Personal statements

Mr. McCavigan offers a writing drop-in centre available to grade 11 and 12 students who would like to have support with any form of academic writing. The centre will be in room 124 each Wednesday during period 7. Support can be provided for all types of argumentative/persuasive writing, such as research papers, essays, college/university essays, speeches, etc. If you would like some writing assistance then drop by. If this time does not work for you then email him at dmccavigan@vis.ac.at so that you can arrange an alternative appointment. 

Personal statements (focus on UK and other countries and/or universities that require them):

Writing personal statements

​1) Start by mind mapping your experiences:

  2) Read the following information:

Before you start writing your personal statement, you should visit the university course guides. These guides give information on the course content of each of their undergraduate programmes. When assessing your personal statement the admissions officers will look at how well your academic interests align with the the courses they offer. If you are applying for a range of slightly different courses, we recommend that you focus your personal statement on the areas of overlap between them, so that your statement appeals to all of your UCAS choices.

Your personal statement should discuss for the most part your academic interest in the subject you wish to study. One way to think about the personal statement is to reflect on what universities expect from undergraduates: they ask you to learn about topics relevant to your course, through reading or other experiences, and then discuss the ideas you have encountered in academic essays. This is the skill they look for in the personal statement and they usually recommend at least 80% of your statement should be dedicated to this type of academic discussion. 

How you show your wider engagement with your subject is entirely up to you. University admission officers look for students who can best reflect on the experiences and academic ideas they have encountered through the opportunities available to them, not those who have had the best opportunities. If you are not sure where to start, you could try listening to podcasts or look in the prospectus for examples of suggested reading. Remember they are interested not just in a list of what you have read/encountered, but evidence you have reflected on the academic ideas. You can also look for the specific course on Unifrog's subjects library and check the resources they provide (journals, podcasts, documentaries, ideas on how to geek out, skills you should focus on, etc):

Some universities offer a number of combined degree programmes. If you are applying to one of these programmes, you are advised to give equal weighting to each subject in your statement. For instance, if you are applying to our Politics and Economics degree, you must show evidence of interest in both subjects; a statement weighted towards only one aspect of the degree will be significantly less competitive.​

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3) To help you begin, there are several questions you could think about:

• Why have you chosen the course? What attracted you to the subject? Which aspects of the subject have interested you sufficiently to want to study it at degree level? Is there a specific area of the subject you wish to focus on? What are the big issues in the subject, and what do you find most interesting about them? What are your thoughts on these topics?

• Have you developed your subject interest outside of your school studies? For example, have you undertaken any additional reading to broaden your knowledge of the subject? Have you attended lectures or explored online material relating to the subject? What did you find interesting in your reading/in the lectures you attended and what are your thoughts on the topics covered?

• Have you gained any skills from your other school subjects that complement your application to study your chosen subject? Have you had the opportunity to undertake work experience relevant to your application? If you did, how did this experience give you a wider understanding of the topics you will study at university?

• Have you attended any schemes or activities at different universities, such as Summer Schools, Saturday Schools, LSE Choice, etc? What you have learned from these? Have they furthered your knowledge of or interest in your chosen subject?

If you are applying for deferred entry, as well as thinking about the questions listed above, you may also wish to indicate (briefly) why you are taking a gap year and what you plan to do during the year. 

If you are applying as a post-qualified student (ie, you have already received your final results), you may wish to mention briefly what you have been doing since your exams. 

Please note: You are not expected to simply answer all of the questions above; these questions are merely intended to give you some guidance as to what to think about when writing your statement. 

Source: https://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Undergraduate/Prospective-Students/How-to-Apply/Completing-the-UCAS-form/Personal-Statement​ (accessed on the 20th October, 2021)

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4) Watch the following videos:

5) Follow the structure to write a personal statement:

This is an example of how your personal statement should be made up:

• Introduction, this should address why you want to study the course and what's the motivation to study it; you can link this to a brief analysis of the current situation. Make it personal and interesting, if something particular happened to you or you read something that made you want to do the course mention it!

• Main part – This is the biggest section and should address the academic skills and knowledge that you have that will help you succeed at university. If you’re going to talk about certain books/papers/notable figures make sure you know enough about them, remember the person reading this will know all about the subject.

• Work experience- this is where you mention any work you have done, don’t just list it, remember the ABC – what you’ve learnt and how it will help you on the course.

• Similarly with extra-curricular activities make it relevant (remember the ABC).

• Conclusion, make it strong – it should tie together what you’ve talked about in your PS and why they should offer you a place .

