UCAS Personal Statement.. Should I write another one?

[PapaHett]

I'm applying as an external candidate this year, repeating some exams in January.. As I didn't get what I needed last year.

But, should I write a brand new Personal Statement? Or just ammend the other one?

I got offers to courses; BBB, ABB, last year..

The course is Mechanical Engineering.

[v15ben]

I'd imagine much of the content about your experiences, extra curricular activities and reasons for applying to the course are the same so I'd be amending the previous statement very carefully rather than starting from scratch. I did the same when applying to different unis or slightly different courses when I was heading to uni.

[rocksteadyeddie]

Just try and make it interesting. Too many personal statements have been copied and pasted from personalstatementsdirect.com and read exactly that way.

In fact I would go further and say don't bother at all, unless the application specifically asks you to do so, as 99% of them are like that described above.

Edited by rocksteadyeddie on Wednesday 16th December 11:35

[james_gt3rs]

You won't need to re-write it. I'm assuming that it was good enough because you were offered places at unis with fairly high entry requirements, and it was your final grades that were the problem.

Just amend a few bits and try and get those grades this time!

[parakitaMol.]

PapaHett said:

I'm applying as an external candidate this year, repeating some exams in January.. As I didn't get what I needed last year.

But, should I write a brand new Personal Statement? Or just ammend the other one?

I got offers to courses; BBB, ABB, last year..

The course is Mechanical Engineering.

Updating should be fine but there is a wealth of information about Personal Statements on the net - and some good books around - well worth the effort to get it right.

Try www.ucas.ac.uk,

www.prospects.ac.uk,

'Merlin' and 'The Student Room'.

Edited by parakitaMol. on Tuesday 15th December 20:23

[PapaHett]

I'm in the middle of finishing up my UCAS.. I'm ammending my personal statement, and have to take a chunk out of it. And write a bit about me resitting exams etc..

I'm just curious what this is like for an opening paragraph?

Having failed to gain entry to university for the 2009/10 entry, I have decided to re-sit a number of exams in January of 2010 to enter higher education for the 2010/11 term. In each of my subjects, I was less than 10 marks off the higher grade and retaking these exams will allow me to come out having achieved considerably higher grades in all of my subjects.

Should I write more/less.. Or would that do it?

[parakitaMol.]

PapaHett said:

I'm in the middle of finishing up my UCAS.. I'm ammending my personal statement, and have to take a chunk out of it. And write a bit about me resitting exams etc..

I'm just curious what this is like for an opening paragraph?

Having failed to gain entry to university for the 2009/10 entry, I have decided to re-sit a number of exams in January of 2010 to enter higher education for the 2010/11 term. In each of my subjects, I was less than 10 marks off the higher grade and retaking these exams will allow me to come out having achieved considerably higher grades in all of my subjects.

Should I write more/less.. Or would that do it?

I think you need to edit that right back and make it a lot more positive.... instead of starting with 'having failed' - maybe "in order to gain a place on the XXX course, I retook my exams to improve my grades". If you even need to mention re-sits at all? (I am not a guidance expert)

Your personal statement is about your suitability to gain a place on the course you want - not an explanation of your previous attempt and there is too much detail about terms and marks.

Did you read the links and websites mentioned previously and have you looked at the guidance on the UCAS website? look at the department info of the institution you are applying to, attend open days, see the course info and uni info - call the Faculty head and have a chat and tailor your statement to make it relevant to everything you want to do. Think of it like a job application - you're trying to impress them and demonstrate you know what you want to do, that you are interested in it and that you'd be a great student - not answer to them about how you've gone about it!

Edited by parakitaMol. on Tuesday 15th December 20:22

[OzzyR1]

Good advice in para's 1st two paragraphs above - I would go that way.

[PapaHett]

Ah, didn't really think about it that way.. Thanks very much, I ammended it.

I dont suppose anyone would be interested in reading my personal statement? I dont really want to post it up on the forum. But would email it to anyone if they were up for it, it would only take a few minutes.. But i'd appreciate any feedback.

[parakitaMol.]

I'm afraid that other than a few hints and tips I wouldn't want to 'advise' as I'm not a careers and HE guidance professional. I am also not around for the rest of the week. I am sure someone will help on the English and grammar side of things though.

Have you read and checked against this:

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/applying/howtoapply...

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/applying/howtoapply...

http://www.ucas.ac.uk/students/applying/howtoapply...

http://www.studential.com/personalstatements/

You will NOT be wasting your time with research on this. It's vital you tick the boxes for the university/faculty - remember that they want the following:

a)good course attendance so they don't lose students half way through (and have to change or combine courses - meaning your syllabus could change)

b)good results when you graduate (so they stay high in league tables and remain attractive)

c)students who stay the duration of the course (they receive two tranches of funding in the 1st year according to attendance and then each year after)

d)to be recognised for delivering excellent quality degree programmes (therefore they want the best students who stick on the course)


Co-incidentally I spend the day yesterday with the ex CEO of UCAS (now CEO of AQA).