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If the grade requirements are, as in this case, AAA, there is no point at all in applying if you are not predicted AAA. There is an automatic rejection filter for this. A*AB is not an acceptable alternative either at the application stage or on results day.** See below
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The personal statement is the most important element of the application after the predicted grades. (It won't get read if you haven't got the grades.)
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GCSEs don't enter into the equation as long as the basic requirement has been met. Tutors recognise that people develop at different rates.
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You must focus on the subject you are applying for and show awareness of the course content. An application for English and Theatre Studies which contains no reference to drama will be automatically rejected.
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You must show a breadth of interest beyond the A level curriculum, and that means reading a wide range of literature in different genres and from different time periods. Only mentioning modern fiction will ensure that they will form the opinion that you are not going to handle the other aspects of the course. Above all, they want you to show a range of literary interests and intellectual curiosity.
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Show, don't tell. Demonstrate the interest you are claiming to have. Don't make generic statements.
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Give evidence of critical reflection on your experiences. It does not need to be positive. You can acknowledge the limitations of your experience thus far but use them as a springboard to demonstrate how much you are ready to learn. Don't try to claim you know everything already.
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Minimise extracurricular content. I will quote the tutor exactly here: 'The more academic subjects, as opposed to vocational ones, at competitive, research-led universities want only minimal extracurricular details, if any at all.'
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Spelling, punctuation and grammar really matter. A single typo won't get the application thrown out, but they are especially annoyed by applicants who cannot get the names of authors, books or characters right, and anyone spelling Jane Austen's name incorrectly is an automatic reject. (She really wasn't joking about this.)
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