And what to resist…….
Writing your statement like an all – purpose job application. It’s fine to mention your extra-academic interests and vocational skills, but this shouldn’t crowd out the key information about your reasons for choosing the course and your literary interests. For mature students, it may be difficult to resist the temptation to detail all your work experience and skills, but try to do so!
Writing in an unusual style, be it in note form, verse, humorous or colloquial. A well but conventionally written statement is more useful to the selector and less likely to back-fire.
Discussing your career plans at great length. It’s okay to mention your longer-term ambitions, but English is not a vocational degree and so undue emphasis on your future career might suggest that you would be better off doing a degree in journalism, media studies or whatever is relevant.
Writing to formula. Be yourself, not the ‘ideal’ applicant. An admissions tutor would much rather read a statement where the student’s own voice comes through than one that is the product of over-instruction and full of phrases borrowed from other people.
Being dishonest. Don’t misrepresent yourself or over-inflate your skills or enthusiasm. Don’t borrow from the ‘model’ personal statements on the web. UCAS uses plagiarism software and admissions tutors are adept at tracking down suspicious material. It’s not worth the risk.
Flannel: selectors see thousands of claims about ‘my love of literature’, which may mean little more than ‘I quite enjoyed reading two or three books’. What is particular about your love of literature, language or creative writing?
Poor grammar, spelling and punctuation. This really matters. Selectors are looking for people who can communicate well in writing, have a feeling for style and care about detail in language. A badly written personal statement suggests that, at least at the minute, you are not one of them.
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