There is nothing worse than failing at the last hurdle by not being offered a place at your desired university. On top of that, imagine the misery of being told you can’t sit the course you’ve set your heart on.
Sadly, it’s more common than you imagine. Just applying isn’t enough!
Given that many undergraduate course deadlines are mid January, take a serious look at how you can improve your personal statement – and your opportunities.
How to give your personal statement the WOW factor
Here’s a useful round-up of tips from current university lecturers and our own experienced tutors on what NOT to do:
Don’t sit on the fence. Applications for both engineering and medical courses, for instance, show a passion for neither.
Given that course leaders would be sceptical about a student’s motivations if they didn’t focus on a specific course, you could end up being rejected for both. Is it worth it?
Don’t name drop. My dad/mum is… Universities course leaders want to know about YOU – no-one else.
Research the specific course carefully to understand its structure, modules, choices. Start with online prospectuses. Look for links to more information.
The more you drill down into the course and pull out specifics, the more you will show a university lecturer you are genuinely interested and excited by the course.
Avoid clichés… Phrases such as, ‘From a young age I’ve been interested in…’ or ‘Ever since I was young..’ or ‘I’ve always been…’ don’t go down well. Instead, universities want to know what’s shaped your most recent experiences.
Avoid quotes. Universities have seen a deluge of applications starting with a quote. Many institutions see this as glib, and insincere. Instead focus on opening your statement with genuine enthusiasm.
Universities want to read about YOUR real passion for the subject – not tired phrases.
Edit and spell check. If your application is littered with spelling and grammar errors – as well as poor sentence structure – the message you’re giving to the reader is that you don’t care enough to write an accurate application.
Ask a close friend to to go through it for you, read the statement out loud, and then leave it for a while to revisit your writing with fresh eyes.
A level tuition and statement support
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Get in touch today to discuss how one of our locally recommended tutors can help your youngster achieve.
Tags: A level tuition, Personal statement, ucas, university applications