Tips on how to write a successful personal statement as a current Master student

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Original post

by Thais_CityUOL

Hello. I’m Thaís, and I came from Brazil to study a Master degree at City St George's, University of London. last year. Since my course is coming to an end, I want to drop some tips on what to write in the personal statement based on my experience :smile:

This is a very important part of your application -- and this is great news. All you have to do is answer why you want to study this course and why you are the right person for it.
See? That’s the opportunity to showcase yourself and demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the particular course. It’s time to channel all the research and reasoning you have put into making this decision. I know it may seem hard at a first glance, but you get it: you have the motivation, did research and traced a path for which this course is important.
So now, see some practical tips on how to write it.
Content

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Nail the intro: Start with an introduction to present yourself, the course you are interested in why. It helps if you explain how you have developed this interest over the years.

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Show passion: Let them know why you are passionate about this subject. This will make a difference in your application

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Show ambition: Here is where you show that this course is important to achieve your career goals. And you can make your argument stronger by highlighting particular modules that will help you achieve it.

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Sell yourself: What makes you stand out? You can think of how you could contribute to society or tell about your achievements or awards during undergrad

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Work and studies experience: State the most relevant experiences you’ve had at university and work that could will help you during the Master’s.

Form

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Be concise: being concise and assertive about your motivation, experience and goals with the Master’s will enable you to send a very clear message that highlights the most important points. If you don’t know what to aim for, stick with 500-600 words, although there is no limit.

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Tailor your statement: Always prefer to address the particularities of the course and the uni you are applying to instead of sending a standard application to several schools. Be sure to mention the course in the statement

Good luck

))

Hi @Thais_CityUOL thank so much for this, such a great tips and very helpful. I also think if you are writing a personal statement as an international student, remember to add your motivation for the chosen country as well. Eventhough there is no limit for personal statement, I would not recommend exceeding one page as your personal statement should be simple and concise.

(Rose, Kingston)

Reply 2

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Just to note that as someone that reads Master's statements for a living, the "motivation for the country of study" bit is the one I'd most quickly skip over. It's not relevant.

Reply 3

CollegeAdvisor

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One of the most important factor in personal statement is how your personality traits and your abilities align with your choosen field of study. For this purpose you can appear in a psychometric test, and see what counselor has to say about you, and then mention your qualities in your statement. Universities give great importance to leadership skills, and participation in community activities.

Reply 4

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Original post

by CollegeAdvisor

One of the most important factor in personal statement is how your personality traits and your abilities align with your choosen field of study. For this purpose you can appear in a psychometric test, and see what counselor has to say about you, and then mention your qualities in your statement. Universities give great importance to leadership skills, and participation in community activities.

Community activities, perhaps. Everything else, nope.

Reply 5

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Original post

by Admit-One

Just to note that as someone that reads Master's statements for a living, the "motivation for the country of study" bit is the one I'd most quickly skip over. It's not relevant.

@admit-one It might be different from university to university, but this is from my own experience.

Reply 6

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Original post

by Kingston Rose

@admit-one It might be different from university to university, but this is from my own experience.

Have the admissions team at Kingston confirmed that they would like applicants to spend a paragraph or two talking about why they want to study in the UK?

Reply 7

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Original post

by Admit-One

Have the admissions team at Kingston confirmed that they would like applicants to spend a paragraph or two talking about why they want to study in the UK?

Where in my statement did I mention Kingston? or when did I said that you should write a whole paragraph or two?

Reply 8

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Original post

by Kingston Rose

Where in my statement did I mention Kingston? or when did I said that you should write a whole paragraph or two?

What uni have you received this guidance from? Did they just say to add a throwaway comment about UK study? That seems odd.

I looked at Kingstons application form for Masters study. It asks three specific questions rather than requesting a personal statement. I could list them but none of them prompt applicants to write anything about the country of study.

The reason I bring this up, is that reading repetitive platitudes about the UK being safe, cheap or the centre of industry X is unlikely to be in the scoring criteria for any uni. So applicants are much better served using their limited space to address their suitability and motivation for the academic course.

Reply 9