Now this is the tricky part. A lot of what goes into distinguishing and filtering the large number of applications. A good personal statement can easily make it or break it for you.
Having read all this and more, my daughter became jittery and avoided sitting down to actually writing it!
It can be intimidating, yet I think it's a wonderful idea to put 'yourself in words'. Who you are, what you think and why this course, rather than just a name with a set of grades and numbers sent to the admissions office. Especially for international students who won't be facing the actual interview face to face. The personal statement is the personality of the person writing it. I sincerely wish we have something of this sort for admissions here in India too.
Most universities actually mention on their websites what it is that they expect of the students. It becomes fairly easy if you go through and keep those particular points in mind while writing.
Any standard written piece can be dealt with by following CODER. Something I found useful in CBSE books, while teaching English to senior classes.
C - Collect your ideas. (Keep scribbling down ideas that come to you over a period of time).
O - Order of the ideas. (Follow a logical sequence).
D - Draft your ideas cohesively. (Learn and use linking words and phrases).
E - Edit what you have written.
R - Revise (keep revising and editing till it's perfect!).
Another useful way for helping you kickstart your personal statement writing is this UCAS worksheet . Complete this worksheet and you have something to start working on. Other than this read up as much as you can on other websites too. Just google 'personal statement' and immerse yourself in the gazillion sites. Then DO get down to writing.
Have a captivating opening moving onto a detailed yet crisp middle and a smart closing. I know easier said than done. But try doing it and it will become easier!
'The student room' has some examples of actual personal statements, by subject, with reviews and constructive comments from experts which really helped a lot.
After my daughter had written the first draft, she and the rest of us in the family read, re-read and re-read for a month before she finalized it. Very satisfied that it was over. However, realizing just as soon that she had used much more than the character limit on the actual form. Resizing after an almost perfect PS proved to be even more difficult. She went back to reading what is expected and chose carefully the more important parts and with a heavy heart, cut out the rest!
So it takes patience. And commitment. Besides language skills. A few qualities even the admissions tutors are looking for in suitable candidates. A personal statement, after all, does speak about you!
Please feel free to leave your email in the comments to ask for more details of what went into my daughter's personal statement.
Having read all this and more, my daughter became jittery and avoided sitting down to actually writing it!
It can be intimidating, yet I think it's a wonderful idea to put 'yourself in words'. Who you are, what you think and why this course, rather than just a name with a set of grades and numbers sent to the admissions office. Especially for international students who won't be facing the actual interview face to face. The personal statement is the personality of the person writing it. I sincerely wish we have something of this sort for admissions here in India too.
Most universities actually mention on their websites what it is that they expect of the students. It becomes fairly easy if you go through and keep those particular points in mind while writing.
Any standard written piece can be dealt with by following CODER. Something I found useful in CBSE books, while teaching English to senior classes.
C - Collect your ideas. (Keep scribbling down ideas that come to you over a period of time).
O - Order of the ideas. (Follow a logical sequence).
D - Draft your ideas cohesively. (Learn and use linking words and phrases).
E - Edit what you have written.
R - Revise (keep revising and editing till it's perfect!).
Another useful way for helping you kickstart your personal statement writing is this UCAS worksheet . Complete this worksheet and you have something to start working on. Other than this read up as much as you can on other websites too. Just google 'personal statement' and immerse yourself in the gazillion sites. Then DO get down to writing.
Have a captivating opening moving onto a detailed yet crisp middle and a smart closing. I know easier said than done. But try doing it and it will become easier!
'The student room' has some examples of actual personal statements, by subject, with reviews and constructive comments from experts which really helped a lot.
After my daughter had written the first draft, she and the rest of us in the family read, re-read and re-read for a month before she finalized it. Very satisfied that it was over. However, realizing just as soon that she had used much more than the character limit on the actual form. Resizing after an almost perfect PS proved to be even more difficult. She went back to reading what is expected and chose carefully the more important parts and with a heavy heart, cut out the rest!
So it takes patience. And commitment. Besides language skills. A few qualities even the admissions tutors are looking for in suitable candidates. A personal statement, after all, does speak about you!
Please feel free to leave your email in the comments to ask for more details of what went into my daughter's personal statement.
This is really useful, Jamila, especially the stuff about CODER. Clare
ReplyDeleteThanks Clare :)
DeleteIt's really useful for me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteStudy English in UK
Personal Statement is important because it is the only part of your application that is not based on test scores or other people’s perceptions of you.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Agrodut Mandal
Thesis Writing
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