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Writing an undergraduate personal statement

Wed 28 July 2021 - 09:06

By Charlotte Stevenson in First year

A popular past post of mine was about how to construct a personal statement. Since that time, I myself had to re-write my own personal statement in order to re-apply for my literature degree. Going about doing this on my own was quite tricky, as I didn't have the same amount of advice as I had had in sixth form due to already being at university. Also, second time round I was writing for a more academic institution opposed to a performance based one (conservatoire)

In my second personal statement, as I have mentioned fairly briefly in another post, I was able to veer away from the specialist music performance element I had first had to focus on when writing for a conservatoire directly. This was interesting as it meant although the academic side of things was not too different (I talked about my A levels, how they tied together with useful links and resources) yet my hobbies included not only my music education and extra curricular but also my interest in writing, being...

Decision, decisions… when are you likely to hear back from unis?

Thu 19 December 2019 - 08:59

By UCAS in UCAS advice

The wait for decisions on your application can be agonising. It’s a good idea to use this time effectively by familiarising yourself with the decisions the unis you’ve applied to could make, so you know what to expect and what to do when the time comes.

Each university and college will make their decisions at different times, meaning you might hear back before your friends do, or vice versa. However, there are deadlines by which they have to decide:
  • 6 May 2020 – if you sent your application by 15 January 2020
  • 13 July 2020 – if you sent your application by 30 June 2020
  • 20 October 2020 – this is the...

Career options for a maths graduate

Wed 18 September 2019 - 09:22

By Ella Hendrix in UCAS advice

There are many benefits to studying a degree in maths. You will have almost certainly gone into your maths degree with a flair for all things numerical, but perhaps less of an idea about what job you want to do at the end of it. Unlike many other degree subjects, that can be more vocational, one of the good things about maths is that it gives you a broad knowledge, and a base from which you can choose the best career path for you.
 
Studying for a degree in maths can give you a wealth of skills and knowledge, including:
  • the analysis, presentation and interpretation of data
  • the ability to carry out experiments and studies
  • problem-solving
  • information technology
  • presenting mathematical arguments
  • the ability to deal with abstract concepts
  • logical thinking
  • advanced mathematical thinking
  • communication skills
  • good time management
  • decision-making and...

The importance of completing your own personal statement

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:01

By UCAS in UCAS advice

Writing your personal statement is one of the most important things you’ll do when applying to university – it should be personal, engaging, and most importantly, written by you.
It’s extremely important to write your personal statement yourself. This might sound obvious, but you shouldn’t rely on websites or other people to write one for you.
 
Remember, your personal statement is all about you, so you should use it to showcase your personality, experience, achievements, and future ambitions. Universities want to get to know you, and why you’d be an asset to the course – they don’t want to read something that’s written by someone else.
 
While it’s good to get inspiration from previous personal statements, make sure you don’t just copy and paste someone else’s work. We put all personal statements through our...

Ten places to get personal statement pointers

Wed 28 July 2021 - 08:21

By UCAS in UCAS advice

If a bit of personal statement inspiration is what you need, then look no further – here are the ten best places to pick up more than a pointer or two!
  1. The UCAS website
    Start your planning here. There are tips on how to get started and what to include. It also covers the technical aspects you need to bear in mind, such as the character count.
  2. Personal statement timeline
    Check out our personal statement timeline. It’s packed with advice on how to spread out the planning and writing stages so you’re not cramming at the last minute.
  3. Our blog
    A few years ago we asked uni admissions tutors to tell us what they’re looking for in the personal statement and the advice they shared has been so well received that it’s still our...

Replying to offers – your questions answered

Mon 12 September 2022 - 09:29

By UCAS in UCAS advice

We’re approaching the time of year when lots of you will be replying to your offers. For some, this can be a tough decision and a nerve-wracking experience. We’ll try to put your mind at ease by answering some of the top questions we get asked at this important time of year:

1. I don’t have an option to reply to my offers. What’s going on?
This is usually because you haven’t had a decision from all of your choices yet. However, if you’re ready to reply and don’t want to wait for the other choices to make a decision, you can choose to cancel them. To do this, click on 'view' for each outstanding choice and then you’ll have the option to 'permanently withdraw from this choice.' Once you’ve done this, the ‘reply to offers’ button will be available.  
 
If you’ve been offered an interview, you’ll need to decline it first and then cancel the choice before you can reply to your offers. If it's an interview you'...

How to choose a course

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:06

By UCAS in UCAS advice

There are over 30,000 courses listed in our search tool. Quite a daunting statement if you haven’t made your mind up yet about what you want to apply for, right? It doesn’t have to be though, after all every year there are hundreds of thousands of people in exactly the same situation as you’re in now, and they all manage to choose. So wouldn’t it be great if you could ask how they did it? How they narrowed down 30,000 to five course choices, and then ultimately just one? Well that’s exactly what we did.

We asked those of you on Facebook who already know what you’re going to study, or what you plan to apply for, how you decided that your course was right for you. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories, we had heaps of responses. Reading through them all, I could see that most people chose their course through one of five ways, so here they are in...

Take that leap of faith and do it!

Wed 4 September 2019 - 09:02

By PwC in UCAS advice

Apprenticeships are a way to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience you need to get into many careers. They combine work, training, and study, letting you 'earn while you learn'. Ella, from PwC, shares her story.

Why did you choose the programme?

I read about the different apprenticeship opportunities and I chose management consulting because it offers such a wide range of experience. For example, having the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally to different clients.

What have you gained from the experience so far?
I feel like I’ve had a head start in my career by starting at a young age – I’ve had such a breadth of experience that I never thought I’d have at this point in my life. I’ve learned technical skills, how to present, found out about cutting-edge technology, and developed an...

How to apply to UCAS Conservatoires in five steps

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:07

By UCAS in UCAS advice

You can now apply for 2019 UCAS Conservatoires courses on our website. To apply on-time for a music course, we must receive your application by 1 October. If you're applying for dance and drama courses, you must submit your application by 15 January.

Here are five things you need to do to apply.

1. Find the right course for you
The best place to start is our search tool. If you’re not sure which conservatoire or course is right for you; we’ve got lots of great advice. Try attending an open day to get a taste of conservatoire life, as it gives you the opportunity to meet the tutors, speak to current students and check...

Support on offer at uni

Thu 19 December 2019 - 09:08

By UCAS in First year

Whether you’re moving away from home for the first time, have just finished college or are returning to education as a mature student, starting university can be a daunting experience. For me, overcoming my anxiety made the transition difficult to say the least. After trying to move away, I soon realised that moving back home and transferring to my local university would give me my best chance of succeeding. After enrolling on a new degree course I was back on track.
 
As I now complete my fourth year at university, I think it’s safe to say that the support available helped me make the most of every experience. I’m not ashamed to say that, without the range of support systems available at university, I might not have been able to achieve all I have today.
 
Whether you face homesickness, bereavement, academic challenges, disability needs or accommodation issues, the chances are that support...

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