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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Higher education

Young colleague with no family support needs help with personal statement. Advice pls

17 replies

bagelbaby · 15/10/2017 09:23

She's doing her a levels via an on line college and wants to study midwifery or be a paramedic. Parents not on scene. Lives on her own.
She asked me about writing personal statements.
I had some input on my daughters last year but would love any advice u can give me for this colleague.
She's under confident to the point she hasn't told anyone that she's studying. I would like to punt her in the right direction.
Thank you

OP posts:

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bevelino · 15/10/2017 09:39

Can you direct her to the student room website where there are examples.

titchy · 15/10/2017 10:42

Does she have relevant work experience? Is she or has she been in the care system? If she's young, i.e. normal sixth form age, she needs to have the fact that she's independent from guardian care flagged in her form. Can the online college do that on her academic reference?

bagelbaby · 15/10/2017 16:31

Thanks for the website. She's 19 Dropped out of college but now restudying for A levels. She just doesn't have many resources supporting her and needs a bit of direction.

OP posts:

Skyrain · 15/10/2017 16:47

Who is going to write her reference? It would be useful for them to also look over her personal statement. If she has no parental support then it is important that this is highlighted so that it can be taken into consideration. Also work experience for this course would be vital and when writing her personal statement she needs to explain the skills she has that would be relevant to the course. Many unis are looking at widening access and may offer support to prospective students to help them to apply. Might be worth her contacting the unis and enquiring.

Ocies · 15/10/2017 19:04

I would certainly advise her to contact individual universities directly to discuss her circumstances.

shockthemonkey · 15/10/2017 19:13

Sutton Trust? Have a look!

bagelbaby · 15/10/2017 22:14

I will. Thank you all

OP posts:

RummidgeGeneral · 20/10/2017 19:13

Has she thought about joining St Johns ambulance. That would be a positive thing demonstrating her interest in paramedic matters an application.

BubblesBuddy · 21/10/2017 10:13

Join St Johns. That's a must! The universities have different processes for mature students so I would find out what these are. They may well be able to apply them to this young lady. Do they all require entry via ucas? What about an access course? Look at the universities that offer the courses and speak to the faculties concerned. They may be flexible in the circumstances. (Do you do a midwifery degree now - I thought it was after a nursing degree first?). Probably way out of date!

Brokenbiscuit · 21/10/2017 10:21

What a lovely colleague you are, OP.

flamingnoravera · 21/10/2017 10:54

Not the student room, the advice is not good. Does the girl have some work experience?
She needs to reflect on her health work experience and link it to her ps.

She should ask her college if they have the OSCAR system it guides students step by step to produce PS that admissions tutors want to read.

BubblesBuddy · 21/10/2017 17:19

My DDs independent school said: 1/4 about you and your achievements, 1/2 about why you want to do the course and 1/4 linking this to work experience, anything that supports your desire to do the course and further study or interests you have that are relevant to the course. The first 1/4 above should come last on the PS.

flamingnoravera · 22/10/2017 07:08

www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Making-a-Statement-FINAL.pdf

This is probably the best information you will find anywhere on personal statements.

HotelEuphoria · 22/10/2017 07:28

First she needs to know whether she wants to be a paramedic or a midwife! Both are massively oversubscribed and then she needs the work experience in a healthcare setting at least otherwise she absolutely won’t stand a chance. She will also bed a driving licence for the paramedic. Her PS would then be written with all that experience abd per personal qualities in mind.

DD applies for a similar course three years ago. 1000 applications for 58 places, she had weeks of volunteering and work experience and had to have an interview too. She was lucky she got an offer and is now a third year but it was a whole year of trying to getting the right experience, right the perfect PS to get an interview then practicing for the same not to mention getting the grades.

I wish her all the best but this is a really tough uni application process.

HotelEuphoria · 22/10/2017 07:29

Apologies for typos as in my phone in the dark!

BubblesBuddy · 22/10/2017 21:17

The Sutton Trust study has extracts but not a full ps. Most are quotes from rather academic sounding students. Not remotely like the ones my DDs wrote - and one was for Oxford!

So is it statistically more difficult to get on a paramedic degree than a medic degree? You stats suggest it is, Hotel.

bagelbaby · 26/10/2017 10:36

This is so helpful. Thank you all

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