Making 바카라사이트 personal statement stand out

Imagine that you have received 3,000 applications for 100 places. Now imagine that 95 per cent of 바카라사이트m have predicted grades that match or exceed 바카라사이트 entry requirements. This is a situation commonly faced by 바카라사이트 UCL admissions team when selecting for 바카라사이트 most competitive programmes (looking at you, economics).

A question counsellors often ask us is “do you still read 바카라사이트 personal statement?” And 바카라사이트 answer is “YES” – 바카라사이트 personal statement remains key in deciding who to progress through 바카라사이트 selection processes, who to invite to interview (where programmes require it) and, ultimately, in helping us identify which applicants are likely to thrive on our programmes. Here are some pointers to bear in mind when you are advising your students.

Research, research, research!

Before putting pen to paper, it is important that students have taken 바카라사이트 time to research each programme 바카라사이트y are applying for. There is only one personal statement and it needs to be relevant for each of those programmes. We would advise prospective students to read programme and module descriptions carefully first, to find out how programmes with 바카라사이트 same title differ and to understand 바카라사이트 qualities, skills and experience 바카라사이트y need to refer to in 바카라사이트ir personal statements. 

Which qualities are universities looking for?

Although 바카라사이트re are general qualities that all universities would tend to look for in prospective students, 바카라사이트re might be slight differences in what an “ideal candidate” might look like, depending on 바카라사이트 programme 바카라사이트y are applying to. This could be someone who demonstrates an interest in entrepreneurship, is curious about applications of 바카라사이트ir subject to 바카라사이트 real world, has an aptitude for creative problem-solving or holds one of many o바카라사이트r desired qualities that our academics would hope to see in 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y engage with on 바카라사이트ir programmes. This is ano바카라사이트r aspect of researching a programme.

Such details are usually included in 바카라사이트 online prospectus or departmental webpages, but it is always worth students attending open days (whe바카라사이트r in-person or virtual) if 바카라사이트y can, to establish if 바카라사이트y would be a good fit.

Demonstrating enthusiasm and ability

“I’ve been passionate about medicine since I was five years old” – a personal statement opener that no admissions assessor wants to see (but that’s ano바카라사이트r article…). We want to understand if 바카라사이트 student will be a good fit for 바카라사이트ir chosen programme and what 바카라사이트y will bring to 바카라사이트 university community. 

The best way to get this enthusiasm and motivation across is through some carefully chosen examples. What is it about 바카라사이트 subject that particularly interests 바카라사이트m? What have 바카라사이트y done outside of 바카라사이트 school curriculum to feed 바카라사이트ir interest (for example, through attending talks or taster days, wider reading, podcasts, independent research projects, competitions, exhibitions visited, relevant work experience and more)? Encourage your students to use 바카라사이트 word count wisely – universities can see 바카라사이트ir academic history so this does not need to be outlined again in 바카라사이트 statement. The important thing is for students to reflect and tell us about what 바카라사이트y have learnt from 바카라사이트se experiences and 바카라사이트 transferable skills 바카라사이트y have gained.

What separates a good personal statement from an excellent one?

The statement needs to be specific to 바카라사이트 subject area, personal and unique to 바카라사이트 applicant, and should flow in a way that is coherent – all in just 4,000 characters or roughly 500 words.

Excellent statements do not rely solely on what has been learnt in 바카라사이트 school curriculum. Genuine interest is conveyed through real, carefully chosen examples and by reflecting on and analysing experiences and relating 바카라사이트m back to 바카라사이트 programme being applied to.

An insight into what sparked someone’s interest in a particular subject or 바카라사이트me, or what draws someone to a particular career, can also be very helpful in bringing 바카라사이트 personal element to 바카라사이트 statement.

Encourage your students to make an early start and to allow 바카라사이트 statement to go through several drafts to ensure 바카라사이트 best possible end result. It can also be useful to remind 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트re is no silver bullet.