How to Ace Your Personal Statement
How to Ace Your Personal Statement
Your personal statement is your time to shine and prove to the university that you are a correct fit for their institution. It is an opportunity for you to show your personality and what makes you unique. So, it is important that you take this step seriously. Luckily, we have included some top tips on how to write a truly outstanding personal statement.
- Make an essay plan before you start writing
A personal statement can only be 4000 characters long, so it is important you plan what you want to write before starting. Additionally, a poorly written statement will negatively affect your chances of receiving an offer since it will decrease its impact. A well-written statement with a refined structure will make your information stand out and demonstrate that you have the aptitude for structuring written pieces of work. There is no one correct way to structure your plan, but it is useful to include the following:
- An introduction
- Academic achievements: dedicate around 75% of the body to this and don’t forget to link it to your desired course
- Extracurricular achievements: dedicate around 25% of the body to this and don’t forget to link it to your desired course
- A conclusion
- Explain the reasons behind your choice and how it fits with your future aspirations
Here are some questions to help you think about your answer: Why are you interested in this degree? What exactly about it interests you and how will you incorporate what you have learned in your future life? Think about these questions and incorporate your answers into your statement.
- Highlight your skills and how thess can be related back to the course
Useful skills can be acquired in a multitude of settings. For example, you may have learned good communication skills while working in retail as a parttime job. You can elaborate on this and illustrate how it will help you in your university studies.
- Give examples of any related academic or professional experience
It is great to include any relevant academic or professional experiences in your personal statement because it can show your admissions tutor that you are truly invested in the course. This is especially important for medicine, nursing and midwifery degrees where having the necessary experience can make or break your application!
- Demonstrate your knowledge of the course
For example, you can do this by sharing some of your wider reading or by illustrating your awareness of new breakthroughs or schools of thought in the subject.
- Don’t waffle, lie or exaggerate
Admissions tutors are very skilled at their jobs and will be able to tell when a student is waffling, lying or exaggerating. Be honest about your abilities. It is more important to highlight your enthusiasm and willingness to learn rather than trying to fool the admissions team with false narratives.
- Don’t rush your writing
Take your time. A superb personal statement takes more than a few hours to write. In fact, it is better to write it over a period of a few days. This will allow you to approach your work with a fresh pair of eyes and see any mistakes you may have made. So, make sure you start well before the deadline.
- Read your writing out loud
When you are writing, you might not realise that your paragraphs or sentences are lacking cohesion. Reading your text out loud will help you identify these areas, so you can correct them.
- Get someone to proofread your writing
At TopCourses we will help you create an amazing personal statement that will be sure to wow the admissions tutors. Our experienced and talented education advisors guide their students through every step of the process. Book a free initial consultation today to discuss your options!
