Writing a Postgraduate Personal
Statement
If you're applying for a
Masters degree or other type of postgraduate course, you may classify writing the personal statement as the last thing that you care about
doing ,but in fact writing an excellent personal statement is more important
than you think and it plays a major role in increasing your opportunity .
here is a little guide to help you understand what a good Postgraduate personal
statement should achieve, how to get started on putting it together, and
complete a polished final draft ready to send off.
What's the aim of a Postgraduate personal statement?
Each time you submit an application, you will usually be required to write a personal statement.
Length of a Postgraduate Personal Statement
Typically you will be allowed
around 1 side of A4 to say why you think you should be accepted on to the
course. there are many things to consider first before knowing the structure of your statement .
Sometimes you will just be
asked to provide a statement that supports your application, though at other
times you will be given more of a description of what to include.
For example, if you are
applying for a PGCE course you may choose to use the following
tip:
Describe briefly your reasons
for wanting to teach giving the relevance of your previous education and
experience, including teaching, visits to schools and work with other young
people.
There will be times when you
are not given any clear indication of what you should include in your
statement, so we’ve written some guidelines to help you put together a
well-structured statement.
this is an outline to follow if this is the case.
Before you start your Postgraduate personal statement
Before starting to write your
first draft of your personal
statement, use the points below as a guide.
Try to put together a paragraph
of 2 or 3 sentences for each question, as this will help you construct a good
personal statement that focuses on what the reader is interested to find out.
Notes
About You
Why do
you want to pursue postgraduate study?
This would likely to be based
around your career choice and personal development and achievement.
What
are your reasons for wanting to study at a particular university?
It may be the university’s
educational reputation, the course you want to join is highly recommended for
excellence, or that the location is where you would like to pursue your career
goals following completion of you course.
Why is
this particular course of most interest to you?
Perhaps consider the career
route you wish to take means the course is highly relevant to that choice or
that you want to study it because of your personal interests.
What
aspects of the course are of particular interest to you? e.g. specialist
modules, work placement opportunity.
You may have discovered that
the chance of work experience whilst you study; or the excellent job prospects
upon completion of your course are particularly alluring.
What
previous academic and practical experience have you got that shows your
interest in your chosen subject?
Did you take up work experience
whilst studying at your last educational facility or were your grades
particularly impressive?
Maybe you have been part of a
specialist club or have taken on additional interests in your chosen subject.
What about mentioning if you
took a year out to get involved in a relevant activity?
Make sure you include
everything that is relevant to your application.
What
skills do you have that will help you make the transition between undergraduate
and postgraduate study and make you succeed in the research area?
Consider in this area if you
have taken part in a skills programme which helps you with language and study
as an undergraduate or postgraduate.
Think about the skills you
learned or developed during your undergraduate degree or other previous
studies. These might include time management, IT, numeracy, communication or
analytical skills, as well as practical skills gained from field or laboratory
work.
Try to give
an example that
demonstrates you have each of these skills - admissions tutors want to see
proof behind your claims.
We go into a little more detail
in the section below ‘What Should I Include in my Personal Statement’.
General guidelines for
writing your Postgraduate personal statement
Do not
use the same statement for each application – each one will require slightly different
content depending on the university you are applying to and the content of the
course.
Therefore it’s important to
research each university and what’s involved in each course, so you can see
what is unique about each of your choices and how they each stand apart from
the others.
Don't
underestimate how
difficult it can be to write a good personal statement that will do you
justice. Therefore make sure you give yourself ample time to write it.
Always
use good vocabulary and grammar – well-written sentences that flow easily
will make your statement more fresh and dynamic compared to other applicants.
There are many ways to discover
good grammar and language by visiting the library or going online - some pieces
of software available free of charge can check your grammar for you. Avoid
Americanisation’s (unless of course you are American!).
Do not
use overly long sentences.
Try to keep the tone of your statement positive and
enthusiastic. You also need to demonstrate you are able to make the points
required in a concise manner, and make sure you adhere to the word limit.
Write a draft and keep checking
it, shortening if you need to and rewriting it until it feels right.
Perhaps get someone else to
read it and provide you with any errors they spot as you tweak it.
When you've completed your
final draft, make sure you use the spelling and grammar checker on your
computer to correct any obvious mistakes.
How to
Structure a Postgraduate Personal Statement
Your statement should be
structured, with a clear introduction, main body and end.
The aim of the introduction is
to grab the reader’s attention and hold it so they remain interested and read
to the end of your statement.
In the main body of the
statement you should concentrate on relating your skills, knowledge and
experience in the field and how this relates to the course you are applying
for.
When you think your statement
is as good as you can make it, ask a few friends or family members to take a
look at it and see if they can suggest any improvements. You could also ask one
of your last teachers to check it for you.
Print off a copy of each
statement you write as what you have written will probably be referred to in
your interview. It’s important you remember what you have written so you can
answer any questions from the admissions tutors as fully as possible.
What
should I include in my personal statement?
As mentioned above, there are
many different things to include. The following is a list of areas you could
potentially cover in your statement, remembering to keep a positive view on all
of the things you choose to include:
Why you want to do this
particular course/study this particular area of research – write down your
reasons why you are interested in and enthusiastic about pursuing further study
into the field.
Convey your motivation and
mention any relevant projects, dissertations or essays that demonstrate your
skills. Put down anything that shows creativity, responsibility and
independence.
You should also mention any
prizes or awards you have, plus any relevant travelling experiences or time
spent studying abroad.
Finally
It's important to remember that
a personal statement is meant to be "personal".
Almost every postgraduate
course requires one, it provides the department with information about you
whereas your application will cover the formal details such as where you last
studied, your grades, which course you are applying for.
No matter which course you
intend to apply to you will need to consider the language that you use, get the
grammar and spelling correct, and make sure it is tailored to the course and
university you are applying to.
There's nobody else who knows
you and your experiences as well as you do, so you are the best person to write
your personal statement in order to present yourself in the best possible
light.
You may wish to ask yourself
this question – could my personal statement apply equally to, say, my friend or
my neighbour?
If the answer is
"yes" then it is probably too general and you need to make it more
specific and more personal.
https://www.studential.com/personal-statement-examples/postgraduate
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