Personal Statements
Some excellent advice on writing personal statements from ex-Harrogate Grammar head of History and all round universities expert, Dr Hibbert.
This is what an anonymous admissions tutor had to say about personal statements:
‘things that turn me off? …Two tired looking sentences on why I like the subject…followed by two paragraphs enthusiastically detailing the applicant’s rugby career.’
The personal statement is the main opportunity for you to show yourselves as individuals in your applications. This makes it all the more surprising that so many think it is all right to copy from internet sites or get others to write them. The following sentence was found in some form or other in 234 personal statements in 2007 according to a BBC news item.
'Ever since I accidentally burnt holes in my pyjamas after experimenting with a chemistry set on my eighth birthday, I have always had a passion for science.'
The quote had appeared on a website offering advice to potential medical students. Of course this amounts to plagiarism something which universities are using software now to detect.
So what should go in your personal statement?
You need to think about why you are applying for particular courses and how you meet the requirements of those courses. You need to realise that the statement will probably be read very quickly, so it needs to be both well written and clearly focused. Although you may agonise over the statement and pore over the details, in reality it is unlikely that an admissions tutor will have time to do more than glance through it and get a general impression. This does not mean that it is unimportant!
The main focus should always be the subject applied for, highlighting their commitment to the course and their understanding of what is included by giving reasons for course choice. For example you shouldn't profess a commitment to medieval history if the course applied for only offers modules post 1700! Applicants must sound both interesting and interested. You are trying to sell yourselves in what is largely a buyers’ market.
Some guidelines for students
Things to include:
A final piece of advice – at risk of being repetitive myself - don’t undersell yourself, but equally, don’t make things up!
You may also find this UCAS template helpful. Available HERE. Also try this article HERE
This is what an anonymous admissions tutor had to say about personal statements:
‘things that turn me off? …Two tired looking sentences on why I like the subject…followed by two paragraphs enthusiastically detailing the applicant’s rugby career.’
The personal statement is the main opportunity for you to show yourselves as individuals in your applications. This makes it all the more surprising that so many think it is all right to copy from internet sites or get others to write them. The following sentence was found in some form or other in 234 personal statements in 2007 according to a BBC news item.
'Ever since I accidentally burnt holes in my pyjamas after experimenting with a chemistry set on my eighth birthday, I have always had a passion for science.'
The quote had appeared on a website offering advice to potential medical students. Of course this amounts to plagiarism something which universities are using software now to detect.
So what should go in your personal statement?
You need to think about why you are applying for particular courses and how you meet the requirements of those courses. You need to realise that the statement will probably be read very quickly, so it needs to be both well written and clearly focused. Although you may agonise over the statement and pore over the details, in reality it is unlikely that an admissions tutor will have time to do more than glance through it and get a general impression. This does not mean that it is unimportant!
The main focus should always be the subject applied for, highlighting their commitment to the course and their understanding of what is included by giving reasons for course choice. For example you shouldn't profess a commitment to medieval history if the course applied for only offers modules post 1700! Applicants must sound both interesting and interested. You are trying to sell yourselves in what is largely a buyers’ market.
Some guidelines for students
- Be structured and organised
- Don’t repeat information
- Don’t use humour and gimmicks – it is too easy to miss the mark
- Present a perfectly word-processed, immaculately proof-read, well-written statement.
- Don’t cut and paste from the internet.
- Use the space available effectively (only 4,000 characters including spaces) but write in paragraphs NOT bullet points. This is important to show that you can write in full sentences and construct an argument
- Check spelling and grammar and then check it again!
Things to include:
- Evidence of genuine enthusiasm. What have you read? Where have you visited? Have you attended summer schools or study days? Be specific.
- Evidence of wider reading beyond the confines of sixth-form study. This could be linked to course choice. A detailed discussion of one author’s approach would mean more than a long list of books. Why one book interests you is more valuable than listing lots of books you think you should have read but never quite got round to. This is particularly important if you might be called for interview. It is very dangerous not to have read books that you might be asked about!
- Explanation of the choice of personal study and the wider reading and research undertaken for it.
- Any reason why qualifications – past, present and predicted – do not reflect academic potential. This should also be covered in the academic reference
- Relevant interests, personal development, volunteering, travel, gap year plans and relevant work experience
- Extracurricular activities, particularly where these go beyond opportunities provided by the school (for example county level performance in sport or music) and therefore reveal added commitment.
