The Student Room Group

Using the same personal statement

I have already applied last year but I am applying once again this year. Can I use the same personal statement?
Yes, provided you haven't uploaded it anywhere online
Original post by munem
I have already applied last year but I am applying once again this year. Can I use the same personal statement?


Yep. Though I'd recommended altering it - if that was the reason you may have been rejected before. If it's good, then keep it like that.
Reply 3
Avatar for JayAhm
JayAhm
6
Yes you can use the same PS.

I would also advise that you at least slightly adjust/tweak it. Maybe add in things you did in your gap year and how it's helped you.
Nobody has yet asked a crucial question: did you get any interviews last year? The answer might tell you how many changes your PS needs and how good an idea it would be to re-use it. It is obvious that any PS would need to be changed to reflect the intervening year and its benefits and lessons.
Reply 5
Avatar for Helenia
Helenia
20
If you've done literally nothing to improve/add to your application in the last year, then by all means use the same PS. But that would be a pretty silly strategy if you wanted to get into medicine.
Reply 6
Avatar for munem
munem
OP
But if I do alter it, won't ucas similarity detection service identify it as plagiarized?
No, there is a caveat in the algorithm - if it detects similarities it then checks whether it's the PS from the same applicant (comparing names, UCAS numbers etc.) and if it's the same person in both cases then there is no issue.
Reply 8
Avatar for Ghotay
Ghotay
13
Why on earth have you done NOTHING in a whole year that is worth mentioning in your PS?
They are not saying it would be 100% same. But if you are adding/replacing a few things here and there, usually there will still be a high degree of overlap which would be picked up by the UCAS anti-plagiarism service. But if a student is re-using their OWN PS from last year - this is not a problem.
Reply 10
Avatar for JayAhm
JayAhm
6
You have the same UCAS Personal Identifier (PID) through applications. Any PS's you submit won't be compared against PS's previously submitted against that UCAS PID.

So basically, you can use your PS exactly the same if you want. You can tweak. Edit. etc.

Obviously, you should be changing it quite a bit if that was the reason you didn't get interviews in the last cycle! And anyway, you want to be including gap year information too :smile:

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