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Higher education

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

Original poster

Personal statements. Is it always a no no

76 replies

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 10:09

to start them with a quote? I read that it was. This is a very short quote which relates to the subject in quite a clever way.

OP posts:
Bunnyannesummers · 07/09/2023 10:11

Yes. 100% yes. Those 4000 characters are precious and should be used to talk about the student, not spent on a quote.

Comefromaway · 07/09/2023 10:12

A young person we helped started with a quote but it was a quote from someone who inspired him and it was a quote about how he felt about the subject, rather than the subject itself.

NeverAgree · 07/09/2023 11:04

I have viewed hundreds of PS and a starting quote always makes me cringe. Not a dealbreaker of course but it’s not a positive in my eyes.

TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 07/09/2023 11:08

Yes.
I've never had a student do it tbf, but I'd strongly encourage them not to if they did.
The word count in a PS is short enough as it is, without adding things that aren't personally relevant.

PetiteNasturtium · 07/09/2023 11:10

Absolutely not and having ploughed through hundreds I have never seen many quotes. It’s all about showing enthusiasm for the subject if vocational some sort of work experience is useful if possible. DH and I always liked applicants who had worked, usually meant a bit more maturity.

BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 11:11

pretentious crap - cringeworthy

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:13

We’re talking about kids trying their best here @BorrowedThyme but thanks for your input.

OP posts:
plehpleh · 07/09/2023 11:17

It's all about the student! It does perhaps show off what they've read or engaged with but what it doesn't show is them as a person and that's what the personal statement should do! Would be much better off writing about themselves in their own words.

Good luck.

PacificState · 07/09/2023 11:22

Must admit I'm not an admissions tutor (or any kind of academic) but I strongly disagree that anything is a no-no in an effective piece of personal writing (other than outright errors). If the quote is unusual and the use is clever, it could work. Agree that starting with something cliched and widely quoted would be tedious.

My older son's PS included a famous maths formula (don't ask me what), which is effectively a quote. He got offers from five extremely good unis.

It's all about how well you do it. If you do it counterintuitively, or in an original or thought-provoking way, of course it can work.

Needmoresleep · 07/09/2023 11:29

If the course is not oversubscribed and the student meets entry requirement the PS probably won't make much difference.

If the course is oversubscribed and the PS is being used as a filter, and is probably being scored, I would recommend that the student reads the University website carefully and responds and evidences each of the skills/personal characteristics they might be looking for and also read the syllabus and more general information about the University and again address as much as you can with evidence. Eg if you were applying for LSE's geography course you might both express an interest in urban geography and perhaps studying in a city centre location.

(For DDs medicine application she put together a list of the things she wanted to cover, based on her reading of what the various medical schools mentioned and the PS more or less ended up writing itself. First para was more personal and the last covered extra curricular and evidenced more general resilience and community involvement.)

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:36

Thanks @Needmoresleep They really just wanted some views on including a quote. Hopefully everything else is ok.

OP posts:
6ampatrol · 07/09/2023 11:39

What subject is this for LaaDeeDa321? English? Philosophy? Politics?

BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 11:48

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:36

Thanks @Needmoresleep They really just wanted some views on including a quote. Hopefully everything else is ok.

nothing wrong in including a quote in the body of the PS if it is introduced and discussed in a natural way, just avoid all the cringy high drama of starting with a quote and trying to look clever with it

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:50

They all want to look clever @BorrowedThyme They’re 16, at state school and want to go to a good university.

OP posts:
BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 11:51

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:50

They all want to look clever @BorrowedThyme They’re 16, at state school and want to go to a good university.

They need to just look like their own natural selves

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:55

To be fair @BorrowedThyme that may come more easily to some young people than others. Herein lies the issue of how some schools access to universities more often than others, despite a parity in grades. Clearly your children inherited your intellectual confidence. Not everyone has that, especially when it’s being drilled into them that they have to stand out. Anyway, as the young folk say, you do you.

OP posts:
BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 11:59

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 11:55

To be fair @BorrowedThyme that may come more easily to some young people than others. Herein lies the issue of how some schools access to universities more often than others, despite a parity in grades. Clearly your children inherited your intellectual confidence. Not everyone has that, especially when it’s being drilled into them that they have to stand out. Anyway, as the young folk say, you do you.

sorry, I don't understand your response.

You asked if a PS could start with a quote.

I said I would not recommend it. It is cringe and pretentious and looks like you are trying to be clever. If you have a quote you must use, put it in the body of the PS, introduce it and discuss it naturally, that would come across so much better.

I am answering the question you have asked.

I don't know what state school has to do with it.

I have overseen thousands of youngsters into university - from state schools

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:02

My posts are quite clear @BorrowedThyme If you don’t understand them I’m not sure I can help you.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 07/09/2023 12:03

The young person I know the statement totally reflected him. It was along the lines of. Music is my life. As X once said "when you (play this instrument this is what happens and what you feel paraphrased)" I felt this the moment I....... etc etc .
The quote really summed up how he felt about things and was from a musician who inspired him to study it.

BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 12:05

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:02

My posts are quite clear @BorrowedThyme If you don’t understand them I’m not sure I can help you.

What is it you want?

You want impartial advice from experienced people?

You want advice which agrees with what you have decided to go with anyway?

I'm guessing the advice I gave you was not what you wanted to hear, since you reacted so angrily to it, so why were you asking for advice if you didn't want it?

Go ahead, tell your kid to stick a quote in as the start of their personal statement. They will look like a prat, but only if it is read.

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:08

They’ve deleted it. Thanks for the advice everyone, with the exception of one notable person who turned it into a weird personal attack.

OP posts:
WetBandits · 07/09/2023 12:11

If it doesn’t add anything, leave it out. The word count is so limited that every word should count towards showcasing the applicant’s skills, interests and ambitions. A quote from someone else doesn’t do any of those things so is unnecessary filler.

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:13

Thanks @WetBandits They’re reading this thread with me and we deleted it straightaway.

OP posts:
BorrowedThyme · 07/09/2023 12:16

LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:08

They’ve deleted it. Thanks for the advice everyone, with the exception of one notable person who turned it into a weird personal attack.

no, you got angry with me, because you didn't like what I said. Next time I see your user name needing my expertise, I won't bother

Original poster
LaaDeeDa321 · 07/09/2023 12:17

That would be great @BorrowedThyme

OP posts:
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