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The Personal Statement

The Personal Statement. Roisin Hurst Education Liaison Office Queen Mary, University of London r.m.hurst@qmul.ac.uk. What I will cover:. UCAS School reference Importance of the personal statement/how it is used by the university The basics of the personal statement

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The Personal Statement

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  1. The Personal Statement Roisin Hurst Education Liaison Office Queen Mary, University of London r.m.hurst@qmul.ac.uk

  2. What I will cover: • UCAS • School reference • Importance of the personal statement/how it is used by the university • The basics of the personal statement • What the admissions tutor is looking for • Examples: good and bad • How to get started • Last-minute checks

  3. UCAS • On-line application through UCAS • One application – 5 choices of course • Deadline for 2014 entry • 15th January 2014 • 15th October 2013 (Oxbridge, Medicine, Dentistry, Vet. Med) • An early application is advisable • Good personal statement and reference are crucial to success

  4. UCAS • Wait for university responses: • Conditional/unconditional offer • Interview • Rejection • April – decide on which 2 offers to hold as firm and insurance choices • If holding no offers, student can go through UCAS Extra

  5. Reference • Subject teachers comment on your approach to your studies • State your suitability for the course • Comment on your contribution to school life/voluntary work/positions of responsibility • Predicted grades for your final examinations • Should complement your personal statement

  6. The Personal Statement • Becoming increasingly more important: • Predicted A/A* grades are more common • Fewer universities are interviewing • Helps universities choose between candidates with high academic profile and excellent reference • Take it seriously and take your time • It will get read!

  7. The Personal Statement The Basics: • 4000 characters • 2/3 academic, 1/3 responsibilities/interests • Make it positive • Personal to you – reflect your interests, abilities, personality • No templates • One personal statement for all 5 choices

  8. The Personal Statement The Basics: • Simple and concise language • Spelling and grammar • Don’t state the obvious • No jokes or threats! • Use quotations carefully • Get someone who knows you to read it • Be patient – lots of drafts needed

  9. What impresses admissions tutors? Motivation: • Reasons for subject choice • Awareness of what the subject is about • Enthusiasm • Career aspirations • Mention relevant summer schools/taster courses etc.

  10. What impresses admissions tutors? Academic ability/potential: • Predicted grades • Mention your current subjects • What do you enjoy/find stimulating? • Relevant projects and coursework • Extended Project • Skills and qualities

  11. What impresses admissions tutors? Work experience: • It’s essential for certain subjects • Helpful for competitive courses • Include details of what you did, what you learned and what you observed • If you found the placement yourself, say so! • Keep a diary while on work experience

  12. What impresses admissions tutors? Responsible attitude: • Positions of responsibility in and out of school: • Head boy or girl, prefect • Captain of sports team, head of drama society • Part-time work • Community or voluntary work/mentoring • Duke of Edinburgh scheme • What skills have you gained from doing these?

  13. What impresses admissions tutors? Outside interests: • Show you have a life away from your studies: • Hobbies/clubs/societies/team activities • Achievements: music or sports awards • Don’t exaggerate! • The “so what?” test • Show you can relate your studies to the outside world • Read a quality newspaper/specialist magazines

  14. False starts… “I had always harboured vague medical ambitions, which crystallised into a genuine passion, when a motorcycle struck down my grandmother.” - Medicine Applicant “My friends all say that I am wordy, I prefer to say verbose” - English Applicant

  15. What do you think? “I have chosen to study for the LLB Hons Degree, as I believe that this course will help me achieve my goal to become a solicitor. I hope to be practicing in the field of either human rights of family law. I have considered human rights law because at the moment in the democratic world today many human rights issues have arisen, that of the British citizens in Guantanamo Bay. I have experienced the English Law system and have encountered many different problems not only my own but for everyone else involved in the issues.” Law applicant

  16. How about….. I first developed an interest in Law when my parents got a divorce. I was immediately introduced to the world of solicitors and barristers and this had a direct impact on my life. My father was able to leave the country, thus breaking a court order that said he was to pay maintenance. As a consequence of this slightly troubled introduction to the Law I have developed a keen interest in the legal system and the way in which it works and have made it my goal to enter the legal profession. I would love to study Law or Law with European Legal Studies as this would allow me to combine my enthusiasm for the academic study of Law and my strong interest for other cultures. Law applicant

  17. How about….. Harvey Cushing once wrote, “a physician is obligated to consider more than the diseased organ, more even than the whole man - he must view the man in his world.” This statement encompasses some of the more appealing aspects of healthcare provision to me, as it considers both the practical and social elements of a vocation in medicine. Medicine applicant

  18. Or….. I am captivated by the way writers can interact with the reader, how they challenge our understanding, and how the societal and personal experiences of the writer emerge, even as they project their own convictions. My enthusiasm for 19th century literature was initiated when I read ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ by Thomas Hardy and examined the novel’s tragic conventions, the portrayal of the female character and the nature of sacrifice. This last motif was something I also considered in ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, by Charles Dickens, a novel that wove together my A-level subjects, English literature, History and French. English Literature applicant

  19. Endings... Rather than… “I am looking forward to my time studying illustration” How about… “I want to become a professional illustrator and I am very determined to make the most of a degree course that will help me achieve my ambition.”

  20. Disasters “ I am 23 years old I have an incredible ability to learn but due to a childhood illness was unable to achive my full potential. I just wish to hve the cnace to forfill my lifes deram and be able to support my wife and child.” Medicine applicant

  21. How to get started: summary • Question: Why am I applying? • …. And what do I know about the course? • Visualise: spider diagrams • What’s great about you? • The “so what?” test • Think laterally • Give yourself plenty of time

  22. Last-minute checks • Realistic course choices – check points and grades required • Course content • Location, location, location • Have you been consistent? • Proof-read it! • Get the balance right

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