UCAS DayTutor lessons
Task 1: What makes a good personalstatement.
•In small groups discuss what you think are thekey features of a good personal statement.You have three minutes to list as many as youcan.
A good personal statement showsevidence of ….
•An obvious motivation/interest/passion to study the subject
•Academic skills and qualities
•Work/practical experience (both voluntary and paid)
•Personal Skills and Qualities:
•A sense of the future( ambitions, goals, expectations, possible careerdirections
•Writing and thinking ability ( are you able to write clearly, organise anargument, back up statements with evidence, communicate effectivelyetc.
Task 2: Demonstrate skills
•One of the things you will have to demonstrate is that youpossess both academic and personal skills.
•Look at the following activities that someone has listed in theirpersonal statement and see if you can think of at least 5 skillsthat they would have developed during these activities. The firsthas been done for you.
Activity
Skills you might develop
Studying biology
Analysis, research, problem-solving, time-management,specific practical and technicalskills, critical thinking
Paired reading
Being a member of an orchestra
Taking part a team enterpriseactivity
Studying history
Being on the school council
Playing hockey for your school
Studying Spanish
Working as a waitress
Activity
Skills you might develop
Studying Biology
Analysis, research, problem-solving, time-management, specific practical andtechnical skills, critical thinking
Paired reading
Communication, ability to motivate others,patience, enthusiasm, commitment,empathy, listening skills
Being a member of an orchestra
Dedication, team player, commitment,listening skills, interpersonal skills, time-management, self-discipline
Taking part a team enterprise activity
Leadership, organisation, planning,decision-making, creative thinking, criticalthinking, problem-solving, numeracy,communication, time-management
Studying history
Critical reasoning, analytical, research, theability to construct an argument, selfreliance, problem-solving, communication,summarising, questioning
Studying history
Critical reasoning, analytical skills,creative thinking, ability to construct anargument, communication skills, researchskills
Being on the school council
Organisational skills, decision making,planning, communication, problem solving
Playing hockey for your school
Teamwork, dedication, leadership,communication, self-discipline, time-management, resilience
Studying Spanish
Communication skills, cultural awareness,listening skills, an ability to lead andparticipate in discussions, an ability tointerpret information, sensitivity
Working as a waitress
Communication, time-management,interpersonal skills organisational, decisionmaking, delegation, team player,multitasking, an ability to work underpressure
Further examples
Further examples can be found at the back of your UCAShandbook.
In a recent survey the number one skill admission tutorswere looking for from students was an ability to workindependently. Do you have self-motivation, are youresilient, can you manage your time effectively.
If you mention these skills/qualities in a personalstatement you will have to back it up with evidence andexamples.
Task 3
•In this task you are going to be looking at samplepersonal statement.
•Working in small groups, read each samplestatement in turn and list its strengths andweaknesses.
Sample Personal Statement 1
•Read the statement through carefully and jotdown its strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
•The student displays interest in the subject
•The student talks about future career plans
•The student has attempted to soundenthusiastic about university.
Weaknesses
•A ‘personality clash’ with a teacher: Never mention a dislike of or lack ofrespect towards one of your teachers or employers
•The part about not wanting to study maths at university is negative and notrelevant (also some business management degrees will have mathematicalelements)
•Its good to talk about the benefits of certain hobbies but saying that boxinghelps to release anger makes this student sound ‘scary’
•The comments about the lack of a debating club are also negative.Admission tutors might wonder why the student could not start a debatingclub at the schools by themselves
•There is too much detail about the part time job in Sainsbury’s and again itpaints a negative picture of the student
Sample Personal Statement 2
•Read the statement through carefully and jotdown its strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
•This student explains how they became interested in studyingAmerican studies very well
•It is good to show how your A level studies have influencedyour choice of course
•Evidence of good research ( for example attending open days)is clear in this statement. This is especially important whenthe subject is not available at A -level
Weaknesses
•There is no need to mention that A-level Politics wasnot available at her school. It implies a criticism of theschool and it is important not to be negative in any way
•It is not advisable to mention universities by nameunless you are only applying to one institution. Itimplies a preference towards the university you arenaming
•Playing hockey in year 10 does not say much about thestudent now; it is best to talk about more recent hobbies
Sample Personal Statement 3
•Read the statement through carefully and jotdown its strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
•This personal statement opens with a good concise summaryof what prompted initial interest in the subject
•The student demonstrates that his interest in his chosensubject goes beyond the classroom, which proves his interestin the subject and will strengthen his application
Weaknesses
•Quotes are goof but keep them short and only usethem if they are relevant to your application
•The closing paragraph is very short and readsabruptly; remember to make use of this lastchance to impress the admissions tutor
•The student could have provided moreinformation on the business he has set up
Task 4: The first draft
•Now it is your turn to think about your own personalstatement. Before you have a go at writing this you will needto think about your skills, knowledge, experience andpersonal qualities.
•You will also have to think about how to structure yourstatement. A writing frame can be useful in helping youorganise your thoughts and ideas.
• Complete the writing frame below and then use it to help youconstruct a first draft. If you are not sure exactly what youwant to study you can concentrate on other sections of thestatement.
Plenary Task
•Work with partner to peer assess each othersfirst attempt at a personal statement.
•List what you think are the strengths andweaknesses of each others work.