Aero-Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Advice?

Hi, I'm currently writing my personal statement for UCAS to apply for MEng Mechanical Engineering and/or Aerospace Engineering at Strathclyde, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.

I was wondering if anybody had any advice as to what will make my personal statement stand out in comparison to other applicants as these are very competitive courses to get accepted into.

I got 5 A's in my Highers in S5 and I'm doing 3 Advanced Highers this year in S6, so I'm more wondering what will set me aside from others and make me a more desirable applicant other than my grades.

Any advice about what to include in my personal statement (e.g. skills, work experience, background research, etc.) or guidance from current/former students of these universities who have done similar courses is welcome.

Hey @lucyjayne.d Congrats on some great grades in S5! Are you doing AH Maths and Physics this year? It sounds like you've set yourself up well so far.

As far as the personal statement goes, we'd encourage you to demonstrate why you want to study the course and what makes you suitable to do so. You can share your passion for the subject area and tell us what has driven you to study it, maybe sharing examples of times where relevant Engineering has been interesting to you. Think about why you know Engineering is right for you and share that with the admissions teams

When it comes to telling us what makes you suitable for the course think about any transferable skills. Consider things like communication, teamworking, and management skills. You may want to include examples direct to Engineering - such as problem solving or analytical skills, or demonstrating your attention to detail when working under pressure. You can show this in a range of ways - through work experience/volunteering, any extracurricular activities or sport you're a part of, any hobbies etc.

Good luck with your applications!

- Caitlin
Official University of Strathclyde Rep