Writing a Personal Statement
On this page I have tried to breakdown the personal statement into different paragraphs and give you a bit of an idea of what you should be aiming to include in each paragraph.
A quick caveat, my examples are by no means perfect but hopefully it will be a good guide for you to follow. REMEMBER you are trying to sell yourself and make them want you at their University!
At the bottom of the page you will also find a couple of useful links and some videos. If there is anything else you think would be good on this page please let me know!
Personal Statement Structure
Paragraph 1:
You really want to try and capture the attention of the reader with this paragraph. Whoever reads your personal statement will have read plenty before and will read plenty after so you want to start with a bang!
Can you talk about where your passion for the subject first began?
What is it about the subject that interests you?
Did you see, read or experience something that first caught your attention?
E.g.
The world of technology is constantly changing and the possibilities are endless. I was 8 when my parents first bought me my own mobile phone and I remember the excitement of having the world at my fingertips and wanting to understand how all of this was possible. This has led to a passion for all things tech, and a desire to build applications to solve some of the world's biggest problems.
OR
Growing up I realised very quickly how little things can impact the future and how what we are living through now will soon be what is learnt about in history lessons at school. History is happening all around us, everything that happens in the world is history in the making and this is something that really interests me...
Paragraph 2:
This is where you start to be more specific about what exactly interests you about your chosen subject.
What specifically interests you about your chosen subject
What are the skills you have developed throughout your life that might be beneficial?
You might also include work experience in this section too, again thinking about the skills you learnt.
E.g.
Building on my interest in technology and how software works I began to learn to code. I started with the Python programming language before graduating to Java and Javascript. This work has developed my resilience and computational thinking skills...
OR
One of my great joys is research and doing a deep dive into a particular time in history. I am constantly amazed at how the same event can warrant so many different responses and theories from different authors and historians. This has improved my critical analysis skills and my ability to compare sources...
Paragraph 3:
This is where you talk about the subject and the areas that really interest you. Show the person reading your personal statement that you really are passionate about the subject area and that you have taken it upon yourself to learn more.
E.g.
I have always had a particular interest in the ethics relating to technology and computer science. A lot of technology can sometimes be boiled down to fact, something is either right or wrong. Ethics gives us the chance to debate the rights and wrongs of technology, providing opinions and counter-opinions...
In this example I could also talk about experience I have had that link to the subject, I could talk about visiting Bletchley Park and the National Computing Museum, I could talk about talks that I have attended or watching online, courses that I have completed etc.
OR
I have always had a particular passion for American history. How short the span of history is but how much it has impacted the world is always something that captures my imagination. Having watched the musical ‘Hamilton’ I began to research American presidents through reading, watching tv programs and listening to podcasts. This really brought it to life for me and made it more than just something I had heard or read, but something that was real.
In this example I could then draw on other subjects I currently study and how they link together, I could talk about any holidays I have been on or sightseeing I have done which ties in with my favourite part of history etc.
Paragraph 4:
This paragraph can be all about you.
What are your accomplishments?
What skills have you developed during your school life or growing up?
What leadership roles have you held and what skills have you developed because of them?
What work experience have you undertaken? What did it teach you?
Do you have any other qualifications?
What have all these different events taught you?
Discipline
Time management
Organisation
Resilience
Determination
Work ethic
Etc.
E.g.
During my time at Fulneck School I have often held leadership roles. The first of these was as house captain when I was in year 11 and then as Head of STEM in year 13. These different roles taught me many important lessons about leadership, such as how to motivate a team, how to delegate tasks amongst a team and not least the importance of team work. All of these skills will help me to achieve my future aspirations because...
Conclusion:
Sum up what you have written into a few lines.
What are your future aspirations?
What do you want to do with your degree?
Why should they offer you a place?
Useful Links and Videos