How to make personal statement standout?

I'm applying for genetics and I have no idea what to put on my personal statement regarding work experience and extracurricular activities. I have a part time job but that's it. What else can I do, does it have to be course/subject related or just something fun or different. I've thought about charity work but I'm a bit suck, plus I'm now in my A2 year so I have to apply soon.

Reply 1

PurpleSquid

Original post by ilovefruit

i applied for natural sciences (biological) a couple of years ago and at least half of my ps was filled with extra-academic stuff like science books i had read (2 in total), lectures i had attended, papers i had read etc etc
i tried to make everything flow so that it showed that being interested by one thing i had read had inspired me to read/attend further things
i also wrote what i had learnt/what fascinated me from each thing that i mentioned which takes up more room than you might think

then i separately mentioned school-related stuff like being a mentor/subject associate, various prizes i had won as well as mentioning that i enjoy art outside of school blah blah then tied everything together with a conc to show my enthusiasm for a challenge

your ps doesn't necessarily have to stand out by the content you include but needs to flow well and read in such a way that is easy to follow and demonstrates your passion for the subject

Reply 2

Interrobang

The way to make your PS stand out in a positive way is to do as the above poster said - focus on extra reading/things relevant to your course

Reply 3

JIRAIYA-ERO-SENNIN

As a rule of thumb with personal statements: don't just just say it, show it.

Always give real examples of what you claim makes you special. If you want to show you're good at X, give an example of your achievement in X.

If you want to prove that you're interested in a certain subject in genetics, show them what you've read (in your own time) about genetics.

When you're done, give it to a teacher who understands the subject you're applying for.

Lastly, always read your personal statement aloud, if it doesn't sound good to you, it isn't.