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The dreaded Personal Statement...

Okay, so you hear so many different views on this. But what I basically want to know is how important they actually are? I mean, if your grades (A Level & GCSE) are fantastic, your reference is great blah blah blah can you get places at top universities with a PS that's quite good, but nothing especially mind blowing?

There are people around who literally make a living by advising people on how to write them, and claim that just by reading a PS and not knowing any other info about a candidate they can tell which universities they'll get offers from and which ones they won't... Seems bizarre to me.

Oh and with Oxbridge in particular, after you've had an interview does the PS really even come into the equation any more? Is it a decisive factor for whether you even get an interview, or is that based solely on grades/admissions tests?
I would think they are important... often people have the same grades and a PS would be very important in deciding who is picked. It shows how enthusiastic you are about the subject and explains why they should pick you over someone else...
Reply 2
Avatar for wer343lit
wer343lit
11
I don't think Oxbridge care too much about them, but the personal statement is important. I think it's a bit ridiculous really, because people can just make stuff up, feign enthusiasm, but that's the way it is.
Fairly, my mate got 3 As plus, is applying for english, and cant write very well at all. I wouldn't imagine, having read the statement they thought was ok, any of the unis they applied to would have given offers.

Point is - I think it is more a case of your PS stopping you getting an offer rather then it gaining you one.
Reply 4
Avatar for HighSkies
HighSkies
15
Jonty99
I don't think Oxbridge care too much about them, but the personal statement is important. I think it's a bit ridiculous really, because people can just make stuff up, feign enthusiasm, but that's the way it is.

Its a little silly but if people feign enthusiasm they are essentially shooting themselves in the foot anyway. I'd imagine once they get there they would regret it, same goes for the people who made stuff up.

But yes, its pretty important because for the unis who don't interview its their only way of seeing what sort of person you really are, supposedly. After all, you are commiting yourself for X number of years to study what ever, so they need something directly from you. References aren't really the same thing because its the views of other people and are possibly even less truthful.

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