Personal Statement - a clear and shiny reflection of you!

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.

UCAS - Application Time

With the 'research' done and the 5 unis chosen, now came the time for the actual application.

UCAS, United Colleges and Asmissions Service, or the organisation through which you apply to the higher education courses in the UK. A centralized application system for the entire nation. Now that is something worth writing about.

It's unimaginable how this organization is actually so well organized! We have unequivocally been raving about this entire application procedure to our family and friends. Physically we didn't have to move more than just a few fingers - for typing, that is. And that's actually it!

Each and everything is given in detail, not just for reading but youtube videos demonstrating, directing, holding your hand and taking you through the entire procedure.  Hats off to you guys!

Do please keep the following few things in mind before applying:

1. The application dates and deadlines. All clearly stated on the website. The registrations are now open for  admissions in September, 2013. That means the students of class 12th and final year undergraduates should now be neck deep into the procedure.

2. Ask your teachers to write down 12th finals predicted marks for you on a school letterhead, subject-wise with each teacher's signature. This is not normally done in Indian schools, so you will have to explain exactly what you want. Also you will require a letter of reference (LOR) from either your present class teacher or a subject teacher. Find someone who really likes you! These letters should be signed by your principal with the school seal at the end. (Please feel free to ask me for more details, in the comments box.)

3. When registering for UCAS note down the password and username clearly in the same diary you were maintaining for tables and notes (as suggested in my previous post). You can register and save. Come back when you have all you material ready for application. You needn't do everything in one go.

4. Go to the chosen university websites and note down the university code as well as the subject code. Double check. Even if you're taking someone's help for applying, you must ensure these are filled in correctly. We took the help of an authorized consultancy here in Delhi. Back then we weren't too sure it could all have been done ourselves.

5. Prepare to write the most important aspect, if you haven't already -
your PERSONAL STATEMENT.

Questions to UCAS can be asked here

Some international student FAQs can be found here

You can always get in touch with them by calling - 0044 871 468 0 468 (for international calls). Timings - Mon to Fri 8:30 am to 6:00 pm UK time.  We spoke to them a couple of times during the application procedure and were always met with genuine help.


NEXT - ADVICE ON WRITING PERSONAL STATEMENT 

NOW - Featured in UCAS Connect!

My enthusiasm has doubled and my zeal's tripled. The roller coaster ride continues as I very proudly now continue my journey associated with UCAS.

Read more parent blogs here and click here for student and UCAS adviser's blogs. Highly informative and based on personal experience, each one will certainly ease the path and answer a lot of queries any new university applicant may have.

All the best to everyone who's applying!

WHICH university-2-the final five

The final 5 universities my daughter chose, in order of preference, for her under-graduation in Journalism were:

1. University of Sheffield : Subject - Journalism Studies (BA) Accredited by PTC, NCTJ, BJTC.
2. University of Leeds : Subject - Broadcast Journalism (BA Hons). Accredited by BJTC
3. Bournemouth University : Subject - Multimedia Journalism (BA Hons). Accredited by - BJTC, PTC, NCTJ.
4. Nottingham Trent University  : Subject - Broadcast Journalism (BA Hons). Accredited by BJTC.
5. University of Westminster  : Subject - Journalism (BA Hons). Accredited by BJTC

Generally speaking each had an entry requirement of around 85% going down to 65% overall in 12th standard, CBSE. Plus an IELTS score of 7 to 7.5 or above and/or 85% and above in 12th standard English specifically for Broadcast Journalism.

BJTC- Broadcast Journalists Training Council. Find out more about what it is and which courses are accredited.
NJTC - National Council for the Training of Journalists. To find out more, look up their website.  

In this list, the top 2 are highly ranked in the league tables and amongst the topmost in UK for Journalism.  Bournemouth is not so highly ranked overall but is excellent for the subject. The last two had lower entry requirements (than my daughter's predicted) and even though are not ranked so high in the league tables, they are quite well known for this subject and a host of others. So this final 5 list was kind of balanced. Whether she scored well or lower than expected. That actually removed a lot of pressure off her for her 12th board exams. All this was done by August-September of 12th standard.

Now that the 5 Universities were identified we started with the actual application procedure. 

NEXT - UCAS and the application process

WHICH university-1-the daunting task!

Time to choose THE one! How do you decide which university. For students who are very high scorers it's easy. You score so well that the best universities choose you! However, it's not the same for the others. You need to strike a balance between what you want and what you'll get based on your predicted marks.

