A relatively small minority of people in our country have really unfortunate starts to their lives, with abject poverty, abuse, chronic parental influence and congenital illnesses.

However, the majority have the opportunity for contentment and success. There are many factors which determine success, but the prime ones are self confidence and self esteem.

People have a choice each day whether to dwell on the positive or negative. Successful people dwell on the positives, whereas people constantly having negative thoughts, thinking they are inferior, are surely destined to fail.

Most great inventions and achievements were once just a thought to a person’s mind, so our thought process is very powerful. People should write down their goals and aspirations.

They should concentrate on them with positive thoughts every day. I believe they will be astounded at the result of these thoughts.

I feel certain that, in the future, our society will concentrate more on creating a positive attitude in people as it is paramount to people leading a happy and successful life.

John Milton, the wonderful English poet, summoned up the importance of our mind in a perfect way:

The mind is its own place,
And in itself,
Can make a heaven of hell,
A hell of heaven.

In the final 20-30% of your statement you should concentrate upon your activities outside of formal study.

These activities should indicate to admissions tutors that you possess the kind of talent and personality that will engender a successful period of undergraduate study.

Some examples include:

• Creativity
• Commitment
• Empathy
• Enthusiasm
• Independence
• Leadership
• Maturity
• Motivation
• Originality
• Persistence
• Personal organisation
• Punctuality
• Responsibility
• Team working

Examples of the type of extracurricular activities would be appropriate to include here are listed below:

• A caring role for a family member
• Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards
• Gap year plans
• Part-time paid employment
• Part time voluntary employment
• Millennium volunteer
• Membership of the Scouts

If these activities are directly relevant to your choice of course it maybe appropriate to  give them more prominence in your personal statement. Perhaps in the first section when you give your reasons for applying for the course. Consult your tutors or a career advisory service if you feel it to be appropriate.

The subsequent portion of the statement should concentrate upon your academic experience.

Avoid simply listing the subjects you have studied. That information will already apparent from the rest of your application.

Instead say which areas you have found most enjoyable, explaining why with well thought out reasoning. Give strong precedence here, to your subjects that are directly relevant to the course you are applying for.

Your subjects may be relevant in two ways.

Firstly and most obviously, in terms of content. For example you may be applying to read economics and have studied the subject at A-Level. Similarly if you are applying to read business and have studied business at A-Level you will be expected to write about that subject in particular.

Secondly, in terms of the academic skills you have acquired.

For many university courses it is not possible or necessary to have formally studied the subject at college. For students in this position they will be expected to emphasise how the skills you have developed complement your choice of course.

For example, if you wish to read law at university, an A-level in law is not a requirement.

You will however be expected to stress how your studies have allowed you to develop the relevant academic skills for this choice of course.

Admissions tutors are likely to favour applicants who have developed skills in critical thinking, attention to detail, historical analysis, oral and written communication. Here there are many A-level subjects that may have allowed students to develop these skills. Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Economics, English, Geography, Sociology, Philosophy, History and Politics to name a few.

In a similar vein, if you wish to study nursing at university, again a subject specific A-level is not required. (although health and science related course are likely to be looked upon favourably)

Here admissions tutors are likely to favour applicants who have developed strong inter-personal skills, the ability to work effectively within a team, numerical competency, effective written communication, a high level of personal organisation and time management, familiarity with information technology and ideally leadership potential.

Research

To recap, it is important that your previous education and academic profile is relevant to the university subject you are applying to. Here you should seek guidance from tutors, careers advisors, UCAS and university websites, prospectus’ and admissions tutors.

Many courses also insist that applicants have achieved a minimum grade in particular subjects, whilst discounting and/or placing less value upon others. So doing adequate research is always vital.

You should give precedence to subjects that you have studied whose content is directly relevant to your choice of course.

You should emphasise the academic skills you have developed at college that most complement your choice of course.

Below is a list of some the academic skills and personal qualities that admissions tutors look for.

• A high level of numeracy
• Attention to detail
• Commitment
• Critical analysis skills
• Effective team working
• Enthusiasm for your subject
• Personal organisation
• Problem solving
• Strong oral communication skills
• The ability to learn independently
• The ability to write persuasively
• The ability to take on a leadership role
• Time management

Why are you making this application?