6) Check the "UK Personal Statement" tool on Unifrog: 

7) Watch this video to check your own Personal Statement:

Guide to writing a personal statement

A personal statement is your opportunity to showcase your passion, skills, and alignment with the course you’re applying for. To write a compelling personal statement, follow these steps, keeping in mind the ABC format: Activity, Benefit, and Connection to the Course. Your goal is to demonstrate how your experiences (Activity) have helped you develop skills and traits (Benefit) that directly apply to the course you are applying for (Connection).

Step 1: Check the university’s home page and research the course

Before you begin writing, visit the university’s website and the course page for the program you're applying to. Make sure to:

• Identify the values and qualities that the university emphasizes.

• Understand what kind of student they are looking for by exploring the specific traits and skills highlighted on the course page.

Step 2: Write down key experiences

After you’ve done your research, jot down some key experiences in your academic and extracurricular life. These should be relevant to the course and demonstrate the skills and traits you’ve identified. Use the ABC Format to guide your responses:

ABC Format Breakdown:

• Activity (A): What did you do? (e.g., projects, essays, extracurriculars, work experience)

• Benefit (B): What did you learn or gain from this? (skills, knowledge, personal growth)

• Connection to the course (C): How is this experience related to the course you’re applying for? What insights have you gained? What was the purpose of carrying out each specific activity?

While writing your personal statement, focus on Connection to the course (C), using Activities (A) and Benefits (B) as supporting evidence.

Main themes:

Think how you will show:

• Proof of motivation 

• Proof of realistic expectations (that stems from work experience, etc) 

• Proof of ability (related to your field of interest)

• Proof of independent research linked to the subject 

• Proof of interest in current affairs

• Proof of critical reflection

Personal statement structure and guiding questions

You can cover any of the following topics (there's no need to cover all of them, and no specific order is required—except for beginning with a sentence stating your interest in the field and motivation, and ending with a forward-looking statement).

1. Introduction: Interest in the field

• Proof of motivation:
  Guiding questions:

• Why are you interested in this subject? 

• What do you want to do?

2. Initial projects and learning

• Proof of motivation, proof of realistic expectations and proof of ability: 

Guiding questions:

• How did early projects or work experiences shape your understanding of the field?

• What aspects of this field motivate you to go further?

• How did these experiences give you realistic expectations about what the course and career involve?

3. Expanding skills and knowledge

• Proof of independent research linked to the subject and proof of ability:
  Guiding questions:

  • How did you deepen your knowledge through independent research?

  • What specific areas did you explore beyond the curriculum, and how did this enhance your understanding of the subject?

4. Specific interests and development

• Proof of interest in current affairs:
  Guiding questions:

  • How have current events influenced your interest in the field?

  • What emerging trends or issues in the field do you find particularly interesting, and how have you engaged with them?

5. Application and advancement

• Proof of realistic expectations from work experience and proof of ability:
  Guiding questions:

  • How has work experience or internships given you a clearer understanding of the field?

  • What did you learn about the practical aspects of this profession, and how did it shape your expectations for the course and future career?

6. Overcoming challenges

• Proof of realistic expectations and motivation: 

Guiding questions:

• What challenges did you face in previous projects, and how did they shape your understanding of the field?

• How have these experiences driven you to further develop your skills?

7. Advanced interests and self-directed learning

• Proof of independent research and interest in current affairs:
  Guiding questions:

  • What independent research have you conducted on emerging areas in your field?

  • How does staying updated with current trends or developments influence your understanding of the subject?

8. Competitions and achievements

• Proof of motivation and proof of ability:
  Guiding questions:

  • What competitions have you participated in, and how do they reflect your commitment to the field?

  • How do your achievements show that you are motivated to excel in the course?

9. Problem-solving and teamwork

• Proof of realistic expectations from team projects or competitions:
  Guiding questions:

  • How did teamwork in projects or competitions shape your understanding of collaboration in your field?

  • What challenges did you face while working in teams, and how did these experiences prepare you for future collaboration in the course?

10. Personal growth and mentorship

• Proof of motivation:
  Guiding questions:

  • How have mentorship experiences or tutoring others shaped your understanding of your own learning and growth?

  • How does this reflect your long-term motivation to contribute to the field?

11. Future goals

• Proof of motivation and interest in current affairs:
  Guiding questions:

  • What are your future career goals, and how do current developments in the field influence them?

  • How does this course fit into your long-term ambitions?

8) Watch this video to check your own Personal Statement: