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Original poster

Writing Personal Statement

77 replies

Wiltingflowers · 05/02/2023 16:02

DC just let drop that, within his year, a good quarter of students got (ie. purchased) professional help in writing their Personal Statement! That help ranged from proofreading - all the way up to hiring someone to write the whole thing for them from scratch on the basis of answering a questionnaire. None of those who did it had their statements flagged by UCAS - which is what he/I would have been terrified of - and all proceeded to uni.

DD in Year 12 is applying this autumn and has started thinking about her PS. Her friends in the year above advised going on Fiverr as they had done and finding a writer - only costs about £60 apparently and loads of them did it (and all are now receiving offers).

what are your thoughts?

OP posts:
Juliadoesyoga · 05/02/2023 16:10

Outsourcing the personal statement is the norm in my DC’s school - admittedly a private school. It’s morally wrong I think but many do it and, to my knowledge, get away with it.

Rummikub · 05/02/2023 16:28

My shocked this happens. Doesn’t the school
say anything or check them?
in my place all statements are checked.

Rummikub · 05/02/2023 16:28

I’m

dew141 · 05/02/2023 16:34

Yes, common at our private school. Although ironically not among the most successful in terms of outcome.

It's a grey area. Parents can help you (particularly if it's their specialism) and teachers can give comments. I can't really get too exercised if someone pays to outsource it because I'm sure most kids have some help. I've helped friends' kids with their PS too.

bguthb90 · 05/02/2023 16:34

My DC wrote the raw material. I then reviewed it and suggested elements to reword, different vocabulary, wasteful sentences to remove etc. - we repeated this process a couple of times and then school reviewed it and suggested a few other changes.

It wasn't perfect but it was authentic for a 17 year old whose subjects aren't essay based.

I struggle to see what additional value a professional service could offer, whilst managing to keep the PS authentic.

Galarunner · 05/02/2023 16:40

I suspect they are wasting their money. Universities don't actually take much notice of the majority of PS. Its far too time consuming. Anecdotally offers are made through an algorithm that crunches grades and contextual data. It's not worth the risk of not making a good effort but I think they are used far more for mature students, could be handy at clearing etc. Even medicine many Universities don't look at PS until after they have decided to interview ( ie Sheffield just score on UCAT )

Notagardener · 05/02/2023 16:43

Not heard from DC this happened at their school. Never saw dc1 ps myself but form teacher read through it..

Rummikub · 05/02/2023 16:43

bguthb90 · 05/02/2023 16:34

My DC wrote the raw material. I then reviewed it and suggested elements to reword, different vocabulary, wasteful sentences to remove etc. - we repeated this process a couple of times and then school reviewed it and suggested a few other changes.

It wasn't perfect but it was authentic for a 17 year old whose subjects aren't essay based.

I struggle to see what additional value a professional service could offer, whilst managing to keep the PS authentic.

This is the level
of input and support I would expect.

bguthb90 · 05/02/2023 16:46

@Galarunner I kind of agree with you about the importance/value of personal statements.

However, if offer decisions were purely being made via algorithm (computer system) how does that explain the slow rate at which offers are being distributed.

Unless admissions departments still apply the algorithms manually 😂

Galarunner · 05/02/2023 16:51

bguthb90 · 05/02/2023 16:46

@Galarunner I kind of agree with you about the importance/value of personal statements.

However, if offer decisions were purely being made via algorithm (computer system) how does that explain the slow rate at which offers are being distributed.

Unless admissions departments still apply the algorithms manually 😂

I suspect it takes a long time as students apply over several months. Getting student numbers right is a very tricky business with financial implications if you get it wrong. Again this rumour and hearsay but are they looked at in batches rather than all at once?

MirabelMax · 05/02/2023 16:59

Seems utterly stupid to me. The very act of writing the personal statement seems like such an important learning opportunity to me. Unless these parents are going to continue to outsource everything for the rest of their kids lives they do them a huge disservice.

jtaeapa · 05/02/2023 17:00

I've never heard of this - my DC is Y12 as well so perhaps it's all about to happen!

Swimswam · 05/02/2023 17:00

I have heard from 2024 entry no personal statement anymore. Instead a questionnaire. There was a thread about this recently

mondaytosunday · 05/02/2023 17:01

My daughter is at a private school and I don't think anyone she has talked to outsourced the PS! Hers was only 500 for one application or 300 words for another (not ucas) which is very tight. I read it for spelling and grammar and made one or two suggestions, but it was pretty much there when I saw it. She handed it in and her form tutor and head of sixth form will have seen it but they thought it was fine. They were told only 50% of unis read them - and didn't someone post recently that it has been reported in the press they are being phased out? Too bad - really if no interview it's one of the only ways a student can make an impression other than grades. I can't understand why a student would want anyone but themselves to write it!

sailingsunshine · 05/02/2023 17:16

Swimswam · 05/02/2023 17:00

I have heard from 2024 entry no personal statement anymore. Instead a questionnaire. There was a thread about this recently

Yes 2024 is the last year of the PS and good thing too from the views on this thread! I would have thought uni's will pay even less attention to it as they know it's on its way out - to be replaced by a series of questions.

