Politics 2016 Entry

Hi, I am looking to study Politics. My AS grades are AAAC ( I got a C in history, I am 1 UMS mark off a B). My predicted grades should be A*AA or AAA ( I take Accounting, Economics and Geography at A2). Based off my grades do you think I would be successful ? Thanks My IGCSE grades are 6 A*, 2 As and 1 C, I am going to be applying as an International student, do i have a good chance?

Reply 1

Sycorax

I got an offered with AAAD and your GCSEs are much, much, better than mine.

I had a strong personal statement and reference; ensure you've got that and you'll be fine. I was surprised I got an offer, given the D (which was in History, too!) and the fact Durham are known to take GCSEs into account.

Durham University

Durham

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Reply 2

90780

Original post by Sycorax

Wow thats really good, are you studying there now? Do you know what your structure was and in what way was your personal statement strong? I've started mine and its a work in progress lol.
Which other Unis did you apply to?

Reply 3

Sycorax

I applied to Warwick, Bristol, Nottingham and York. I got offers from all. I'm starting there in a few weeks, so not quite yet. Just spend a while on your personal statement. Structure it so that each paragraph is devoted to a specific area, no need to over complicate it. 80% of it should be based on the subject, and try to use contemporary examples. I started my personal statement with: "How should the global community deal with threat of IS? Is there a case for the decriminalisation of drugs in the UK due to supposed success in Portugal? Can globalisation be controlled in a way so that small, local businesses do not continue to suffer as a result? Here we see three contemporary issues that between them could affect global, national and local communities; illustrating just how the issues surrounding politics can be"

if someone was doing it now, someone could mention something about Jeremy Corbyn, the SNP and The Greens, and whether political party membership is set to rise after declining after so many years. You learn this at AS, so it looks as though you've took what you've learnt at AS and are developing it. Using contemporary, relevant, up to discussions is always a good idea. ISIS, tensions with Russia, the Canadian elections this year, the economy and China's current problems, the migrant crisis - you get the idea.

Have a read of a few of these: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Category:Politics_Personal_Statements - You'll see one that starts an Obama quote and one referencing 9/11. Both of them are quite cliched. Be original with what you discuss. Politics at Durham does involve a lot of 'around the world' teaching. Modules on the Middle East, Pacific Asia, and Israel/Palestine.

My heart wasn't set on Durham, but I discussed a wide range of countries' politics in my PS, and mentioned how I've read a book relating to North Korea. I related the fact I studied RS to this (try to make links between subjects if you can):"Moreover, I have learnt that the culture, attitudes and beliefs that construct a society can have a huge impact upon the way a country portrays itself politically and its interaction with other countries. This is a primary reason why I have a desire to learn more about the politics of the Middle East and Pacific Asia and to contrast it with the UK." - Whether they thought I was tailoring it to their course, I don't know. Maybe that helped. Anyway, be contemporary but try and be original at the same time. They'll read tons of personal statements waffling on about Barack Obama, David Cameron, UKIP, and the 2015 UK Election.

It's quite lengthy, but watch this video. It helped me tons and a lot of what I just said is from there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jQ3MJgdkJYBest of luck, anyway! :smile: