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Cambridge's advice for a competitive Oxbridge personal statement

Hi everyone!

Recently someone from Cambridge came into my college to do a presentation for the highest achieving students on "making a competitive application to Oxford or Cambridge". As the PowerPoint belongs to Cambridge, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post it but I will give you the main points. I'm going to shorten personal statement to PS so it is an easier read.

You can also use this guide to help you write your personal statement for other unis, too!

1. At least 2/3 of your PS should be related to your subject (think of your PS as a 'love letter' to your subject)

2. If you can't think of enough stuff to put on your PS, you might want to reconsider your area of study

3. Don't lie or exaggerate

4. Make sure you would be prepared to discuss everything on your PS during your interview - they often use your statement as a guideline for interview questions

5. Always give specific examples and evidence of your interest

6. Look into the course fully before you write your PS so you know what you should discuss

7. Be concise and don't be repetitive

8. Make sure you use other parts of your UCAS form to your advantage. You have a limited amount of words/lines to write your PS, so don't tell them about the subjects you've studied or the qualifications you've taken. They will already know this from your UCAS form

The most important tip for you is:
Just get started!

Oxbridge usually ask for your PS a lot earlier than other unis, but it is still important to get started on your PS as soon as you can wherever you are applying. Never use your first draft as your actual statement. You must write it once, then go over it and get a teacher to go over it, even ask a friend to go over it. They might be able to help you out.

Put time into thinking about what you should really include and you could even do some activities over the summer to enhance your personal statement.

Good luck!