Your first UCAS personal statement – a labour of love or a cheerless chore ?

If you are struggling to construct your personal statement at the minute, take heart from the
fact that you are not on your own! Students in your class, your college, all over the country
find themselves in the same boat. Like you they are trying to convey their ambitions,
academic abilities and personal attributes to convince admissions tutors to offer them a
place.

Our team are here to help, so check out our services and if you think you need our assistance please contact us.  We are happy to answer any questions or queries you may have by email or phone.  If you decide to work with us, we offer a 100% no questions asked refund after the first review call.

Here are 5 top tips to help you get started

Introduction

In your introduction, state clearly the area of study you are applying for and the reasons
why you are interested in this particular subject.

Above all, be honest ! Why do you want to learn more about medicine, accountancy,
computer science, or whatever course you have chosen?

In a forthcoming article, we will explore a wide range of valid responses to this question. Our article will give you a useful checklist of questions which will help you uncover the real motivations behind your choices.

Demonstrate your interest

Develop your statement by demonstrating how your interest in a particular subject has
had an impact on your life.

Has it influenced you in your choice of A Levels/BTecs/ Access course etc., ? What have you read or watched to deepen your knowledge ? This can be through traditional books but equally valid nowadays are blogs, podcasts, Ted talks to name but a few.

Think about it – if you are truly curious about a subject/career, chances are you are going to delve deeper into it in your own time.

Work Experience

Work Experience – as Generation Covid, very many of the traditional avenues into work
experience have most likely remained firmly shut for you this year. Everyone is in the same
boat but there are things you can do which will give you a taste of your planned career.

A few things you might consider – just ask the following

• a former student of your school/college who is now working in your field of interest to get
  the lowdown on what his/her day to day working life entails;
• a business/ local authority/government department to put you in touch with someone in the
  organisation who can advise you about the range of graduate and indeed, pre-graduate
  roles which they offer.

What else?

What else can I talk about? Many admissions tutors( but not all!) welcome details of
hobbies, interests and extra-curricular achievements which you have.

There are so many things you can write about here including, part-time jobs, volunteering, music, sport, art – the list is endless !

The key thing here is ‘show, don’t tell’ and we will cover this in more detail to that in our next posts.

Conclusion

How to end: Sometimes finishing is harder than getting started. Aim for a short, pithy
summary which will leave a positive impression on jaded admissions tutors who have sifted
their way through thousands of applications.

5 top tips – but we are here to help

Those are 5 top tips to help you get started – if you think you need more help, check out our services.

Our team at Pain Free Personal Statements have worked with thousands of candidates during their careers in secondary education, career guidance and private candidate support.  We have supported candidates from all backgrounds and a diverse range of background.  Our goal is to help you reach yours.