PERSONAL STATEMENT PLANNER A step by step guide

PERSONAL STATEMENT PLANNER A step by step guide to writing your personal statement

Watch the video on the UCAS website https: //www. ucas. com/undergraduate/applying-university/how-write-ucasundergraduate-personal-statement HOW TO WRITE AN UNDERGRADUATE PERSONAL STATETMENT

Part 1 -Information about you • The first part of the planner should be used to gather information, which may be useful for your personal statement. • Make notes for each section • Some exemplar statements will be provided

Part 2 - Write a draft (be prepared for many redrafts) • Use the information gathered in Part 1 to write a draft of your personal statement. You will probably have too much information and should try to condense it without losing the flavour of what you want to say or omitting any important points. • Once you feel your statement is taking shape you should print a copy of the draft statement and show a copy to your SE teacher and Pastoral teacher to get feedback.

Completing your personal statement online through UCAS Apply 2020 • Type your personal statement into the box, or use copy and paste to insert text that you have already prepared in Microsoft word. • To save what you have typed so far click save • To check the length of what you have typed, click preview

HOW TO WRITE IT • Your personal statement should be unique, so there’s no definite format for you to follow here – just take your time. Here are some guidelines for you to follow, but remember your personal statement needs to be ‘personal’. • Write in an enthusiastic, concise, and natural style – nothing too complex. • Try to stand out, but be careful with humour, quotes, or anything unusual – just in case the admissions tutor doesn’t have the same sense of humour as you. • Structure your info to reflect the skills and qualities the unis and colleges value most – use the course descriptions to help you. • Check the character and line limit – you have 4, 000 characters and 47 lines. Some word processors get different values if they don’t count tabs and paragraph spacing as individual characters. • Proofread aloud, and get your teachers, advisers, and family to check. Then redraft it until you’re happy with it, and the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. • We recommend you write your personal statement first, then copy and paste it into your online application once you're happy with it. Make sure you save it regularly, as it times out after 35 minutes of inactivity.

What to write about You’re telling admissions staff why you’re suitable to study at their university or college. It’s important to remember you can only write one personal statement – it’s the same for each course you apply for. So, avoid mentioning any universities or colleges by name. If you’ve chosen similar subjects, talk about the subject in general, and try not to mention courses titles. If you’ve chosen a variety of subjects, just write about common themes, like problem solving or creativity.

Here are some ideas to help you get started: • Look at course descriptions and identify the qualities, skills, and experience it requires – you can use these to help you decide what to write about. • Tell the reader why you’re applying – include your ambitions, as well as what interests you about the subject, the course provider, and higher education. • Think about what makes you suitable – this could be relevant experience, skills, or achievements you’ve gained from education, work, or other activities. • Include any clubs or societies you belong to – sporting, creative, or musical. • Mention any relevant employment experience or volunteering you’ve done • If you’ve developed skills through Duke of Edinburgh, National Citizen Service, the Crest Awards scheme, or young enterprise, tell them. • If you took part in a higher education taster course, placement, or summer school, or something similar, include it.

Writing about the course Why are you applying for your chosen course(s)? • Explain why you want to do your chosen course(s). For example, someone who wanted to work with animals might write 'I would like to study a BTEC in animal care as I am passionate about looking after animals. I already look after two dogs and it will help me in my future career plans. ' Why does this course interest you? • You can write about anything you've read about the course(s) that you find interesting and would like to find out more about. Why do you think you are suitable for the course(s)? • In this section, you can write about any experiences you have had that are related to the course(s), or any skills you've learnt that might help you. For example, if you have done any related volunteering or work experience, or if you have a part-time job such as babysitting, which shows more general strengths such as responsibility or commitment. Do your current studies (e. g. , Highers or Adv Highers) relate to the course(s) you have chosen? If so, how? • You can let the provider know how much you enjoy a subject by writing about a course you have already studied that you found really interesting or you were good at.

SKILLS & ACHIEVEMENTS • Write about anything you have done that might help with your application. • Write about anything you are proud of passing, for example, grade 2 in piano, or being selected for a sports team. • Include any awards you have done, such as Duke of Edinburgh, or through SALTIRE. • You can add any positions of responsibility you have held, for example, being a prefect or helping with young students at school.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS Make a list of your hobbies, interests, and anything you do socially. • Think about how they show your skills and ability. • Try to link them to skills and experience you might need on your chosen course(s).

WORK HISTORY Include details of placements, work experience, voluntary work, or jobs, especially if it is relevant to your chosen course(s). • Try to show this experience gave you new skills or made you think about your future plans, for example, things you really enjoyed or were good at. • Also include any part-time work you are still doing, like a Saturday job or babysitting.

CAREER PLANS Use this section to tell the provider what you might like to do in the future as a career after completing the course. Explain how you would like to use the course(s) you have applied for to help you reach your goal.

PERSONAL STETMENT: DOs & DON’Ts • Do use your best English and check your spelling and grammar are correct. • Do be enthusiastic – if you show your interest in the course, it will help your application. • Do ask people that you trust, like your teacher/adviser or parent/carer to read through what you have written and give you feedback. • Do show you know your strengths, and outline your ideas clearly. • Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place. • Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.

• Don’t exaggerate – you might be asked about what you have written if you attend an interview with the course provider. • Don’t leave it until the last minute – it's a good idea to give yourself time to think about what you write to make sure you don’t forget anything. • Don’t be tempted to buy or copy a personal statement, or share yours. All personal statements are checked for similarity – if your personal statement is flagged as similar to other applicants, it could affect your chances of being offered a place. • Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement. • Don’t rely on a spellchecker, as it will not pick up everything – proofread 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 let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement.