Any Questions on how to do a good Economics Personal Statement?

Hey paulwhy,
There are no economics PS helpers as you say so could you look through mine, it's for economics-politics combined.

Reply 182

OP

sv90

I'm putting the final tweaks in the PS and am just looking to find the right balance.

I've got a good paragraph (imo) on Economics and 2 paragraphs about hobbies/work experience.

Only thing is, I can't fit them both in. Obviously writing about economics is important for obvious reasons, but at the same time, the other 2 paras are useful in showing I can be well-rounded rather than just an economist in the classroom. More than half of my PS is economics-based already. Would sacrificing the hobbies/work experience for another economics paragraph be just too imbalanced?

Frustratingly, I'm not that far at all above the character limit, but I need to cut a whole lot of lines to fit both bits in. Maybe I should just use shorter words. :biggrin:

Go through each senetnce in your PS in turn. You want each senetence to sell you. Each sentence should make a clear definite point about you that is clearly relevant to your application to study economics. So you can go through your PS and delete each of the sentences that is vague i.e. each of the sentences that you hope sounds good rather than being an sentence you could systematically defend as being relevant to your application to do econ.

Reply 183

OP

RobbeeRascal

Hey paulwhy,
There are no economics PS helpers as you say so could you look through mine, it's for economics-politics combined.

I did not say there were no Economics PS Helpers.

Reply 184

Paulwhy

I did not say there were no Economics PS Helpers.

Sorry, my bad, skim reading.
Question remains the same though.

Reply 185

OP

RobbeeRascal

Sorry, my bad, skim reading.
Question remains the same though.

I am afraid I can't help.
(I have not had time to work on a PS in months)

Reply 186

Paulwhy

I am afraid I can't help.
(I have not had time to work on a PS in months)

Ok thanks anyway.

Reply 187

sv90

I'm worried I'm trying to be a perfectionist. I really want to get it right but feel that I'm kinda ripping it apart by trying to improve it too much. I send it to my old tutor and he's suggested a load of changes - including restructuring the whole thing (which goes against the FAQ/what my PS helper suggested).

I guess I just have to write what I feel is right?

Reply 188

OP

sv90

I'm worried I'm trying to be a perfectionist. I really want to get it right but feel that I'm kinda ripping it apart by trying to improve it too much. I send it to my old tutor and he's suggested a load of changes - including restructuring the whole thing (which goes against the FAQ/what my PS helper suggested).

I guess I just have to write what I feel is right?

Well you need to:
i) understand why people want you to make changes and not just what changes they want. i.e. what qualities would be the PS gain by the suggested change. Then you can assess which of your reviewers has the strongest arguments.And aslo maybe how to combine together the best from all your reviewers.
ii) Understand what form your reviewers have with economics applications. e.g. how many have they done. (If you don't want to ask your PS Helper "Are you an Economist?" look at their bio and what forums they post in)

p.s. what did your tutor suggest doing that you felt went against the advise offered both by the FAQ and your PS Helper?

Reply 189

sv90

Basically change of focus in the structure.

Rather than have a sort of life progression from 'why I'm interested' to 'why I'm still interested and here's some issue that does interest me' it's 'here's an area that interests me...here's another area...here's my hobbies/interest and why they link to economics.' i.e. he feels it's a bit unlinked at the moment - I feel it my be unlinked but it is at least focused ('why I am interested in economics'). The alternative approach I feel will come across more as a debate/essay.

Something that was suggested by him was to take a particular issue (e.g. credit crunch) and sort of link it throughout my entire statement. So I'd mention it for my current work in an insurance firm for example, and for a paragraph about macroeconomics. I'm not sure what purpose this serves though?

I do think that all parties who have helped me have made some positive influence on the PS in some way. It's just trying to find the right balance between the advice and my own thoughts which is the problem.

Reply 190

I have emphasised the fact i believe myself capable with the maths side of the economics and politics course as it says on the site maths preferred and I didn't take A-level maths, however I just received the Exeter school of business and economics brochure and it says GCSE mathematics B required and I got an A. How much stall should I put by what it says in the brochure...

Reply 191

OP

sv90

Basically change of focus in the structure.

Rather than have a sort of life progression from 'why I'm interested' to 'why I'm still interested and here's some issue that does interest me' it's 'here's an area that interests me...here's another area...here's my hobbies/interest and why they link to economics.' i.e. he feels it's a bit unlinked at the moment - I feel it my be unlinked but it is at least focused ('why I am interested in economics'). The alternative approach I feel will come across more as a debate/essay.

Something that was suggested by him was to take a particular issue (e.g. credit crunch) and sort of link it throughout my entire statement. So I'd mention it for my current work in an insurance firm for example, and for a paragraph about macroeconomics. I'm not sure what purpose this serves though?

Exactly and unless you can understand what the purpose is you can't do it well.
i.e. even if it is a good idea you need to know the purpose in order to be able to implement it in such a way as to achieve that purpose.
p.s. I think it is a terrible idea. You should be the focus of your PS not the world economy!!
i.e. you risk ending up sounding like a Taxi Driver.

Reply 192

sv90

yup. I'm simply not knowledgeable enough to comment on the credit crunch in any real depth (that an economist who reads it will think 'hey, this is quite good'). I will, as you say, sound like I'm trying too hard to have an opinion on a subject which I don't know enough about. Glad someone else agrees with me. :biggrin:

Reply 193

JessHoney

Hi,

Im on my gap year and i know i need to mention what i plan to do/what i am doing.

Im going to china to teach english. I think i will gain in my independance, confidence etc. But because i havent gone yet i cant give vivid examples like you said to use.
Should i just stick to what i hope to achieve?

Reply 194

OP

JessHoney

Hi,

Im on my gap year and i know i need to mention what i plan to do/what i am doing.

Im going to china to teach english. I think i will gain in my independance, confidence etc. But because i havent gone yet i cant give vivid examples like you said to use.
Should i just stick to what i hope to achieve?

Exactly. Saying what you are going to do and why sounds good to me.

Reply 195

nisaxxx

4

i wanted to mention something relating to the credit crunch in my ps for econ L100. But i don't wnat to sound cliched and am sure everything i can say will have already been said any suggestions?

Reply 196

Mozzy0712

You won't sound cliche at all.
It will show that your up to date with current economic news, which will be a good look!
i'm doing the same with my personal statement! lol

Reply 197

-WhySoSerious?

17

I'd say only mention if its relevant to something you've read, or you actually have an opinion on something. Generally commenting doesn't sound great.

Reply 198

nisaxxx

4

Is it a good idea to talk in depth about different branches of economics within a ps.
For example, mention books on behavioural economics, work experience within local govt economic devlopment, current macroeconomic climate and my thoughts on paul krugmans work on international trade and economics geography
??????
I don't want to sound like i've thrown in everything i possibly can...but i have interest in different fields of economics which i want to demonstrate. :confused:

Reply 199

OP