Your personal statement for Oxford and Cambridge
should be considered a springboard for your interview
and you could and should expect to be questioned about any single detail of it.
How important is the personal statement for Oxford?
Tutors at Oxford are only interested in your academic ability and potential. …
Tutors will read your personal statement to try to understand what
has motivated you to apply for their course.
Does Oxford care about personal statement?
Tutors at Oxford are only interested in your academic ability and potential. …
Tutors will read your personal statement to try to understand what
has motivated you to apply for their course.
Do UK universities care about personal statements?
Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, said a survey of 118 universities by Ucas in 2016 found that
89% of them used personal statements in their initial decision making
. … Some students may meanwhile have extenuating reasons for under-performance, and a statement can let universities know about it.
Do universities actually care about personal statements?
What do universities look for in a personal statement? In cases where a decision is not clear cut, academics say a
strong personal statement can tip the balance in the applicant's favour
. Students might get lower grade offers based on how good their personal statement is.
What does Oxford look for in a personal statement?
We typically suggest that you focus around 80% of your
personal statement on your academic interests, abilities and achievements
. This can include discussion of any relevant extra-curricular activities. The remaining 20% can then cover any unrelated extra-curricular activities.
How long is an Oxford personal statement?
Your personal statement should be at most,
4,000 characters or 47 lines
, whichever you meet first. Although it can be shorter, we strongly recommend taking full advantage of the available space.
What should you not put in a personal statement?
- NEGATIVITY. …
- NOT MENTIONING YOUR SKILLS & ACHEIVEMENTS. …
- EXAGGERATION & OUTRIGHT LIES. …
- POOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR. …
- NOT GETTING FEEDBACK. …
- STATING THE OBVIOUS. …
- TALKING ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD. …
- THE WORD PASSION.
Can a personal statement make a difference?
The personal statement is a great opportunity to show off your writing skills as well as your determination to succeed while telling the reader why you are applying to their program – and why you should be accepted.
How do you write a strong personal statement?
- Make a draft without a character counter. …
- Take your time. …
- Find the perfect words and expressions. …
- Concentrate on your strengths. …
- Find the perfect opening sentence. …
- Make it your own work, voice and ideas. …
- Be honest. …
- Get someone to proofread your statement.
How do you end a personal statement?
- Tie it back to what you've written earlier. …
- Talk about the future. …
- Your university experience. …
- Take a break and come back to it. …
- Read back what you've written. …
- Don't waffle. …
- Make notes as you write. …
- What do your UCAS choices have in common?
What does a good personal statement look like?
Your personal statement should include
a brief overview of who you are
, your strengths and any work experience and/or education you've got. Be sure to include skills you've gained, such as time management, customer service, teamwork, computer skills etc.
How long is a med school personal statement?
The good news is that the AMCAS personal statement prompt—“Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to medical school”—is intentionally vague and gives you the opportunity to write about anything you want, in
up to 5,300 characters (with spaces)
, which roughly corresponds to 500 words or 1.5 single-spaced …
Can you lie in your personal statement?
Untruths. Admissions tutors will be able to spot any fictions in your application. Firstly, and most crucially:
never, ever lie in your personal statement
. If you do, it will almost certainly come back to haunt you.
