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Higher education

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

Personal Statement advice please?

1 reply

sudokufiend · 12/09/2024 13:19

DC is a bit of an unusual situation.

Last year they were offered a place on one of the Oxbridge Foundation Courses, which they completed and passed, but due to a variety of factors didn't achieve the 65% required to stay on for Tripos. They've therefore had to take a gap year and will be reapplying to different universities this UCAS cycle.

Some of the YouTube advice they've been watching about personal statements says that you should never mention the name of a university in your statement. However, this seems to contradict the advice given by their former university, who were adamant that it would be advantageous to mention it. DC feels they have gained a lot from this year and would like to discuss it, but should they do so without mentioning names?

Secondly, the circumstances for not achieving progression on to tripos were mainly due to a lack of disability support, which DC now acknowledges that they should have been more vocal about, and a flare up of a chronic condition. The inability to progress was a complete bolt out of the blue for them; they, and their Director of Studies, were not expecting it at all, but lessons have been learned about standing up for yourself and seeking help when needed. Is it worth mentioning this too, almost as a "here's what I'd do differently now I've learned about how things work"?

Any advice appreciated.

Thank you

OP posts:
WinnyMoms · 12/09/2024 14:35

I would only focus on the positives, honestly. It's such a short space to write in and they seem to want you to spend 80% of it on how you're suitable for the course. To spend any time on what might make you "unsuitable" seems counter productive.

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