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Guide to higher education 15
• What are their future aims and ambitions
– do they have a particular career in mind?
Paragraphs 2/3/4
Work experience
• Work experience can be a great way for
students to illustrate they have skills, and are
a well-rounded individual who has
participated in activities outside school or
college.
• What tasks did their job role involve and how
have these helped their personal
development?
• What skills do they feel they’ve developed
from work experience? Can they give
examples of how they have developed these?
• Have they been involved in any voluntary
work or project work?
• Have they had any positions of
responsibility?
School/college experience?
• It’s worthwhile for students to write about the
highlights of their time at school and college,
so long as they aren’t repeating information
that’s elsewhere on the form.
• What have they learnt from their current
studies? How do they feel this will help them
progress?
• Have they been involved in any projects
which they found inspiring? Has this project
influenced their decision to study a particular
course?
• What skills do they feel they have developed
during their studies?
Hobbies
• Students should use this paragraph to get
across their personality. They should use at
least one of their hobbies to demonstrate
why they are a good candidate, rather than
just listing hobbies. If any of their activities
relate to the subject they’re interested in,
these should definitely be included.
• Are they involved in any clubs, societies or
sports teams? Have they participated in
any events and received any medals
or certificates?
• How do their hobbies and interests relate to
their aims and ambitions?
• Have they travelled? What have their learned
from that?
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
The personal statement needs to end on a
strong note.
• What aspect of university are they looking
forward to the most?
• What career path would they like to take and
what has led them to make this choice?
• What especially are they hoping to gain from
university
• If the student is taking a gap year, they
should also mention this here, saying what
they will be doing and how this will benefit
them.
It is essential that you advise students not to:
• Use slang, abbreviations or poor English.
• Include too much or waffle – a few well
illustrated examples are better than lots of
lists.
• Exaggerate, lie or plagiarise – admissions
tutors have systems to check this.
• Repeat information that is elsewhere on the
form.
• Include irrelevant or out of date information.
• Write in bullet points.
• Mention any institutions specifically.
Interviews
If students are invited to interview for their
course, questions will be based on their
personal statement which will have been read
closely. For that reason, do caution students
not to include anything which they might be
uncomfortable talking about with a stranger.