How to write a postgraduate personal statement … our 8 top tips
Our Deputy Head of student admissions Paul Tebbutt has put together the perfect guide to writing a postgraduate personal statement.
You thought the days of personal statements were behind you, but if you’re thinking of making a postgraduate application you might need some guidance on how to craft the perfect statement.
- Pull out your old undergraduate personal statement.
It could be a little bit cringe, or it might be one of the best things you’ve ever written. Your undergraduate version will give you a rough idea of how a personal statement should sound and the sort of things you need to include, in case you’ve forgotten.
However, the new focus will be on what you’ve done following A Levels and GCSEs.
2. Be passionate about why you want to study a postgraduate.
A good place to begin your personal statement is why you want to study at a postgraduate level. Talk about the areas you are passionate about and how you hope to develop your ideas and research further through higher study. If you have a specific dissertation or essay topic in mind you can talk briefly about what inspired you to choose your idea and how it will develop from studying a masters.
3. Connect with your undergraduate degree.
Your path through education has been a journey, and it’s a good indication of how you’ve got to where you are today. If the masters you are applying for is in the same field as your bachelors, you can talk about why you chose to study it and how that influenced you to take your education further.
If your undergraduate is in a different subject area, you can still mention it in your personal statement if you can make a connection between the two different levels of study. For instance, you may have discovered your true passion whilst conducting research for an essay, or maybe through the recommendation of a tutor, or maybe to further your dream career.
4. Societies and extra curricular.
After exploring your passion for postgraduate and undergraduate study, now is a good place to discuss any hobbies that you do that may be relevant. Any societies that relate to your postgraduate course are particularly useful as it will show your interest and involvement in university life, as well as being a good example of how you balanced your education with your personal life.
5. Work Experience and volunteering.
Any work experience or volunteering that you’ve done will be a great addition to your personal statement. Concentrate on aspects relevant to course you are applying to. You can talk about what skills and abilities you have gained from employment, and what you have learned from volunteering work and how it has affected you.
6. Goals, dreams, and the future.
You’ve delved into your previous education, and you’ve talked about your desire to study a masters; it’s now time to talk about the future and what goals you have for after your postgraduate degree. If you have dreams of earning a doctorate now is the time to talk about it, along with any other further research you wish to undertake.
This also includes talking about any professions you want to get into which a masters degree will be mandatory or beneficial for.
7. Your personal qualities.
It’s time to talk about yourself. Make a connection between your talents and what is required to study at postgraduate level.
A good tip is to acknowledge that a masters is more intense and involves a lot more self-teaching and research than your undergraduate degree. Make sure to showcase your time management skills by offering good examples, and describe how well you can cope with large volumes of work in a pressure filled environment.
Talk about your achievements. It’s about you — make yourself stand out. What are you proud of? What responsibility do you have in your life? It’s time to humble brag.
If you decided to take a gap year now is a good time to talk about why you made that decision, what you will be doing on your gap year, and how it will equip you for postgraduate study.
Remember, it is important that you don’t just list your interests and activities.
8. Take a break, redraft, proofread.
Completing your personal statement should be similar to handing in an essay. Take a break from the screen and come back later, as spotting mistakes will be a lot easier with fresh eyes.
Avoid the ‘obvious statements’ such as “I read”, “I socialise with friends”, “I like to travel.”
Redraft and edit it so each paragraph flows nicely into the next, and make sure you aren’t jumping all over the place. The average length of your personal statement should be 4000 characters (600 words) so make sure you don’t waffle, but don’t undersell yourself.
Remember that your should treat your personal statement in the same way you would a job application. Be clear, be concise, and make sure you check the entry requirements for the course. Your personal statement should include experience that reflects all the entry requirements for the course.
If possible you should let somebody knowledgeable in your subject take a look at your personal statement to correct any errors. However, remember that it is your personal statement and the words should come from you.
