Personal Statement Help
I am planning to apply to both university courses and to some conservatoire courses, do I need to have two separate personal statements or can I just use the same one for both application types?
no op, because the personal statement(s) will be checked for similarity so i dont think you can
check with your tutor though
check with your tutor though
(edited 2 years ago)
Hello there 
It depends. But if you are applying through UCAS bear in mind that you can only write one personal statement – it's the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities or colleges by name.
Good luck!
Best wishes
Andrea
It depends. But if you are applying through UCAS bear in mind that you can only write one personal statement – it's the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities or colleges by name.
Good luck!
Best wishes
Andrea
Hello! I'm not 100% sure of the answer to this. When I applied (in 2006), CUKAS (as it was called then) was a completely separately system to UCAS, so I was able to upload a different personal statement to CUKAS, than I did for UCAS.
I'll try and look this info up for you! In the meantime, as a music PS Reviewer on here, please let me reassure you that even if you can only have one statement for both, there is a lot of overlap between a uni degree music statement and a conservatoire statement. So even if you can only have the one statement, that is unlikely to prove a big problem!
I'll try and look this info up for you! In the meantime, as a music PS Reviewer on here, please let me reassure you that even if you can only have one statement for both, there is a lot of overlap between a uni degree music statement and a conservatoire statement. So even if you can only have the one statement, that is unlikely to prove a big problem!
The implication on this website is that UCAS and UCAS Conservatoires are different systems. So, while you can only firm one place across the two systems (e.g. you can't firm a uni on UCAS and firm a conservatoire on UCAS Conservatoires in the same cycle), you may be able to have different personal statements: https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/student-advice/applying-to-uni/ucas-performing-arts-applications .
The UCAS website isn't too forthcoming on this subject, alas
The UCAS website isn't too forthcoming on this subject, alas
By the way, here's a copy and paste of a structure I wrote in the past as a template for music UCAS applications (UCAS Conservatoires, you take out the books/reading, etc. and stick in more performance/composition-type stuff!):
"I generally suggest a five-point structure for UCAS personal statements. For music, I recommend something like the following:
1. Introduction. Since it can be hard to know where to start or what to write, I often advise music applicants (I'm a PS Reviewer here on TSR) to open their personal statement by talking about their earliest memories of their instrument and/or what attracted them to that instrument
This could also be a good paragraph in which to clarify what your main instruments are.
2. Performance/composition-related achievements/experiences/interests. This can be on your main instrument(s). Make sure these are noteworthy things and don't include anything in this paragraph that is quite old (I recommend only talking about experiences/awards from Year 10 onwards. Apart from the introductory paragraph, since you're talking about childhood experiences, obviously ). Make sure this is a mixture of solo and ensemble performing
3. Other music-related interests (e.g. particular eras in music history, world music, film music, etc.) NB. If you have done some super-curricular reading, mention it in this paragraph and put this paragraph as no.2 (and performance/composition-stuff as paragraph 3). Mention what you are interested in/have read, and why. For reading, make pertinent comments - don't try and summarise the whole book, just the main argument. Then express an opinion on the reading.
4. Non-music-related achievements. This is where you might put work experience/part-time jobs/volunteering, D of E award, sports teams - anything that's not to do with music directly This paragraph should not be longer than either of your music-related paragraphs. Focus on transferable skills, rather than lengthy detail about the activity, etc.
5. Conclusion. This paragraph doesn't need to be that long but it MUST be good and have a proper ending sentence. You might conclude by saying what you're looking forward to studying, and remind the admissions tutors of why you would make a good music student at their uni! (Without writing it over-explicitly )
"I generally suggest a five-point structure for UCAS personal statements. For music, I recommend something like the following:
1. Introduction. Since it can be hard to know where to start or what to write, I often advise music applicants (I'm a PS Reviewer here on TSR) to open their personal statement by talking about their earliest memories of their instrument and/or what attracted them to that instrument
This could also be a good paragraph in which to clarify what your main instruments are.2. Performance/composition-related achievements/experiences/interests. This can be on your main instrument(s). Make sure these are noteworthy things and don't include anything in this paragraph that is quite old (I recommend only talking about experiences/awards from Year 10 onwards. Apart from the introductory paragraph, since you're talking about childhood experiences, obviously ). Make sure this is a mixture of solo and ensemble performing
3. Other music-related interests (e.g. particular eras in music history, world music, film music, etc.) NB. If you have done some super-curricular reading, mention it in this paragraph and put this paragraph as no.2 (and performance/composition-stuff as paragraph 3). Mention what you are interested in/have read, and why. For reading, make pertinent comments - don't try and summarise the whole book, just the main argument. Then express an opinion on the reading.
