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Higher education

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

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Original poster

Personal statement question

91 replies

sashagabadon · 18/10/2020 09:24

Dd has more or less finished it - 4680 characters so a bit of editing required as it should be 4000 ( is that right?)
She has written two main sections. Why she wants to study the subject she is applying for and secondly her personal achievements / work experience / why she’d be a good student etc.
My question is what goes first in the PS?
I think her personal stuff first, followed by why she likes the subject but DD thinks the opposite.
Who’s right?

OP posts:

decoraters · 21/10/2020 14:16

Cross posted

None of that is my feelings, it really was just a case of 'what we don't have to put on the PS'

The virus and the autism do lower his chances of picking up a job to fill the year and give him something to put on his PS. I really don't see those as negatives but they are relevant factors.

CraftyGin · 21/10/2020 14:22

@decoraters

Cross posted

None of that is my feelings, it really was just a case of 'what we don't have to put on the PS'

The virus and the autism do lower his chances of picking up a job to fill the year and give him something to put on his PS. I really don't see those as negatives but they are relevant factors.

Just as others have said that he doesn’t need to go on a residential course, he also doesn’t need to have a job. None of my kids ever had a job in sixth form. I would have frowned on that.

What he needs to do is communicate passion for the subject, and he can provide supporting evidence from the voluntary courses he has been doing.

decoraters · 21/10/2020 14:24

None of my kids ever had a job in sixth form. I would have frowned on that.

Fair enough. However that's not the same situation as DS has left school. I'm sure you would frown upon a 17 year old staying at home for a year too. None of mine ever worked while they were in education.

decoraters · 21/10/2020 14:27

What he needs to do is communicate passion for the subject, and he can provide supporting evidence from the voluntary courses he has been doing

This is why he is doing them. Exactly why. Aside from that though, he doesn't have much to write as he has done/is doing nothing. I really don't mean that in a negative way though. It's just the facts. I always read about the range of experiences people out on a PS and DS is trying to write one with none! He will get there, I don't doubt it, but it's been helpful to real other people's admission experiences.

Needmoresleep · 21/10/2020 14:41

One postive (relating to the summer school idea rather than previous posts) of Covid is that a lot of University, Royal institute etc are now on Zoom. Not every DC is a natural book reader. And many, including some who are absorbed in their subjects, won't have sustained interest in extra curricula. But following lectures, TED talks and online courses all seem like great ways of demonstrating a commitment to both a subject and in higher education. Expecially if they can say a little about what they gained from it.

SueEllenMishke · 21/10/2020 14:42

Universities are very aware of the challenges applicants are facing and while part time work can be an excellent way of demonstrating particular skills it isn't essential and those courses that insist on work experience will make it clear in their admissions criteria and will be understanding and flexible. I'm admissions tutor for a professional course which asks for work experience but I'm not going to penalise applicants this year if that is lacking.
They can demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of the sector in other ways.

Needmoresleep · 21/10/2020 14:57

Sorry. Crucial ommission.

Several Universities Royal Institutes etc have public lecture series. It is worth seeing if these are now on Zoom, and signing up to things that sound interesting.

kitnkaboodle · 21/10/2020 15:14

@decoraters it sounds as if he has been doing exactly the right thing. In my opinion, mentioning that you have done a lot of residential courses, etc, just proves primarily that your parents have paid for them. Can he fill a paragraph talking about relevant books he's read or talks he's watched (and obvs explain what he 'took away' from them). I'm sure any kid applying for a techy type course is going to impress the admissions department far more with stuff like that than by saying how their job in Sainsbury's etc has 'taught them teamwork'

GrasswillbeGreener · 21/10/2020 15:41

@decoraters I would have thought that computer science lends itself to your son's approach. Stuff he's read / watched online should add to stuff about programming and puzzling he's tried. Any projects / obsessions? If he explains things that fascinate him I would hope that will get his statement well on the way. Good luck to him.

decoraters · 21/10/2020 16:11

@kitnkaboodle @GrasswillbeGreener

Thank you both, some good things to think about there. When DD did hers it was standard work experience which did relate to her subject choice, plus she was in the army cadets and did dance comps as well! Such a contrast.

Sorry OP a bit of a derail

MarchingFrogs · 21/10/2020 17:51

@decoraters, your DS may already have discovered (or even discovered and rejected) Gresham College, but I have to say that I am a fan and dip into all kinds of subjects now that the lectures ate available online. DS1 and I actually attended this one on the 'Y2K' problems 'lives at the Museum of London.
www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/what-really-happened-in-y2k

Guymere · 21/10/2020 19:45

What inspires him about computers. What they can do and how they enhance the world. How he’s engaged with the subject vis examples given above.

Look at the course contents and see if anything specific jumps out that he’s interested in. I know nothing of this subject but usually computer dc can find things they are inspired by that would make them suitable for the course. Good luck to him.

Guymere · 21/10/2020 23:15

Here’s the best advice from Cambridge. Add in a few sentences of personal stuff if you have space.

doistayordoigo · 22/10/2020 19:56

decorators My DS is autistic too and applied for Chemistry at uni. He'd never worked and literally did nothing outside of school, he put stuff like watching relevant You Tube content on his personal statement. He had 5 offers, including one conditional if firm and one completely unconditional, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Guymere · 22/10/2020 21:06

Also, being honest, unless you are applying for the most well known universities, lots of science courses are recruiting courses, not selecting. They are often in clearing. So as long as you can write something along the lines I posted above, dc will be fine.

JosephOs · 11/11/2020 23:12

Also keep in mind Microsoft word doesn't count certain characters (the enter key). Just make sure to double check the count in an online tool like charactercounter.com/ucas for example. That site also checks the line count as well.

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