Anyone with admissions experience for Medical School who could offer assistance to a child in foster care?

[Copperblack]

My foster daughter is about to apply for Medical School ( got a great UCAT score) and we are struggling with her personal statement. She’s written what I consider a very formulaic statement that could have been written by anyone at her school, listing work experience, D of E etc but nothing really about herself. I think she should put something about growing up in cate and how it has devtt we loped get empathy and resilience, but she thinks this will count against her. All my previous children went for Arty courses and it’s been a very different process. Does anyone have any advice?

I think if she wants to include it that would be fine, but I wouldn’t push her if she isn’t comfortable - it’s her story to share as she likes.

I applied to uni a couple of years ago via u as and there was a button to press to say you had been in care in the past/were a care leaver. I didn’t mind this as much, but I wouldn’t want to outline my life and past as ‘I was in care and that made me resilient’ on a cover letter. It would make me uncomfortable.

@Copperblack - it might be worth posting on the higher education thread where there are many parents whose children have applied for medicine and I am sure there will be those with good advice.

But I wish her well and I think lots of good advice already

For me the crux of it is how being in care adds to the strength of her application (and it does). Contextual admissions are very fashionable within universities now, and will be more so if we are stuck with centre-assessed grades. They will be looking for even more ways to differentiate between students and being a high achiever whilst not having the buffers and privilege that some students have will be very interesting to them.

I know that I would have a much better time applying to university now - I was a young carer. My straight As in that situation would be seen as exemplary although at the time I was desperate to hide this information as it might have disadvantaged me. If we think about applicants being much more than a set of grades now and looking at the whole person this kind of information is something that when used correctly can really make an applicant stand out.