Writing your
Personal Statement
Dr Morag McIvor
School and College Services
University of Leicester
www.le.ac.uk
Three quick questions…!
How many applicants plagiarised in their
personal statement in 2010?
A. 1,722
B. 13,568
C. 29,228
C. 29,228
How many applicants started their
personal statement in 2010 with ‘For as
long as I can remember, I have been
B. 166
interested in…’?
A. 54
B. 166
C. 2,701
How many people applied to UCAS in
C. 653,600
2012?
A. 47,900
B. 519,721
C. 653,600
Writing Your Personal Statement
Outcomes
• Understand the essentials of a personal statement.
• Understand the technicalities of a personal
statement.
• Examine and evaluate personal statements.
Personal Statements: do they matter?
• Vital for some courses
• Important for others
• Relevant at the margin for others
• Always just one part of the selection process
Selection process
• A* at A level
• Reference
• Unit grades
• Predicted grades
• UMS marks
• Interview
• Differentiation by A level
• Audition
subject – “soft” and “hard” A
• Portfolio inspection
levels
• Essay/assignment
• GCSE achievement
• Generic admissions tests
• Extended Project
• Subject-specific admissions
• Personal statement
tests
Who decides?
• Academic staff
• Departmental administrators
• Central administrators
How do they decide?
• Own personal judgement
• Check-list of criteria
Personal Statement: the essentials
• Why do you want to study the course?
– Have you enjoyed studying the subject before?
– Have you read around the subject beyond your studies?
– What relevant skills do you have from your current studies?
– Have you any relevant experience – work or voluntary?
– What do you hope to get out of the course?
– What are your career aspirations?
• Outside interests – music, travel, community work, sports – what skills have
you gained from these and how do they relate to your chosen course?
• Any exceptional circumstances?
• Why are you taking a year out?
• Try to stand out (in a good way!)
Personal Statement: the technicalities
• Apply online at UCAS
• You can enter up to 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or
47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes
first.
• You do not have to use all the space provided.
• When you save text, the system will tell you how many
characters are still available or if you have used too many
characters.
• You can preview your statement after you have saved it.
• UCAS uses a Similarity Detection Service
Entry profiles
English: University of Leicester EP
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching within the School makes use of traditional methods and the latest technology to offer you a variety
of learning experiences. Lectures, given by subject specialists, are designed to introduce you to important
debates and contexts for understanding an author’s work. Weekly seminars, in which a tutor leads a small
group of students in discussion, will allow you to explore a text or topic in depth.
The School ensures that full-time, permanent staff do a large proportion of the seminar teaching in all three
years, including the introductory modules. Your fellow students will support you (and you them) in
autonomous learning groups, which run parallel with some of your seminars.
Each term you will study three modules. In a typical week for each of your three modules you will attend a
seminar and either one or two lectures, along with a number of additional events such as workshops on
research and study skills, learning groups, and introduced film screenings. For your third-year dissertation you
receive one-to-one tuition across the term from a tutor with an interest in your chosen subject.
You will be assessed through a combination of essays, group work, oral presentations, review writing and
portfolios - as well as exams. Your final degree result will be based on the work you do in the second and third
years of your degree. The assessments across the three years are designed to help you build confidence in a
range of skills and to provide prospective employers with evidence that you can work effectively both as an
independent researcher and as a team member.
Chemistry – Loughborough University EP
Course information
The broad base of the Chemistry course allows students to take up careers in all areas of
chemical science as well as non-chemistry careers.
In Years 1 and 2 the main core areas of inorganic, organic and physical chemistry form the
backbone of the course, with additional modules in spectroscopy, analytical chemistry, biological
chemistry, mathematics and polymer chemistry.
Laboratory classes, workshops and seminars support these lectures. After Year 2, the
development of core chemistry continues along with optional topics which include drugs and
disease and radiochemistry. In Year 4 you will also undertake an individual research project in a
subject area of your choice.
In Year 4 you will study advanced research techniques that are complemented with further
advanced modules in chemistry, and an extended research project equivalent to six modules
where you will have the opportunity to work in the research laboratories.
Advice from an Admissions Tutor
"Writing the Personal Statement is a challenging task: within a relatively short space
you need to present yourself as the type of person I would want to teach as a student.
