Personal Statement Issue

Straight to the point

I've taken a gap year, my a-level grades from the previous year weren't up to scratch, they weren't terrible but weren't great either. I'm retaking a few exams this year to pull my grades up and i'm most likely going to go through clearing.

However in regards to my personal statement, would it be wise to add in the fact that I went through some major personal issues last year which did in fact have an effect on my overall grades, and how I've overcome them this year and want to better myself. Would adding this in have any affect whatsoever or would it just be futile?

Straight to the point

I've taken a gap year, my a-level grades from the previous year weren't up to scratch, they weren't terrible but weren't great either. I'm retaking a few exams this year to pull my grades up and i'm most likely going to go through clearing.

However in regards to my personal statement, would it be wise to add in the fact that I went through some major personal issues last year which did in fact have an effect on my overall grades, and how I've overcome them this year and want to better myself. Would adding this in have any affect whatsoever or would it just be futile?

Yes you should put it in





I've got a book on successful personal statements that got applicants into Oxbridge and there is one similar to yours. The analyst was this is your 'personal' statement. A statement about you and not just your education etc. but about yourself as a person. Stating that you overcame an obstacle in your life but you did positive things to change it shows how you deal with problems and that you've got the motivation to do it.

I'm pretty sure this is always advised against; any personal issues that affected your grades tend to be mentioned in the reference

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Conflicting views hmmmm