Top 20 Personal Statement tips: Countdown from #20 to #11
As part of the launch for my new guide “How to write your UCAS Personal Statement” I’ve been counting down my top 20 tips over on Instagram.
In this article, I look at them in just a tiny bit more detail.
#20 Start early
There aren’t many people who can just sit down and write 650 words of great prose without preparation. Not me, and almost certainly not you. And, moreover, you are going to want to reflect on what you have written between drafts and give yourself time to develop and improve your ideas. So start early, recognising that this is a process, and not a one-off writing exercise.
#19 Know the basics
For your Personal Statement you have a limit of up to 4,000 characters, including punctuation and spaces. That’s around 650 words, give or take. And when you upload it onto the application, there is a 47 line limit (which you won’t be able to check until you copy and paste it in). So my advice is to set up a new document on MS Word or Google Docs, using Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced lines and standard margins. When you reach two pages, you are almost at the limit!
#18 Ask yourself these eight questions before you start
Why do you want to do the course?
What do you know about the course or the profession?
What skills does the course or profession require?
What have you most enjoyed studying at school?
What super-curricular activities have you done?
What have your extra-curricular activities and achievements been?
What work experience have you done?
What are your hobbies?
Write down your answers. No need for full sentences; just notes and bullet points. The answers to these questions will give you everything you need to write your statement. And the reality is, that if you can't answer these questions fairly easily, you should probably do a bit more research on your courses, and reflect a bit more on your motivation. Otherwise maybe you are not quite ready to apply.
#17 Applying for an academic course?
If so, your Personal Statement should be focused mainly on your academic class studies, and on further academic ‘super-curricular’ activities that you have done (further reading, university masterclasses etc.). In your statement, you really want to emphasise your motivation for, and understanding of, the subject you are applying for.
#16 Applying for a vocational or professional course?
In this case, you want to emphasise relevant skills and your understanding of the vocation or profession you are applying to enter. So focus on any work experience you have, plus any extra-curricular activities you have done that are relevant and demonstrate the right skills and the right knowledge. Just don’t forget the academics completely. Admissions tutors still want to know that you can study hard!
#15 Applying for a creative course?
Admissions tutors want to see and hear about what you have actually done, creatively. So focus on that! Plus you’ll want to show your understanding of your discipline, and your knowledge and appreciation of other artists, designers, musicians, and other creative people in your creative area.
#14 Start your statement with a ‘trigger’
Start strongly with a sentence that essentially says “because of X, I want to study Y, in order that I can do Z”. X could be a whole variety of things, and will be very specific and personal to you. Y is the course you want to study. Z is where you think the course will take you, and this will be intrinsically linked both to the course, plus your reasons for studying it.
#13 Finish with a killer conclusion
This will be a sentence or two that really sums up your application. It could be something that links right back to your initial trigger. It could be a sentence that highlights two or three of the strongest skills that you’ve covered which will help you succeed. Or it could be something forward looking that discusses how you can see the course benefiting you in the future. Whichever you choose, keep it short, punchy and to the point.
#12 Write in clear, simple English
There is no need to use complicated language to make yourself sound clever. It’s much better to use simple language that flows well. But what if you are not sure if your language is simple and clear? My suggestion is to read each paragraph out loud. You'll soon know if it flows well.
#11 Ask yourself "so what?"
For every sentence you write, every statement you make and every example you give, ask yourself "so what?". By that I mean, why does it matter? Why is it relevant? Why should the reader care? If you realise that it isn’t immediately obvious why the statement matters, then explain more about why it's important, and tell your reader why it’s relevant to your application.
Next…
If you’d like to read the next 10 tips, head straight to Top 20 Personal Statement tips Part 2: Countdown from #10 to #1.
For loads of other hints and tips on How to write your UCAS Personal Statement, download my free guide here.
