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Will my Personal Statement be accused of plagiarism?

I submitted my Personal Statement, along with the whole of my UCAS, on Wednesday 12th October and have since got an offer from Manchester University to study History (not my first choice).

Yesterday, I've set up a blog about History in which I share my thoughts, views and other anecdotes. Scheduled is a post about my favourite book 'In Defence of History' by Richard Evans (my favourite historian, and my favourite book). Of course, this is also in my Personal Statement.

I've not copied and pasted directly, but in this scheduled post I've discussed the points I raised in my PS. Therefore, it has some similar wording (mainly because I've picked the same quotes out of the book).

I really don't want to get accused of plagiarism as my Personal Statement was done innocently, and I really want to discuss some of the points I raised in more detail on this blog that I have created. I know this is possibly an irrational concern, but it is better to be safe than to be sorry.
Original post by SteamboatMickey
I submitted my Personal Statement, along with the whole of my UCAS, on Wednesday 12th October and have since got an offer from Manchester University to study History (not my first choice).

Yesterday, I've set up a blog about History in which I share my thoughts, views and other anecdotes. Scheduled is a post about my favourite book 'In Defence of History' by Richard Evans (my favourite historian, and my favourite book). Of course, this is also in my Personal Statement.

I've not copied and pasted directly, but in this scheduled post I've discussed the points I raised in my PS. Therefore, it has some similar wording (mainly because I've picked the same quotes out of the book).

I really don't want to get accused of plagiarism as my Personal Statement was done innocently, and I really want to discuss some of the points I raised in more detail on this blog that I have created. I know this is possibly an irrational concern, but it is better to be safe than to be sorry.


You PS has already been submitted and received by the universities so will already have been scanned for plagiarism, so you have nothing to worry about.

Lots of people post their actual statements or parts of them online after applying, although I would caution against this in case you wanted to use it again for a further application. This is something to bear in mind in respect of the small chance you may want to reapply or if circumstances change beyond your control. If this did happen, you could likely prove that it was your blog, but why risk the hassle?

There is no reason why you shouldn't post the same quotes on your blog and make the same points, but ensure that your discussion is worded and phrased differently.
Reply 2
Original post by Charlotte49
You PS has already been submitted and received by the universities so will already have been scanned for plagiarism, so you have nothing to worry about.
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Not true. If someone else copies and submits it as their PS you both still get into trouble
Original post by Juno
Not true. If someone else copies and submits it as their PS you both still get into trouble


Not as far as I am aware. Once the statement is submitted, it is considered to be the original. If OP had not submitted the statement to UCAS then this would be true.
Reply 4
Original post by Charlotte49
Not as far as I am aware. Once the statement is submitted, it is considered to be the original. If OP had not submitted the statement to UCAS then this would be true.


Ucas cant know if the person who copied just got their application in first, though. Same year plagiarism affects both applivants - which is why tsr guudance around posting statements exist
Original post by Juno
Ucas cant know if the person who copied just got their application in first, though. Same year plagiarism affects both applivants - which is why tsr guudance around posting statements exist


I've always been under the impression that the first statement received by UCAS was assumed to be the original. Happy to be proved wrong but I've looked online and can't really see anything either way.

The application has been submitted and passed plagiarism software, has been seen by the universities and an offer has been made. Any further statements that were similar would be detected, a report would be made to that applicant's university, and then it would be up to the admissions team to decide how to act upon this. If a subsequent statement was flagged up, then that applicant would be given the opportunity to prove they wrote it initially. On the chance that OP's statement was somehow retrospectively flagged up for plagiarism, OP is likely to have drafts etc. dated that would prove they were the original writer.

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