Personal Statement References

Aims and Objectives

• What Are Universities Looking

For?

• What to Include in the Reference

• School Information

• Student Information

• Looking at Real Examples

• Further Information

• Personal Statement Tips

What Are Universities

Looking For?

• Potential for success at Higher Education

• Fair assessment of the student’s abilities, achievements, skills and attributes

• As directly related as possible to the student’s desired career path

• Evidence or examples to demonstrate your assessment

What Universities are looking for

A fair analysis of the student in the context of:

The course• Skills, abilities and motivations?• What have they done in school to

support their choice?

Higher Education in general• What they can bring to the

university

A particular profession or career• Have they done their research?

Suitability of a prospective student

Put any important messages at the top of the page

Avoid generic statements

“We recommend *** to your institution”vs

“*** would make an excellent teacher because of her ability to interact and

engage with younger children effectively.”

Make it specific

• The student’s personal statement and application form.

• Course prospectus pages and information:• Entry criteria• Desirable student attributes

• Courses and institutions the student has applied for.

Information that might help

Reference Content

School Information

Very brief statement of the key

information, putting the reference in

context of the school/college

Prospective Student Information

Relevant and important information about

the student and their Motivations,

Academic abilities and achievements,

Skills and abilities, Work Placements,

Additional information

School Information

Keep it brief (A few sentences at the most)

For Example:The Sixth Form College offers a range of A-Level and BTEC National Diploma qualifications to 500 sixth form students. approximately 70 of whom go on to university each year. All students take a critical thinking module as part of a non-examined General Studies Programme. 25% of our students come from a widening participation background.

School Information

Student Information

• Best completed by someone

who knows the student.

• Make it specific to the student.

• Reference to their abilities,

strengths and achievements.

• Some reports can come from

other teachers…but not all.

General Tips

• Proposed career ambitions, attitude,

motivation and commitment

• Motivation and commitment towards

the chosen course or career

• Commitment or motivation shown in

the school/college context

• Suitability for their career choice

Motivations and ambitions

If you are unsure of the chosen career path of the student, talk

about their general suitability for Higher Education

• General background of academic

standard.

• Current achievements.

• Reference to subjects relating to the

courses for which they are applying.

• Relevant curriculum enrichment and

other activities.

• Potential (other than predicted

grades).

Academic Achievement and Ability

• Any relevant skills or achievements.

• Powers of analysis and independent

thought – skills that will be useful in

Higher Education.

• Qualities or strengths beneficial to

their chosen course or career choice.

Skills and abilities

• Relevant work experience, such as

work placements, voluntary work.

• Relevant curriculum enrichment and

related skills.

• The more competitive the course the

more important this element will be.

Work Placements

Additional information:• Any extenuating circumstances

affecting the student or their academic achievements

Concerns for or about the student:

• Admission tutors are good at reading between the lines

Additional Information

• Information or concerns about a student can be delivered subtly

For example:‘*** is capable of hard work’

could be interpreted as:‘*** could work hard if they could be

bothered, but they can’t’

• Information that can warn a university that a student may need a kick start may be useful

Concerns about the student

• You do not need to input predicted

grades onto the reference unless

you are making a particular point.

• If the predicted grades are not a

reflection of the student’s

potential or abilities, this needs to

be explained in the reference.

Predicted Grades

Looking at Real

Examples

Examples of referee references for

applications to Edge Hill University

• Provide additional information about the student and a fair assessment of the student’s skills, abilities and potential for success in higher education.

• Make it specific.

• A consistent message between the Reference and the Personal Statement.

Summary

Useful Websiteswww.edgehill.ac.ukwww.ucas.comwww.ucas.com/advisers/online/references

 Useful Documentswww.ucas.com/documents/ucasguides/adviserguide2012.pdf

Further Information

Thank you for listening

Please feel free to contact us:

Daisy Jayes 01695 584258 daisy.jayes@edgehill.ac.uk

Chris Bayes: 01695 584198 chris.bayes@edgehill.ac.uk

Ryan Duncan: 01695 584 243

ryan.duncan@edgehill.ac.uk

Personal Statements

• Varying levels of importance on personal statements – the more competitive a course, the more important the personal statement.

• For most courses the personal statement and the application are the only things that an admissions tutor will look at to make an offer.

• A very strong personal statement can create an offer.

Why is it important?

o Do we want this student at this university?

o Do we want this student on this course?

The personal statement should provide all of the information relevant for admissions tutors to make a decision on students’ suitability for the course.

What are Universities looking for?

• Qualities and Skills

• Motivation and Interest

• Relevant Experiences

• Dedication, Commitment and

Enthusiasm

• Preparation

What are Universities looking for?

Top Tips

“The statement needs to provoke interest at the beginning, sustain interest throughout, and leave an impression at the end”

Admissions Tutor

• Research the courses• Students need a good awareness of

what the course will give them• Look at university information

• Start Early

• Continuous process

• Relevant Experience

• Test out a career and gain some

valuable skills

Preparation

• Will it give students what they

want?

• Are they prepared for the demands

of course?

• Career aspirations that match the

course.

• Can they prove/demonstrate that

they want to be on this course?

Pick the right course

• Motivation

• Relevant Experience

• Academic Ability

• Personal Qualities and Attributes

• Outside Interests

Content

Specific• Provide details and examples.• Avoid the generic and boring.

Truthful• Modesty can be a good thing.

Spelling and Grammar• 19% of Primary QTS

Applications are rejected because of poor spelling.

The personal statement

Personal Reflection• Offer thoughts about motivations

and lessons learned.• Provide analysis of work

experiences and experiences gained.

• Reflect on own skills and abilities.

Demonstrate and evidence• Provide details and examples to

back up claims.• Give examples to highlight

important information.

Personal Reflection

• Start the journey as early as possible.

• Good preparation is obvious in a personal statement.

• Encourage your students to critically analyse their own skills, abilities and experiences.

Summary

Thank you for listening

Please feel free to contact us:

Daisy Jayes 01695 584258 daisy.jayes@edgehill.ac.uk

Chris Bayes: 01695 584198 chris.bayes@edgehill.ac.uk

Ryan Duncan: 01695 584 243

ryan.duncan@edgehill.ac.uk