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Personal Statement Support Q&A 18/11/20
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George L
4:14
Thanks for the help!
Sarah Hill
4:00
Here are a couple of introductory sentences from statements that were seen to be good.

"My interest and enthusiasm for history owes a lot to my upbringing, with reading history books, visiting museums and trips to historical sites a regular and stimulating feature of both my family and school life".

"Reading is often seen as an escape route, a way of disappearing into another world. For me, it has always has the opposite effect; reading has taught me almost everything I know about the world we live in. I am particularly fascinated by 20th century literature which conveys a sense of realism within boundaries".

"The high incidence of cleft lip and palate and the lack of oral care in Asia really stood out to me whilst travelling there. Locals, living away from Westernised communities, frequently covered their mouths in shame, making conversation difficult".
George L
4:00
What would some examples of a good, non-cliched opening be?
Sarah Hill
3:43
It's really important to avoid cliches, such as "Since I was born I have always wanted to be...", "I am really passionate about...". It's important to stand out but avoid things like humour and rhetorical questions. It's also important to be concise and keep referring to the skills and qualities you have that will make you a good candidate for the course. It should be really clear which course you are interested in and your enthusiasm should come across from the start, though don't feel you need to come up with something too catchy or different, just be yourself and explain why you are interested in learning more about the subject area.
George L
3:43
What should I do/avoid doing in the opening to my personal statement?
Isabel H
3:31
Thanks again, that's really helpful.
Chloe
3:30
Have you found this event useful?
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Total Votes: 4
Chloe
3:28
Hi @Isabel H,  your personal statement is really important because if other students have the same grades as you, it will help the person reading your application decide who will receive an offer. Show you have researched the course and that the content of your statement is going to be of interest to an admission tutor. Your personal statement is the one thing really important to give the person reading your application more of an insight into what your interests are and your experience. Your personal statement is there to show your strengths. Structuring it in the right way and giving as much evidence as possible is vital.

I hope this helps!

Thanks

Chloe
Isabel H
3:28
Also, when admissions tutors have to differentiate between personal statements, what do they look for?
Chloe
3:13
Thank you for your question!
Isabel H
3:13
Thank you!
Chloe
3:11
Hi @Isabel H, Your personal statement should include a brief overview of who you are, your strengths and any work experience and/or education you’ve got, as well as any interests/ extra-curricular activities too. It is fine to balance out what areas you focus on as long as it relevant, however the key thing is to always bring it back to why you should be accepted on this course and to make sure you include skills you’ve gained from all of this. Such as time management, customer service, teamwork, leadership skills, computer skills etc. For example,  captain of school hockey team (shows leadership), Volunteer/community work (shows you’re proactive).

I hope this helps!
Isabel H
3:11
When writing your personal statement, does it matter how much you focus on interests/extra-curricular activities compared to academic information?
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