WRITING THE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT

What is the UCASWhat is the UCASPersonal Statement?

The Personal Statement is a very important part of youruniversity application, around an A4 side in length, whichgives you an opportunity :

1) To tell the universities and colleges why they should chooseyou

2) To tell universities and colleges about your suitability for thecourse(s) that you hope to study.

3) To demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and aboveall, ensure that you stand out from the crowd

(1) Start planning early(1) Start planning earlyin Year 12

Develop an awareness early in Year 12 about the Develop an awareness early in Year 12 about therequirements of the UCAS Personal Statement

Begin to think which activities work experience wider Begin to think which activities, work experience, widerreading you will need to get involved with so that youcan write about them at the beginning of Year 13

Use the Personal Statement Timeline on the UCAS Applywebsite:

http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatementsonalstatement

Activities that demonstrate interest Activities that demonstrate interest and commitment

Attend summer schools

Work experience Work experience

Public lectures

Voluntary work

Read (serious) newspapers

Read journals (eg scientific)

Read books

Enter academic competitions

(2) Look at the advice on the (2) Look at the advice on the UCAS APPLY website

What to include

Dos and don'ts Dos and don ts

Size and presentation

Similarity detection

UCAS 2012 a directUCAS 2012 a directlink from Personal Statement page on Statement page on UCAS form to PersonalStatement advice

The Mechanics You can enter up to 4,000 characters including spaces or

47 lines of text (including blank lines), whichever comesfirstfirst.

When you save text, the system will tell you how manycharacters are left or if you have used too many.

You can preview your statement after you have saved it.p y y

You cannot use italics, bold or underlining .

The system will recognise European characterseg â é èg

Prepare your statement offline using a word-processing package and copy and paste it into theApply systemApply system.

When amending a statement that you pasted in, click'save' regularly because Apply will time-out after 35minutes of inactivity. The countdown on the screendisplays how much time you have left before it timesout.

The character and line count in Apply may be different to The character and line count in Apply may be different toa word-processing package, such as Microsoft Word. Usethe size as specified in Apply as the guide.

(3) Writing about the Course: the ( ) gAdvice from UCAS

At least two thirds of your personal statementh ld l t t thshould relate to the course

The personal statement will be seen by all your choicesd ld b d h b i f i iand could be used as the basis for an interview, so

be prepared to answer questions on it

Remember, in most cases, this will be the only writtenwork that the course tutor sees before making adecision

Two of the most important pthings to include are:

(1) Why you are applying for the course you havechosen:

Why does the subject interest you?

Include evidence that you understand what's requiredto study the course

What got you interested in the subject?

What have your learnt about the subject?y j

Any activities that demonstrate your interest in the course(s)

(2) Why you are suitable for the course:

Which skills and experience do you have that will help yousucceed on the course.

What have your done to develop your knowledge of thesubject?

What evidence is there that you have read, studied, gainedexperiences outside the confines of your A level courses?

Future plans

If you know what you would like to achieve aftercompleting a university course, explain how you want touse the knowledge and experience that you gain.g p y g

Applying for multiple Applying for multiple courses

You only write one personal statement to all your choices. Trynot to mention a university by name even if you are applyingnot to mention a university by name, even if you are applyingto only one university - your personal statement cannot bechanged if you apply to a different place later.

If you're applying for a joint degree you will need toexplain why you are interested in both aspects of this jointprogrammeprogramme.

If you're applying for different subjects or courses, youfneed to identify the common themes and skills that are

relevant to your choices.

Reasons for Unsuccessful Applications

Your personal statement does not strongly support your desireto study your chosen degree.y y g

Your personal statement did not show sufficient understanding,relevance or knowledge about the course you are applying for.

You failed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and interest in You failed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and interest inthe subject in your personal statement.

There is a lot of competition for places on this course and yourpersonal statement and experience was not as strong as otherpersonal statement and experience was not as strong as otherapplicants this year.

Application form (including personal statement, reference andpredicted grades) does not evidence accurate understanding ofpredicted grades) does not evidence accurate understanding ofor motivation for subject.

