As the competition for University places continues to increase, the Personal Statement section of the University application has never been so important. In approximately 600 words, a prospective University student must capture and hold the attention of the admissions tutors - in essence, it may be their first and last chance to justify why they should be offered a place to study their chosen course.And yet, despite this, many perfectly able candidates squander this opportunity by neglecting their Personal Statement, perhaps wrongly assuming that their predicted grades or reference will 'do the talking'.This guide aims to help school leavers, overseas and mature individuals applying to a UK University, together with parents and teachers, to make their PersonalStatement both compelling and convincing reading.In this guide, Ian Kingsbury and Matt Green: describe the context of the University Personal Statement within the application process; offer advice and guidance on a range of factors which influence the Personal Statement, such as course choice, University choice and the pros and cons of taking a gap year, among others; provide examples of successful Personal Statements to help you during the writing process; set out the essential contents of the Personal Statement, and the key steps in its preparation; draft and refine a fictitious Personal Statement, providing a valuable case study through which all of the important, key principles are brought to life; and provide tips on what to include and what not to include. This engaging, easy to use and comprehensive guide is essential reading for anyone serious about producing an expertly written, compelling and ultimately successful Personal Statement as part of their application to study at a UK University.

Table of Contents:
Personal Statement and Interview Support; About the Editors, vi; Acknowledgments, vii; Preface, viii; Chapter 1; The structure of this guide, 1; The importance of the University Personal Statement, 3; How a Personal Statement enhances your University application, 6. Chapter 2; Applying to University through UCAS, 8; What is UCAS?, 8; Key dates: How to apply and when, 12; What is on the UCAS form?, 14; The importance of your reference, 17; Chapter 3; Choosing a course, 19; Choosing a University, 21; Applying to different subjects, 26; Grade requirements and competition for courses, 27; Chapter 4; Tuition fees and fi nancial help, 30; Taking a gap year, 32; Work in industry - Sandwich Course, 34; Repeating exams: Not the end of the world, 35; The Clearing process, 36; Chapter 5; Personal Statement overview, 41; Gathering ideas, 44; What a Personal Statement should contain, 47; The rules your Personal Statement needs to adhere to, 51; Structuring your Personal Statement, 54. The introductory paragraph, 57; Justifying your choice of course, 59; The main body, 63; Describing your academic experiences, 64; Writing about your work experience, 68; Writing about your extra-curricular activities, 72; Composing your concluding paragraph, 75; Chapter 6; Writing tips, 78; Refl ection, 84; How to turn something mundane into a positive, 87; The dirty dozen: Most common mistakes, 89; Chapter 7; From 'Draft' to 'Refi ned': An example to consider, 95; Enhancing your Personal Statement, 98; Chapter 8; Overseas students, 108; Mature students, 112; Chapter 9; Redrafting and proofreading, 118; Chapter 10; Information for teachers and parents, 121; Chapter 11; Further reference: Personal Statement examples, 124. Chapter 12; Final thoughts, 145; Appendix; Useful websites, 146.