Personal Statement:Mathematics 15

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Mathematics Personal Statement

I find a constant source of pleasure in conceptualising unfamiliar ideas as well as thinking logically and analytically to arrive at satisfying and often beautiful proofs. I am fascinated by the ubiquity of maths and the way that it underpins everything around us. I encountered binary maths at the age of five and since then have found numbers and logic bewitching.

I have had many opportunities to apply my maths skills over the years. In year 7, I obtained a gold award in the UK Mathematical Challenge which gained me a place on a series of mathematics master-classes. These classes covered topics ranging from relativity to John Conway's Perpetual Calendar and showed me a more mature mathematical way of thinking. Reading books such as 'Fermat's Last Theorem' and attending various maths and science lectures also fuelled and deepened my interest. I regularly attend a maths club in Cardiff University, tackling problems independently then discussing solutions with other keen mathematicians. I completed a national engineering scheme where our team undertook a project to save water. We did extensive research to develop solutions for the company's challenge then produced a report on our findings and delivered an extended presentation to a panel. For the project to succeed we had to apply a wide range of skills for example ICT, problem solving, communication and application of number. I have enjoyed learning more about the way the world works through chemistry and physics lessons while the many unfamiliar and abstract ideas in maths have been fascinating. I thrive on independent study, yet enjoy collaboration. My tutoring of students for their GCSE maths was a fascinating experience which also helped me analyse and develop my own studies and mathematical skills. Over the last six months I have volunteered for over 100 hours in an after-school, play-care facility. I also run a book club and a contemporary dance club at my school where I have learned how to prepare suitable yet challenging work for the students then apply my preparation into practice. I subscribe to National Geographic and read the New Scientist regularly.

I am 'full of life', confident and at ease in new situations. I enjoy the unknown. I am determined and committed to everything I decide to do and like to arrive at my own conclusions through discussion and debate. Dance is a passion for me as a creative and practical activity. I do over 7 hours a week of ballet and contemporary dance training which has given me a high-level technique and skill base with a growing sense of artistry. I am a member of the national dance company of Wales' associates' scheme and am studying advanced grades in ballet. I travel widely, recently visiting places such as India, Morocco and Vietnam - all of which have increased my sense of independence and search for new experiences. I represent my County in cross-country races, which offers me physical and mental challenges which I face with eager enthusiasm.

The increased pace of Further Maths has suited me and I have succeeded in gaining 100% in four of my maths and physics modules in year 12. The far-reaching applicability and connections between different fields in mathematics gives me a thirst for knowledge across a broad spectrum of pure and applied mathematics. By tackling and discussing challenging maths problems and extending my knowledge in a variety of ways, I have found my passion for maths increasing greatly this year. I want this to continue in my university life through the intensity of the maths course and I want to gain a depth of knowledge in mathematics. I know this will lead me along fascinating avenues and I look forward to finding out about new and exciting areas of mathematics as I make the transition from school to university.

Universities Applied to:

• Oxford - Offer AAA
• Warwick - Offer AAAA or AAA + step/AEA
• Bristol - Offer AAB
• UCL - Offer AAA
• Imperial - Offer AAA

Now at Oxford studying Mathematics & Philosophy.

Grades Achieved:

A-levels

• Mathematics - A
• Further Mathematics - A
• Physics - A
• Chemistry - A

AEA

• Physics - Merit
• Mathematics - Merit
• Chemistry - Merit

Comments

General Comments:

This PS is a good basis to work with, but the applicant needs to expand on parts, to explain exactly WHY they enjoy certain areas of maths. The section on extra-curricular activities needs to be condensed, which will help the applicant achieve this. Also, consistently using ‘I’ in a PS means that it doesn’t flow well, so some parts should be reworded to avoid this.

Comments on the statement:

I find a constant source of pleasure in conceptualising unfamiliar ideas as well as thinking logically and analytically to arrive at satisfying and often beautiful proofs. The applicant needs to explain why they enjoy it I am fascinated overused word in PSs by the ubiquity of maths and the way that it underpins everything around us. This needs expanding to explain why the applicant thinks this I encountered binary maths at the age of five and since then have found numbers and logic bewitching. It’s not necessary to show an interest from such a young age, and admissions tutors may be sceptical at this anyway. Focus on things in the last couple of years.