- Activities which show leadership roles, volunteer work, contributing to your community, involvement in enterprise all show a potential for imaginative, resourceful contribution to university life.
A final piece of advice – at risk of being repetitive myself - don’t undersell yourself, but equally, don’t make things up!
You may also find this UCAS template helpful. Available HERE. Also try this article HERE
| ucas_worksheet.pdf |
Some good advice on History personal statements from the Guardian newspaper. The original article can be found here: LINK
History is the tenth most popular subject to study at degree level in the UK, and with many universities forgoing
candidate interviews, your personal statement is the most important way to make yourself stand out. The competition is fierce (the top universities require grades of A*AA), and a muddled or mediocre statement will harm your application.
So how can would-be historians impress application tutors? Dr Elizabeth Tingle, of Plymouth University, wants the statement to reflect the candidate who wrote it. She says: "When we talk about originality in personal statements, we really mean individuality." Southampton University's Dr McHugh agrees that many applications are "too generic and vague. We want to get a sense of who you are as an individual, and what kind of student you would be."
This individuality should not be achieved through wild or outrageous methods; your statement doesn't need to be written in old English, or abstractly
represent the consciousness of Thomas Cromwell. If you do something outrageously different, there's probably a reason why no one's done it before. Instead, a personal statement should show something of you as a person, and convey your own unique engagement with history. Dr Ryrie, historian of religion at Durham says: "The kind of personal statement that warms an admissions tutor's heart is the kind which is honest: which describes, in genuinely personal terms, quite why the student loves the subject, and conveys something of their passion for it".
'Passion', however, is a controversial word. UCL's Dr Jason Peacey complained that "it gets a bit tiring reading hundreds of forms where the student proclaims that they have a 'passion' for history".
You need to convince admissions tutors that you have the intelligence and academic ability needed to successfully undertake a degree in the subject. Dr Peacey says: "Students don't always do enough to explain what it is about history that interests them, why this interest can only be met by undertaking more study at a higher level, and what should make me think that they have the potential and ability to study at this level".
Students who show that they have considered the subject in relation to other academic avenues are likely to impress. As Dr Gadja, of Oxford university, says: "Historians like to take insight from a huge range of perspectives, so we are always delighted when students can demonstrate how their interest and ability at foreign languages, philosophy, or political thought, literature, and so on, might intersect with their historical interests, and be of use in their development as historians".
A clear, competent analysis of the ways in which your different subjects interact, and how this has aided your ability as a history student, can be a
valuable inclusion in your personal statement.
Dr Gadja says that it is important to mention extra-curriculur interests. For Gadja, an interest in visiting museums, going to public lectures, and anything that shows an interest in history beyond the demands of one's A-level course, would be relevant. If you have had any relevant work experience, do mention it, but it must have had a definite impact on your approach to thinking about history. If you haven't managed to gain experience in a historical field, though, don't worry too much.
Mention of non-academic areas in which you are wonderfully talented should be limited to a couple of sentences at most, and should always be linked back to the ways in which they have contributed to your academic or personal development; such as by improving time-management, or organisational skills.
It is important to write the statement in clear, concise prose, avoiding the use of formulaic words or phrases. Dr Peacey says: "If I had a pound for every time I had been told that history is important because, as George Santayana said, those who fail to understand the mistakes of
the past will merely repeat them... then I would be a rich man indeed." Try and avoid stilted references to the "eternal value" and "enduring
fascination" of the past. Far more impressive is to explain and analyse what it is that makes you so interested in history, and specific areas in particular.
Above all, you should engage with the concepts that you are discussing, rather than just stating them. As Dr Ryrie says: "Make us feel that you are a person of vision and imagination, for whom your outstanding A-level performance is just the beginning."
theguardian.com Copyright (c) Guardian News and
History is the tenth most popular subject to study at degree level in the UK, and with many universities forgoing
candidate interviews, your personal statement is the most important way to make yourself stand out. The competition is fierce (the top universities require grades of A*AA), and a muddled or mediocre statement will harm your application.
So how can would-be historians impress application tutors? Dr Elizabeth Tingle, of Plymouth University, wants the statement to reflect the candidate who wrote it. She says: "When we talk about originality in personal statements, we really mean individuality." Southampton University's Dr McHugh agrees that many applications are "too generic and vague. We want to get a sense of who you are as an individual, and what kind of student you would be."
