I have seen countless personal statements. From the good, to the bad and some downright ugly efforts. There are some mistakes that come up every single year. It’s hard though for many students. You only write a PS once in your life (hopefully!) and so it’s difficult to know what to include right off the bat. This article will tell you the top three mistakes you need to avoid if you want to get the dream place at university.

Don’t talk about your parents.

I have read so so many personal statements that open with a discussion about how the student’s parents have motivated them to choose their subject. Sometimes the student might also describe how they have had lots of opportunities given to them because their parents are well connected. Personally, I always think it is nice to acknowledge when your parents have helped you – they’re such a big part of all our lives, and yet the professors at G5 universities don’t feel the same. They want to know what you have done, not your parents.

Not enough content and achievements

Maybe a few years ago you could use a couple of achievements and that would be enough. 1 essay price, 1 competition and a few books and that’s the job done, welcome to Oxbridge. Not any more sadly. Now you need a minimum of 10 achievements, and they need to be pretty impressive. We want to make sure that you win a couple of prizes, read a ton of books and then take part in debates, lectures and much more. Get that content in there!

Chronological order

Never never never write your personal statement in chronological order. The most impressive things that you’ve done should always be the most recent and so you shouldn’t start with that prize you won for effort when you were 9 years old. Go with the big recent things that make you impressive. That’s what the professors want to hear most. Remember, if your opening paragraph isn’t strong, they might not even read the rest.