personal statement enquiry

Original post by concernedstud3nt

I am currently writing my personal statement and I am using other personal statements as inspiration for my own. I just wanted to know that if I completely paraphrased a sentence but it still portrayed the same message would it be classified as plagerism? An example I can give is:

Original: Psychology has developed and grown over time and the possible inspection this leads to is what inspires me to pick psychology.

Paraphrased: The rate in which psychology has evolved and advanced over time has inspired me extremely and the endless realm of discovery of the human mind is what fuels my mind to study psychology.

I just wanted to know if paraphrasing and having a similar order of another personal statement is classified as plagerism.

Ignoring your question, I would not use either of those sentences in a psychology PS. They are horrid, cliché, too wordy, and make me want to vomit.

Reply 2

Original post by concernedstud3nt

I am currently writing my personal statement and I am using other personal statements as inspiration for my own. I just wanted to know that if I completely paraphrased a sentence but it still portrayed the same message would it be classified as plagerism? An example I can give is:

Original: Psychology has developed and grown over time and the possible inspection this leads to is what inspires me to pick psychology.

Paraphrased: The rate in which psychology has evolved and advanced over time has inspired me extremely and the endless realm of discovery of the human mind is what fuels my mind to study psychology.

I just wanted to know if paraphrasing and having a similar order of another personal statement is classified as plagerism.

If your example is what you're actually intending to write, please don't. It's meaningless. Why would something changing mean you want to study it more? It's just something you think sounds good, but when you actually read what it says (and not what you hope it says) you realise it's rubbish.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Cubone-r

Ignoring your question, I would not use either of those sentences in a psychology PS. They are horrid, cliché, too wordy, and make me want to vomit.

It's an example im not applying for psychology

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Juno

If your example is what you're actually intending to write, please don't. It's meaningless. Why would something changing mean you want to study it more? It's just something you think sounds good, but when you actually read what it says (and not what you hope it says) you realise it's rubbish.

its an example i dont actually intend to write that :smile:

i just wanted people to get the general gist of what I'm talking about

Reply 5

Cubone-r

Original post by concernedstud3nt

It's an example im not applying for psychology

Well please don't write like that for any subject you are applying for.

To answer your question, paraphrasing is allowed in essays but only with a reference acknowledging the original source. However, you can't really reference in a PS, let alone reference another person's PS.

I would advise against paraphrasing certain sentences of someone's PS.

Reply 6

JessThomas6

17

You can either quote someone or re-word it. I opened my PS with a phrase that I had seen similarly echoed across the internet, but not exactly - if in doubt, run it through a plagiarism checker and check that you’re okay

Reply 7

OP

Original post by Cubone-r

Well please don't write like that for any subject you are applying for.

To answer your question, paraphrasing is allowed in essays but only with a reference acknowledging the original source. However, you can't really reference in a PS, let alone reference another person's PS.

I would advise against paraphrasing certain sentences of someone's PS.

okay thank you very much and I just wanted to know is it something that is detectable via UCAS

Reply 8

username1292215

22

Please dont paraphrase things it should all 100% be coming from you! Its your only chance besides an interview to stand out, make the most of it!!

Reply 9

OP

Original post by JessThomas6

You can either quote someone or re-word it. I opened my PS with a phrase that I had seen similarly echoed across the internet, but not exactly - if in doubt, run it through a plagiarism checker and check that you’re okay

thank you very much !

Reply 10

OP

Original post by SuperHuman98

Please dont paraphrase things it should all 100% be coming from you! Its your only chance besides an interview to stand out, make the most of it!!

its not that im paraphrasing for the sake of paraphrasing its the fact that the personal statement i read captures my personal interests and reasons to the max but i do not want to copy it

Reply 11

Cubone-r

Original post by concernedstud3nt

okay thank you very much and I just wanted to know is it something that is detectable via UCAS

Yes, they use plagiarism software to detect direct copying and paraphrasing.

Read these documents from UCAS to find out more about the plagiarism process they use to ensure all personal statements are free from plagiarism and that everyone gains a university place fairly.

https://www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/apply-and-track/filling-your-application/fraud-and-similarity

Reply 12

Original post by concernedstud3nt

its an example i dont actually intend to write that :smile:

i just wanted people to get the general gist of what I'm talking about

Good, because that's awful.

Technically, it is plagiarism. How likely you are to get caught depends on how similar it is to the original - but also if it's likely anyone else has also plagiarised. 234 applicants copied a story about burning a hole in their pyjamas. So if you've found the statement online, it's possible other people have paraphrased and thus written the same (or similar) things to you. UCAS will check personal statements against everything available online, but also against those that have been submitted. If you've found something online and thought it was good, it's extremely possible that other applicants have as well.

Reply 13

OP

Original post by Juno

Good, because that's awful.

Technically, it is plagiarism. How likely you are to get caught depends on how similar it is to the original - but also if it's likely anyone else has also plagiarised. 234 applicants copied a story about burning a hole in their pyjamas. So if you've found the statement online, it's possible other people have paraphrased and thus written the same (or similar) things to you. UCAS will check personal statements against everything available online, but also against those that have been submitted. If you've found something online and thought it was good, it's extremely possible that other applicants have as well.

what i have written is very different from the sourse of the information but isnt it very difficult to avoid plagerism in this case ? for example, many people pick maths because they enjoy problem solving and thinking but if everyone wrote that as the reason of study then there would be a lot of plagerism issues.

Reply 14

Original post by concernedstud3nt

what i have written is very different from the sourse of the information but isnt it very difficult to avoid plagerism in this case ? for example, many people pick maths because they enjoy problem solving and thinking but if everyone wrote that as the reason of study then there would be a lot of plagerism issues.

If it was "very different" then you wouldn't be concerned enough to start this thread.

Reply 15

Clearing and Applications Advisor

OP

Original post by Juno

If it was "very different" then you wouldn't be concerned enough to start this thread.

gramatically and structurally it varies greatly but the portrayed message of the sentance is the same. i wanted to know is this something UCAS classifys as plagerism.

Reply 16

PQ

Original post by concernedstud3nt

okay thank you very much and I just wanted to know is it something that is detectable via UCAS

Ucas use a SIMILARITY detector. It will pick up on paraphrasing.

Reply 17

TheConfusedMedic

What if yours just happens to have sentences which are similar to something random online?

Reply 18