Once you've decided on your subject, as discussed in the previous post, google for the university rankings for your specific subject. Make a list of all the universities which offer your choice. Select 20 to 25 from different rank brackets. Most top ones, some above average and a couple of mediocre, as back up, below your expected grades. There is no limit to the number of universities you want to add at this moment. Finally start tabulating it all. Make a table with 8 columns as follows:

Columns:

1. Name of the Uni, as it's usually shortened to in the UK. Leave at least 5 to 6 lines after each name.
2. Cost per year. Not just cost of tuition but boarding, etc too. And if it offers scholarships. Though from my research there aren't many for Indian/International under-graduates. Most scholarships offered are for students who want to pursue post-graduation and higher degrees.
3. Ranking. Have 2/3 sub divisions for different rankings in this. For World-QS/World-Times/UK, etc. Though don't rely heavily on the rankings alone.
4. Subject. That this Uni offers, the exact name plus is it an honors degree and is it accredited. As in the case of Broadcast Journalism, the recognized accreditation is BJTC.
5. Entry requirement. Most of the unis state the exact requirement for Indian Board Examinations. Look for subject specific requirement which is usually different from the general university requirement. Email and ask, if in doubt. You will get a prompt reply.
6. Alumni. Famous alumni especially related to your subject may tip the scales in favour, especially  when it becomes difficult to decide between two.

7. Location. Where in UK is it. How would you reach from the international airport and how long does it take. However, again this can be the deciding factor only in case of two equally acclaimed unis. And in no way means that all universities close to London are better!

8. Others. Leave this column for any extra comments you would like to add. For example, if you've emailed them and are waiting for a reply or the date when their representatives are visiting your city or even something about their accommodation.

Visit chat rooms and keep googling using different words each time to dig out as much information as possible about each university that interests you. Here are the links to some I found very useful.

 Push - especially their university guides.

The student room - I picked up a lot of good information (plus a lot of gossip!) from here. Type in the exact name/subject you want information about in the search box at the top, right hand corner. Spend time sifting through all the chats to get what you want.

UCAS - The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, highly informative and dependable site.
Click on the red coloured links on the left hand.

The British Council - For information about various courses, universities and many important related topics of settling in and staying on, etc.

QS-Study in UK - (one amongst many such which give loads of Info) - click on the names of Universities given.

I also googled 'worst unis in UK' to strike a few universities off my list! Of course you will have to take everything you read with a pinch of salt. Use your wisdom and don't believe everything you come across, good or bad.

Additionally, visit all 'study abroad/UK' exhibitions to meet the representatives of various universities. Make a list of all possible questions beforehand to ask them. Make a note of the answers they give (to tabulate them later) to be added to your table. I remember the first one we visited was the British Council's 'Education UK Exhibition'. Amongst many we met the admissions officer of 'London City University' who told my daughter to spend at least a day with a journalist and know more about this profession. Which she dutifully did, later to be added in her personal statement.

Once your table is ready it will become easier for you to compare and contrast. Keep writing down tips that you come across in your readings from various sites. Add stars or strike off, write 'not good reviews', 'very good subject content' or 'highly rated for journalism', etc, as and when you're sure. Thus narrowing down to a few chosen ones. For the simple reason that you can't apply to as many as you want but to only 5, through UCAS.

Be careful!

1. The names of universities can be similar and thus confusing. Be sure which one you want. If there is Sheffield then there is Sheffield Hallam. Leeds University and Leeds Metropolitan University. Nottingham and Nottingham Trent university, etc. One may be good for certain subjects while the other may not match your requirements. Do a thorough check.

2. Always check the International students ratio. This will give you a good picture in terms of its international popularity.
3. If it's possible speak/email to any current Indian student at that university. 

4. Be sure of the value the programme will add to your education. Even if it is the 'name tag', it should be worth all the money spent. 

5. Be extremely careful of fake universities. A fake university will certainly not be there on any world league table of top 200, for example. And you will certainly pick up something about it in the chat room discussions. You can't be duped if you've done your homework well.

NEXT - WHICH university - the final 5 

Journalism or Media Studies? The SUBJECT to be!

