The Student Room Group

Personal Statement Help Question Thread 2014-15

Scroll to see replies

Original post by Good bloke
I am reminded of the lost driver who asked the local countryman how to get to his destination. The reply was "If I was going there I wouldn't start from here".

You might as well make up any old rubbish, as long as you are aware you may be asked about it at a later time. To state you are wanting to do a subject because it is marginally less uninteresting to you than anything else is almost as disastrous as actually studying a course for that reason. Good luck. You'll need it. I'll be surprised if you aren't back here in a year or two asking for advice on reapplying, having dropped out, and only having limited funding availability left.


As I said before, I very much want to go to university and have no doubts about that. Given the fact I am definitely going, the course I want to do more than any others is the one I have said. My motivation to be at university will be enough to motivate to do well on my course (which is 2 subjects I am actually good at, no matter how much I enjoy them) so I will not need to reapply as there is not a course that is any more appealing.
In terms of what to say, I do not want to make up anything that could later be called out or proven wrong. There are probably lots of ways I could prove an interest in a subject, whether the genuine interest is there or not. I could maybe talk about how enjoyable a Geography field trip was because of something or how relevant economics is in the modern world and none of that could be questioned but I couldn't claim to have read a book that I haven't.
Hi everyone.

I have a question regarding including personal achievements in the personal statement!
Say, if I received several awards for being the top graduate, should this be mentioned in the personal statement or left to the referee to mention?

Thanks!
Original post by neverquit93
Hi everyone.

I have a question regarding including personal achievements in the personal statement!
Say, if I received several awards for being the top graduate, should this be mentioned in the personal statement or left to the referee to mention?

Thanks!

For the referee.
Hi, I'm a postgrad applicant. It's been years since I wrote a PS so I was looking for somewhere here on TSR to get it checked. Is there somewhere to do that? I remember there being a PS checking system a few years back but I can't find it now and I'm not sure if postgrad statements were checked too. Any help would be very much appreciated, thanks.
Original post by somethingbeautiful
Hi, I'm a postgrad applicant. It's been years since I wrote a PS so I was looking for somewhere here on TSR to get it checked. Is there somewhere to do that? I remember there being a PS checking system a few years back but I can't find it now and I'm not sure if postgrad statements were checked too. Any help would be very much appreciated, thanks.

I'm afraid the ps service has closed, pending big changes. I don't recall that there is a postgrad element to it in any case. I'm sorry.
I'm a bit confused about mentioning module UMS marks in the Personal Statement. The advice from TSR seems to be "Don't, put it in the reference" but when I was in Oxford at the UNIQ Summer School, the tutor in the admissions talk said that it's absolutely fine to put them in your personal statement. My concern is that in my case, I think my UMS marks are a very important part of my application and I would imagine that there would be a greater focus on the PS than the Reference (tutors have the PS in interviews, but I don't know if they have the reference). Is this justified? Is it maybe worth putting the average in my PS and the full listing in the reference?
Original post by Chlorophile
I'm a bit confused about mentioning module UMS marks in the Personal Statement. The advice from TSR seems to be "Don't, put it in the reference" but when I was in Oxford at the UNIQ Summer School, the tutor in the admissions talk said that it's absolutely fine to put them in your personal statement. My concern is that in my case, I think my UMS marks are a very important part of my application and I would imagine that there would be a greater focus on the PS than the Reference (tutors have the PS in interviews, but I don't know if they have the reference). Is this justified? Is it maybe worth putting the average in my PS and the full listing in the reference?


Lots of elements are important, but they don't all have to go in the PS, and UMS are a good example of something that shouldn't. It is a waste of valuable space. If admissions tutors feel some element of your application is important enough to have at hand in an interview then they will.
Original post by Good bloke
Lots of elements are important, but they don't all have to go in the PS, and UMS are a good example of something that shouldn't. It is a waste of valuable space. If admissions tutors feel some element of your application is important enough to have at hand in an interview then they will.


But why would the admissions tutor have told us it's fine if that's the case?
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
I'm afraid the ps service has closed, pending big changes. I don't recall that there is a postgrad element to it in any case. I'm sorry.


Oh no, what a shame. It was a great help when I was applying for my undergrad degree - hopefully it'll come back all shiny and new and offer the service to younger students again soon.

My alma matter may be able to check through my statement for me, although I need it sent by Monday and it's not going to be able to be checked before then, I don't think. I might just have to look at it with fresh eyes in the morning and just go for it :biggrin:. Thanks for your reply, I might have spent another hour searching TSR otherwise!
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Chlorophile
But why would the admissions tutor have told us it's fine if that's the case?


Think about it. As long as he gets the information he doesn't care where he gets it from, but he does want to encourage you to provide it.

You, on the other hand, have a major interest in preserving that valuable PS real estate for the important stuff that can' t go anywhere else. UMS can, and should, go somewhere else.
How much weighting should you give for each aspect of a combined honours... For example if someone was doing English with French (75:25 weighting respectively) as opposed to English and French (50:50 weighting)? Is there a point talking about french?
Original post by somethingbeautiful
Hi, I'm a postgrad applicant. It's been years since I wrote a PS so I was looking for somewhere here on TSR to get it checked. Is there somewhere to do that? I remember there being a PS checking system a few years back but I can't find it now and I'm not sure if postgrad statements were checked too. Any help would be very much appreciated, thanks.



Original post by Carnationlilyrose
I'm afraid the ps service has closed, pending big changes. I don't recall that there is a postgrad element to it in any case. I'm sorry.


Unless it was graduate law, medicine, PGCE statements (and possibly postgraduate social work statements, but don't quote me on that), I don't think that we looked at postgrad statements at all given the nature of postgrad applications (i.e. that you apply individually and that different institutions may be looking for different things). Whether that will continue with the revamped service I don't know, but I would be inclined to think that it will do since the old service's focus was almost entirely on personal statements sent through UCAS.
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
I'm afraid the ps service has closed, pending big changes. I don't recall that there is a postgrad element to it in any case. I'm sorry.

Whattttt

There is no more PS service where student room graduates look at your personal statement?
Original post by xxvine
Whattttt

There is no more PS service where student room graduates look at your personal statement?

No, it's being replaced by a different kind of service, some aspects of which will be free and some which won't. There will be an announcement at some point in the future.
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
No, it's being replaced by a different kind of service, some aspects of which will be free and some which won't. There will be an announcement at some point in the future.


oh so we are going to have to pay to get our personal statements marked?

hope its not going to be very expensive:frown:
Original post by xxvine
oh so we are going to have to pay to get our personal statements marked?

hope its not going to be very expensive:frown:

I'm afraid none of us can comment on that.
When will the PS help open? I'm an international student and there is no one to review my PS as no one ever applies to the UK from my school so no one knows the requirements etc.
I really need that tool :biggrin:
Original post by yahiabsat
When will the PS help open? I'm an international student and there is no one to review my PS as no one ever applies to the UK from my school so no one knows the requirements etc.
I really need that tool :biggrin:

I'm afraid we have no date we can give you at the moment. I'm sorry.
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
I'm afraid we have no date we can give you at the moment. I'm sorry.


Is there any way I could get a moderator to help me even if it involves extra cost?
Original post by yahiabsat
Is there any way I could get a moderator to help me even if it involves extra cost?

No, I'm afraid we can't do that.

Quick Reply

Latest