University Application process The personal statement What is UCAS - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

University Application process

The personal statement

What is UCAS ?

Use unifrog to search courses and to perfect your personal statement before adding it to your UCAS application

The UCAS application

Personal details Use an appropriate personal email address Choices You can choose up to five courses (all now or some later). There’s no preference order and your universities/colleges won’t see where else you’ve applied until after you reply to any offers you get. 4 choices for Medicine / Veterinary / Dentistry Education You will need to enter all subjects taken at GCSE (including exam boards grades achieved and ) You will also need to include your A level / BTEC / Cam Tech subjects (including exam boards but grades will be left pending) Personal statement The most difficult and time consuming section of of your application

How long is the personal statement?

4000 characters - with spaces (approx. 650 words) / One side of A4 If your statement is over the character count it will not be accepted when you enter it on your UCAS application

How should I I structure my personal statement?

• 1. Opening paragraph - Why do you want study the subject?
• 2. Evidence - What you have done in the past that makes you a

suitable candidate

• 3. Transferable skills & Personal Interests – what skills have you

developed during your academic studies Personal interests - What are your interests? What else have you done that would contribute to the university community?

Evidence Evidence Evidence

What you shouldn’t include

Over-used clichés ‘I have always been fascinated by…..’

Admissions tutors call it ‘ever since I was a foetus’

……I have always wanted to be a doctor ……I have always known I would become a teacher ……I have loved being with animals all my life

• 1. Opening Paragraph

What you shouldn’t include

Philosophy: "I think, therefore I am" - Descartes Art: "A picture is worth a thousand words" -Napoleon Bonaparte History: "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" - George Santayana Maths: "Pure mathematics is the poetry of logic" - Albert Einstein Engineering "Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been“ – Albert Einstein sport admissions tutor: 'I’m totally fed up of Muhammad Ali quotes!' Don’t quote unless you really really want to – they want to know what you have to say

• Quotations. These are the most common quotes admission tutors read

What you shouldn’t include

• 3. Random lists I’ve read this, I’ve been there, I’ve done that, watched that… ‘it’s boring…….. What did you learn from this?
• 4. Big yourself up with sweeping statements or unproven claims ‘I am an exceptionally talented

photographer’ (no one will want to work with you)

• 5. Limit your use of the word ‘passion’ ‘I m passionate about.. I have a passion for...’ The word interested is

repeated throughout personal statements.

• 6. Stilted vocabulary ‘I was enchanted..... Mesmerised’ - use plain English
• 7. Plagiarism, lies or exaggeration don’t say you have read a book when you haven’t. They will catch you out

at interview or in your first tutorial!

• 8. Trying to be funny the admissions tutors may not share your sense of humour or even have one
• 9. Negative comments or excuses I dropped that subject because it was boring……… means you will not

bother turning up for lectures for units you don’t like, or worse… drop out

• 10. Irrelevant personal facts ‘I have seven siblings so I am very sociable. In year 10 I won the 100 metres race.

I have a paper round and get up early every morning

What you should include

Show why you want to study ‘X’

Maths has lots of features that fascinate me. However, something that stands out above everything else is understanding complexity, the logic and management of concepts that can first appear chaotic leading up to the solution of a difficult questions can be an extremely satisfying experience to solve.

What you should include

Show why you want to study ‘X’ My admiration for physiotherapy developed following a week-long placement at Southampton General Hospital where I shadowed physiotherapists in various medical settings. My placement gave me a valuable insight into many of the areas in which physiotherapists work. For example, I spoke to multiple sclerosis patients receiving hydrotherapy, assisted with a pulmonary rehabilitation class for COPD sufferers and observed treatment of patients in amputee rehabilitation. I enjoyed the unique hospital environment and having contact with the patients on the wards as, whilst one patient may have a similar problem to another, their personal stories can be entirely different and thus may require differing treatments.

What you should include

Show why you want to study ‘X’ My decision to study Law was confirmed when I attended the Royal Courts of Justice and The Old Bailey. Gaining first-hand experience of how the courts are run, introduced me to how the legal system is structured and conducted, whilst giving me the opportunity to witness a broad range of cases. Time spent at a local solicitor’s firm highlighted some of the more

• rdinary and routine aspects to the law and the work of a solicitor, allowing me to experience the complexity of the legal

system but, at the same time, being exposed to the benefits of justice.

