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UCAS personal statements Top Tips!. UCAS personal statements. Do not underestimate the importance of the UCAS personal statement… students are getting better A level results... many courses do not interview students… …personal statements are very, very important!.
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UCAS personal statements Top Tips!
UCAS personal statements Do not underestimate the importance of the UCAS personal statement… students are getting better A level results... many courses do not interview students… …personal statements are very, very important!
Who are Admissions Tutors anyway? • Academics from the department/school you are applying to • ‘Specialists’ in your subject • You need to impress them!
What not to say! ‘Until the age of twelve I sang in a local church choir as a treble but decided to leave when my voice broke…’ ‘I have always been very interested in languages and cultures around the world. This is mainly due to a priceless travelling experience that I enjoyed when I was eight years old’ ‘To whom it may concern: I am a candidate for higher education’ ‘I enjoy having the lads round for a night drinking in front of the telly’ ‘ I have also travelled to France by ferry’ ‘I go to the gym every week night and play football every Saturday to stay physically and mentally fit because my academic studies are mentally demanding and I must stay physically and mentally fit to be able to cope with the demand’s of my academic studies’
UCAS website http://www.ucas.ac.uk/
How do I structure it? • Give your statement a start a middle and an end • Talk about the subject you wish to study • Explain why you are interested in the subject • Give examples of relevant skills / experiences / activities that confirm your interest
How do I start? THE START - how do I open? • Express your PASSION in the very first line! • How did you get interested in your chosen subject? • Who and/or what inspired you?
How do I start? Examples of GREAT openers • 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 family and social life. • Books by authors such as Ian McEwan and Margaret Atwood have fuelled my interest in literature and have provided me with a great determination to further my studies in this field. • The acquisition of an additional language is one of the most important skills one can have in our increasingly global and multicultural society. I am particularly interested in Latin American culture and would like the opportunity to experience it first hand.
The middle • What interests you in subject/course? • How have you developed your interest (travel, visits, lectures, meetings)? • Evidence of wider reading/activities beyond the A-level syllabus
Examples of intellectual activities Proof of interest and dedication to the course ‘In the last 2 years I have visited the Hay on Wye Literary festival’ ‘I have subscribed to French language magazines such as Etincelle and Champs-Elysees…’ ‘To support my A level in Religious Studies I attended a conference by Peter Vardy & Julie Arliss who spoke on ‘evil and suffering’ and ‘life after death’
Extra curricular activities • Travel • Sport • Language clubs or university lectures • Charity events/fund raising • Mentoring schemes • Summer Schools • DoE Award Scheme
Examples of extra-curricular activities ACTIVITIES ‘…more of a challenge was speaking on ‘Life in the 6th form’ to 600 prospective students and parents at the 6th form open evening’ ‘Other strong interests are design and architecture…I like the work of contemporary and classical architects such as Will Alsop, Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren’ ‘ ‘I have been a member of the Sea Cadets for two years and have gained water sports qualifications and regularly organise money-raising events’
Work Experience • What you have achieved • How you worked with and/or managed others • How you overcame difficulties • What you learned as a result of • doing it; especially about YOU!
How do I finish? THE END – how do I finish? • Tell us what you want to get out of university • Tell us a little of where you see yourself after university • Tell us BRIEFLY about some of the other passions in your life – hobbies/pastimes
Joint/Combined Honours Tips • Make sure that the relationship between the subjects is spelled out in the Personal Statement • Write equally about both subjects • Different combinations will have lower or higher grades
Putting it all together! • Don’t try to be funny…Admissions Tutors have no sense of humour! • Use correct sentence and paragraph structure • Standard English – pls no txt spk! • Spell check / proof read
What do you think? Good or bad? ‘I am applying for Classics because I love the films Troy and Gladiator’ ‘I am always looking for ways to improve my language skills and this summer I will be working as an Au Pair for a German family in Frankfurt’ ‘I am applying for a degree in English because I like reading’ ‘Dear Sir /Madam I would like to apply for a degree in Philosophy’ ‘Once upon a time there was a young lady who’s passion in life was French!’ ‘I feel passionate about history and have read around the subject, including “Mein Kampf” and Marx and Engel’s “Communist Manifesto”’ ‘From an early age I have developed an inquisitive interest for the place of religion in both society today and in ancient civilisations’
‘I am applying for Classics because I love the films Troy and Gladiator!!!’
‘I am always looking for ways to improve my language skills and this summer I will be working as an Au Pair for a German family in Frankfurt’
‘Iam applying for a degree in English because I like reading’
‘Dear Sir /Madam I would like to apply for a degree in Pilosophy’
‘I feel passionate about history and have read around the subject, including “Mein Kampf” and Marx and Engel’s “Communist Manifesto”’
‘Once upon a time there was a young lady who’s passion in life was French!’
‘From an early age I have developed an inquisitive interest for the place of religion in both society today and in ancient civilisations’
