BEYOND THE BASICS: Top Tips for an outstanding Personal Statement
Are you in the midst of preparing your UCAS university application and finding yourself stuck when it comes to starting your personal statement? Luckily, you are in the right place to find the best guidance. We’re here to give you the top tips on effectively showcasing your motivation, experiences, and best qualities. This will not only make you an outstanding and strong candidate but will increase your chances of receiving those interview invitations that you’re aiming for.
First - Understand the basics:
As with any task, the initial step in crafting your personal statement (PS) is to understand the basic requirements and expectations. The PS is limited to 4000 characters, and it’s important to note that the same document will be sent to all your chosen universities and courses. Consequently, you will have to make sure that you don’t mention the names of the specific universities, and unless you are applying for identical courses at every university, avoid mentioning the course names as well. For additional general information, click here.
Top Tips by Aspiro:
1. Make it personal
This is a personal statement, not an academic essay. Let your genuine interests and personality come through, do not use ChatGPT to write it.
As a starting point, imagine that you are having a friendly chat about why you love your subject. Then build it up from there.
2. Find your niche
Identify a specific topic or part of your subject that you are passionate about, and link different parts of your personal statement back to it. To identify this, ask yourself why you’re interested in your chosen subject, and be honest to yourself about the origin your interest.
Think of this like having a favourite flavour of ice cream. What part of your subject makes you super excited? Why do you love this subject?
3. Quality over quantity
Prioritize depth over breadth. Instead of listing numerous books, and topics, delve only into a few, but critically evaluate them, and demonstrate reflective thinking.
It’s not about the number of books you’ve read, it’s about picking a few but really getting into them. Only list the ones that would truly make an impact and that you would be confident discussing at your potential interview.
4. Use a mind map when crafting your PS
Consider using a mind map when brainstorming the content of your PS: this would allow you to connect the different points to ensure coherence and a clear structure as well as to reveal a bigger picture behind your personal statement.
Picture your ideas like branches of a tree, all connected. Once you have this, you will also see how they connect to each other.
5. Connect with the courses
Analyse course descriptions across universities to find commonalities that genuinely interest you. Discuss these shared elements in more detail.
Go through the course descriptions on the university websites thoroughly, and find what stands out for you.
6. Stay away from clichés
Refrain from overusing words like "passion" and referencing basic resources that many other applicants will have explored.
The best way to make your personal statement unique is to avoid clichés, everybody’s been there, but instead, you can make your own trail.
7. Don't try too hard
Mentioning extremely advanced materials can backfire in interviews if they are beyond your current understanding.
Keep your PS real, like chatting with a friend about your interests.
8. Be interview-ready
Anything you mention in your personal statement might come up during interviews, so choose topics you can discuss confidently.
Choose topics that you’re excited about, thus you will be able to discuss them confidently in an interview.
Conclusion:
Crafting an outstanding personal statement requires careful consideration and a personal touch. By following the tips from Aspiro, you'll be well on your way to presenting an application that stands out from the rest.
Good luck!
If you are still stuck, don’t forget that we are here to help!
You can check out our other articles, our offer of advisory packages, or get in touch for a free personal consultation at info@aspiroadmissions.com from Cambridge and Oxford students and graduates who have all successfully gone through the same process as you.
