines of relevant stuff to make mine fit, it's either that or you can't send it off at all (or make everything into one huge wall-of-text paragraph that is thrown straight in the bin).

[AnthonyH91]

Originally Posted by Tefhel

You can't indent. You'll have to delete something just like everyone else - I had to delete like 5 lines of relevant stuff to make mine fit, it's either that or you can't send it off at all (or make everything into one huge wall-of-text paragraph that is thrown straight in the bin).

It's not thrown in the bin, idiot. It doesn't hinder your chances at all. In fact without the blank lines you can fit a hell of a lot more in.

[AndersonsBentFoot]

Well this is my structure for my PS

1st paragraph: why i want to study maths
2nd para: Evidence that i am eager to learn i.e read books, open days.
3rd para: Choices of A levels
4th para: Work exp
5th para: Spare time
Conclusion

do you think i can merge any of the paragraphs?

[Tefhel]

Originally Posted by AnthonyH91

It's not thrown in the bin, idiot. It doesn't hinder your chances at all. In fact without the blank lines you can fit a hell of a lot more in.

Of course it does, in the same way that writing with poor grammar or writing extremely long sentences would hinder your chances. The admissions officer is having to read loads of them and they aren't going to be impressed/bothered to read a huge slab of text.

It just shows you are poor at writing, imagine writing an essay in an exam that was only one paragraph - it would definitely hinder your chances of getting an A.

[rajchahal18]

You can't indent OP, UCAS doesn't recognise it.

You can either delete some lines to fit everything in or get rid of spaces between paragraphs. (Please don't listen to Tefhel, unis do not throw your application in the bin just beacuse there aren't a few white spaces every so often.)

[AnthonyH91]

Originally Posted by Tefhel

Of course it does, in the same way that writing with poor grammar or writing extremely long sentences would hinder your chances. The admissions officer is having to read loads of them and they aren't going to be impressed/bothered to read a huge slab of text.

It just shows you are poor at writing, imagine writing an essay in an exam that was only one paragraph - it would definitely hinder your chances of getting an A.

Mostly it is very easy to see where a paragraph ends/starts. When it ends, there is usually a shorter line in the last line of the paragraph, this along with a slight change in topic or direction in the next paragraph makes it clear that it's not all one big block of text.

When writing mine, I tried it out with white lines in between, it meant I lost about 400 characters, which is a bout 4-5 lines. In general that extra 10% of subject related writing could be the difference between an offer or not.

[mja]

Originally Posted by AndersonsBentFoot

Well this is my structure for my PS

1st paragraph: why i want to study maths
2nd para: Evidence that i am eager to learn i.e read books, open days.
3rd para: Choices of A levels
4th para: Work exp
5th para: Spare time
Conclusion

do you think i can merge any of the paragraphs?

6 paragraphs seems like a lot for a fairly short piece of writing. Although I agree with other posters that having it divided into paragraphs with line breaks is easier to read than a single block off text.

Could you reduce it to three paragraphs e.g. matters related to your choice of course / aptitude for it; matters relating to your present studies; other relevant matters incl. extra-curricular activities?

[xSkyFire]

I think mine was 4 paragraphs
1) Intro to why I want to study medicine
2) Work experience
3) Outside reading and some interests
4) Extra curriculars and why I'd be able to cope.

[cactussed]

You can't indent your PS once it's entered into UCAS, so you'll have to leave spaces if you can bear to do that. Or do what I did and make sure the last line of each paragraph is only a couple of words, so that it can be easily distinguished from the next paragraph.

[Teao the Cat]

DO you really need to talk about your a-level choices- they are listed on your application, so you hardly need to tell them what you are studying.

[Lantana]

Originally Posted by cactussed

You can't indent your PS once it's entered into UCAS, so you'll have to leave spaces if you can bear to do that. Or do what I did and make sure the last line of each paragraph is only a couple of words, so that it can be easily distinguished from the next paragraph.

I did the same. I had 6 paragraphs divided in 3 sections with a white line between them. The other paragraphs had lines that only had a few words so it was easy to distinguish between them. Have you tried rephrasing things and taking out of any unnecessary adjectives?

[AndersonsBentFoot]

Originally Posted by Teao the Cat

DO you really need to talk about your a-level choices- they are listed on your application, so you hardly need to tell them what you are studying.

its more of why i chose those particular subjects as opposed to others and how those subjects help consolidate my maths knowledge etc.

[hypocriticaljap]

Originally Posted by AndersonsBentFoot

its more of why i chose those particular subjects as opposed to others and how those subjects help consolidate my maths knowledge etc.

you mean waffle?