Clearly, your academic performance is very important but it only tells me about one
aspect of you as a person. Why do you want to study my subject at university? What is
it that really fires your enthusiasm and means that you won’t just go through the
motions, but will actually want to learn about the subject for its own sake?
Writing answers to these questions will take you a long way, but what I also want to
see is how you have demonstrated this enthusiasm already; how you have gone out of
your way to expose yourself to the subject in ways above and beyond the basics of the
courses you are being taught at school or college and, importantly, what you learnt as
a result of doing that.
I also want you to tell me about you as a real, three-dimensional person. If you are the
queen of salsa or play in the local rugby team, tell me about it and how you motivate
yourself to do things and fit them all together in your daily life. But above all else, be
an enthusiast, both for what you are doing now and also for where you see your
future taking you."
Dr Jon Scott, Senior Lecturer and Admissions Tutor for Biological Sciences
More advice…
"Don't just tell us that you find a subject interesting: pick an example (a scene from a novel,
perhaps, or a production of a play you've seen) and write a bit about how it works, and what
interests you about it. Some of the best personal statements I've read have been quite
straightforward in their language, but show genuine commitment towards reading as a
worthwhile, stimulating and intellectually challenging activity."
Dr Mary Ann Lund (English)
"Evidence is the key. If a student can provide evidence this makes their statement very much
stronger. For example, things like volunteering work in schools, relevant work experience,
perhaps science or astronomy clubs, or work with the Institute of Physics would all be impressive
evidence of passion and motivation for Physics. We’re also interested in interests and
achievements outside of the curriculum - so things like Duke of Edinburgh awards, membership
of sports clubs, or involvement in plays, bands etc. tend to read well."
Dr Mervyn Roy (Physics)
Judge for yourselves…
Criminology
“From watching and reading Sherlock Holmes, Cracker, CSI
and Crime watch, my interest in criminology has developed.
Criminology has always had a glamorous image but it is more
than that it deals with criminals and supports the justice
system. Criminology is all about crime and punishment. It is
an exciting inter-disciplinary subject which draws on
Sociology, Psychology and Law to help examine how crime is
defined, why people commit crimes, and how society
responds to crimes.”
Criminology
“From watching and reading Sherlock Holmes, Cracker, CSI and
Crime watch, my interest in criminology has developed. I
became intrigued to find out the reality behind the glamour and
excitement of these portrayals of crime and the criminal justice
system. My research led to me to attend a lecture by Dr Lisa
Smith entitled, ‘The CSI Effect: Forensic Science in the Popular
Media’, which considered whether the inaccurate portrayal of
forensic science in fiction is having an impact on the real life
criminal justice system.”
Management Studies
“Having been a Nottingham Forest supporter for the majority of my life, I have always wondered how
such an illustrious club full of history has not played top-flight football for the best part of ten years and
are now currently in the lower regions of the football league. It could well be the fact that past managers
making poor decisions has resulted in Forest's failure, in an attempt to bring back the glory years under
the leadership of the great Brian Clough. This is where my fascination for management began. Having
studied Business Studies since GCSE level, my interest of the subject has been extended to A-level.
As well as Business Studies, my other subjects at A-level include Computing and General Studies, along
with English Literature at AS-level. Having enjoyed Business Studies during my AS-levels, I feel that the
people and operations module was the most interesting in my opinion. In particular, the methods of
motivation businesses use to keep their staff happy and the different types of leadership management
used such as McGregor's theory. Using these theories to compare how successful companies are at
keeping their staff motivated has encouraged me to study business at degree level.
My love for sport, particularly football, is backed up by being selected for the 6th form 1st team at left
back. I also play football outside school, having played for my local football team, Great Gonerby Youth
Football club, from 2002 to 2006. I currently play for a team close to where my father lives, Southwell City
under 18's. Playing for a football team has made me realise how important it is to be able to work in a
team and to be able to communicate well with others.”
