Writing an English Lit personal statement

Hi everyone,

I'm in Year 12 and am planning on applying to quite competitive Russel Group Universities for English Lit. I'm trying to write my draft personal statement now and I have an idea of what to say but I'm really struggling. So far, I've got about 7 books I'd be prepared to talk about and I've done some essay competitions and masterclass stuff. My 'theme' of my personal statement is reading books to do with enrichening my identity to help aid my own critical perspective.
But how do you actually talk about the books you've read? I'm not sure how to actually reflect on them without analysing them too deeply or sounding like I'm just name dropping them. If anyone has any ideas I'd be so grateful!!

(I've read Bosnian texts, 18th century plays by female playwrights, villette and I'm planning on reading some Thomas Hardy and Chaucer)

Reply 1

LUREVS

Original post by amrita.sth

Hi everyone,
I'm in Year 12 and am planning on applying to quite competitive Russel Group Universities for English Lit. I'm trying to write my draft personal statement now and I have an idea of what to say but I'm really struggling. So far, I've got about 7 books I'd be prepared to talk about and I've done some essay competitions and masterclass stuff. My 'theme' of my personal statement is reading books to do with enrichening my identity to help aid my own critical perspective.
But how do you actually talk about the books you've read? I'm not sure how to actually reflect on them without analysing them too deeply or sounding like I'm just name dropping them. If anyone has any ideas I'd be so grateful!!
(I've read Bosnian texts, 18th century plays by female playwrights, villette and I'm planning on reading some Thomas Hardy and Chaucer)

Hey!

I am a professional personal statement editor for an admissions company and have a few pieces of advice for you:

Do not overlap the PS with your CV/Resumé too much — the PS should feel more like a ‘story’ rather than a mere list of achievements. With courses like English lit, it can be tempting to simply namedrop books, like you mentioned. But what the reader really wants to learn is how these books have shaped your skillset or view on the topic — Have they ignited any questions you hope to explore at university? Have they gotten you interested in a particular writing style that your weren’t given the chance to explore at A-level? Did they show you how certain sensitive topics can be dealt with through literature?

Focus on your past, present, and future — the admissions team (especially at the Russell Group Unis you are applying to) does not only want to see what you have achieved so far, but what you aim to achieve (both short- and long-term) in the future. You can then consider the statement as a tool for explaining why this program/course is a perfect bridge between these past skills and future ambitions.

Tailor the statement — admissions officers want to feel like the statement has been written for THEIR particular university. Of course, it is fine to have a general draft that you adjust for various programs/universities, but there should be at least one paragraph that is written purely for the university at hand (try to discuss a recent achievement in the English department or a member of the department faculty that you hope to work with).

If you have any other questions, private message me and I’ll be able to help! I’ll also be glad to proofread and edit your essay too, if you wish! I can work with just a basic draft, too, if that’s all you have ready :biggrin:

Lurevs
😁

Reply 2

University of Suffolk student

Official Rep

Original post by amrita.sth

Hi everyone,
I'm in Year 12 and am planning on applying to quite competitive Russel Group Universities for English Lit. I'm trying to write my draft personal statement now and I have an idea of what to say but I'm really struggling. So far, I've got about 7 books I'd be prepared to talk about and I've done some essay competitions and masterclass stuff. My 'theme' of my personal statement is reading books to do with enrichening my identity to help aid my own critical perspective.
But how do you actually talk about the books you've read? I'm not sure how to actually reflect on them without analysing them too deeply or sounding like I'm just name dropping them. If anyone has any ideas I'd be so grateful!!
(I've read Bosnian texts, 18th century plays by female playwrights, villette and I'm planning on reading some Thomas Hardy and Chaucer)

Hi @amrita.sth

First of all, I think you chose the theme of your personal statement really well. Reading other people's work can certainly help in your critical thinking and of course enrich your identity and view of the world. I know that for me too, as a writer, reading is extremely important for my own creative work.
I see you have chosen a variety of books and text for your brief analysis, but have you thought about mentioning one or a couple of critical texts in your statement? I think reading critical essays is undoubtedly one of the best ways to understand how to write critically and how to structure your essays in the future.
In terms of how in depth your analysis should look like, it depends first of all on your required word count. You don't want to go way over the word limit. I think you can mention the works that have influenced your thinking the most and you can spend 2 or 3 sentences explaining why that is the case, using clear examples from the text. However, I think you shouldn't name drop and fact drop, you might want to write keeping in mind that the person reading your letter might not have read all the books/texts you are talking about.
Also, I think an equal portion of your letter should be dedicated to your essay competitions and masterclasses that you mentioned. It is important to showcase the actual experiences you went through and how these have been beneficial.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Milena
MA Creative and Critical Writing at Uni of Suffolk

