Politics, Philosophy and Economics Personal Statement
No subject could fully satisfy my curiosity until I took up philosophy which, as a universal subject that encompasses both art and science, allows me to appreciate and understand the incredible history of thought. Philosophy has an application in everything; regularly appraising journals, such as The Economist and Ekklesia, has enabled me to keep up to date with and continually to observe the political and economic climate. I aim to question what I read, monitoring the decisions that are made by politicians and researching the reasons behind economic changes with a critical eye. I search outside the school syllabus to discover how my lessons are relevant to modern society: the reading of material such as R H Frank’s ‘The Economic Naturalist’ and Steven Levitt’s ‘SuperFreakonomics’ has enabled me to apply microeconomic theory to daily situations. It has also led to a specific interest in the concept of “related age” developed by K Anders Ericsson which explores the debate of nature versus nurture, something I have researched during my philosophical studies. As a foundation in philosophy I have read work by Bertrand Russell, specifically ‘Problems of Philosophy’ and essays including ‘Why I am not a Christian’. I incorporated some of his ideas in a competition essay entitled “Does Morality need Religion?”
Whilst reading Andrew Marr’s ‘The Making of Modern Britain’ I was intrigued by the rise of socialism in the 1880s and the subsequent demise of the Liberal Party during World War I. Since reading George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, I have avidly studied the effects of the so-called Communist regime on Russia, culminating in a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg, as I find Marxist theory, and the interpretations of it, fascinating. I enjoy reading dystopia novels leading me to read ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More, which I found to be an outstanding work of literature, especially considering the political views held in Tudor England, and I was interested in making comparisons of his “utopia” with Plato’s ‘Republic’. Attending lectures by Peter Vardy, I engaged in debates about ethical issues such as abortion. As a successful member of my school debating society I have developed skills which were extremely valuable during the mock election debates in school in which I stood as a party leader. Whilst undertaking work experience in the office of Geoffrey Robinson MP in October 2009 I instigated a city-wide school debating competition in order to make the skills of debating more accessible to the wider community.
My logical mind means that I enjoy economic theory and mathematics, leading me to achieve silver in the UKMT Intermediate Mathematics Challenge. In preparation for my degree course, I am currently additionally studying mathematics at AS level. I participate in competitions which imitate the world of business, such as Shares4Schools and the contest run by the Institute of Charted Accountants, in which I was a finalist.
I believe that community spirit is integral to the well being of a society; I am an active member of Girlguiding UK and my voluntary work as a young leader has contributed to my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. I am a member of the youth board of the charity organisation ‘iCould’ which provides career advice online and in schools. My organisation and commitment, and a skill for critique in writing have led me to be editor of the school magazine. Since obtaining a scholarship to my school and then 6th form, I have contributed to many areas of it as a player in the 1st XI hockey team, a member of the chamber choir and a keen clarinettist in the orchestra. This dedication, together with strong leadership qualities and an ability to communicate effectively with all members of the school has been recognised by my appointment as School Captain.
An aptitude for logical philosophical thinking, alongside a passion for politics and economics mean that I anticipate studying these subjects at undergraduate level with great excitement.
Universities Applied to:
- Oxford (PPE) - Offer (AAA) Firm
- Durham (Politics and Philosophy) - Rejection
- York (Politics and Philosophy) - Offer (AAB) Insurance
- Manchester (Politics and Philosophy) - Offer (AAB) Rejected
- Exeter (Politics and Philosophy with a year study abroad) - Offer (AAA) Rejected
Grades Achieved:
- Economics (A2) - Grade A
- Religious Studies (A2) - Grade A
- History (A2) - Grade A* (Full Marks)
- French (AS) - Grade A
- Maths (AS) - Grade B
Comments
I aimed for at least 75% academic points in my statement rather than extra curricular etc. As you can see, I only applied for PPE at Oxford yet as it was the place I wanted to go the most, I still made nearly a third of my statement about maths/economics despite not applying for economics elsewhere. It didn't seem to have an impact anywhere except for Durham where they cited my commitment to the course as the reason for the rejection which I believe was fair. It messes up their numbers if they know they are second choice.
We also talked a lot about my statement in both the politics and philosophy interviews so if you put books on it then make sure you know them well!!
