How do you know your personal statement is finished?

15

Writing my MSc personal statement and at this point I think I'll be happy as long as it's under the word count :') when will you hand yours in? (Undergrad or postgrad) how will you know it's 'finished'?

Reply 1

WHO????

9

Original post

by zazzy.r

Writing my MSc personal statement and at this point I think I'll be happy as long as it's under the word count :') when will you hand yours in? (Undergrad or postgrad) how will you know it's 'finished'?

Already handed it in quite a while ago. Well if you are happy you finished putting in everything you think is important and its been checked by your teachers and it is under the word limit then its finished.

Reply 2

04MR17

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

22

It's never finished, it's just as good as you can make it at the moment. :wink:

Reply 3

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

18

Original post

by zazzy.r

Writing my MSc personal statement and at this point I think I'll be happy as long as it's under the word count :') when will you hand yours in? (Undergrad or postgrad) how will you know it's 'finished'?

Hey @zazzy.r I hope you are doing well. This is a great question and very relatable because when I was writing my personal statement, I did wonder what being 'finished' actually looked like. And that "I'll just be happy if it's under the word count" is so real!

There is never a magical, 'this is perfect now' moment but I did find that in my experience, there were tell-tale signs that usually point to ready for submission.

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Every paragraph has a purpose

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Read through your personal statement and ask yourself if it tells the reader something new about you.

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Does it show motivation, skill or evidence rather than just narration.

If your sentence do not answer these, you can do with tweaking them or cutting them out. Also a great way to stay within the word limit!

1.

You have covered the three essentials

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Why this course?

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Why this university?

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Why you?

If you have clearly addressed these then you have hit the main criteria that admissions teams look for.

1.

Do you like it?

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Sounds basic but it is true, when it sounds natural and nowhere near performative, that is usually a great sign.

1.

You have proofread your work

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Correct grammar and spelling

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Word count is met

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There is a flow between paragraphs

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Ends on a confident note

And lastly, I would just say aim to submit once there is no longer a need for making major changes. A trick I used was leaving it after doing final touchers for 24hrs, then come back with a fresh perspective and read it again. If you feel like you only need to make extremely minor or no changes at all, then yay, that points to you being done!

I really hope this was helpful and brings you more clarity regarding when to know your personal statement is finished!

Ru
BCU student rep.

Reply 4

TheUniofLawStaff

Official Rep

8

Original post

by zazzy.r

Writing my MSc personal statement and at this point I think I'll be happy as long as it's under the word count :') when will you hand yours in? (Undergrad or postgrad) how will you know it's 'finished'?

I completely get that feeling!

For most people, a statement feels “finished” when it stays within the word limit, and reflects your motivation and suitability for the course. A good tip is to check if it:

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Explains why you want to study the subject

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Shows relevant skills and experiences

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Demonstrates enthusiasm

Once you’ve covered those and had someone proofread it (super important), you’re probably ready to submit. For postgrad, it’s more about clarity and focus than perfection—so I wouldn't overthink it.

Mandi - The Uni of Law

How do you know your personal statement is finished?

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