All YOUR questions about writing a UCAS Personal Statement, answered by the judges themselves!

Dr. Julia Riley oversees admissions in STEM subjects as the Admission Tutor for Sciences at Girton College, University of Cambridge. She is also an astrophysicist at the Department of Physics, an Affiliated Lecturer and organises the Physics practicals for firstyears.

Dr. Stuart Davis is the Admissions Tutor for Arts subjects at Girton College, University of Cambridge. He is also a Senior Lecturer in Spanish at Girton College and Affiliated Lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (MML) since 2003.

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction + Stuart and Julia’s Roles
01:45 What is the purpose of the personal statement?
02:52 I have no idea where to start. Any tips?
06:23 Is there a recommended structure?
07:44 What is the difference between ‘supercurricular’ and ‘extracurricular’ activities?
08:38 I feel uncomfortable selling myself. How do I get over this?
10:45 What are admissions tutors looking for in a personal statement?
13:17 I’m struggling to demonstrate interest in my course. Any tips?
15:05 How to write a personal statement if applying to different courses in different universities?
19:39 I don’t have any shadowing or internship experiences. What do I write about then?
22:28 Can I include my extracurricular activities? How much to include if applying to Oxford/Cambridge?
25:15 How much weightage is given to the personal statement in the Cambridge application?
26:20 What are common mistakes or pitfalls to avoid?
30:22 TOP TIPS
33:28 Conclusion

Thank you for submitting these questions they were great! There’s really nothing like hearing it directly from the decision makers themselves.

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