Personal Statement Tips
- 1. Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski February 2016 HOW TO WRITE A GOOD PERSONAL STATEMENT? – by Diana Chmielewska
- 2. Personal statement is a task- based assignment which means that you need to include certain points, for which you will be assessed Five things you need to talk about in your PR: 1.Your course 2.Your academic skills 3.Your personal skills 4.Your work experience 5.Your achievements/ aspirations/extracurricular activities, future plans Wrap everything up with a nice statement around your university course A task-based assignment: Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 3. • probably your first university assignment - 4000 characters of text that shows you would make a great student •much like a cover letter for a job application •a way to ‘sell’ your abilities - to show that you are so much better than everybody else applying for your course and why the university should give you a place •the only way to present yourself – for those universities which don’t offer interviews What is a Personal Statement? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 4. Essential: • to present yourself in the best light underlying your strenghts and making your ‘weaknesses’ (or rather ‘things to improve’) your virtue •What makes you stand out? (in a good way ) What is important in a Personal Statement? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 5. *Try to work with 4 paragraphs and be clear what you want to say in each one *At every stage try to reflect upon what you have gained from exracurricular activities, illustrating your suitability for you chosen course – back them up with evidence 1. Your interest in the course 2. Related academic factors or work experience 3. Your extracurricular activities (participation in the community service, sport etc) 4. Reinforce your reasons for applying and/or refer to your relevant career ambitions Format and structure Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 6. 1. Where does your interest in the subject come from? (your childhood, make your subject like the dominating one in the world, the usefullness ) 2. Why you would like to study the subject? • expand your knowledge • associate the subject with your future • unless you apply only to one university, don’t mention any univ names as your statement will go to all universities • the relevance of your A-levels or HL/SL subjects on the choice of the course 3. Write what you have read about the subject Questions to guide you through the process of writing your PS: Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 7. 4. Write if you have any work experience concering the course you want to apply to (Have you worked as an assistant in some institute or designed Websites perhaps? ) 5. If you are an international student, write how much you have benefited from coming to the UK (potential , experience, diversity) 6. Include your achievements, voluntary service, charity etc Questions to guide you through the process of writing your PS: Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 8. 7. Mention your future plans ( what career will you choose? If not sure, say that, and that the university will help you make up your mind) 8. Write about your extracurricular work and activities (essential nowadays !) sports, school newspaper editing, your affection to music or drama perhaps, what books you like reading in your free time – not necessarily academic books… Your involvement in extacurricular activities shows that: you can cope with responsibility, have leadership skills, time- management skills etc Questions to guide you through the process of writing your PS: Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 9. •Structure your information to reflect the skills and qualities the universities value most •Start early and plan it well - take time while writing your PS and never leave till the last minute •Be enthusiastic and positive - think about yourself as somebody unique •Ask your family, friends for their opinion •Write in a concise and natural style (nothing too complex) In a nutshell: WHAT TO DO? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 10. • Try to stand out, but be careful with humour and quotes - just in case the admissions tutor doesn’t have the same sense of humour as you • Proofread aloud and get your teachers, advisers, and family to check – then redraft until you’re happy with it and the grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct In a nutshell: WHAT TO DO? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 11. • Try not to include too much of your life story • Verbal diarrhoea – you’ve got to stay focused – make sure you are being relevant at all times • ‘Flowery’ language and keep it to plain English • Cliches ( ‘I have wanted to be a doctor ever since I was born’ or ‘I have been interested in chemical engineering since I was a child’ – how possible? ) • Colloquial language and or contractions ( e.g. ‘isn’t’, doesn’t’) • The ‘I’ Trap – not academic enough In a nutshell: WHAT TO AVOID? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 12. • Showing off – make sure you don’t some across as arrogant or over- confident so don’t write : ‘In recognition for my excellence in maths’ as this can be inferred from the facts you provide • Imply your achievements and virtues, rather than just state them blatantly : Stating ‘I have been excellent in …. will not lead you anywhere (Remember: admission officers are clever and they will spot implicit suggestion and understand what you mean ) • Don’t try to be funny • Dont’ copy – it is YOUR Personal Statement • Don’t make your statement specific to one university In a nutshell: WHAT TO AVOID? Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski
- 13. Stick to the plan and you will be fine Thank you A final word of advice: Międzynarodowe Szkoły Paderewski