Hey guys
I appologise if this subject has came up a million times before.
I am studying HND Classical music and am in my second year. At the moment we have a degree year opening next year in the college so I am naturally keen to enter into this as is it a progression course and we still have to audition and we still have to apply through UCAS and still apply to other universities to get into second year as I've already or will have already completed 2 years of HND. Thing is I have no idea how I done my personal statement in school and don't have it, so I have started a very rough copy but it sounds just horrible and isn't coming out the way I want it. Is there anyone there who has recently applied and I can maybe PM my statement too for some guidance. It's music teaching I want to get into but have to apply firstly for a BMus and BA so I don't want to put too much emphasise on teaching even though I think I have done. Is there anyone can give me some pointers or advice on how to sound keen?
Thanks PSL

I'm no expert but I thought someone should reply to your request! The most sensible advice I've seen is to use three bits of scaffolding - 'Why this subject?' 'Why this university?' and 'why me?'.The part relating to your choice of subject and, to a lesser extent the institution, should be about two thirds of the personal statement. Make sure you don't make any claims you can't back up (I wrote I was interested in Buddism, on the basis of having read the first page of a book, was asked about it and of course hadn't a clue!). Make yourself sound interesting and try to include something that makes you stand out from the crowd. If you have a particular career in mind then mention anything you've done that's connected with it.

I would write everything down just as you think of ot it. Leave it a day then come back for another look and use your original to make something a bit more coherent. Then ask someone else (someone at your college?) to look at it.

Good luck.

I've been to university so I guess I must have written a personal statement at some point, although I can't remember it! It was a few years ago that I applied but I still might be able to help - I have since written many pretentious-sounding essays with many long and made-up-sounding words, so I'm not too out of practice. You can PM your statement to me if you like, although I can't promise to reply before the weekend.

x Bass Clef.

I've written two personal statements in the past year (decided o go on a gap year this year but applied last year too!) so I'm fairly used to it by now. What I do is I try and mention all my achievements and link them to what I'm wanting to study, and then write a bit about myself. My old Careers teacher just says to 'sell yourself', which I guess is the right way to describe it!

I've helped a few friends with theirs over the years. You might also find it worth asking anyone you know if they've still got one hanging around on their computers or similar. Reading other peoples will give you an idea of different things to include, and structures to follow; what works and what doesn't. You can find some examples on the internet, but be careful with reading too many of those... admissions tutors get VERY familiar with their content...

This was mine from when I was 18. I applied to read mathematics at Oxford, Durham, Nottingham, Manchester (my local uni) and Birmingham. I got offers from all of them, including a BEE offer from Birmingham (whose standard offer in those days was BBB) and after passing the entrance exam and interviews I accepted an EE offer from Oxford. I'm not sure of the word count as in 1993 there wasn't a word limit, just a side of A4 on which to hand-write the "Section 5" or "Section 7" or whatever it was!

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(Sent a copy to you via PM - it's a bit long and of no interest to other people, probably...)
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I usually end up checking a number of the maths/science/medicine/anything else that comes my way UCAS statements for a lot of our students, so feel free to PM me.

I'll help if you like - lots of personal statements under my belt!

Don't fear about what you include

I was originally applying for Spanish BA Hons

I mentioned how I speak 5 languages, how I play 4 instruments and go to a stageschool - I got 4 of my 5 offers.

Mind, I changed my course on results day to Performing Arts BA Hons