5 Steps to Writing
The personal statement is your chance to tell the admissions tutor what makes you stand out as a candidate for your chosen course. It’s a place to show your passion for the subject, your excitement about starting the degree and what you hope to achieve through it. But with so much to cover, writing a well-written personal statement can be a daunting task.
Breaking the process down into steps will help make the task seem less intimidating. You could start by writing your introduction, then tackling the body and finally writing homework market login your conclusion. It’s worth remembering that your personal statement will probably be read by many people, so it’s a good idea to ask other people for feedback. They may be able to spot things you have overlooked or point out areas where your writing needs sharpening up.
It’s also worth thinking about the order of your statement, although we wouldn’t recommend skipping the introduction. The best personal statements begin with a strong opening paragraph and then develop from there. But don’t forget that you can always return to rewrite your introduction once you’ve finished the rest of the statement.
You should then think about your key experiences and achievements and consider how you can connect them to the subject(s) for which you’re applying. For example, if you’re applying for law or public health, your statement might highlight things such as volunteering or working with vulnerable people.
Once you’ve got your key points, it’s time to put them into an outline or mind map – whatever works best for you. The important thing is that you create a clear structure that reflects the topics for which you’re applying.
5 Steps to Writing a Personal Statement
Don’t be afraid to use your imagination when constructing your outline or mind map, but do make sure that the key points are clearly highlighted. If you’re not sure about the structure, it’s a good idea to get some feedback from other people, such as teachers or parents. They’ll have more experience of reading personal statements than you and will be able to give you some helpful feedback.
Avoid overusing adjectives in your personal statement. This can make your writing clunky and difficult to read. Whenever possible, try to see how a sentence can be strengthened by removing an adjective, and consider whether the meaning of the sentence would be changed significantly.
Don’t plagiarise. If you’re found to have plagiarised sections of your personal statement, the universities you apply to will know and this can have a negative impact on your application. It’s worth bearing in mind that any statements posted on social media will be picked up by Ucas’ plagiarism checker, so it’s best to write your own statement from scratch rather than copying one that you’ve seen online.
For more expert advice, watch our video from The Student Room where Uni admissions experts Manisha and Alina talk about writing a personal statement. You can also find out more about what makes a great personal statement in our comprehensive guide to university applications.