4. Non-music-related achievements. This is where you might put work experience/part-time jobs/volunteering, D of E award, sports teams - anything that's not to do with music directly
This paragraph should not be longer than either of your music-related paragraphs. Focus on transferable skills, rather than lengthy detail about the activity, etc.5. Conclusion. This paragraph doesn't need to be that long but it MUST be good and have a proper ending sentence. You might conclude by saying what you're looking forward to studying, and remind the admissions tutors of why you would make a good music student at their uni! (Without writing it over-explicitly )
Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd
By the way, here's a copy and paste of a structure I wrote in the past as a template for music UCAS applications (UCAS Conservatoires, you take out the books/reading, etc. and stick in more performance/composition-type stuff!):
"I generally suggest a five-point structure for UCAS personal statements. For music, I recommend something like the following:
1. Introduction. Since it can be hard to know where to start or what to write, I often advise music applicants (I'm a PS Reviewer here on TSR) to open their personal statement by talking about their earliest memories of their instrument and/or what attracted them to that instrument This could also be a good paragraph in which to clarify what your main instruments are.
2. Performance/composition-related achievements/experiences/interests. This can be on your main instrument(s). Make sure these are noteworthy things and don't include anything in this paragraph that is quite old (I recommend only talking about experiences/awards from Year 10 onwards. Apart from the introductory paragraph, since you're talking about childhood experiences, obviously ). Make sure this is a mixture of solo and ensemble performing
3. Other music-related interests (e.g. particular eras in music history, world music, film music, etc.) NB. If you have done some super-curricular reading, mention it in this paragraph and put this paragraph as no.2 (and performance/composition-stuff as paragraph 3). Mention what you are interested in/have read, and why. For reading, make pertinent comments - don't try and summarise the whole book, just the main argument. Then express an opinion on the reading.
4. Non-music-related achievements. This is where you might put work experience/part-time jobs/volunteering, D of E award, sports teams - anything that's not to do with music directly This paragraph should not be longer than either of your music-related paragraphs. Focus on transferable skills, rather than lengthy detail about the activity, etc.
5. Conclusion. This paragraph doesn't need to be that long but it MUST be good and have a proper ending sentence. You might conclude by saying what you're looking forward to studying, and remind the admissions tutors of why you would make a good music student at their uni! (Without writing it over-explicitly )
"I generally suggest a five-point structure for UCAS personal statements. For music, I recommend something like the following:
1. Introduction. Since it can be hard to know where to start or what to write, I often advise music applicants (I'm a PS Reviewer here on TSR) to open their personal statement by talking about their earliest memories of their instrument and/or what attracted them to that instrument
This could also be a good paragraph in which to clarify what your main instruments are.2. Performance/composition-related achievements/experiences/interests. This can be on your main instrument(s). Make sure these are noteworthy things and don't include anything in this paragraph that is quite old (I recommend only talking about experiences/awards from Year 10 onwards. Apart from the introductory paragraph, since you're talking about childhood experiences, obviously ). Make sure this is a mixture of solo and ensemble performing
3. Other music-related interests (e.g. particular eras in music history, world music, film music, etc.) NB. If you have done some super-curricular reading, mention it in this paragraph and put this paragraph as no.2 (and performance/composition-stuff as paragraph 3). Mention what you are interested in/have read, and why. For reading, make pertinent comments - don't try and summarise the whole book, just the main argument. Then express an opinion on the reading.
4. Non-music-related achievements. This is where you might put work experience/part-time jobs/volunteering, D of E award, sports teams - anything that's not to do with music directly
This paragraph should not be longer than either of your music-related paragraphs. Focus on transferable skills, rather than lengthy detail about the activity, etc.5. Conclusion. This paragraph doesn't need to be that long but it MUST be good and have a proper ending sentence. You might conclude by saying what you're looking forward to studying, and remind the admissions tutors of why you would make a good music student at their uni! (Without writing it over-explicitly )
Hello there,
Do you think this applies to all potential applicants including mature students?
Original post by timmkc
Hello there,
Do you think this applies to all potential applicants including mature students?
Do you think this applies to all potential applicants including mature students?
I'm not really knowledgeable enough to answer questions about mature students. I'm guessing you'd need to contextualise any time out of education/why you're coming back into education at some point somewhere...
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