HOW TO WRITE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT?

 

HOW TO WRITE UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT?

Before knowing the strategy of how to write a UCAS personal statement, it is important to know the rules stated by UCAS. General Instructions:

• If you are applying to UK universities for your undergraduate, you will be needing one personal statement at the time of the application.
• This personal statement will go to all the five universities you will be applying to through UCAS so you would not be having a chance to include university-specific offerings in it.
• DO make a note of the word limit. Your personal statement should not exceed 47 lines or 4000 characters. It would be approximately 500 words.

SO THE QUESTION IS HOW YOU SHOULD START WRITING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT, I WOULD SAY, DO NOT START WITH WRITING INSTEAD START WITH BRAINSTORMING.

• Brainstorm and try to list down all the academic achievements, activities and experiences of your life.
• List down the courses you have taken in high school, the projects you were involved in and any other additional courses you have done.
• Pick the extracurricular activities which will showcase your personality traits and values.
• Activities with leadership roles, community services, good communication skills, teamwork and initiatives.
• The UK universities are more academic-focused and more interested in knowing how you are an academic fit for their university. So now you have to relook at the list you have created and reorganize it in such a way that how they can be best related to your academic interest. Confused?
• Talk about the courses which are the either base of the program you are interested in or they are directly or indirectly related to your program at the university. For example, if you are applying for an engineering program, showcase your strength in Maths, Physics or Chemistry and if you are doing well in any other course, try to relate the skills you have gained which are required to pursue that program. Hope you get it now?
• This would be easier if you are applying for one program in all the universities but what if you have selected different programs? Do not worry! Think about how you can tie them together. List down the areas which are common. For example, if you are applying for an engineering and sciences program, you can still talk about the science subjects and the laboratory work involved in both the courses. Right?
• The next step is to list down the reason for pursuing a degree program in the UK in short. Why the UK? Reputed universities, academic excellence, programs, etcetera. Mention your English language skills and the test scores which you must have taken.
• Last is your goal. Why do you want to pursue this program? It could be your career or to have a degree in a specific field. What do you want to do in your life? Describe that.

NOW THAT WE HAVE BRAINSTORMED AND HAVE ALL THE CONTENT REQUIRED TO CRAFT A STRONG UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT, IT’S TIME TO START WRITING !!

All personal statements and essays have three parts. Introduction, details and conclusion. Follow this structure while writing your personal statement.

1. INTRODUCTION

The beginning of the Personal statement should by demonstrating your interest in the subject. How did this interest begin? Grab the reader’s attention by starting your story with an anecdote.

2. DETAILS

Add three-four paragraphs based on the length and the word limit on proving your strengths to pursue the program. You may divide your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, additional courses and your values into 3-4 paragraphs. Add one paragraph about why the UK.

3. CONCLUSION

End the personal statement by writing about your goals which we discussed earlier and we are done. Do not forget to proofread.

UCAS PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE FOR ECONOMICS

 Growing up in what seems to be the Middle East’s most diversified and fastest-growing economy has certainly fascinated me, so has to witness the unfolding of certain events and their direct implications on financial markets and economies on a global scale. An organization’s ability to make an informed financial decision and to then allocate the necessary resources to solve the issue is definitely a subject that excites me since it requires a deeper understanding of the economy and specific financial techniques and the reasoning behind them.  Part-taking in the Economics and Social Science section in the French system has most definitely given me a deeper understanding of the economy. Allowing me to view real-life scenarios under different scopes, from an enterprise’s point of view but also from a governmental and regulatory perspective.  What, perhaps, interested me the most was the relations held between consumers, firms and governments. Reading Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by MIT economist David Acemoglu and John Alan Robinson, has deepened my understanding of this field as it has shown me the effects of such a successful dynamic relationship. I was particularly fond of the theory of ‘inclusive economic institutions, one which argues that the state should be the one creating the incentives for companies to invest and innovate through assuring the respect of private property laws and enforcing contract law. This combination of free-market and state solutions resonated well with me as this is the basis of many critical financial decisions taken by enterprises. Many companies attempt to make strategic decisions, most notably in capital allocations as it is the most valuable resource in an establishment. In an effort to understand the logic behind the use of specific finance techniques and financial decision-making, I opened a paper trading account. Grasping the direct correlation between the economy and financial markets was fascinating. My understanding of this situation was further enhanced by my specialization in mathematics. This has given me the opportunity to develop my critical thinking abilities and quantitative skills, making it easier to understand basic financial concepts but also more advanced notions, like beta weighting and risk management. Furthermore, having also taken the OIB (Option Internationale du Baccalaureat), a rigorous program within the French system, pushed me to analyze certain situations in English literature and history. This course has aided me in developing my essay writing, structuring and analytical skills most notably in history where merging certain studies and notions is a must to prove an argument. Besides being academically beneficial, it also helped me develop other qualities that can only be acquired through experience. Such competencies include time management and the ability to work hard under pressure.  Participating in Oxford’s and King’s Summer Courses over the last 2 years in Business Management and Finance further enhanced my team working skills. In addition to learning how to run a profitable company through appropriate resource allocation, I also played the role of team leader allowing me to work on my communication as well as my negotiating skills. Following the completion of these courses, I started my own sneaker reselling business. In under 6 months, I managed to make over 3500£ with as little as 150£ starting capital by managing my finances and analyzing data to maximize profits. Perhaps the most exciting part was witnessing firsthand how a simple change in capital management, such as allocating more capital to marketing expenses contributed to bigger profits. Perhaps the most exciting part was witnessing firsthand how a simple change in capital management, such as allocating more capital to marketing expenses contributed to bigger profits.  Personally, the thought of working in investment banking intrigues me because it combines management skills and financial knowledge but also a deep understanding of macroeconomics and its implications on financial markets.