Not expressed a strong enough interest in the subject .

(4) Some things to think about: ( ) gWho are you writing for?

Good writing has a clear senseof the audience being written forof the audience being written for

Remember that your audience will be a selector, auniversity lecturer or professor who has a high level ofuniversity lecturer or professor who has a high level ofachievement in and knowledge of your chosen subject

S h d h Someone who wants to read something new, interesting,original and not obvious

What do they aready know?

All the obvious things to All the obvious things to say about their subject

That the subject is interesting

What the subject covers

All the clichés typical students come up with All the clichés typical students come up with in Personal Statements

What do they want to know?

Which parts of the subject interestyou and why

Things you want to find out more aboutin the subjectin the subject

Original insights you have gained from reading andyour A levelsyour A levels

Things that you have done which show commitment tothe subject eg work experience, things done on yourown initiative, theatre visits, voluntary work especiallyif relevant to the chosen course

Avoid cliché opening sentences: Avoid cliché opening sentences: UCAS 10 most common in 2010

(1) I am currently studying a BTEC National Diploma in...

(2) From a young age I have always been interested in …

(3) From an early age I have always been interested in …

(4) Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career...

( ) l b h b f d(5) For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with …

(6) Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only …

(7) Nursing is a profession I have always looked upon with (7) Nursing is a profession I have always looked upon with …

(8) For as long as I can remember I have been interested in..( ) g

(9) I am an International Academy student and have been studying since studying since …

(10) Academically, I have always been a very determined …(10) Academically, I have always been a very determined …

Avoid empty statementsAvoid empty statementsabout yourself

I have been interested in philosophy all my life (all???)

I feel global warming is a really important issue (which aspects?)

I feel that genes are fundamental in shaping human behaviour (say something original about genetics)

You need team work and communication skills and I have got them (where is the evidence?)

Maths is important for helping us understand all sorts of things (give examples)things (give examples)

Avoid cliché books

‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ for Maths

‘A Brief History of Time’ for Physics

Show that you have explored beyond the obvious in Show that you have explored beyond the obvious inyour reading and say something original about the booksyou do mention

Make sure they are books you can talk about ifinterviewed

Anticipate the interview question: ‘What have your readsince you wrote your Personal Statement?’since you wrote your Personal Statement?

Avoid exaggerated language

Maths is………

‘amazing’ ‘incredible’ incredible ‘fantastic’‘unbelievably interesting’unbelievably interesting‘captivating’

Say something more thoughtful

How should you say it? Persuade them that you are like

this don’t just claim it?

‘I am like this because……….’

Use evidence from work experience

Use evidence from achievements

U id f l t ti iti BUT t f Use evidence from voluntary activities BUT not, for example ‘I am a good at team work because I play in a team’.

The EPQ

Mention it in your Personal Statement Mention it in your Personal Statement

Show how it has helped you to develop intellectually with lexamples

Show how it has helped you learn new study and research skills

Show how you think it has helped you prepare for Show how you think it has helped you prepare for university

(5) Researching subjects and (5) Researching subjects and courses

Look up your chosen academic subject on Wikipedia: p y j phistory, scope of subject, issues

Introductions to subject textbooksj

University course prospectuses

Use Entry Profiles on UCAS website especially ‘What skills, qualities and experience do I need?’

Subject guide videos too from Birmingham on YouTube

Podcast on Oxfordwebsitewebsite

Look for PS advice on university ysubject department websitesAn Example: Medicine at Liverpool

‘All di l h l ill t t b i d th t‘All medical schools will want to be convinced that youhave a genuine desire to be a doctor and that you havemade an informed decision. In your personal statementyou must explain your motivation for wanting to studymedicine and the factors which have influenced yourdecision. As well as showing an understanding andg gcommitment to the course and the career, you should alsoshow what you have done to find out more about theprofession and to ensure that this is the right career forprofession and to ensure that this is the right career foryou.‘

Why study English website

For example: check things out Does the course meet your needs in terms of the balance

of Literature, Language and Creative Writing? I th h t t i t f Is the course what you want in terms of coverage –

there’s no point saying you’re keen on medievalliterature or film studies if this isn’t on offer

Check the application deadline – some popular courseswon’t accept applications after the official UCAS mid-January deadlineJanuary deadline

Don’t waste an application by applying to a course whereyou don’t have the right subjects or are unlikely toachieve the required grades If you have non standardachieve the required grades. If you have non-standardqualifications, it may be advisable to contact theAdmissions Tutor before applying.