With the aim and destination more or less defined, we moved ahead. Where in UK and what exactly was the subject of my daughter's interest. I started googling 'top colleges for journalism in UK' and kept googling till a few favourites emerged. Not just established sites like 'QS World University Rankings' or the 'Times Higher Education World University Rankings', but I scanned hundreds of forums and chat rooms too. The 'QS' and 'Times' rankings do not cover Journalism as a subject or it's ranking so I needed to use a lot more elbow grease!

I started off by making a note of all the possible names of universities that came up in any conversation/write up/rankings. Then checked individual sites for the subject. These few subjects came up again and again.

1. Media and Communication
2. Media and Cultural Studies
3. Journalism
4. Journalism Studies
5. Broadcast Journalism
6. Multimedia Journalism

(Besides 'Film Making' and related subjects, which my daughter wasn't interested in)

What I eventually found out was that all media related subjects are more generic as well as theoretical and one can study these and move on to a more specific field of interest for post graduation. In a lot of cases 'Journalism' implies print journalism, more for newspapers and magazines and online writing. 'Broadcast Journalism' is specifically for TV/Internet/Radio. 'Multimedia Journalism' is multi-disciplinary combining everything (which is offered by just a couple of universities). All of the later ones (3. to 6.) are very intense and arm the students with advanced technical and practical skills.

After reading the course content under these headings, very soon my daughter reached the conclusion that 'Broadcast Journalism' was what she wanted to do. And maybe I wouldn't spend or send her so far away to study a subject too general like 'media and cultural studies'. In my opinion if undecided, a student should rather go in for Political Science, International relations or the likes for under graduation, to pursue a more professional degree for PG.

The subject chosen, now came the daunting task of which university!

NEXT - Choosing your university

WHY study in the UK

Delhi University (DU). One of the best in the country and so obviously a student has to face very stiff competition to get in. Especially if you want to get into the top 10 colleges that too with the subject of your choice. If however you wouldn't mind a 'not in demand' subject or a lower rung college, the admission would be easier. But you would be paying the price in terms of quality, despite the DU tag.

When my daughter scored an 82% in her 10th class. We were all very happy, because she'd really worked hard and the percentage exceeded everybody's expectation. However an 82% in 12th wouldn't be enough to get her into a good college in DU. By this time she had more or less made up her mind to study Journalism/Mass communication for under-graduation. Which seemed to be the right option for her. She's always been outspoken, up till then took a keen interest in Political Science, was excelling at MUNs (Model United Nation), was writing for the school magazine, etc.

DU, since the past few years has begun conducting a separate exam for Journalism entrance known as CJET (Combined Journalism Entrance Test). In which the 12th percentage along with the written test and interview marks together are taken into consideration. Other than DU there are a few others who offer Journalism as a subject at the undergraduate level. Most good institutes, however, offer this subject at the post graduate level. Example the AJ Kidwai MCRC, Jamia and the Indian Institute for Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. 

So keeping CJET as the target, we started to look around for a back up plan. Symbiosis Institute was one and with not much else to fall back upon we started to look westwards! US was the first option as with most other people of the world! There are quite a number of very good options there for Journalism. But very soon we shifted our focus to UK. The main reasons being:

1. US has 4 years of study compared to UK's 3 years.

         The time spent is less and thus cost wise it would work out to be cheaper, besides saving a
         whole year of life!

2. The cost for studying in either of the countries is more or less the same. 

           About 16 to 18 lakh per annum, inclusive of tuition, food, boarding and miscellaneous. On the   

           other hand in the US a lot of good universities like the NYU for example have very high tuition
           fee. It is generally believed in India that studying in UK is more expensive than in US.

3. The time difference is lesser in UK than US.

          So I could call and chat more! I have a friend in Canada and actually find it very difficult to

          talk to her, other than at unearthly hours or weekends! 

4. The travel time is less.

          And hence the cost. Moreover one can actually think of travelling back and forth for holidays

          with ease.

5. If you have to learn a new English accent, it might as well be the Queen's!

With our new found focus, I set to work. Digging and digging deeper into the sites and further into all corners of the internet! And as I looked into site after site of each university, we collectively, as a family, reached this conclusion: 

If one had to study further it had to be at one of these selected universities in the UK!

Their interpretation of the subject, the course content, the various delivery methods, their ways of testing, the subject accreditations and their acclaimed alumni was unmatched! What started as a back up plan soon became a dream target. The best was, with 85% in 12th class you could get into a good college with the subject your choice!

NEXT - CHOOSING your subject