The opening of your personal statement should provide some reasoning for your choice of subject. It will usually make up around 30-50% of the total.

You should avoid using clichéd and commonplace introductory sentences that any other applicant might have written. Don’t begin with a bland variation of one of the following statements.

• ‘I really enjoy helping people…’
• ‘I have always wanted to study Law…’
• ‘I’m am making this application because I am deeply interested in…’
• ‘Geography is a fascinating subject…’
• ‘I find sociology very interesting…’
• ‘The environment is very important…’
• ‘Since being a child I have been fascinated by computers…’
• ‘I believe studying Law at university is the right choice for me…’

All of these opening phrases are very hackneyed, lack depth and are no where near specific enough.

To persuade an admissions tutor that your interest is genuine requires real-world, concrete, evidence.

Here are some good examples:

• Course content of the subject you are applying for.
• Subject (s) you have studied at school or college.
• The academic skills you have developed. E.g. Critical analysis, essay writing, problem solving,       mathematical proficiency, physical dexterity, independent learning.
• A personal project or hobby. E.g. building computers, conserving species of butterflies.
• A journal or book you have read beyond the syllabus that you found engrossing.
• A film or TV programme that influenced you.
• A theoretical position that has captured your imagination.
• A lecture you attended on your own initiative you found motivating.
• Positive experience whilst on a relevant work placement.
• A theorist you have been inspired by.
• A public figure or major event.
• A personal experience or someone close to you who has engendered your interest.

Getting started

Ideally you should be able to write about at least three or four substantive examples in which you explain how and why they influenced your choice. This type of critical analysis is of course a prerequisite of most undergraduate study. Bringing this to bear in your personal statement is therefore highly advantageous to your chances of a receiving an offer.

It will require some deep thought, research and a series of redrafts. Consider talking to people who know you well, such as tutors, family and friends for help and ideas.

To get started consider making a bullet-point list of the reasons that you are applying for the course. Add everything you can think of, even if it may seem inappropriate. Be creative and let your imagination go.

Put aside your list for a day or two, then go back to it. You may well find that you have thought of some really excellent reasons you can add.

From here you can select the best examples, and write a few simple paragraphs. Don’t worry if the wording doesn’t sound quite right as you will be able to fix that in your next draft.

After a couple more re-drafts you should have at least 30-50% of the personal statement, written to a high standard.

Work experience

If you have work experience that is highly relevant to your course, you should mention it in this section of the personal statement. Many subjects such as Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and midwifery, Physiotherapy, Veterinary science and Teaching will expect it.

If at all possible obtain as much work experience or shadowing as possible, that is relevant to your choice of subject. It can only make your application stronger. It says to admissions tutors that you have initiative and are dedicated to this specific course.

Work experience that is not relevant to your subject can be included in the, ‘Extracurricular interests and achievements’ section.

Anatomy 1 the science of the physical structure of animals and plants. 2 the structure of an animal or plant. 3 Informal a person’s body: the female anatomy. 4 a detailed analysis: an anatomy of the economic crisis. anatomical adj

In a concise and easy to understand manner this article reveals what are generally agreed to be the key sections of a successful UCAS personal statement and the proper weight to be attached to each.

A successful personal statement should consist of an unambiguous, logical structure, in a manner comparable to that of an animal, plant or any piece of formal written English.

Personal statements with a clearly defined structure are not only more understandable and compelling but also easier to write.

1st Explain why you are making the application
2nd Highlight your academic experience, knowledge and abilities
3rd Summarize your extracurricular interests and skills

1st Why I am making the application. (30-50%)

The first section should explain why you are applying to study your subject to degree level. It is conventionally placed at the beginning and should make up the major portion of the statement.

It should convey an informed enthusiasm with evidence that you have thought deeply about your choices based upon a process of thorough research. A long standing interest in the subject and wide reading beyond that required by your studies should be manifest.

You should read course prospectus’, books, attend open days, speak to graduate students, visit university department websites and other on-line resources to get an idea of what to expect of undergraduate study.

