The UCAS form

What selectors look for (tips)

The selector will take the whole of the UCAS form into account when making a decision: your GCSE /AS-level or access/preparatory track record, especially in the relevant disciplines; your choice of A-levels or performance on an access/preparatory course; your predicted grades; your reference; your personal statement; and the nature of the competition at any given point.  Some of these things are past and cannot be changed, and others are wholly or partly outside your control; but one area where you can have a considerable influence on the decision is your personal statement, and this is the section on which we are most often asked for advice.

Making a personal statement

The following guidelines are intended to give some indication of what we look for in this section. They aren't necessarily universally valid, since different University Departments have different characters, and may value different approaches; but we hope you'll find them helpful. Remember that in high-demand subjects like English, where not all applicants are interviewed, your personal statement may be the only opportunity you have of presenting yourself to advantage. But don't forget to keep a copy of your statement--you may find it helpful if you are called to interview.

Preparation

start early: although we consider forms received at any date, late submission is not a good idea for a subject as popular as English. Aim to get your application in well before the UCAS deadline.

check the course details: make sure that the course itself is right for you (UniAdmission will help you to find detailed information about any course that you interested in) 

review your reading: what books or writers have you found particularly interesting or significant, and why? What have you read outside the syllabus, and why? Selectors like to see evidence of wider reading, and an account of your interests on the UCAS form may help to guide the discussion if you are interviewed (this is also a good reason not to claim knowledge you don't have . . .). Don't just say "I have a passion for medicine"; specific description of your interests is more convincing than cliche.

review your life in general: note down your relevant cultural experiences  (theatregoing, cinema, poetry readings, creative writing, visits abroad, musical activities, debating societies, reading groups, etc.), and summarize them briefly in your statement. Mature applicants in particular should consider what experience they've gained outside formal education: e.g. writing skills, time management, professional training, working with people (including family), a broader acquaintance with books/theatre/film, etc.

Check your draft statement with your tutor or subject teacher: they may be able to give valuable advice.

Focusing your statement

concentrate on your intellectual and cultural interests: don't spend more than (say) the last 20% of the statement on those extra-academic activities and skills which make you a "rounded" person.  Mature applicants should note this difference from  the more general personal statements expected for access and preparatory courses; and sixth-formers, too, may need to bear the point in mind. 

We've noticed an increasing tendency for UCAS personal statements to read like all-purpose job applications. This is an understandable reflection of the increasing emphasis in national educational policy on vocationally-useful skills and experience, but you shouldn't let general information crowd out more directly relevant matters like your reasons for choosing the course and your literary interests. 

What is an Admissions tutor supposed to make of a personal statement by an English-Film applicant which, after a exhaustive description of personal skills, work experience, school activities, charity work, sports, hobbies, and musical accomplishments, concludes simply '...and I enjoy reading and watching films'?

if you're applying for Combined Honours, express and explain your interest in both courses: Admissions tutors are suspicious---sometimes rightly---of applicants who can't find anything to say about half of the course; and you should be able to justify your choice of a particular combination. If it involves the study of a subject (e.g. Film or Philosophy) which you haven't done at A-Level, we'll be looking for some indications of independent exploration of the subject, and a sense of what its study is likely to involve.

What to avoid

·         pretentiousness : attempting to impress, you may end up out of your league. Keep your style clear and simple.

·         facetiousness: a touch of dry wit can be engaging, but it's easy to hit the wrong note and cause irritation rather than amusement.

·         frantic self-advertisement: avoid phrases like "So why English and Philosophy, then?" You are applying to an English Department, not Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Also, don't let your positive self-presentation tip over into immodesty ('My achievements at school were vast'; or even, 'It is my mature, collected approach to life that sets me apart from others. Due to my experiences, I tackle the tasks presented to me with wisdom and sincerity...').

·         writing in note form rather than continuous prose: selectors can't ask for written work from more than a small minority of candidates, so your form has to serve as evidence of your writing ability. And we are really turned off by . . .

·         shaky written English: selectors are likely to take poor spelling as evidence of carelessness, and poor sentence-construction as an indication of both problems with communication and a lack of feeling for style.

·         illegibility: write clearly, or use a 12-point font if you are word-processing; bear in mind that the forms are reproduced in a reduced format for admissions tutors.

·         conformity: too many personal statements are formulaic, saying what applicants feel they ought to say in a vocabulary they feel they ought to use. Although taking advice is sensible, bear in mind the comment of one of our applicants: 'Are these as tedious to read as they are to write? I'm sorry, I really feel that it is impossible to call these personal statements considering the amount of instruction we are given in writing them. We're told what to say and how to say it in an all too explicit manner." Be yourself; it's a pleasure (though a surprisingly rare one) to read a statement where the candidate's own voice comes over clearly.