How to write a Personal Statement?

I'm applying to university in September and want to get a head start on writing my personal statement before I go back to school so that I can focus on my education.

Anyone got any tips?

Reply 1

Meheraj

Original post by engineering06

I'm applying to university in September and want to get a head start on writing my personal statement before I go back to school so that I can focus on my education.

Did anyone get any tips?

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7105633

I'm sorry about where I collected it but you can also look into this if you prefer:

Once you have decided what courses you want to study, the next step is the application process. A personal statement is an integral part of your UCAS application, and it is your chance to showcase your personality. Below are some general tips to point you in the right direction.

Start Early – It might just be the early start that helps you formulate your essay, making sure nothing is left out. Bear in mind the character limit of 4000. This is roughly 1 side of an A4 page typed so be choosy with what you put in. An early start will ensure that you have successfully included and edited relevant information, and had time to perfect the draft and proofread it before the UCAS deadline.

Format – Follow the general rule of dividing the paragraphs into Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion. The introduction should show your enthusiasm and passion for the subject. The main body should highlight with examples your transferable skills and scholastic/non-scholastic attributes. The conclusion should justify why you would be suited to your chosen area of study and your understanding of the courses.

Authenticity – Be honest. Do not exaggerate your experiences or work and do not copy segments from samples as this will be apparent when your statement is analysed. To show your dedication to your chosen subject, highlight relevant real-life experiences or oobservationsthat you have undertaken.

Substantiate – Be sure to mention examples to back up your transferable skills. Instead of specifying the company or institution name where you have learnt the skill, mention an example of a time wwhenyou were able to develop or utilise said skill. Remember, you have the same personal statement for all the universities you have chosen so keep the content general enough to be relevant to chosen courses.

Reply 2

YSJstudents

Official Rep

Hey,

It's really good you are wanting to get started

I would make sure to include things like
Why you are applying for the course
Why does the subject interest you ( Try and back up with evidence have you read anything about the topic)
Any skills or experience

I hope this helps a bit

Rebecca 2nd Year Education, SEN and Mental Health Student

Reply 3

EdgeHillStudents

Official Rep

Original post by engineering06

I'm applying to university in September and want to get a head start on writing my personal statement before I go back to school so that I can focus on my education.

Anyone got any tips?

Hi there @engineering06!

You are already in a good place as preparing your statement well in advance is the best way to get a great piece together as you have plenty of time to edit. My tips would be:

1. Write everything down first freely and without worrying about the word count or how it sounds. This is a great way to get as much as possible in your statement which you can then cut down and edit later.

2. Let your personality some through! Include interesting things you have done that have led you to applying to university now.

3. Relate as much as you can back to the course you are applying for. This shows how interested you are in what you want to do.

I really hope this helped and I wish you the best of luck writing!

Emily
First Year Creative Writing Student