You might refer to how personal experiences in your life, courses you have attended, the content of your character and your academic talents make you a suitable candidate

Mention your career goals, particularly if relevant to the subject you are applying to. E.g. Teaching, Medicine, Law, Management, Nursing.

2nd Academic experience, knowledge and abilities (25-35%)

Here you should indicate which areas of your AS and A2 (or equivalent) subjects you find especially interesting. You should go on to explain how they have engendered your desire to read your subject at university.

Remember to state in a personal and specific manner why you have found particular elements of your studies interesting.

Give special emphasise to those areas of your present studies that are particularly relevant to your application.

Provide evidence of wider reading and experience beyond that you have been obliged to do.

You will be expected to allude to respected books, authors, websites, journals, periodicals and events which have stimulated your thinking. Here you should critically analyse what you have read. Giving a personal perspective will indicate that you have though deeply about the subject matter and are not simply listing authors, books, concepts etc. in a superficial attempt to impress.

The admissions tutor of many disciplines will have expected you to have arranged your own work placements within your field of interest. Doing so not only allows students assess their suitability but crucially demonstrates real commitment and initiative. Here again you should say as specifically as possible what you enjoyed and why.

3rd Extracurricular interests and achievements (20-30%)

The final few paragraphs should focus upon your activities beyond academic study.

This section although generally agreed to be not as critical to success as the previous two sections is nonetheless important. Here you can indicate valued skills and qualities in time management, organisation, initiative, leadership, commerce, oral and written communication, team working, negotiation, listening, problem solving, numeracy, taking responsibility, adaptability, attention to detail, empathy and so on.

Be specific and back up your statements with reference to your own personal experiences, skills and knowledge. Avoid generalisations that any other student might have written.

Explain what motivated you to do these activities, the skills you gained how and how the experiences had a positive effect upon your personal development. Link what you say back to your chosen degree course.

Some examples are listed below:

• Paid employment
• Voluntary work
• Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards
• Achievement in playing a musical instrument
• Drama club membership
• Millennium Volunteer Awards
• Combined Cadet Force (CCF) awards
• Scouting awards
• Head boy or girl
• Prefect
• House captain
• Student council representative
• Debating society
• Local political party work
• Charity work
• Community work
• Church choir
• Sporting achievements outside of school and college
• Gap year plans
• Long term life goals

1# Your reasons for choosing the course

Demonstrate that you have a genuine interest in your subject. Explain which areas that you find particularly interesting? Give specific examples.

Thoroughly read the prospectus and website of the universities to which you applying for ideas.

You might refer to books you have read or inspiring authors, theories and concepts. Perhaps you have visited places of interest or attended work placements that will add credibility to your application.

Writing about your own experiences is a sound foundation upon which to produce an original and personal piece.

2# Personal qualities and skills
Give evidence that you possess the ability, experience and knowledge required to successfully complete the course? Again be specific.

Emphasise, with examples, the important attributes that you possess such as the ability to study independently, strong time management skills, persistence, organisation, leadership, initiative and so on.

3# The subjects you are currently studying
Avoid simply restating the subjects that you are studying. That information will already be apparent in your application.

Rather, indicate how they have engendered your choice of course.

Refer to those aspects that you found interesting and why. Relate the skills you have acquired and focus of your academic interest with respect to the subject you are applying.

4# Extra curricular pursuits and interests
Mention any achievements that show that you are able and dedicated.

They should be substantive. High grades in music or drama exams, Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, combined cadet force or Scout awards,  community and charity work are all impressive examples.

State any positions of responsibility you have held.

Part-time employment roles, head boy or girl positions at school, house captain, sporting achievements and any caring roles you may have held are very relevant.

5# Future plans or career aspirations
Briefly indicate your career aspirations if it is pertinent to the subject you wish to read.

These are some of the questions to be addressed as you write your personal statement. They are presented as a supplementary resource to empower students to think creatively and deeply about their application.

They should of course not replace careful reading of the the official UCAS website and / or guidance from schools or colleges.

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Kind regards.

S J Tonge