What makes a good personal statement?

One of the most stressful things about the new academic year is deadlines piling up in the first term, whether it's deadlines to choose subjects, apply to university or finish schoolwork. It is one of the things that makes the first term of school perhaps the most difficult term in school. One of these deadlines that in my experience prove to be the most stressful is writing and submitting your personal statement. I have read many personal statements for various subjects throughout the years, and am now going to share some tips on what I think makes a great personal statement.

Avoid cliches

I cannot emphasise this one enough. Admissions tutors go through hundreds, maybe even thousands of applications every year, so you need to do everything you can to make yourself stand out from the masses. Cliches like ‘I want to study medicine because I want to change the world’ certainly do not help your case even if it is true. They also make you come across as somewhat insincere and pretentious, so simply try to be as honest as you can in your application. It is okay to have developed an interest in the subject only a few years ago and to not have been doing it ‘ever since you could talk’!

Do not list 

One of the main aims of a personal statement is to convey your passion for the subject and one way in which most people do this is to take part in extracurricular activities, read books and articles around the subject and generally do things beyond the curriculum. Whilst this is important to demonstrate, listing the books you have read with no further elaboration is not helpful. You need to show what you have learnt and enjoyed from the experiences, rather than simply your summer reading list. Even a few things but well discussed makes a far better personal statement than a large amount of activities but with no evidence of what you’ve learnt from it.

Be concise and relevant

There is a character and line limit to your personal statement, and msot of the time this is the only piece of writing the universities will see. Being concise is incredibly important as being able to write well and concisely is a great skill and will make you stand out, but will also mean you can talk about more in your personal statement. It is also not a very long document, usually just over an A4 page typed, so staying relevant and prioritising what you will talk about is crucial. If you are applying to various different courses, this becomes increasingly important as your personal statement has to be balanced and display interest in the various subjects you have chosen to study. 

The style and focus of your personal statement will vary slightly based on what subjects you are applying to, but in general, these are some things to keep in mind when writing one. Your first draft is never going to be anywhere near the final version - it will go through several alterations by yourself and your teachers, so don’t be disheartened if your first draft does not turn out as good as you want it to be. And the final thing is something I tell my students every year but there is always someone who doesn't listen, but don’t leave this to the last minute! It is an incredibly important and difficult document to write, so leave yourself enough time to edit and change it till you are completely happy with it. Good luck with your applications!