Management
“Having been a Nottingham Forest supporter for the majority of my life, I have always wondered how such an
illustrious club full of history has not played top-flight football for the best part of ten years and are now
currently in the lower regions of the football league. This is what led to my fascination for management as I
considered how and why Forest’s successive managers failed, which prompted me to read F. W. Taylor’s ‘The
Principles of Scientific Management’. From this, I gained an appreciation of the importance of improving and
developing the management system rather than relying on ‘extraordinary men’ or, in Forest’s case, players or
coaches.
Stemming from this interest in the role of the individual in management systems, I have found the people and
operations module of my A Level in Business Studies the most interesting. In particular, the methods of
motivation businesses use to keep their staff happy and the different types of leadership management used,
such as McGregor's theory. Using these theories to identify how successful companies are at keeping their
staff motivated has encouraged me to focus on management studies at degree level.
I am a keen footballer and play for both my school team and South City under 18's. Playing for a football team
has made me realise how important it is to be able to work in a team and to be able to communicate well with
others, key skills for the world of management.”
History
“...out of the darkness loomed the silent majesty of the
Forum”. A bit cheesy I know but I wanted to convey the
excitement I felt on visiting Rome. That first evening, I walked
the Appian Way and there stood the Forum. It was real! For
the last 5 years or so, I have had a fascination for the Roman
Empire and especially for its military history. I have often
pondered on how the political map of today has been set by
the decisions military leaders took on the battlefield a
thousand years ago.”
History
“On the first evening of my visit to Rome I walked the Appian
Way and there, out of the darkness, stood the Forum. Having
read Michael Crawford’s The Roman Republic and William
Harris’s highly controversial War and Imperialism in Republican
Rome, 327-70 B.C, I wanted to see the Forum for myself. The
excitement that I felt at that moment, finally seeing the heart of
the Roman Empire, brought to life my fascination for Roman
military history and cemented my appreciation of the impact
that the Roman Empire had on the political map of today.”
Economics
“Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more
of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic. The
importance and relevance of economics and related disciplines to the modern
world have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a higher level.
I am particularly interested in the behavior of firms and organizations from an
economic standpoint. During my study, I have come across many real life
complexities and, while attempting to apply theoretical ideas, I have
developed a keen interest in analyzing and understanding how the world of
business is influenced by economics.”
Economics
“Examination of any quality newspaper will probably demonstrate that more
of the headlines address economic problems than any other topic. The
importance and relevance of economics and related disciplines to the
modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of the subject at a
higher level. I am particularly interested in the behaviour of firms and
organisations from an economic standpoint. My work experience placement
at Goldman Sachs gave me the opportunity to see an investment bank from
the inside, which complemented my A-level module on Financial Markets and
Monetary Policy. I particularly enjoyed attempting to apply the theoretical
ideas I had learnt to the real life complexities I experienced during the work
placement, such as the on-going attempt to resolve the conflict between the
bank’s three objectives of liquidity, profitability and security.”
Do
Don't
Ensure it is well written with correct grammar
and spelling.
Create a clear structure to your work to enable
the reader to easily follow your argument.
Explain why you want to dedicate yourself to
the study of your chosen topic.
Provide lists of things without explaining why they
are relevant.
Submit a single block of text as that can make your
work difficult to read.
Use quotes or examples you found online. Every
year admissions tutors see recycled ideas that are
remarkably similar to several other applicants.
Show how you've pursued your interest
outside the school/college syllabus.
Use examples from your own personal
experiences to illustrate your skills.
Plagiarise.
Liaise with the teacher who is writing your
reference so that your work compliments one
another.
Mention issues that you think an admissions
tutor needs to take into consideration when
assessing your application
Refer to particular universities or courses by name
as each tutor will think that your preferred option
is theirs unless you indicate otherwise!
Define the subject. Rather show what you
understand and find interesting about it.
Personal Statements in summary:
• A clear well-written statement
• Academic ability
• Enthusiasm – clear reasons for wanting to study the course
• An understanding of the subject
• Application / evidence of your knowledge, skills and
motivation
• Write positively, concisely and honestly in your own words
• Draft, redraft, check and check again!
Quick Quiz!
Where should you go on the UCAS
website to find out more information
about the skills needed for your course?
Name 3 things universities consider in
the selection process?
UCAS Entry
Profiles
GCSEs, admissions tests,
essays, auditions, portfolios,
EPQs, unit grades etc