A Personal Statement checklist, St Mary’s University, and support for Parents.
😊 Welcome
This week we have something super-practical: A Personal Statement checklist.
Yep! For everyone who has finished writing their statement, and wants to check that it has everything it should. And for all those who are helping students and checking their statements. No need to guess; just compare the statement with this eight point checklist and you’ll have a pretty good idea of whether it’s good to go.
There is even a printable version on the website that you can share with others!
In the third of my University Spotlights we have a look at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. It’s not a well known university, but the six months I spent there were enough to teach me that it's well worth a look for all sorts of students!
And we finish with a quick suggestion for parents. Somehow they are expected to help and support their sons and daughters, and yet they don’t get even half the support, information or guidance that students do.
So I’ve got two suggestions on how you can help them!
✍️ Personal Statement checklist
Have you finished your UCAS Personal Statement and want to know if it's any good?
Are you a parent who is looking at their child’s statement so you can give them feedback?
Or are you a teacher or adviser faced with providing feedback on lots of Personal Statements?
If so, this checklist is for you!
Just check for these eight essentials, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of whether your statement is good to go!
1. Does it show clear motivation to study the subject?
Firstly, does the statement, as a whole, effectively get across why the subject or course has been chosen, whether through a specific experience, or a combination of factors?
2. Does it provide relevant evidence of motivation and skills?
Specifically, does the statement contain at least two of the following:
A discussion of previous academic studies, and how these link to the course, providing evidence of being motivated to study that subject and having the skills to do so.
Examples of super-curricular activities (reading, podcasts, taster-courses, competitions etc.) that have been done, again evidencing motivation and skills that are specific to the course.
Details of work experience or volunteering that show knowledge of the relevant profession, and an understanding of the skills required.
Examples of extra-curricular activities demonstrating specific or transferrable skills that are relevant to the course.
Read more - including the downloadable pdf
📸 University snapshot: St. Mary’s University Twickenham
Became a university in: 2014
Student population: 6,555 (2022/23)
Location: The main campus site, with academic, social and sports facilities is located just one mile south of Twickenham in south west London. Most of the student accommodation is on site, and there are further sports facilities around a mile south at Teddington Lock.
Subject areas: Courses are taught in fours main subject areas: Sport, Allied Health &
Admissions: Undergraduate entry grades are relatively straightforward, with most courses asking between 96 and 112 UCAS points (that’s between CCC and BBC at A-level) though they do go up as far as 128 UCAS points (ABB) for Physiotherapy.
Interviews are required for teacher training, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, with auditions in place for acting.
St Mary’s was established way back in 1850, essentially as a teacher training college for catholic teachers. Teacher training remains at the core of the university teaching now; much of its teaching is still across the main school-teaching subjects, though health, sports, business and law have been added to the portfolio over the years.
I worked in a temporary role in admissions at St. Mary’s back in 2016/7; and what I experienced was a small, friendly and welcoming community. It's a place where you really can get to know just about everyone.
The campus is located in a beautiful, leafy part of south east London. Halls of residence are located on, or very close to campus, and while the university might be described as a little light on social facilities, you’ll be studying in London, arguably the greatest student city on earth!
One stand out aspect of St. Mary’s is the sports facilities, which are far in excess of what you might expect of a university of its size. Famously Mo Farah studied at the university, and he’s not the only sports super-star graduate, with olympic and paralympic medalists in everything from the track and field to skeleton, rowing, boxing, cycling, rugby and more.
As to its Catholic status, you don’t need to be Catholic to enter the university, nor do you need to be Catholic to feel right at home there. But you should understand and accept that the university has a mission that follows the Catholic Church’s view of a university's purpose, so you can expect a moral, spiritual and religious angle within your education.
St. Mary’s could be for you if…
You are looking for a campus with a small, community feel.
You still fancy studying in London, with all that the capital city has to offer.
You are looking for excellent sports facilities and opportunities.
And if you like St. Mary’s, you might also like…
Canterbury Christchurch
Chester
Chichester
Gloucestershire
Leeds Trinity
Liverpool Hope
Roehampton
Worcester
York St John
💡 Did You Know?
We all know how important parents are in the university application process. They are expected to help and support their sons and daughters with their choices, their applications and their finances.
But have you ever stopped to wonder how parents are supposed to do this, without any information, guidance or training themselves?
As a member of numerous parent Facebook pages over the years, I can tell you the struggle is real.
Some parents struggle with understanding the most basic aspects of university applications, while even the most informed parents get confused over the nuances of competitive admissions and university offers.
So, whether you are an applicant with just your own parents to worry about, or a teacher/adviser with hundreds of parents you can help, can you do two things this week:
Tell them about Better Uni Choices, where they can get sensible, unbiased advice on every aspect of university choices and applications.
Tell them about What I Wish I Knew About University, a Facebook group where they can seek amazing help and advice from 75,000 other parents, many of whom have been through it all before!
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
