Tips for Cutting Down Personal Statement (Kind of Urgent)

Hi! I have to submit my personal statement in a few days and currently am 453 characters over the limit. I've been cutting it down this whole month, and have reached a point where I'm completely stuck on what to remove. I feel like if I remove anything else, it would decrease the statement's effectiveness/remove critical information/make the statement not make sense anymore. I've reached a point where I'm completely stuck and teachers aren't replying to my emails for help.

So, if anyone has any tips on how to lower the character count, I would really appreciate it!

If anything, I'm applying for a lit. degree and this is what I've included:
- Oxford University course
- Published two novels
- Lecture I've Attended
- Work experience teaching English
- Head girl, house captain & student council
- MUN & Debate
- Editor in chief of newspaper
- Professional figure skating career

Reply 1

username_66

have you made sure everything is connected to your subject as that's what really matters!! for example I would cut out figure skating unless you think its important in explaining why you want to study English lit. are you just passively mentioning lectures attended or expanding on what you learnt from them? if the first cut them out, use this logic with them all. I know its difficult but you need to be really brutal, my successful ps for Cambridge last year mentioned roughly 3-4 'supercuriculars' and no extracurriculars its more focused on one theme which interlinked everything I was saying and provided a flowing structure to the statement, I also spend a good portion talking about a specific idea that came from a reading I had done and gave others opinions and then my own. alternatively, have someone completely dis attached read it. its good your putting so much work into it as Oxford cut out so many more than Cambridge at this stage!

Reply 2

alaskategi7

Original post by username_66

Thank you so much for the reply! I really appreciate it! I'd also like to say congratulations of Cambridge, that's a huge achievement !

You're honestly so right, I'm going to remove figure skating from the statment and that should get my word count down! Thank you again for all the advice! I'll be using it when I revise it tonight!
(You've been more help than my school!!)

Reply 3

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by alaskategi7

Hi! I have to submit my personal statement in a few days and currently am 453 characters over the limit. I've been cutting it down this whole month, and have reached a point where I'm completely stuck on what to remove. I feel like if I remove anything else, it would decrease the statement's effectiveness/remove critical information/make the statement not make sense anymore. I've reached a point where I'm completely stuck and teachers aren't replying to my emails for help.
So, if anyone has any tips on how to lower the character count, I would really appreciate it!
If anything, I'm applying for a lit. degree and this is what I've included:
- Oxford University course
- Published two novels
- Lecture I've Attended
- Work experience teaching English
- Head girl, house captain & student council
- MUN & Debate
- Editor in chief of newspaper
- Professional figure skating career

The school leadership is the least value material in that list. They aren't really looking for leadership skills. The Ice staking however, if you've achieved professional standards, indicates a high degree of organisation in life, commitment to training, hard work, effort, and appreciation of how to reach higher standards etc - all things that align well with the high academic performance required.

If you need more, then attending lectures, while interesting, is quite passive.

Reply 4

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

I'd get rid of the Head girl, house captain & student council bit if you are still struggling.

Get your referee to mention them.

Reply 5

username_66

Original post by alaskategi7

Thank you so much for the reply! I really appreciate it! I'd also like to say congratulations of Cambridge, that's a huge achievement !
You're honestly so right, I'm going to remove figure skating from the statment and that should get my word count down! Thank you again for all the advice! I'll be using it when I revise it tonight!
(You've been more help than my school!!)

hope it goes well!! best of luck with your applications

Reply 6

simonmorrish

Original post by alaskategi7

Hi! I have to submit my personal statement in a few days and currently am 453 characters over the limit. I've been cutting it down this whole month, and have reached a point where I'm completely stuck on what to remove. I feel like if I remove anything else, it would decrease the statement's effectiveness/remove critical information/make the statement not make sense anymore. I've reached a point where I'm completely stuck and teachers aren't replying to my emails for help.
So, if anyone has any tips on how to lower the character count, I would really appreciate it!
If anything, I'm applying for a lit. degree and this is what I've included:
- Oxford University course
- Published two novels
- Lecture I've Attended
- Work experience teaching English
- Head girl, house captain & student council
- MUN & Debate
- Editor in chief of newspaper
- Professional figure skating career

The advice from @username_66 is excellent. Oxbridge are basically interested only in your likely success at your chosen subject. Mention your leadership position in school if you can link it to your subject - e.g. by explaining how it increased your awareness of the power of language to drive action. Same for figure skating. Everything you include should support your case that you'd be a great Oxford Lit student.

One point in favour of leaving out the leadership position stuff is that the school should include this in your reference anyway. (You can ask to see the reference before they submit it, and you could ask them to include things you think are important.)