Personalise your personal statement
Study abroad applicants should already be well into the drafting stages
of their college essays by now. If you are applying for undergraduate
studies in the UK (except Oxford or Cambridge or medical, dental or
veterinary courses) your UCAS application and required ‘Personal
Statement’ is due on January 15 (check www.ucas.com to find out the
specific deadlines and requirements for your course). For the US,
regular decision deadline on January 1, 2013, you have about two months
to finish your required essays.
Once you know the deadlines, you need to understand how to write the
essay. For UK applicants the topic is fairly straightforward and you
typically only need to write one personal statement in a maximum of 4000
characters. The UCAS website gives some helpful tips on what to include
in the personal statement:
(www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement/). In
general, the UCAS personal statement should discuss why you have chosen a
particular course, your skills and achievements, hobbies and interests,
any relevant work experience, why you want to study in the UK and any
future plans you have after college.
Once you know the deadlines, you need to understand how to write the
essay. For UK applicants the topic is fairly straightforward and you
typically only need to write one personal statement in a maximum of 4000
characters. The UCAS website gives some helpful tips on what to include
in the personal statement:
(www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement/). In
general, the UCAS personal statement should discuss why you have chosen a
particular course, your skills and achievements, hobbies and interests,
any relevant work experience, why you want to study in the UK and any
future plans you have after college.
The US application essays are much more complex. To apply to any
of the 400+ colleges that use the Common Application, you will need to
write a 500word essay on any one of six topics and a short essay of 1000
characters on an extracurricular activity or work experience (see
www.commonapp.org for details). In addition, you must write any number
of specific ‘supplemental’ essays for the college where you are
applying. However many colleges like UC Berkeley and MIT, Georgia Tech,
do not use the Common Application but have their own set of essay
questions. There is no easy way to summarise this process except to say
that if you are applying to the US, expect to write a lot of essays.
But what should you write about? Unlike UCAS, the US college essays topics are directed to get you to relate a specific experience through which the reader can learn something about your character or your approach to life. When asked, admissions officers claim that the essay is the part of the application where they really get to understand the student, beyond numbers and scores. An applicant who simply repeats achievements that are listed in the application forms has missed the opportunity to bring their application to life. For example, if you started a garbage recycling initiative in your neighbourhood, write about how you motivated people and organised their participation. This will demonstrate leadership, passion and commitment; something you cannot express elsewhere in your application.
In a recent Business Insider interview, a former Dartmouth admissions officer said, “Most essays are not very memorable. I think people should be willing to take a larger risk with essays.” Remember that admissions officers are reading hundreds of essays. If your topic is common or the writing is boring, you will be overlooked. Write catchy, engaging prose that gets your reader’s attention and then take them on a journey to get to know you through one specific incident. Remember that the essay is not a chance to showcase all of your accomplishments—it is a chance to show that you can learn from a small experience, connect it to your past experiences and let it guide you in your future.
But what should you write about? Unlike UCAS, the US college essays topics are directed to get you to relate a specific experience through which the reader can learn something about your character or your approach to life. When asked, admissions officers claim that the essay is the part of the application where they really get to understand the student, beyond numbers and scores. An applicant who simply repeats achievements that are listed in the application forms has missed the opportunity to bring their application to life. For example, if you started a garbage recycling initiative in your neighbourhood, write about how you motivated people and organised their participation. This will demonstrate leadership, passion and commitment; something you cannot express elsewhere in your application.
In a recent Business Insider interview, a former Dartmouth admissions officer said, “Most essays are not very memorable. I think people should be willing to take a larger risk with essays.” Remember that admissions officers are reading hundreds of essays. If your topic is common or the writing is boring, you will be overlooked. Write catchy, engaging prose that gets your reader’s attention and then take them on a journey to get to know you through one specific incident. Remember that the essay is not a chance to showcase all of your accomplishments—it is a chance to show that you can learn from a small experience, connect it to your past experiences and let it guide you in your future.
ESSAY IT RIGHT
Create a list of your ideas before writing the real thing.
Ask people you trust for their feedback.
Check university websites that usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want students to demonstrate.
Ask people you trust for their feedback.
Check university websites that usually tell you the criteria and qualities that they want students to demonstrate.
Don't feel that you need to use elaborate language. If you try too
hard to impress with long words that you are not confident using, the
focus of your writing may be lost.
Don't lie or exaggerate as you may get caught out at the interview if asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
Don't leave it to the last minute—your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out. Source: www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement
Don't lie or exaggerate as you may get caught out at the interview if asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
Don't leave it to the last minute—your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out. Source: www.ucas.com/students/applying/howtoapply/personalstatement
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