UCAS personal statement help

knip

knip

knip

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A mate of mine has asked me to post this as shes having a bit of bother writing her personal statement.
She is applying to UCAS to study a BSc (Hons) in physiotherapy, and doesnt quite know what to say to "big it up" a bit, and make herself sound interesting.

Has anyone written one, and can give her some tips please?
Thanks
:)
 
Red and White said:
if you post what you have already then people can jazz it up. i doubt anyone can write a personal statement for someone they've never met with no info on her.
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She says she'll get on and do it, but she also kind of wants help and tips for what she should actually put in it.
 
Motivation for why she's doing it. Relevant previous experience, but again relate that to why she wants to do it. Just make everything sound impressive like a CV. Without the specifics of what she's done, it's hard to give a list of things that should be in there.
 
I'd use gumbald's advice, try to relate what she has previously done to the course but also it might help to include extra-curricular activities so that she can show that it isn't her only area of interest. However I've just re-read my personal statement from about 6-7 years ago now and I can't believe how much of a load of tosh it was so it probably doesn't make that much difference. :)
 
Only include information that can be used to show why you would be a good candidate.

My statement was short, precise and sold myself well for this reason. Why include anything else?
 
She need to really get across why she wants to do it, why she will be suited to the course. She needs to have a tiny bit mentioning how she will be suited to uni life and will cope accordingly. Any personal achievements should be written with pride no matter how minuscule you personally think they are. Try to get across that you are a good person.

Also a big tip, don't lie TOO much, as if you go to an interview and you have written something that makes you stand out, you can be picked up on it, and having to explain in depth a lie, is quite a challenge :)
 
Use concrete examples to illustrate your desire to study what you've applied for. As my tutor said, they want to hear about experience relevant to your choice, not 'I like socialising and playing tiddlywinks'.

Nitefly said:
My statement was short, precise and sold myself well for this reason. Why include anything else?
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I did exactly the same thing, no waffling, there was a short 3 sentance statement at the start as a general look at my choice, however it got to the point about what interests me. Then I go into what I have done to develop this.

bringerofdecay said:
can has universitiez plaice? :D
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Lol....
 
Ok heres what shes done so far, and she would very much value peoples opinions, its not finished yet, she wants to do a degree in physiotherapy as you can see.

I have always had a keen interest on how the body works, it’s such a complex organism that fascinates me. This is the very reason why I have decided Physiotherapy is the degree I want to study and eventually practice. Physiotherapy has always played a large part in my life, and the lives of people around me. I have experienced how the help of a physiotherapist can impact and affect someone’s life in a positive way.

I am a self motivated individual, who puts 100% into everything I do. Since starting college I have learnt a lot about myself and strengths I possess, this will benefit me a great deal whilst studying at university. I have learnt about the importance of time management, and have been able to effectively study on the Access course as well as having a part time job. After having a gap in studies I was beginning to question my abilities. Any doubt I previously had has now gone and I have found confidence in myself and my capabilities, and have a great determination to succeed as a Physiotherapist.

My employment history gives me a great base of qualities to build my studies on. I have learnt how to work as an individual, whilst at the same time being able to be an effective team member. I have experienced working with people of different age ranges, and also with people from different backgrounds and different cultural origins. My time as a team leader allowed me to develop skills such as delegation and problem solving, and has allowed me to be independent and responsible for my decisions.

I was lucky to have the chance to travel to Chile where I stayed for a month. I travelled around and stayed in various different places, and met many different people.
 
Maybe she could specify the actual jobs she has done. A short bit on what she does in her free time might be beneficial too.
 
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Looks pretty good, I would say she needs to elaborate on the skills and strengths she possess', such as independent learning, desire to extend her knowledge in her field, personal management skills, <insert more generic university skills>

I would also elaborate slightly more on her time in Chile, what did she gain from the trip etc.
 
Put extra-curricular stuff - make sure you are represented as a "well rounded person".

Put books you have read that relate to the course and how they helped you learn something - show you can study on ** own. - if you haven't read any - read some.

What you learnt from your A level courses and how it has helped you to "better yourself", hopefully make it relevant.

Things like Young Enterprise, Curriculum enrichment programme and prefecting/mentoring (sp?) are always good...

...essentially why you are a good candidate for the course, show you have enthusiasm and want to work.

Most of all keep it crisp, clear and too the point...you only have 4000 characters and maybe 4-5 paragraphs..
 
knip said:
**snip**
I was lucky to have the chance to travel to Chile where I stayed for a month. I travelled around and stayed in various different places, and met many different people.[/I]
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This last line could do with some more depth, seems a bit vague at the minute. What exactly did she get upto when travelling which directly relates to her course choice?.. What skills did she improve on or pickup through meeting different people and experiencing their culture etc..

Also you don't want the personal statement to sound too scripted.

As a general guideline something like:

> Reason for Choosing Course.
> More depth into what you think you're going to get out of it and why.
> Skills/personality traits relevant, also any relevant work experience.
> Brief paragraph on other interests/hobbies/employment
> Final summary of course choice.

Something along those lines!
 
When I applied through UCAS, i get the impression they just wanted to see if I was interested in the course really and had the grades to get on the course, rather than anything else.

Also because there were only 2 unis I was interested in going to and 6 places you could chose on the UCAS form, I filled in 5 with different engineering courses from the same uni, seemed to make the interviewer think that I was dedicated on going to that uni :p Might be worth doing if your friend has any spare options for it, just put it on similar courses at the same uni.
 
The rest of it reads
I was lucky to have the chance to travel to Chile where I stayed for a month. I travelled around and stayed in various different places, and met many different people. This journey is of great value to me, and allowed me to open to my eyes to the vast opportunities that are available to experience. I see studying at university as an opportunity and I am going grasp this with both hands.

I am a keen follower of football, and support Bristol City. I have met lots of different people as a result of this, and am a member of the Supporters Trust. My main role within the Supporters Trust is volunteering to set up an Under 16’s travel service for away games. With a team of people I am responsible for the safety and well being of the children.

I feel that experiences I have had and qualities that I’ve achieved have ensured that I am ready to take on the challenge of university, to achieve my dream of becoming a physiotherapist. I’m looking forward to attending university and the challenges that are going to meet me, but even more I’m looking forward to overcoming these challenges and making the most of the opportunities that I am given.
 
Grammatical errors aside, I think it is pretty good actually.

Perhaps she could expand on the trip to Chile a bit more though. It's all well and good saying you travelled and met people, but, without elaborating a bit further, it is actually quite hard to get across to other people just what you gained from doing it. Was she there volunteering? Did she have any particular experiences during it that really stood out?
 
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