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The personal statement is usually the stumbling block in completing the UCAS form. It may seem a daunting task as it is so important. It is an applicant’s chance to present him or herself to the admissions tutors as a rounded character. It may make the difference to being offered a place or not. Most university courses do not invite candidates to an interview so this is the only chance to “speak directly” to the admissions department. Therefore your teen needs make the best use of this space.
You may need to help and direct your son or daughter but please don’t write the statement for them or allow them to buy one from a website – the statement will be run through software which checks for plagiarism and may mean that the university would reject the application. It is imperative that it is the applicant’s own work. His or her own personality should “shine through” and he or she should mention passions, enthusiasms, interests, career aspirations (however vague they are) and hobbies.
Your son or daughter may need to write several drafts before he or she is happy enough with the result to paste it into the online UCAS form. Some schools offer a lot of assistance, if this is not available you may have to supervise. Please do not rely on spell checks they are notorious for letting mistakes through. Always print off drafts and read carefully for grammatical and spelling errors.
There are two chapters on writing personal statements in Applying to University The Essential Guide which give more in-depth advice and examples.
Published by Need 2 Know Publishing the book is available from Amazon. To order a copy click the link below:
