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Personal statement advice! - English

Hi, I’m applying to all English courses except for one English Literature and linguistics course.

What would be some things I can talk about it my personal statement to make it link back to linguistics in a way?

Also I am studying a streetcar named desire, Dracula, Othello and the picture of Dorian gray, which one would be the best one to talk about? I was thinking about doing a streetcar named desire, and comparing it to the perks of being a wallflower which is one of my favourite books. However, idk if this is too much of a modern comparison.

Any advice would be appreciated! Especially when it comes to talking about the linguistics part 🤧
Original post by leftover-medalli
Hi, I’m applying to all English courses except for one English Literature and linguistics course.
What would be some things I can talk about it my personal statement to make it link back to linguistics in a way?
Also I am studying a streetcar named desire, Dracula, Othello and the picture of Dorian gray, which one would be the best one to talk about? I was thinking about doing a streetcar named desire, and comparing it to the perks of being a wallflower which is one of my favourite books. However, idk if this is too much of a modern comparison.
Any advice would be appreciated! Especially when it comes to talking about the linguistics part 🤧

Hi there!

At the University of Nottingham, we encourage applicants to submit a secondary personal statement directly to us if they are applying to multiple subject areas. This way, they can cater their personal statement to one specific course, rather than trying to encompass multiple subjects in their UCAS personal statement.

I'd suggest that you get in touch with the university that is offering the English and Linguistics course and ask if you can send them a secondary personal statement which is catered directly to Linguistics.

I studied English at university myself. I think your comparison between Streetcar and Wallflower sounds really interesting. I would use the fact that the texts were published around 50 years apart to your advantage - you can draw out some interesting points about contextual or stylistic differences that may be down to this time difference. I would also have a think about the differences in genre or form between novels and plays.

Remember, if you write about texts you are passionate about, your enthusiasm will shine through. This passion and interest is really what universities are looking for. They don't need or expect you to have all the answers yet, they just want to see that you're curious and excited about your subject.

Ella
Uni of Nottingham Official Rep

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