MedSchoolRat · 05/02/2023 17:25

Probably is a reason the admissions department where I am (medicine) doesn't use the PS at all as part of admissions process. They read it in case it says something insane, but otherwise it has zero influence on admission.

TizerorFizz · 05/02/2023 19:03

If no one uses it, why even bother to reform it? I’m old school - all applicants should be capable of writing a ps. I guess this lack of skill is why some job applications are full of errors too.

PerpetualOptimist · 05/02/2023 19:09

If what is said is true, it is pretty depressing; not because it will have much impact on admissions but because it reveals a mindset that it is all about outsourcing rather than learning by doing it yourself; that approach will only get you so far.

PS's are flawed but, as other PPs say, it is an exercise in thinking through why a particular path via uni is right for you. Even if some admissions tutors do not read your PS, you have gained something by planning and writing it yourself.

I think the proposed move, from the 2025 UCAS cycle onwards, to shorter responses to standard questions won't actually result in any less of this kind of behaviour. At least OP's DC has crafted their own PS; good for them.

Juliadoesyoga · 05/02/2023 19:38

@Swimswam
I have heard from 2024 entry no personal statement anymore. Instead a questionnaire. There was a thread about this recently

They are being scrapped for 2025 entry (at the earliest) so the OP's DD will still need to write one if she is current Year 12.

PettsWoodParadise · 05/02/2023 19:39

This is possibly part of the reason personal statements will not be required for 2025 entry. DD applied and submitted her UCAS in October 2022 and did her own PS, she got feedback from teachers and myself but it was 98% hers. She got an offer from Oxbridge. I am sure some who got help may have slipped through and it so angers me that people think they can buy their advantage in this way.

This reminds me of the time someone once said to me I had given my daughter an unfair advantage in life by reading her a bedtime story if I got home in time from work. I was astonished their lack of doing something (not due to time but apathy) meant they felt their child was disadvantaged. I’ve met parents who sincerely, truly believe cheating is acceptable as it is them demonstrating their total commitment to their child’s future. Messed up thinking.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 05/02/2023 20:04

They are being scrapped for 2025 entry (at the earliest) so the OP's DD will still need to write one if she is current Year 12.

There's no proposal currently to scrap the personal statement. The proposal is to change the structure of it so all applications cover the same areas.

TizerorFizz · 05/02/2023 22:24

@PettsWoodParadise
i never saw DD1s PS at all. Did it all by herself. As did DD2 but I double checked punctuation! Parents and schools are complicit in babying young people instead of ensuring they can stand on their own two feet. It is annoying. However I do believe students, who take responsibility because they have integrity and intelligence, do better in the end.

Skiingnut · 06/02/2023 01:31

Hi OP, many of my DC’s friends got professional writers to help - as did my two. We are state school (Ofsted inadequate) and the school gave no support whatsoever on content - just proof read. My two DC found the whole thing so stressful. We spent £250 on Fiverr for DS2’s to be written from scratch - he just got Cambridge offer - and DS1 (now at Bristol) spent £45 to have his draft restructured/tweaked two years ago. Do I feel bad? Hell no, they were at an inadequate school with no help - cf. private school applicants with tutors/teachers shaping their statements behind the scenes!

Skiingnut · 06/02/2023 02:10

Skiingnut · 06/02/2023 01:31

Hi OP, many of my DC’s friends got professional writers to help - as did my two. We are state school (Ofsted inadequate) and the school gave no support whatsoever on content - just proof read. My two DC found the whole thing so stressful. We spent £250 on Fiverr for DS2’s to be written from scratch - he just got Cambridge offer - and DS1 (now at Bristol) spent £45 to have his draft restructured/tweaked two years ago. Do I feel bad? Hell no, they were at an inadequate school with no help - cf. private school applicants with tutors/teachers shaping their statements behind the scenes!

Wow, I posted this at an anti-social UK hour (am in US visiting my bro) just half an hour ago, and have already had two PMs asking me which PS writers on Fiverr my two DC used! New to MN - is this normal for ppl to sound off against u and then ask for tips?! The hypocrisy…..

journeyofinsanity · 06/02/2023 07:12

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 05/02/2023 20:04

They are being scrapped for 2025 entry (at the earliest) so the OP's DD will still need to write one if she is current Year 12.

There's no proposal currently to scrap the personal statement. The proposal is to change the structure of it so all applications cover the same areas.

They are indeed scrapping PS. Replaced with a questionnaire asking about extenuating circumstances, preferred learning styles and why they want to study the subject. It's still a written portion to the application but it's not a personal statement as such.