The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) personal statement is one of the application requirements to study in the UK that is as important as other application documents and results.
If you think the statement is just an application formality and the admissions officers won't go through it, you might be wrong.
A good personal statement gives you a higher chance of getting a positive response from the university you want to study at. This makes the difference between you and other applicants with the same academic grade.
An excellent statement requires careful and concise writing. This article will show you some tips to apply when composing your statement. Also, we'll be discussing the importance of the personal statement in the application process.
What is a Personal Statement?
Like the foundation programme and IELTS or TOEFL results, a UCAS personal statement is needed for admission to British universities. These statements are written every year by international students intending to study at UK universities.
It's a detailed composition, usually between 400-600 words. However, some universities might require more words. In addition, schools use it during the admission process to decide if students are suitable for the course they applied for.
A personal statement should contain detailed information about skills, achievements, experience, and career goals for the course you want. Hence, your statement should reflect why you want to study a course and what you want to achieve with it.
Importance of a Personal Statement in Your Application
Whether as an undergraduate or postgraduate student, a personal statement is essential for admission into any university in the UK. It's a way of convincing the school that you deserve a place there.
Your composition balances things up for you, especially if the course of study is competitive. In addition, a good personal statement does something to the reader's mind, giving them an idea of who you are and how studying the chosen course will benefit you.
What Should Be the Content of My UCAS Personal Statement?
The importance of a personal statement is to give you an entry advantage for the course you want to study. So, you should write your statement to fit the course you're applying for.
Different universities look for different information in students' statements. However, some of the common things universities look forward to are your drive and passion, communication skills, and how much you know about the subject you're applying for.
When writing, you must state why you're applying for that particular course and why you should be considered over other students.
Another essential piece of information your statement should contain is your career goals. You should be able to explain how studying your subject of interest can help career development and life ambition.
For postgraduate students, you can describe how your undergraduate or Master's programme has helped in your preparation for a postgraduate course.
You should also describe your work experience during your industrial training programme as an undergraduate. If you had the chance to work after studying as an undergraduate, you should include your work experience during that period.
How to Write a Personal Statement
To catch the admissions officer's attention as an international student, you must be familiar with the UK structure of composing a personal statement. In addition, you can use the internet to get acquainted with their writing style.
First, you must stick to the maximum number of words you're expected to write. Most universities have guidelines, specifications, and instructions on how to write a personal statement, while some don't. If the university you want has one, you should follow it.
The structure of the personal statement should include the following:
Introduction
Your introductory part will determine if anyone will read your statement or not. Therefore, you have to make it readable and engaging as much as possible.
Your introduction should provide information about the essential things to help your reader understand what you're talking about. For example, who you are, your passion, and how your chosen course can help your career pursuit.
As much as the introduction is essential, it shouldn't take all the word count. Make it simple and short. This will give you enough space to express yourself and provide an in-depth explanation in the body of your content.
The body
The body is where you buttress what you've said in the introductory paragraph. Not only are you to write about your desired course, but you also need to express your passion for that particular course and university.
You need to state how learning at the university can help your life goals and how you can give back to the university.
It would be best if you also talked about relevant skills, personal goals, and experience regarding the course you're choosing. Again, this gives your school an insight into your personality and interests.
Conclusion
When you're done with the body of your statement, you should craft a conclusion to summarize everything you've been talking about. Your conclusion should be clear and must leave a lingering effect on your reader.
Read some tips for mature Nigerian students wanting to study in the UK.
Mistakes to Avoid When Composing Your Statement
A personal statement is a chance to provide important information about yourself within a short time. This might be difficult since you have a lot of things to say, but you need to do an excellent job in composing your statement.
Students make mistakes while composing their statements, and we'll point out some of these mistakes and how to avoid them.
Ignoring Instructions
Most universities give out specifications on what they expect from students in their statements—for example, word count, content structure, font type, and font size. You should stick to the specifications if your school has one.
Repetition and Providing Irrelevant Information
Going over what is already in your application form is telling the admissions officers what they already know. You're expected to provide information about your skills, interests, achievements, and personal experience, not just your interest in a subject.
You don't have to mention all of your hobbies. Instead, focus on your strengths and achievement, stating how relevant they are to the course you want to study.
Exaggerations
Trying to sound cool is a common mistake international students make when composing theirs, hoping it will make the admissions officer see them differently.
We know you're an international student trying to make a good impression, but you have to be honest when composing your statement. Don't try to sugar-coat your words. Instead, focus on a clear and compelling statement.
Writing Errors
Errors are inevitable when you write. The only problem is leaving the errors without correcting them. Leaving errors in your statement gives the admissions officer a poor view of what you're trying to say.
After penning your statement, you must proofread to check for grammar, structure, and spelling errors, then correct them.
Copying a Personal Statement Online
In the quest to write a perfect personal statement, many students forget its purpose by copying different statements online.
A personal statement aims to describe who you are and your career goals. And copying other people's statements will overrule that purpose.
Aside from this, there's a collection of personal statements from previous years in the UCAS online library, so when you copy them, they will be detected easily.
Instead of copying, just check online for a personal statement template. You can also use the UCAS template and worksheet as a guide to creating a unique personal statement.
Writing When the Deadline Is Near
Leaving your statement to the last minute is something you should never do. You need enough time to structure your statement, find the right words and expressions and proofread.
Creating your statement when the deadline is near won't give you enough time to go over what you've written thoroughly. This could be detrimental to your application.
Rushing your statement won't do you any good, so just write it at the right time, go over it and proofread. You can also give it to a trusted agency or person to edit for you.
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