Applications for courses for the next academic year are now open. You now have less than two months to complete your application. You might think that’s a long time, but with the Christmas break coming up, you will feel better for getting it finished sooner rather than later. If you want a successful application, here are some tips to follow to ensure maximum interest.
About The Personal Statement
Your application will hinge on the mini essay at the end of the form. You have 4,000 characters on the web form, (around 700-800 words), so this should be a breeze compared to some of your A-Level academic essays.
However, we understand that it’s not always easy to write about yourself. It’s not easy to sing your own praises. It’s also not easy not to embellish your achievements. Equally, some people forget the most important stuff. That’s why we recommend the following tips.
Tip 1: Shut Yourself Away
The personal statement is the most vital part of your application. You need peace and quiet. That means gong to a library or shutting yourself in a quiet room to do it. Choose somewhere you are unlikely to experience distractions and a time when distractions are unlikely.
Tip 2: Plan
It might be tempting to sit down and simply write, but when you do that you will either quickly run out of space or run out of ideas before you get anywhere near the 4,000 character limit. Like any academic essay, your UCAS personal statement needs structure including an intro, body and conclusion. Compile a list of relevant things to put in the statement before you start.
Tip 3: Focus on Why You Want to Study This Subject
Nobody wants to feel they are just making up the numbers. With competition for places still incredibly high, no university wants to feel you only applied there because you just wanted to fill your quota of five universities. Think of this as the most important job application you are ever likely to fill out and really sell your interest in the course.
Tip 4: Don’t Forget to Mention Outside Interests
This applies especially if you are applying as a mature student when personal interests and factors other than A-Level results. You need to demonstrate passion for the subject and a willingness to learn it for its own sake. Many forget that the UCAS application is not just about academic qualifications, but interest too.
Tip 5: Aim for Brevity
Just as you would with an academic essay, you should aim to keep it tight. Do away with anything that might be less relevant and keep sentences short and punchy. You will also need to read for typos, grammatical errors and word misuse. The clearer your personal statement is to read, the more likely they are to offer you a place.