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Reply 20
xCHiiBiEverlastingx
I agree with what has been posted about giving the admissions tutors a break by putting lines in between. However, like someone else has also said, don't feel you HAVE to do it; if you really can't cut any more, then leave it. Seeing a PS that isn't a chunk of text is on first impressions, more pleasing, but at the end of the day, the content is what matters.
I'd actually suggest structuring like so:

--Blah blah blah qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxxcvm
qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasf
--Blah blah blah qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxxcvm
qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasf

This was approved by the careers adviser at my school.
It signals a break and it means you don't have to sacrifice any lines! You'll need spare space for the dashes though.


That just appears as if you're bullet-pointing your paragraphs, which is even worse.
Oh god, now I really don't know how to structure it.
mehhh.....hi.
Oh god, now I really don't know how to structure it.


You won't go far wrong if you take notice of what the PS helpers say. Start by reading my profile.
Oh ******* **** **** ****, I was ************* happy with my PS and it was 2 characters under the limit and bang on the line limit, and now I've realised that I should be leaving gaps and am left with the choice of having to cut out 5 lines, which I don't think I could do without massively rewriting, or leaving it as it is in its current "unreadable" format. ****.
(edited 13 years ago)
angelmxxx
You don't need to. The UCAS form has a maximum number of lines which you're allowed to use - even if you're under the 4000 character limit, you can be over the line limit and then you'll have to cut out some words.

If you think every word in your PS is crucial, ditch the blank lines (what are they telling the admissions tutor about you?! Nothing!) and put your full statement in.

If the tutors can't read it clearly, they can copy it into word - lots of them export them to format before reading anyway.

Everybody I know didn't leave a line, and they all got offers from the unis they applied to! However it's good if you can end a paragraph not at the end of a line:

Eg.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

rather than

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

as then it's clear that it's a new paragraph.


I agree with this- every word/ling is crucial and theres not really any point as its only taking up lines you could use more productively. At my 6th form we werent told to leave lines either. No one i knew did and they all got into the unis they wanted.
Reply 25
But it's all about first impressions, like the mod was saying it would be such a welcome break from all of those walls of text that you're instantly 1+up on everyone else, the context of your PS will probably be viewed just that bit more positive for doing so. And I highly doubt that anyone can't get rid of a few lines to do so, most are long stringy sentences like 'Furthermore, one must conclude from their substantial...'
Noodlzzz
But it's all about first impressions, like the mod was saying it would be such a welcome break from all of those walls of text that you're instantly 1+up on everyone else, the context of your PS will probably be viewed just that bit more positive for doing so. And I highly doubt that anyone can't get rid of a few lines to do so, most are long stringy sentences like 'Furthermore, one must conclude from their substantial...'

I just can't imagine, though, that the admissions tutors are fickle enough so as to read Personal Statements with a finger hovering over the rejection button, waiting for those that don't look very nice or appealing to read or whatever, so that they can slam it down.
Reply 27
I put a blank line between paragraphs. Those reading personal statements must go cross eyed trying to read a mass of text. At my school we were advised to go with the blank lines as our head of sixth form said that if you are met with a mass of text you are more likely to scan read and possibly miss information, whereas putting the space between paragraphs is easier to read and conveys the message that you have thought about structure and can write concisely.
Reply 28
Revolution is my Name
I just can't imagine, though, that the admissions tutors are fickle enough so as to read Personal Statements with a finger hovering over the rejection button, waiting for those that don't look very nice or appealing to read or whatever, so that they can slam it down.


It's all about first impressions. A single wall of text is not a very good one.
Tbh I wouldn't want to go to a uni where they picked people based on whether they'd put blank lines in or not.
angelmxxx
Tbh I wouldn't want to go to a uni where they picked people based on whether they'd put blank lines in or not.


That isn't what happens and it is a ridiculous thing to suggest.

Nevertheless, if an admissions tutor - at the end of a long afternoon of PS reading - comes across a highly readable PS he is far more likely to take in the author's pearls of wisdom and appreciate the subtleties of their finely-crafted prose if it is easy for him to read and doesn't actually give him a headache. This in turn, could lead to the best possible PS-based outcome. Compare this to a wall-of-text PS which is somewhat more likely (with the best will in the world) to receive a more cursory read and little appreciation for those nuggets of gold buried in the dense text, and an unenthusiastic consignment to the maybe pile instead of the interview or offer pile.
angelmxxx
Tbh I wouldn't want to go to a uni where they picked people based on whether they'd put blank lines in or not.


You're totally missing the point.

Admissions tutors are human, humans get pissed off when they have to read huge blocks of unbroken text, especially if they have to do it a few hundred times. A pissed off admissions tutor is not a good thing for you, so don't piss them off. Simple.
(edited 13 years ago)
Antifazian
You're totally missing the point.

Admissions tutors are human, humans get pissed off when they have to read huge blocks of unbroken text, especially if they have to do it a few hundred times. A pissed off admissions tutor is not a good thing for you, so don't piss them off. Simple.


I was joking! Sorry thought that was obvious.

I just meant that you won't get rejected just because you haven't put gaps in - especially if those extra 5 lines are brilliant.

It's definitely not essential to leave out lines, otherwise most people at my school would not be at university, including me.

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