Reply 3

snsrm

Original post by University of Suffolk student

Hi @amrita.sth
First of all, I think you chose the theme of your personal statement really well. Reading other people's work can certainly help in your critical thinking and of course enrich your identity and view of the world. I know that for me too, as a writer, reading is extremely important for my own creative work.
I see you have chosen a variety of books and text for your brief analysis, but have you thought about mentioning one or a couple of critical texts in your statement? I think reading critical essays is undoubtedly one of the best ways to understand how to write critically and how to structure your essays in the future.
In terms of how in depth your analysis should look like, it depends first of all on your required word count. You don't want to go way over the word limit. I think you can mention the works that have influenced your thinking the most and you can spend 2 or 3 sentences explaining why that is the case, using clear examples from the text. However, I think you shouldn't name drop and fact drop, you might want to write keeping in mind that the person reading your letter might not have read all the books/texts you are talking about.
Also, I think an equal portion of your letter should be dedicated to your essay competitions and masterclasses that you mentioned. It is important to showcase the actual experiences you went through and how these have been beneficial.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Milena
MA Creative and Critical Writing at Uni of Suffolk

Hi Milena, thanks so much for replying! Are there any critical essays you would recommend reading as a basis before I start exploring more niche topics or should I just start reading ones that look interesting? Thank you again!

Reply 4

UniofReading

Official Rep

Original post by amrita.sth

Hi everyone,
I'm in Year 12 and am planning on applying to quite competitive Russel Group Universities for English Lit. I'm trying to write my draft personal statement now and I have an idea of what to say but I'm really struggling. So far, I've got about 7 books I'd be prepared to talk about and I've done some essay competitions and masterclass stuff. My 'theme' of my personal statement is reading books to do with enrichening my identity to help aid my own critical perspective.
But how do you actually talk about the books you've read? I'm not sure how to actually reflect on them without analysing them too deeply or sounding like I'm just name dropping them. If anyone has any ideas I'd be so grateful!!
(I've read Bosnian texts, 18th century plays by female playwrights, villette and I'm planning on reading some Thomas Hardy and Chaucer)

Hi there!

It is great to hear that you are thinking about your personal statement and have a good idea of what you want to talk about within it. It can be difficult to navigate but it is 100% doable. Here are some tips which may help, especially as I did A-level English Literature so I know how it feels to be slightly stuck when tackling the personal statement.

I would suggest structuring your personal connecting such as identifying what text has given you a unique perspective on cultural identity and conflict. You may want to mention why the text has prompted you to consider certain aspects such as how narrative voice shapes our understanding of things. You may want to consider mentioning the 18th century plays you have read by female play rights, highlighting the constraints and agency of women in a patriarchal society and how this may have deepened your interest in aspects such as gender studies and the representation of women in literature.

Instead of diving too deeply into literary analysis, you may want to focus on what the book taught you and how it changed your perspective on certain things. This shows your ability to think critically without getting too deep into academic analysis. It is important to 'show' and not just 'tell' so exploring ideas and aligning ideas which something you may see in your own life when tackling challenges or academic challenges.

I would try to aim to connect your reflections to your future goals and ambitions. Show how these readings have prepared you for studying English Literature at a competitive university. You may want to suggest something along the line of, your engagement with this text has solidified your interest to further explore literature, culture and identity at your chosen university.

My final tips would be to make sure your personal statement reflects your genuine interests and experiences. Aim to keep it concise, ensuring each sentence add value and avoids any unnecessary details. Check for clarity, coherence and conciseness!

I hope these suggestions help you to craft your compelling personal statement! Feel free to ask if you need any more advice, I am happy to help.

Best of luck!

Millie 🙂
BSc International Development

Reply 5

University of Suffolk student

Official Rep

Original post by amrita.sth

Hi @amrita.sth

No worries, I'm glad you found it helpful! I don't really have any particular essays in mind, but maybe start with some well known critics like Harold Bloom, Northrup Frye, Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida as a basis. Many authors were critics too, like Virginia Woolf, T.S. Elliot, so maybe it would be interesting to look into that as well. Or like you said, you could find some based on your interests, you will find that even seemingly unrelated notions have a lot in common in literature.
Best of luck
Milena
MA Creative and Critical Writing at Uni of Suffolk