To wonder if Uni Personal Statements actually get read?

[SmokeAndBone]

Just that, really. DS is getting no end of nagging prompting from school, who will read his draft and offer suggestions on how to improve it.
A friend's DS re-drafted her PS 3 times before the school were happy with her submitting her application.
It just strikes me that these statements might lack personality and originality as they are so heavily influenced by teachers.
So - people in the know, are all personal statements read? And is it too risky for DS to write his own, in case it doesn't conform to expectations?

I am on the selection panel for two universities for a post grad degree in my profession and we do indeed read them. If I have to read more applications about being into mindfulness and bake off again...

Howmuch influence do they actually have, Hair?

We do look for individuality, creativity and some evidence of other factors relevant to the profession. We receive huge numbers of applications to trawl through, considering progression to the next stage. We use grades and the form to do that. I can't speak for undergrad but it has weight at our level.

The university I work for interviews most candidates, so we definitely do read the personal statement as it's the main basis for the interview. I've never been involved in admissions anywhere that doesn't interview so I don't know how much weight they put on personal statement - in my experience it's not uncommon for candidates to have listed books they've clearly never read in their statement, so I'm not sure how much I'd trust them if I wasn't meeting the candidate...

My DS graduated in physics a few years ago. I remember when we did the open days staff at Bath and Sheffield said it was all about the grades, if a candidate just missed the grades then they would read the statement.

Thanks for the replies - it seems as if the PS might not be the Golden Ticket we are led to believe! Obviously it has to be good, but from what people are saying it is just as important that it's genuine.
I'll tell DS not to mention Bake Off!

Yes it’s read and yes it’s important especially if going for a course which has a high number of applicants to places. It’s what helps you stand out.

We use them as the basis for interviews and they do get read. We don't look for the person who did an amazing gap year in a tropical resort, rather someone who shows commitment to the subject through seeking some work experience (and we take into account some young people have more freedom to do non-paid work than others) or a personal experience that connects the applicant to the subject. Other transferable skills we look for are ability to time-manage, be in a set place at a set time, work independently, problem - solve (this can be demonstrated by relating to situations in most work experience or education settings). We also look for commitment to the institution through a knowledge of the learning styles we use, our research focuses or a connection to the geographical area. Unfortunately, originality wouldn't count for much if these areas weren't addressed. Having help from someone in the know would definitely help your son as it would help him to flag up the things Universities actually want to know about.

Yes, I fell short on the grades but got accepted partly on the strength of my PS. I haven’t done anything extraordinary, but I think it was probably as i showed understanding of the course and how passionate I was about it. Definitely worth investing the time in.

I've done admissions for university and yes they are read. We interviewed candidates and usually the personal statements just gave us a place to start for asking questions (these questions are generally intended to put them at their ease before the real questions begin).

In terms of deciding between candidates no the personal statement really doesn't make any difference. They're all fairly similar.

Most unis only read them if you just miss your grades. For medicine they are read is you get invited to interview. If you have your grades already but they are a bit under the usual ask or if you are a mature student and out of pattern with the current exams they will usually be read as a basis for interview. If you are interviewed for a course usually they will be read as it can spark discussion.

So fir a lot of students who apply to a uni get a provisional offer based on grades and then get those grades no, the statement will never be read

I know mine got read at least once... At Schools Dinner after finals (when you have a nice slap-up formal meal with your course tutors), said tutors entertained us by reading us extracts from our personal statements from 3 years before. We were alternately howling and cringing.

I think a lot depends on the subject and course. Courses with a strong vocational element will be looking for evidence that the student has that, courses that are very competitive will use them to differentiate and probe deeper. Courses that are very academic probably won't care as much, except in borderline cases. My uni interviews were 100% about my subject and my submitted written work.