This individuality should not be achieved through wild or outrageous methods; your statement doesn't need to be written in old English, or abstractly
represent the consciousness of Thomas Cromwell. If you do something outrageously different, there's probably a reason why no one's done it before. Instead, a personal statement should show something of you as a person, and convey your own unique engagement with history. Dr Ryrie, historian of religion at Durham says: "The kind of personal statement that warms an admissions tutor's heart is the kind which is honest: which describes, in genuinely personal terms, quite why the student loves the subject, and conveys something of their passion for it".
'Passion', however, is a controversial word. UCL's Dr Jason Peacey complained that "it gets a bit tiring reading hundreds of forms where the student proclaims that they have a 'passion' for history".
You need to convince admissions tutors that you have the intelligence and academic ability needed to successfully undertake a degree in the subject. Dr Peacey says: "Students don't always do enough to explain what it is about history that interests them, why this interest can only be met by undertaking more study at a higher level, and what should make me think that they have the potential and ability to study at this level".
Students who show that they have considered the subject in relation to other academic avenues are likely to impress. As Dr Gadja, of Oxford university, says: "Historians like to take insight from a huge range of perspectives, so we are always delighted when students can demonstrate how their interest and ability at foreign languages, philosophy, or political thought, literature, and so on, might intersect with their historical interests, and be of use in their development as historians".
A clear, competent analysis of the ways in which your different subjects interact, and how this has aided your ability as a history student, can be a
valuable inclusion in your personal statement.
Dr Gadja says that it is important to mention extra-curriculur interests. For Gadja, an interest in visiting museums, going to public lectures, and anything that shows an interest in history beyond the demands of one's A-level course, would be relevant. If you have had any relevant work experience, do mention it, but it must have had a definite impact on your approach to thinking about history. If you haven't managed to gain experience in a historical field, though, don't worry too much.
Mention of non-academic areas in which you are wonderfully talented should be limited to a couple of sentences at most, and should always be linked back to the ways in which they have contributed to your academic or personal development; such as by improving time-management, or organisational skills.
It is important to write the statement in clear, concise prose, avoiding the use of formulaic words or phrases. Dr Peacey says: "If I had a pound for every time I had been told that history is important because, as George Santayana said, those who fail to understand the mistakes of
the past will merely repeat them... then I would be a rich man indeed." Try and avoid stilted references to the "eternal value" and "enduring
fascination" of the past. Far more impressive is to explain and analyse what it is that makes you so interested in history, and specific areas in particular.
Above all, you should engage with the concepts that you are discussing, rather than just stating them. As Dr Ryrie says: "Make us feel that you are a person of vision and imagination, for whom your outstanding A-level performance is just the beginning."
theguardian.com Copyright (c) Guardian News and
The 10 Most Overused Openings to Personal Statements
The following is from a Telegraph article from 25 September 2012.
"Writing a personal statement is possibly the most important – and certainly the most time-consuming – aspect of the university application process. It's also rather tricky. Nearly 700,000 students applied for university last year – that's a lot of times for tutors to have to read "I have always been fascinated by ...[insert subject]".
To help students avoid the most common pitfalls, Ucas has provided the Telegraph with a list of the 10 most overused opening sentences from the 2010 admissions cycle. Whatever you do, don't start your personal statement with any of these – not only are they awful clichés, but they're bound to be picked up by Ucas's anti-plagiarism software ..."
Top 10 most overused personal statement opening sentences
"Writing a personal statement is possibly the most important – and certainly the most time-consuming – aspect of the university application process. It's also rather tricky. Nearly 700,000 students applied for university last year – that's a lot of times for tutors to have to read "I have always been fascinated by ...[insert subject]".
To help students avoid the most common pitfalls, Ucas has provided the Telegraph with a list of the 10 most overused opening sentences from the 2010 admissions cycle. Whatever you do, don't start your personal statement with any of these – not only are they awful clichés, but they're bound to be picked up by Ucas's anti-plagiarism software ..."
Top 10 most overused personal statement opening sentences
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1. I am currently studying a BTEC National Diploma in ... (used 464 times)
2. From a young age I have always been interested in ... (309 times) 3. From an early age I have always been interested in ... (292 times) 4. Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career ... (275 times) 5. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with ... (196 times) |
6. "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only” ... (189 times)
7. Nursing is a profession I have always looked upon with ... (178 times) 8. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in ... (166 times) 9. I am an International Academy student and have been studying since ... (141 times) 10. Academically, I have always been a very determined and ... (138 times) |
