UCAS timeline Personal Statement ppt

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Transcript of UCAS timeline Personal Statement ppt

Page 1: UCAS timeline Personal Statement ppt

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Your opportunity to tell Universities in your own words about your suitability for the course you hope to study

Your chance to effectively ‘advertise’ yourself to admissions staff It is important that you show your personality, and stand out from the

crowd Getting good grades is no longer enough – you need to show commitment

and enthusiasm in your area of prospective study The personal statement is a top consideration for admissions tutors when

making offers to prospective students

What is a personal statement and why is it important?

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“The personal statement is a good way to distinguish the truly gifted, original and inspired. It’s very helpful in identifying what applicants are doing above and beyond their A-level studies.” Mike Nicholson, Head of Admissions, Oxford University

“The only way to differentiate between students of similar academic abilities is through a very close reading of the personal statement.” Admissions tutor, Russell Group university

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The personal statement needs to include a clear and thorough explanation of why you want to study your chosen course

It must be well written with no spelling or grammatical errors If you are applying for a course which involves an interview

(Teaching, Nursing, Art & Design etc) the personal statement will be used as a basis for discussion, so you must be confident to answer questions on what you have written

Key considerations

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• Reasons why you are applying for your chosen course:• Why the subject interests you• Evidence that you understand what is required• Why you want to go to university generally

• Why you are a suitable candidate for the course:• The skills and experience you have which will help you succeed• How your current and previous studies relate to the course• Activities that you have taken part in which demonstrates

commitment to the course

What needs to be included?

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• Information about your hobbies and interests:• Any awards achieved• Musical achievements• Sporting achievements• Positions of responsibility

• Think about how your hobbies, interested and social activities demonstrate skills and abilities

What needs to be included?

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What you have to offer – examples of skills

Activity Skills/qualities developedWork experience Punctuality, responsibility, ability to work with

others, use initiativeFamily commitments Considerate, practical, committed, patience,

reliableCaptain of football team Leadership, confidence, team player, calm

under pressureMember of a team Co-operation, self discipline, team playerDuke of Edinburgh Determination, motivation, self belief,

organisationSchool prefect Reliability, responsibility, trust, communication,

smart image, being organised

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Personal Statement A statement is much more convincing if activities, experiences, and interests show why an applicant would make a good candidate for the course or university generally. For example the following statement:

“I enjoy badminton and play twice a week.”

Could be expanded to read like this:

“I play badminton twice a week with a club that plays in local competitions and I play in both singles and doubles matches. Doubles matches requires good team working, an ability to support your partner, to devise a game plan but be able to adapt it as required and fast reactions. I enjoy the social side of the club and take responsibility for organising the social activities and fundraising events. This gives me an opportunity to develop my organisational and planning skills. Fitting in all these activities while keeping up with my academic studies demands good time management and I think I do that very well.”

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Personal Statement You should include details of any part time work, voluntary placements or work experience you have undertaken. Again this is most effective when it is linked to the skills mentioned in the entry profiles for your course. For example, rather than just saying:

“'I spent two weeks working in a local Primary School. I enjoyed working with the children and helping them with their work'

They could say:

“'I spent two weeks working with pupils in Years 5 & 6 at a local Primary School. I learnt how to plan and deliver activities and gained experience of teaching parts of a lesson. This experience highlighted the importance of positive reinforcement as a behaviour management tool and the need to use different teaching styles to engage all pupils.”

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Personal Statement You should include details of any part time work, voluntary placements or work experience you have undertaken. Again this is most effective when it is linked to the skills mentioned in the entry profiles for your course. For example, rather than just saying:

“I spent two weeks working at a department store. I enjoyed speaking to customers and helping them with their enquiries”

They could say:

“I spent two weeks managing customer enquiries at a department store. I learnt how to interact with customers and handle complaints. The experience highlighted the importance of positive communication between a business and its customers, and taught me how to manage difficult enquiries effectively. I would like to develop this skill further by studying a degree in public relations.

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Applying for multiple courses

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• You only get to write one personal statement• If you are applying to do a joint degree you will need to

explain why you are interested in both aspects of the programme

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Format of a Personal Statement• Reasons for choosing the course• Background to your interest in the subject• Employment, work experience, voluntary

work• Key skills developed• Other achievements• Particular interest in current studies• Career goals• Details of non-examined subjects• Hobbies & interests• Reasons for deferred entry

“The strongest applicants are those who can link their extra-curricular activities to their proposed course of study.”

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Paragraph 1 – Course choice

Why that degree? Where did your interest stem from? Which specific parts / modules interest you? Career plans?

Paragraph 2 – School / college experience

What have you enjoyed about post 16 study? What parts of your current course can be related to your chosen degree? What academic skills have you gained to prepare you for higher level study?

A Template

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Paragraph 3 – Wider experiences

Hobbies and extra curricular achievements Part time work/work experience Link to skills gained eg Teamwork, Leadership, Time Management

Paragraph 4 – Concluding statement

Sum up why you would make a successful student Always end on a positive

E.g. “I greatly look forward to the challenge of a demanding degree choice and I am confident that I have the academic ability, determination and personal qualities to make a success of it.”

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1. I am currently studying a BTEC National Diploma in ... 2. From a young age I have always been interested in ... 3. From an early age I have always been interested in ... 4. Nursing is a very challenging and demanding career ... 5. For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated with ... 6. "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only” ... 7. Nursing is a profession I have always looked upon with ... 8. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in ... 9. I am an International Academy student and have been studying since 10. Academically, I have always been a very determined and ...

Top 10 most overused personal statement opening sentences

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What are admissions tutors looking for?

Research the course - identify the requirements and state how you fulfil them

• Qualifications meet admissions requirements

• The right personal qualities• Good presentation• Relates to course applied for• Conveys the sort of person you are• High quality reference

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Key issues to remember…• Difficult to start

• 4000 characters or 47 lines

• An opportunity to tell admissions tutors about yourself

• Could be your one opportunity

• Show some personality

• Competition - sell yourself!

• Make sure the statement is well organised and literate

• Spelling, grammar and punctuation are important

• Practice writing about yourself

High quality spelling, grammar and punctuation are vital

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Proof readSpell check

Grammar check

Maximise the use of space available

Clear and legible

Use paragraphs

Avoid repetition

Research the course

Practice, Practice, Practice

Justify everything you include

Keep things focussed

Don’t try to be funny

Make sure you’re qualified

Aim for 900 words - then shorten to

450 words

Finish on a good point

Don’t put long lists of things

Think carefully before you put a quote – is it completely necessary

Tips for your Personal

Statement