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    Personal Statement Guide

    Uploaded by

    Rachma Juwita

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Personal Statement Guide

    Uploaded by

    Rachma Juwita
    79 views2 pages

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    79 views2 pages

    Personal Statement Guide

    Uploaded by

    Rachma Juwita

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Writing Your Personal Statement

    What is a personal statement?


    The personal statement is your chance to persuade the university that you – rather than all of the
    other equally well qualified students - are worthy of a place on their course.

    Remember, all you are trying do is demonstrate: why you want to study the subject and what makes
    you the right person for the course!

    You have about 4000 characters, (600 words) in which to convince the tutor that: you are a highly
    motivated student who has researched the courses for which you are applying and is committed to
    that course of study, that you are self-motivated and responsible, and that you are able to manage
    your time effectively showing a balance between academic work, work experience/internships and
    other interests. The tutor will be looking for evidence that you:

     Suit academic study


     Understand what the course involves
     Are capable of independent learning
     Are an interesting person who will contribute to university life
     Are mature enough to benefit from university life and will complete the course

    A personal statement should be targeted towards a specific area of study, in much the same way that
    a CV is targeted towards a particular job.

    Think of your personal statement as consisting of three main sections describing:

    1. Why you have chosen the course?


    2. What have you gained from your studies/experience?
    3. What type of a person you are?

    Ideally, your statement should end with a sentence, which emphasises your suitability for a university
    education.

    How should I structure my Personal Statement?


    The following paragraphs suggest the type of information you could include in each section.

    Part 1 - Why have you chosen this course?


    Make us want to have you at our university! Why are you the most suitable person for our course?

     Why do you want to study in the UK? Why your chosen university?
     Outline why you are interested in the subject(s). Why does the content/structure of the
    course appeal to you?
     Does your current study/experience have relevance to your subject choices?
     Demonstrate that you are well motivated and enthusiastic about your chosen subject area

    Part 2: Your suitability


     Which transferable skills have you gained from your current study? What use have they
    been?
     How are these relevant to your chosen programme?
     Has this study sparked your interest or affected your choices that you would not otherwise
    have made? Why?
     What have you particularly thrived by doing? Why?
     Are you capable of adapting to the learning style of this course and the UK? Why?
     What evidence do you have to show that you can complete a higher education course that is
    taught in English
    If you want to become a doctor, dentist, teacher, physiotherapist or vet, relevant work experience
    over an extended period of time is essential. Details of this should form about half of your personal
    statement.

    What have you gained from your studies?


    In this section you can provide evidence that you are suited to academic study and can take
    responsibility for your own learning. You can do this by:

     Explaining the rationale behind your choice of area of interest/subjects


     Giving details of the areas you have found most interesting (try to sound enthusiastic but
    don’t go over the top)
     Giving examples of instances when you have read around the subject instead of focussing on
    set texts
     Giving details of lectures and courses you have attended, and activities in which you have
    taken part, that have extended your understanding of the subjects you are studying. Be
    specific – what aspect of the talk seized your imagination and prompted you to find out
    more?
     Drawing parallels between the skills you have developed through your A level subjects and
    those needed for your university course

    If you are going to try to explain disappointing results, this is the best place to do it. Be careful
    however - emphasise the positive (give details of individual units you have done well on) and make
    sure your subject tutor also explains any underperformance in their section of your reference.

    Part 3 – Career objectives


    This is where you give details of any posts of responsibility you have held, work experience not
    previously mentioned, and other activities and interests.
    Be specific – include only those things which are reasonably current, and emphasise the skills you
    have developed.

     Even if these are broad, include an outline of the field in which you hope to work
     Detail any work experience, placement or voluntary work, particularly if relevant to your
    subject choices
     Identify additional skills that you have gained through part -time/ voluntary work

    Make sure your personal statement is read through and checked by someone so make sure that you
    don’t invent experiences or exaggerate your own importance!

    Part 4 – You the person


     Describe yourself to admissions tutors – your skills, strengths, and personality - don't just list
    points
     Outline your academic/social achievements
     Describe your sporting and leisure interests
     Are you planning a gap year?

    The final sentence should bring the reader’s attention back to either your choice of course, or your
    ability to succeed at university. It is important that you present yourself as somebody that can cope
    with the academic demands of a degree course and also has the skills to survive away from home. Try
    one of the following:

     Think of an experience which you have not already mentioned, which relates to the course
     Think of an experience which you have not already mentioned which relates to your
    suitability to succeed at university
     Identify an area which you have already mentioned, and find a way of building on it for a
    concluding comment about your course or suitability for university

    Jamie Vegad, Regional Manager (Africa, Middle East and Indonesia)


    International Office
    Lancaster University
    [email protected]
    www.lancaster.ac.uk

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