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Personal statement help

I'm applying for a course in English and history .
I've included my work experience,my interests , my enthusiasm for the subjects so what else could i include ????
Reply 1
I am applying for English and just finished my first draft. I haven't had it checked by a teacher yet so I'm not sure if it is along the right tracks. However, I mentioned my A Level choices and how each one informs the others. So I study history as well as English and certain aspects of history coincide with my English course and this gives me a wider depth of contextual understanding. Try to make links wherever you can. Also, whenever I have attended open days or taster days, admissions tutors always say to include specifics. So for you, if, for example, you were a fan of the Romantic poets, you may want to comment on how the French Revolution fueled political and social tensions in Georgian England and how this influenced specifically the aristocratic Romantics and their work? Just little specific details like that, which demonstrate your ability to think broadly and contextually.

Try to keep mention of hobbies and interests outside of school to a minimum, I remember an admissions tutor once saying "I don't care if you have done Duke of Edinburgh, how is that related to the course?" Definitely place your focus on exploring your interest in the subject more than in extra curricular activities. You don't have a great amount of characters to work with so you really have to pitch yourself to them for the course, they don't care about your interests really, as sad as that may sound.

How many characters do you have left? If a lot then try to mention specific texts or historical events that have made a profound impact on your way of thinking etc.

Best of luck! I hope you get 5/5 acceptances.
Reply 2
Thanks for your help . I've done about 2600 characters . I've maybe talked too much about hobbies so I'll cut that down a bit


Original post by fldem
I am applying for English and just finished my first draft. I haven't had it checked by a teacher yet so I'm not sure if it is along the right tracks. However, I mentioned my A Level choices and how each one informs the others. So I study history as well as English and certain aspects of history coincide with my English course and this gives me a wider depth of contextual understanding. Try to make links wherever you can. Also, whenever I have attended open days or taster days, admissions tutors always say to include specifics. So for you, if, for example, you were a fan of the Romantic poets, you may want to comment on how the French Revolution fueled political and social tensions in Georgian England and how this influenced specifically the aristocratic Romantics and their work? Just little specific details like that, which demonstrate your ability to think broadly and contextuall
Try to keep mention of hobbies and interests outside of school to a minimum, I remember an admissions tutor once saying "I don't care if you have done Duke of Edinburgh, how is that related to the course?" Definitely place your focus on exploring your interest in the subject more than in extra curricular activities. You don't have a great amount of characters to work with so you really have to pitch yourself to them for the course, they don't care about your interests really, as sad as that may sound.

How many characters do you have left? If a lot then try to mention specific texts or historical events that have made a profound impact on your way of thinking etc.

Best of luck! I hope you get 5/5 acceptances.
Original post by Hodor_10
I'm applying for a course in English and history .
I've included my work experience,my interests , my enthusiasm for the subjects so what else could i include ????


Here's some guidance for the English part. Something similar for history, although that's not my area.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2012563&p=37765516#post37765516
Try our PS builder tool (see my sig). Most of your statement should be about your academic interests in the subjects. Your extra curriculars should only be in there if you've gained relevant transferable skills from them and even then should only be a short para of about 100 words. Made sure you have a good balance between the two subjects.

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