Having good grades is one thing, but writing an excellent personal statement is one of the main factors contributing to a successful UCAS application, which can grant you a place in an institution such as LSE. That is why the lengthy process of drafting a convincing statement revealing your motivation and competency to study a given course at university might seem stressful and daunting. While there is no easy and quick way to create a compelling personal statement, there are some things that you can do to ensure the essay is well thought out and written, which will facilitate securing a place at your dream university.
My first tip is to thoroughly read and analyse the outline and entry requirements of your programme. For each programme, LSE provides detailed facts about the programme’s structure, different modules that you will take, and information about how your application will be assessed. Try to note down the key characteristics and skills that a candidate for your programme would be expected to have and make use of the website’s indications about the types of students they are looking for. Once you know the most important skills the university is looking for, try to think of any academic or extracurricular activities that you have done in the past that would show that you have characteristics expected of you. For example, if your course requires effective communication skills, mentioning activities like a group project, volunteering or debate would be great to include in your personal statement to reveal your capacity to work with other people. Making use of the information that is provided to you, will not only show that you have researched and thought out your course selection well, but it will also be most helpful when trying to decide what details are relevant to include in the personal statement.
The second tip for a successful personal statement is to read and research the things that interest you about your subject. Whether it is books, articles, podcasts, or documentaries, absorbing knowledge about some key issues of the course you want to study will broaden your knowledge and allow you to critically discuss an issue you found relevant in your personal statement. Since a major part of personal statements for universities like LSE is supposed to concern academics, showing your independent thoughts on ideas you found intriguing or fascinating will highlight your interest, broad knowledge beyond the school curriculum, and capacity to think critically. While many students like to mention work experience they have completed prior to their application, people who did not have an opportunity to do so can equally well express their wide interest in the subject, by demonstrating the knowledge grasped through additional reading.
My final tip is to ask as many people as possible around you to read and share their thoughts about your personal statement. Whether it is teachers, relatives, tutors or friends, feedback from other people will give you a unique perspective on your personal statement and allow you to reflect upon your text to make it even better. Apart from obvious comments about language or grammar, proofreaders can supply you with valuable information about things such as tone or the relevance of arguments raised in your essay, and whether the claims you bring to support your motivation are adequately convincing and persuasive. Sharing your personal statement with others may seem uncomfortable since as the name suggests the essay is indeed very individual and private, having someone not from your immediate surrounding read your work, can prove extremely advantageous and aim for your essay to truly stand out.