I have had many opportunities to apply my maths skills over the years. In year 7, I obtained a gold award in the UK Mathematical Challenge which gained me a place on a series of mathematics master-classes. As above – this was a long time ago; focus on more recent things. These classes covered topics ranging from relativity to John Conway's Perpetual Calendar and showed me a more mature mathematical way of thinking. OK, but the applicant needs to explain why they enjoyed it, and why it’s encouraged them to apply for maths at university.

Reading books such as 'Fermat's Last Theorem' and attending various maths and science lectures also fuelled and deepened my interest. How has it? Also, don’t just list things that have been done – the applicant needs to expand to explain what they’ve gained from them. I regularly attend a maths club in Cardiff University, tackling problems independently then discussing solutions with other keen mathematicians. This needs expanding, as above, to explain why this sort of thing has made them want to study maths at university. I completed a national engineering scheme where our team undertook a project to save water. We did extensive research to develop solutions for the company's challenge then produced a report on our findings and delivered an extended presentation to a panel. For the project to succeed we had to apply a wide range of skills for example ICT, problem solving, communication and application of number. This needs to be expanded to relate to maths, or removed. What maths was used? Why was it interesting? I have enjoyed learning more about the way the world works through chemistry and physics lessons while the many unfamiliar and abstract ideas in maths have been fascinating. This doesn't really need to be here; the applicant does not need to discuss any school subjects that are not directly relevant to their application.

I thrive on independent study, yet enjoy collaboration. This is somewhat of a contradictory statement. My tutoring of students for their GCSE maths was a fascinating overused word in PSs experience which also helped me analyse and develop my own studies and mathematical skills. Over the last six months I have volunteered for over 100 hours in an after-school, play-care facility. I also run a book club and a contemporary dance club at my school where I have learned how to prepare suitable yet challenging work for the students then apply my preparation into practice. I subscribe to National Geographic and read the New Scientist regularly. This reads too much like a list – the admissions tutors don’t need to be told everything that the applicant does outside of school. If one of the articles in the magazines could be related to maths, it would be good to talk about why it/they were interesting. I am 'full of life', confident and at ease in new situations. I enjoy the unknown. I am determined and committed to everything I decide to do and like to arrive at my own conclusions through discussion and debate. This is all irrelevant; the applicant’s referee should be making statements about their personality.

Dance is a passion for me as a creative and practical activity. I do over 7 hours a week of ballet and contemporary dance training which has given me a high-level technique and skill base with a growing sense of artistry. I am a member of the national dance company of Wales' associates' scheme and am studying advanced grades in ballet. I travel widely, recently visiting places such as India, Morocco and Vietnam - all of which have increased my sense of independence and search for new experiences. I represent my county in cross-country races, which offers me physical and mental challenges which I face with eager enthusiasm.

These two paragraphs on non-relevant extra-curricular activities should be less than half their total length.

The increased pace of Further Maths has suited me and I have succeeded in gaining 100% in four of my maths and physics modules in year 12. The module marks do not belong in a PS – if necessary, the referee can mention them. The far-reaching applicability and connections between different fields in mathematics gives me a thirst for knowledge across a broad spectrum of pure and applied mathematics. By tackling and discussing challenging maths problems and extending my knowledge in a variety of ways, I have found my passion for maths increasing greatly this year. This seems more like an introduction than a concluding statement. The applicant should also expand on WHY they like (e.g.) the pure and applied mathematics.

I want this to continue in my university life through the intensity of the maths course and I want to gain a depth of knowledge in mathematics. This is obvious, otherwise the applicant would not be applying for maths! I know this will lead me along fascinating avenues and I look forward to finding out about new and exciting areas of mathematics as I make the transition from school to university. This conclusion is very clichéd – it should sum up why they are a good candidate and why they want to study the course.