UCAS personal statement

I’m currently filling in my UCAS personal statement for UK schools, i know its not supposed to be like the US college essays. Could anyone give me advise as to what to write about, I can’t really find anyone to help me.

<p>Is anyone familiar with the UCAS form?</p>

<p>Could any American student who applied to schools in the UK please just tell me what i'm supposed to write about? Is it totally different to the US ones? Are you supposed to do what your told not to do here- talk about how great you are and why they should accept you??</p>

<p>hi English. I just got back from my cambridge interview - what a fright. </p>

<p>UCAS, yea, you're basically supposed to be really straightforward and tell them exactly why they should accept you. i think. Space is so limited anyway that that's all you'll be able to do. Which schools are you apping for and which subject?</p>

<p>Talk about the course you have picked, why you chose it, how your passion for it was born and what you have done so far that would make you apt for that course. good luck ;)</p>

<p>EDIT: DId my UCAS app last year... it's such a lovely, straightforward thing</p>

<p>which schools did you get into, quetzal : )?</p>

<p>Got offers from the LSE, Bath, Warwick, Lancaster.... Didn't go in the end tho, mostly coz of international fees and lack of aid. Trying out applications in different countries this year. how about you? where else have you applied apart from cambridge?</p>

<p>you write about mainly about why you want to study the subject you want to study. </p>

<p>mine was like this:
first paragraph: why i like english
second paragraph: other subjects i enjoy and i talked about graduating a year early
third paragraph: i wrote about when i lived in Hong Kong my freshman year and the study abroad program i went on to london last summer and talked a little bit about why i want to go to college in the uk
fourth paragraph: a bit about extra-curriculars
fifth paragraph: brief conclusion</p>

<p>depends what you want them to know about you :) why you want to study x subject is most important though</p>

<p>Not an American, but I'll post this in case you're interested in seeing what we self-effacing Brits write on the things...</p>

<p>Figured I may as well post the whole thing, since this is long in the past for me. This was good enough to get me in everywhere I applied (to study Archaeology and Anthropology or various permutations thereof) and written on the basis of advice from my school, which is geared towards getting kids into top level UK universities.</p>

<p>I don't think the personal statement is that important really...seems like grades are the thing to worry about.</p>

<p>Without further ado:
Having chosen a wide range of subjects to study in the sixth form, I feel that both archaeology and anthropology offer the chance to study over a broad spectrum and capitalise on the skills I have gained at A-Level and GCSE.
My interest in history has been developed from a young age. I have been a member of both the National Trust and English Heritage for many years. Coupled with a natural curiosity about how the human race adapts and evolves, I feel that a course combining elements of material culture, history, and social development will provide the challenge I hope to face at university.
I have further developed this interest through extensive reading, and some practical experience. In the summer of 1999, I spent a week assisting in the finds room of Birmingham University Field Archaeology Unit, and in August of this year I was a volunteer during two weeks of the summer excavations at Worcester Cathedral, under the supervision of the Cathedral Archaeologist. This experience has strengthened my interest in the subject: It has taught me not only how painstaking and brutal archaeology can be, but also the satisfaction of finding something significant.
I feel that my sixth form studies have extended beyond the classroom; learning languages has led me to broaden my interest in literature by reading works in another language. It has also given me an interest in Russian literature, although my knowledge is not yet sufficient for me to read the works in their original language. I have also pursued my interest in literature by attending my school’s Literary Society and Reading Group. In my lower sixth year, I participated in the Young Enterprise scheme as Sales and Marketing Director of "Bullet", and in the European Youth Parliament, both of which taught me to be more assertive and helped prepare me for life outside school. I have also been part of the “Schools Challenge” team during the sixth form, which has helped to expand my general knowledge.
Outside school, my major passion is ice dance, a sport I have recently taken up again after a break to concentrate on academic studies. Although it is no longer feasible for me to compete seriously, I am continuing to progress through the dance tests, passing my recent tests with merit. I have also diversified my interest in the sport by participating in the National Ice Skating Association’s Coaching Programme, which will lead to a Level 1 NCCP coaching qualification, as well as a certificate in First Aid. I have also recently started classes in both ballroom dancing and ballet as a complement to my skating, and I plan to pursue my interest in dance at university.
I hope that my time at university will lead to a career in either archaeology or anthropology, probably in the academic sector, and I am looking forward to participating fully in university life.</p>

<p>mm, if you post your email addy, i'll see if i can dig up my UCAS essay to send you.</p>

<p>Will the people who read my personal statement understand a lot of the american "lingo" or do I have to explain it, example, pre-AP, GPA, Honors classes.....</p>

<p>English05 - that's probably going to depend on how many US educated applicants the university typically gets. For the more renowned unis it probably shouldn't be a problem, but you might want to have your GC send a note about it, or a school profile, something like that. It's probably worth mentioning if your classes are the most challenging available - we don't really have much of a tiered education system (not yet anyway) so it's more of a level playing field - I expect that's why UK unis are mostly going to be interested in looking at SAT II scores and AP scores.</p>

<p>well i hope it helps that i'm english and got moved here four years ago...how hard is st andrews??? i have a 4.12 gpa, i've taken ap classes and have a 1350 SAT, i here mixed reviews of what uk schools are looking for, so i;m trying to fugure out my strengths for them.</p>

<p>is anyone else applying to St Andrews?</p>

<p>i did my UCAS back in October. I've gotten 3 acceptances already (but conditional - most are).</p>

<p>what kind of conditions to they give you?? where did you get accepted to??</p>

<p>all of them said 4 + in AP's one had a criteria of 5, 4, 4. One of them also said 4's in 3 AP's or an A overall...thats not hard.</p>