Your personal statement

Tell the universities and colleges why they should choose you

The personal statement is your opportunity to tell universities and colleges about your suitability for the course(s) that you hope to study. You need to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment, and above all, ensure that you stand out from the crowd.

Explain why you want to study the course you are applying for. If you mention your personal interests and hobbies, try to link them to the skills and experience required for the course.

Make sure it is organised and literate. Get the grammar, spelling and punctuation right. A statement filled with errors will give a negative impression of your skills and the effort you have put in to being accepted. Your statement must be written in English.

Applying to multiple courses

Remember that you only write one personal statement so it will be used for all your choices. Try not to mention a university or college by name, even if you're applying to only one university - your personal statement cannot be changed if you apply to a different place later.

If you're applying for a joint degree you will need to explain why you are interested in both aspects of this joint programme.

If you're applying for different subjects or courses, you need to identify the common themes and skills that are relevant to your choices. For example, both mathematics and law are subjects where you have to think logically and apply rules. You may like both subjects because you enjoy solving problems, using theory and natural or man-made laws to come to a correct conclusion.

In your personal statement you need to put your meaning across directly and simply. You can do this by keeping your sentences to an average of 12-20 words, and using English in a way that is natural to you. Avoid sounding either over-familiar or over-formal and write to get yourself and your message across clearly. Check that each sentence adds something new, otherwise it is just adding to the word count rather than adding value.

The quality of your writing reflects the quality of your thinking. Show that you know your strengths and can outline your ideas clearly. Use words you know will be understood by the person reading your statement; you might find it easier if you imagine you are talking to them across their desk. In fact, you can sometimes spot where your statement doesn't work well by reading it aloud.

What to include

Writing about the course

Two of the most important things to include are:

• why you're applying for the course you've chosen: this is particularly important when you're applying for a subject that you have not studied before. Tell the university the reasons why that subject interests you, and include evidence that you understand what's required to study the course, e.g. if applying for psychology courses, show that you know how scientific the subject is.
• why you're suitable for the course: tell the universities the skills and experience you have that will help you to succeed on the course.

 We looked at some of the reasons why applications were unsuccessful and here's a few that were sent to applicants in 2010:

• Your personal statement does not strongly support your desire to study your chosen degree.
• Your personal statement did not show sufficient understanding, relevance or knowledge about the course you are applying for.
• You failed to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and interest in the subject in your personal statement.
• There is a lot of competition for places on this course and your personal statement and experience was not as strong as other applicants this year.
• Application form (including personal statement, reference and predicted grades) does not evidence accurate understanding of or motivation for subject.
• Unsuccessful as you have not expressed a strong enough interest in the subject area in your personal statement.

This should give you an idea of how important it is to show why you want to study the course and what you can bring to it - especially because it might be compared with other applicants applying for the same course.

Skills and achievements

Universities like to know the types of skills you have that will help you on the course, or generally at university.

  any achievements that you are proud of, eg reaching grade 3 piano or being selected for the local volleyball team.

  positions of responsibility that you hold/have held both in and out of school, eg class representative  or representative for a local charity.

  attributes that make you interesting, special or unique.

Hobbies and interests

Think about how your hobbies, interests and social activities demonstrate your skills and abilities. If there's anything that relates to your course or to the skills needed to complete a higher education course, include it - the more evidence the better.

Your statement will be more convincing and personal if you write about why an experience, activity or interest makes you a good candidate for the course. Include enough additional information to make it interesting and to demonstrate your own interest. Rather than making a statement such as

'I enjoy badminton'

try to provide context and show what you have learnt

'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.'

Foreign students

Try to answer these questions in your statement:

Why do you want to study in the UK?

• How can you show that you can successfully complete a higher education course that is taught in English? Please say if some of your studies have been taught or examined in English.
• Have you taken part in any activities where you have used English outside of your studies?

 Future plans

If you know what you'd like to achieve after completing a university course, explain how you want to use the knowledge and experience that you gain.

Dos and don'ts when writing your personal statement

Do create a list of your ideas before attempting to write the real thing.

Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy.

Do ask people you trust for their feedback.

Do check university and college prospectuses, websites and Entry Profiles, as they usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want their students to demonstrate.

Do use your best English  and don't let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.

Do be enthusiastic - if you show your interest in the course, it may help you get a place.

Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the focus of your writing may be lost.

Don't say too much about things that are not relevant - if you think that you are starting to, take a break and come back to your statement when you feel more focused.

Don't lie - if you exaggerate you may get caught out.

Don't rely on a spellchecker as it will not pick up everything - proof read as many times as possible.

Don't leave it to the last minute - your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.

Don't expect to be able to write your personal statement whilst watching TV or surfing the internet - this is your future, so make the most of the opportunity to succeed.

How to provide your personal statement

You can enter up to 4,000 characters (this includes spaces) or 47 lines of text (this includes blank lines), whichever comes first. You do not have to use all the space provided. When you save text, the system will tell you how many characters are still available or if you have used too many characters. You can preview your statement after you have saved it.

We are very happy for Orlin, who has just been accepted onto a Master's degree course at the University of Southern Denmark! We wish him lots of luck and success! Well done!

Brush up your skills:

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/test-de-niveau-anglais-grammaire.php 

Here is a game for you to practice your synonims:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/similar_meanings/play/ 

Job - n a regular activity performed in exchange for payment.
Just the ~ (colloq) exactly what is wanted
A good ~ (colloq) a fortunate state of affairs: He lost his seat in Parliament and a good job too!
Make a good/fine ~ of something  do it well
'odd-job man' one who makes a living by doing any bits of work he is asked to do
Make the best of a bad ~ do what one can to remedy an unfortunate state of affairs 

sensible adj - having or showing good sense; reasonable; practical: a ~ woman; ~ shoes for mountain climbing; ~ clothing, functional, not merely for appearance or ornament; ~ ideas. That was ~ of you. 

It is very sensible to take regular lessons and to study hard before taking an exam.