An example, Geography at Leedsp , g p y

‘It is essential that applicants take thisopportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasmand aptitude for the academic subject. Inparticular the School would like to be told whyparticular, the School would like to be told whythe applicant has chosen a particularprogramme, what s/he will bring to theprogramme, what s/he will bring to theprogramme and what s/he expects to gainfrom it.’

(6) Group together interests and ( ) p gactivities related to the course

Summer schools attended

Work experiencep

Public lectures

Voluntary work

(Serious) newspapers read (Serious) newspapers read

Journals (eg scientific) read

Books read

C titi Competitions

BUT: Don’t just list Say what you got from the activity

Use telling examples

Be precise about time was spent on the activity Be precise about time was spent on the activity

Show how it helped to develop your thinkingp p y g

Emphasise skills and qualities you developed eg team work commitment caringwork, commitment, caring

Mention particular insights gained Mention particular insights gained

Skills you may need to write about

Practical Self motivated Problem solving Caring

Working to deadlines Organisation g

Enthusiastic Teamwork

g Leadership Self-expression

Good communicator Using own initiative

p Scientifically literate Artistic/creative Using own initiative

Work under pressure Artistic/creative Individual thoughts

and ideas

(7) How to Write about Work Experience(7) How to Write about Work Experience

Include details of jobs, placements, work experience orvoluntary work, particularly if it's relevant to yourvoluntary work, particularly if it s relevant to yourchosen course(s). Try to link any experience to skills orqualities related to the course

Make it clear how long was spent on each placement

Thi k b t h th d t t lit Think about how they demonstrate your personality,skills and abilities. Try to link them to the skills andexperience required for your course(s).

An Example

NOT 'I spent two weeks working at a department store. I

j d ki t t d h l i th ithenjoyed speaking to customers and helping them withtheir enquiries'

BUTBUT'I spent two weeks managing customer enquiries at adepartment store. I learnt how to interact withpcustomers and handle complaints. The experiencehighlighted the importance of positive communicationbetween a business and its customers, and taught mebetween a business and its customers, and taught mehow to manage difficult enquiries effectively. I would liketo develop this skill further by studying a degree inpublic relations 'public relations.

(8) Group together interests and (8) Group together interests and activities which show your breadth

Team sportsp

Clubs and societies

Interest and hobbies

Travel

Reading outside your subject

(9) Writing about your Hobbies ( ) g yand Interests

Think about how your hobbies, interests and social activitiesdemonstrate your skills and abilities. If there's anything thatrelates to your course or to the skills needed to complete arelates to your course or to the skills needed to complete ahigher education course, include it - the more evidence thebetter.

The Assistant Registrar for Undergraduate Admissions fromUniversity of Warwick says that:

' h l h h l k h'The strongest applicants are those who can link their extra-curricular activities to their proposed course of study. Yourstatement will be more convincing and personal if you writeb t h i ti it i t t kabout why an experience, activity or interest makes you a

good candidate for the course. Include enough additionalinformation to make it interesting and to demonstrate yourown interest ’own interest.

(10) Do a draft and redraft it ( )several times

First start by looking at the Personal Statement Mind- First, start by looking at the Personal Statement Mind-map on the UCAS APPLY website :

http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement

Use it to help you construct a mind-map focused on your personal aims and aspirations

Second, use the excellent four page Personal Statementworksheet on the UCAS APPLY website to plan yourstatement in detail:statement in detail:

http://www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement

The worksheet gives you very clear indications aboutg y yhow much to write for each section Remember: at leasttwo thirds on the course

Next write out your statement in full and read carefullywhat you have written and don’t be satisfied until youhave re worked it several timeshave re-worked it several times

Thi fThis four pageworksheet containsthe most essentialthe most essentialguidance of all andshould be followedvery closely

The UCAS Personal Statement The UCAS Personal Statement worksheet has paragraphs on:

Why are you applying for your chosen course(s)?

Why does this subject interest you? Include evidencethat you understand what's required to study the course

Why do you think you’re suitable for the course(s)? Doyou have any particular skills and experience that willhelp you to succeed on the course(s)?

Do your current or previous studies relate to the Do your current or previous studies relate to thecourse(s) that you have chosen, if so how?

Have you taken part in any other activities thatdemonstrate your interest in the course(s)?

Universities like to know the skills you have that will helpyou on the course, or generally with life at university,y , g y y,like any accredited or non-accredited achievements.Write these down here. Examples can be found at:www ucas com/personalstatementskillswww.ucas.com/personalstatementskills

Also think about any other achievements you are proudy y pof, positions of responsibility that you hold or have heldboth in and out of school, and attributes that make youinteresting, special or unique.interesting, special or unique.

(11) Dos and Don’ts Do create a list of your ideas before attempting to write.

Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy. Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy.

Do ask people you trust for their feedback.

Do check university prospectuses, websites and Entry Profiles. They usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate.

Do use your best English/Welsh and don't let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.

Do be enthusiastic - if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place.

Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language.

Don't say too much about things that are not relevant - if you think Don t say too much about things that are not relevant if you think that you are starting to, take a break.

Don't lie - if you exaggerate you may get caught out at interview y gg y y g gwhen asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.

Don't rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything - proof read as many times as possible.

Don't leave it to the last minute.

Don't expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching TV or surfing the internet

How to keep to the word plength: University of Leeds

Remember it is a personal statement, cut out anything unnecessary!

D 't t lf Don't repeat yourself Cut out the waffle - be concise! Get rid of pointless words e.g. the name of the Get rid of pointless words e.g. the name of the

hospital/doctor you worked with, exact dates (just put X months), pointless adjectives etc.

Ask o efe ee to mention some st ff that o annot Ask your referee to mention some stuff that you cannot. Get some structure to your statement At the end of the day if you can't get it under the At the end of the day if you can t get it under the

lines/characters you may just have to chop whole sentences.

(12) Above All (12) Above All Don’t plagiarise!

One year 234 UCAS personalstatements contained the following:

"Ever since I accidentally burnt holes in my pyjamas after"Ever since I accidentally burnt holes in my pyjamas afterexperimenting with a chemistry set on my eighthbirthday, I have always had a passion for science.“

UCAS Copycatch plagiarismUCAS Copycatch plagiarismsoftware

Your PS checked against 1,500,000 statements past andpresent, those on websites and in books

30,000 students ‘caught’ in 2010

10% were identical to other applicants personal 10% were identical to other applicants personalstatements or online examples eg Student Room

U i iti li d t i f d th t th t k Universities applied to informed so that they can takeappropriate action

S d ld b il i h d il T k Student told by email with details on Track

Flagged up on Adviser Track for school staff as well

Plagiarism by University Applicants Soars TES 18.02.11

(15) 5 Key Elements of a Good Personal (15) 5 Key Elements of a Good Personal Statement: A Reminder

At least two thirds should be about the course(s) youhave chosen and your suitabilityf itfor it.

Make it personal and original

Do not plagiarise

Provide evidence and examples to back up claims youmake about yourself

When you write about things you have done show whatskills you have gained and what they demonstrateabout your character and/or personalityabou you a a a d/o p o a y

The key question to answer

Judge all the content of your Personal Statement draft by asking the question:y g q

Does it increase my chances of getting accepted on the course or not?

If the answer is no, miss it out

Above All!!

Use the Advice and Resources on the UCAS websiteUCAS website