Is it getting late for ucas applications ??????

[fakeblondie]

Ive just looked over dds personal statement and its bl+++y awful !

I need at least a couple of days - maybe longer to sit down and go through it with her (have 3 other dc including newborn ).
I see the deadline for applications isnt until jan but some of her friends have offers etc already .
I feel like i`m doing everything for her at the moment and part of me with the way she has been wants to just let her do it herself because she just wont get in-no work exp arranged etc everything is promptred by me yet she thinks I DONT WANT HER TO GO TO UNI FGS!
Anyway-have i got a few days/ weeks or should i stay up[ tinight until its done ?

[SleepyDopeyGrumpy]

I am still working on my personal statement and have not sent my application off when i know half of my class have already so im a little worried but it really is hard to find the right words.

I would suggest leaving her to it to be completely honest with you. If she is not organised or bothered enough to get it sorted when (im assuming)you have offered your help with any responsibilities she may have in the way, then is she ready for the strain of uni at all?

[webwiz]

Won't someone at school look through it? She might listen to someone not quite so close to her.

[senua]

I sort-of agree with the dwarves. In any other year, I would say leave her to it and if it's not good enough then she shouldn't be going and she might make a better fist of it next time. But, bearing in mind the huge hike in tuition fees the following year, perhaps you should help. (beware the flip side: competition will be fierce this year and if she doesn't get in then you don't want her throwing blame in the direction of your 'interfering')
Did you see the PS because you asked (interfering) or because she offered (indirectly asking for help).
What is the school's take on all this? Have they OK'd it? Can you get some neutral person involved?

I don't know the subtleties of the time limits but I would have thought that as long as it is in before the end of (University not school!) term it will be soon enough.

[senua]

Ah, webwiz is more concise and therefore quicker than me!

[gingeroots]

I share OP's concern about lateness .
My DS's application still not completed .
His school doesn't seem much help .He does have someone who is meant to be helping to write the PS but it seems very hit and miss when he sees her and the PS looks cr*p to me .
Plus DS won't listen to any suggestions from me - his teacher knows best .( which I honestly and sadly don't think she does when it comes to writing his PS ).
And no help re choosing Uni's or courses at all .Nothing .Nada .
Head of 6th form is English graduate ,as is the teacher helping him with PS and DS is studying Sciences .
I really think kids at some state schools are so disadvantaged when it comes to applying to University .

[webwiz]

Can't he get one of his science teachers to look over his PS gingeroots? DD2 is applying for Maths and her Further Maths teacher looked over her PS and made some helpful suggestions - her form teacher just looked at it and said "its fine"

[goinggetstough]

[http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Personal_Statement_Library]
We found helping our DD with her PS was hard too as of course we didn't have to do one in our day! We found the above website useful to look at (not copy obviously!) as it shows examples of different personal statements. Hope its useful.
As for whether DC at some state schools are disadvantaged when applying to university, I would say many state school teachers do a great job and the teacher that Gingeroots' DS has is surely not doing her job. Why are they not helping and why weren't the DC helped with choosing university courses etc? They are both graduates and should therefore know the system even if they are not science graduates? Surely a school has science graduates and they could seek advice if they needed it. It sounds like a cop out on the school's part
Good luck Gingeroots' DS.

[goinggetstough]

Sorry mistyped the link

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Personal_Statement_Library

[mumeeee]

When DD1 and DD2 were applying for uni the scholl and college loked at the persanal statement for them. In both cases the ucas forms had to be sent throgh school and college( DD1 went int 6th form and DD2 went to 6th form college). They both actually had lessons on how to do a persanal statement

[AliceWorld]

Is the PS really crap, or just written by an 18 year old? The reason I say that is because when I read things students have written, I know they have written them because they read like they are written by an 18 year old. If they read really well, I would immediately have alarm bells ringing, as then I would be wondering who wrote it and I would wish I could hear the student's voice not someone else's. Also be very wary of personal statement libraries. If I read a PS that read too well, I would google it, and that would bring up the source.

Re the dates and stuff, I wouldn't be too concerned just yet.

[gingeroots]

I know what you mean Alice ,but yes I think it's crap.
It doesn't for example even mention the Uni course .
Though of course the teacher may have beeb saying " you've got to mentiuon course " and he's ignored her .
Webwiz - good idea re science teachers looking over statement .
They just seem sooooo busy and under the cosh .

[brimfull]

dd didn't get hers in until just before xmas and got 5 offers
school did cheack it over and I think she did it about 4 times before finally sending it

[BecauseImWorthIt]

DS1's application last year didn't go in until after Christmas, and he ended up with offers from all five universities - so don't worry on that score.

Re the personal statement, I think you need to be careful about doing it yourself. Correct spelling and grammar mistakes, by all means, but the rest of it has to come from them. As others have said, it will be obvious that it's not their own words if you write it.

What is it about it that's so bad? If you can identify that, then get her to re-write it, that's probably the best thing.

[gingeroots]

phew - ggirl and i'mworthit .
That is so good to hear .
And goinggets tough - thanks for mentioning TSR .
I do look at this ,there didn't seem much in way of science/zoology ( which is his area of interest ) related PS .
I keep thinking ( clutching at straws ) that maybe it will be in his favour that his PS is so obviously all his own work...
Might stand out ???
But it's going to be so competitive this year ,I worry .

[bluebump]

I do the UCAS applications at work and we do try and get people to send off their applications about now to try and beat some of the rush but I think having a good personal statement and meeting the January deadline is better than submitting an application in a rush now.

Do be careful reading personal statements etc online as UCAS are very hot on plagiarism! There should be someone to help with the personal statements at the school/college - our students have their statements checked many times by their tutor before they are ready to go and I double check all of the applications meticulously to make sure they have filled in all the sections properly. Good luck!

[AliceWorld]

Gingeroots - that's not clutching at straws, it will help that it is obviously his own work. Academics can sniff out plagiarism and intensive-help-from-knowledgeable-adults a mile off.

[thekidsmom]

gingerroots - you'll probably find some advice on the websites for the departments at the unis he wants to apply to: I dont know much aobut your DS's subject but certainly for my DDs subject we looked carefully at the advice given there and it does vary by place as to exactly what they'd like to see...

Some places are quite specific and give great clues eg 'we are interested in your love of poetry'; 'particular preference is given to those candidates who have summer school expereince' - these were two that were helpful to us - so quite specific....

[gingeroots]

thekidsmum - good point about looking on uni website .I kind of knew this ,then forgot !

One of the problems is that DS is applying for Zoology courses that have what I realise to most people are quite low entrance requirements ( 3 C 's ) ,this seems to me to make insurance choice/s come down to HND or Foundation Degree .
The latter seem more hands on and I think it's tricky to express interest in scientific study of animals and not put off Zoology depts by appearing to be only interested in animal care while at same time writing a PS that is applicable for a more "hands on " course .
If that makes sense - maybe it's a good thing DS is resisting any input from me !
I think ,by the way ,son is equally interested in both approaches .