• 2. Evidence your interest
• work experience relevant to the course you have chosen.
• Job shadowing
• Any Moocs or other online courses
• Books / journals you have read
• Any other evidence that you can use to show you are interested and have the skills to be able to handle the

demands of the course

• Remember to research the course. Universities differ in the content they teach. Make sure you find out what

you will be learning and include your interest in these areas.

What do I I in include ?

Don’t forget to ‘geek out’ on unifrog

During Year 12 I directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream which I really enjoyed doing. I worked with thirty other people and I was able to include live music as I have always liked music and play bass guitar and double bass in school productions. How to evidence

You are saying what you did What did you learn from this?

During Year 12 I directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Dream is a play that I desperately wanted to know intimately – beyond the restraints and rigours of academic study – to see how it worked on stage. This experience was certainly the singularly most satisfying moment in my education so far. I feel that I came

• f age directing that play. Not only was it intellectually and artistically

challenging: working with thirty other people I learned a great deal about patience and tolerance in those months. I introduced live music and dance as part of the production……

How to evidence

What do I I in include ?

• 3. Your academic transferable skills (What makes

you suitable to study the subject)

Think about the transferable skills you have learnt from your courses

• Independent learner,
• Research skills,
• Attention to detail
• Time management
• Analysis of results
• Collaborative work in lessons / projects
• Include EPQ if you are studying for this qualification.

Through participation in the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award I have learnt the importance of planning, collaboration and commitment, particularly in physically and emotionally demanding situations, such as the expeditions. I believe these skills will help me have the courage and competence to deal with the challenging circumstances a career in nursing could present. My volunteer work at the local sheltered housing association, for the ‘service’ element of the award, can be emotionally draining but is incredibly rewarding. It has allowed me to develop compassion and empathy for those in different circumstances to my own and improved my care and communication skills.

How to evidence

I have achieved my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, I am currently working towards my Silver, and I am hoping to gain Gold level at university. I love planning and undertaking expeditions as they are physically demanding. I also enjoy working for the ‘service’ element of the

• award. At the moment, I visit the elderly residents at the

local sheltered housing association once a week. I am hoping to be involved in promoting the award scheme to young people in the future, as I have really benefitted from it and would like to be able to share my experience with others.

What do I I in include?

• 3. Additional skills & Personal interests

What skills do you need for a career related to your degree

Find a job description

what the skills and qualities are needed for that job? Get those skills and qualities in

• but provide evidence

Job description - lawyer

• Good at negotiating and

debating (not just arguing in a calm manner)

• Can stay cool under pressure
• Good communicator (both in

writing and speaking)

• Confident
• Good at Maths
• Attention to detail
• Excellent organisational skills

What do I I in include?

• 3. personal interests - keep it short

You should include one small paragraph at the end of their Personal Statements summarising your extracurricular interests (hobbies / activities / awards / paid or voluntary work etc). This section must be kept short as discussion

• f the subject should take priority.

Link extracurricular activities back to the chosen subject by showing how they have developed skills that will be useful for that particular degree course.

Duke of Edinburgh Award, MOOCs, Work Experience etc. Part Time Employment – communication skills, confidence, time management, problem solving

UCAS’ similarity detection service

Every personal statement is put through similarity detection. Personal statements are checked against:

• a library of personal statements previously submitted to UCAS
• sample statements collected from a variety of websites
• other sources, including paper publications

Each personal statement received at UCAS is added to the library of statements after it has been processed.

Points to remember

• It is your personal statement
• Strong opening paragraph.
• research into courses/ job descriptions will help you.
• 80% -90 % academic, 10 - 20% extra curricular.
• Be honest.
• Draft, redraft, and proof read.
• There’s no such thing as a perfect personal statement

So where do I start?

You don’t have to start at the beginning

• The opening sentence is probably

the hardest part to write. Leave it until you are ready

• It doesn’t matter where you start –

as long as you start! You may wish to make a start on:

• what you have learnt from your work

experience

• Evidence of why you want to study………
• Any Moocs you have completed and what you

gained from these

• The skills you have gained from each of your

subjects. Your statement is like a jigsaw puzzle. Complete each section and then bring it together at the end.

Unifrog

What now ?

Start writ iting each sectio ion – take a few days to draft/redraft each sectio ion. Once you have a fir irst full ll draft, check the word count Do not rush this is as poor quali lity drafts le leads to poor quali lity fin inal l statements First draft: Monday 6th July Second draft: Monday 7th Sept Third draft: Monday 18th Sept

Personal statements should initially be written on unifrog to enable staff to give feedback.