UK University Application

ប្រធានបទគ្របដណ្តប់

Written by : Rachel Chin

Personal statement is just like a cover letter for your resume when you apply for a job. The only difference is just that it is required for UCAS application to undergraduate courses or for direct application to UK universities.

While academic results are one of the most crucial criteria to enter a university, most universities take into account the applicant’s personal statement to assess the eligibility of candidates. It is important to get the first impression right the first time.

Here are some tips on how to write a personal statement which will bring you closer to your dream university:

Do's

Write about why you want to apply for the course – what is your career aspirations and what excites you about the course, the university and this country (rather than studying in your own country).
Highlight your strength, experiences and achievements which is relevant to the course that you want to apply for.
Give concrete examples of incidents to give a better explanation.
Be honest about your experiences – in the event of an interview, personal statement is used as a reference and you might be asked to elaborate on the achievements.
Cross check the grammar, punctuation and spelling as first impression is formed at this point!
Start early as you will probably have to make a few redrafts.
Checking with your teachers or family - until you are finally happy with it.

Dont's

Take extra caution with the use of humour, quotes or anything too unusual – not everyone has the same sense of humour as you.
Do not include the names of the institution that you are applying to, as the same personal statement goes out to all 5 universities or courses in UCAS.
Do not plagiarise! UCAS uses a smart Similarity Detection system which will screen through all the personal statements. So don’t copy from the internet or from anyone else or your application will be flagged. This is then alerted to the universities you have applied to and could impact your application badly.

Feel free to head over to an IDP office location near you to have a quick chat with our friendly counsellors who will be more than willing to assist you.

Image Credits:

https://www.ucas.com