How Do You Make Your Personal Statement Stand Out?

So, you have chosen a subject that you want to study and you want to let your chosen university know why you are the right pick for their course. To do this, you will have to submit an application which will include your personal statement and this is your opportunity to show them that you have the necessary skills and experience required.

While you might think that it is a fairly simple task to write about yourself, once you get down to it, you could soon realise that it is harder than you first thought. You might not know how to begin or how to showcase your skills without sounding as though you are talking yourself up too much.

In addition to this, you will also have a character limit to consider, so you cannot run away with your personal statement. This can then lead to the issue of being able to fit it all in and that’s when problems arise.

So, with this in mind, let's look at how you can make your personal statement stand out and shine!

Plan, Plan and Plan Again

You might be eager to begin writing your personal statement right away but that is a recipe for disaster. If you don’t plan ahead, your personal statement is not going to flow or stand out. Therefore, you should aim to plan your personal statement by considering what you want to include in it but you need to answer the questions that are being asked of you such as why you want to study, what you want to study and how you are right for the course.

So, consider your key skills that are relevant and then come up with examples but if you are struggling, it can help to use a professional personal statement writing service as they can help to structure and create your statement.

Use the Right Format

Once you are ready to begin writing your personal statement, you have to make sure that it is easy to read and looks professional. Every paragraph should have a meaning and it should cover a different topic, ensuring that it flows. By doing this, you will keep the reader engaged and give them more of a reason to continue reading your personal statement.

Your Introduction Should Be Clear

From the moment the reader begins reading your statement, you have to keep them engaged. So, a strong opening sentence can really hook them in and you can do this by highlighting your main skills and outline why you want to study the course.

You need to be direct and specific and you need to avoid cliches as they see this all of the time. This won’t impress admissions officers and will more than likely see them put your statement to one side. It might be easier to write other paragraphs before you write your introduction as you can piece them all together and then create an intro based on this.

Add Relevant Examples

You might have a lot of examples that you think are relevant but the admissions officer won’t need to read them all. You have to make sure that your examples are relevant and when you do give examples, follow them up with the skills you obtained as a result of this. The admissions officer is going to follow up your examples with a “so what” and so, you have to impress them by exploring the different skills you gained.

It can be tempting to try and include as much as possible but you need to be selective because this will really make an impact. Should you get to the interview stage, you can discuss the other things you feel are important but you need to pick your moment.

Make It Personal

Your application has to be personal and the clue is in the name. All too often, the admissions officer will come across personal statements that read and look the same because people have followed a particular online template but it is vital that you think outside of the box. They read hundreds of personal statements so you need to make it personal and give them the impression that they are reading about you and who you are. Don’t use quotes and other sayings that might have been used by other applicants, keep it personal all the way through.

Show Off That You’ve Done Your Research

You need to make it clear that you have a passion for the subject you want to study. So, if you have read or studied any materials that relate to the course then you should talk briefly about them and how they influenced your interest in the subject. This will add credibility to your application and your personal statement but it will show admissions staff that you want to further your knowledge.

Conclude Briefly

The conclusion is where you get the chance to make a final impact on the reader. So, sum up and discuss the themes you have mentioned but make sure that your main message is clear. It can help to link your conclusion to your intro and you can also refer back to something in your intro as a way of linking everything together, however, make sure you keep it brief.

Proofread

Don’t submit it without reading it through several times. Ask friends or family to take a look through it and then rectify any errors. If your personal statement is riddled with errors, it won’t look good for you.

Finally

Your personal statement will play an integral part of your application so you need to take it seriously. The aim is to sell yourself and show admissions tutors why they should give you a place on the course. Therefore, it can help to follow our guide but remember, you don’t have to struggle alone. A personal statement writing service can really help you to get your personal statement out there and more importantly, it will be written in a way that stands out and gets you noticed for all the right reasons.