How to Write an Oxbridge Personal Statement (With Examples)
If you want to study at Oxbridge, you will need to apply for your chosen course. As part of the process, you will need to include an Oxbridge personal statement. Whatever the course might be, obtaining a place at Oxbridge can prove extremely competitive, highlighting the importance of your personal statement.
So, your personal statement is going to need to capture the attention of the reader and keep them engaged. In order to achieve this, you will need to make sure that you include the right information and follow the instructions correctly.
Read on to discover all you need to know about Oxbridge Personal Statements and what is required to develop one that makes an impact.
What is an Oxbridge Personal Statement?
When you apply for a university course at Oxford University or Cambridge University, you will be expected to provide a personal statement. This is required as a way of supporting your application, giving the reader the opportunity to discover more about you as a person. It will contain certain information such as the grades you have achieved, your qualifications, experience and personal information.
Within the Oxbridge personal statements, you can explore the reasons why you have a passion for your chosen course and share important and relevant information with the reader. This will help to increase your chances of being accepted for your chosen course.
What to Include in an Oxbridge Personal Statement?
Oxbridge personal statements have to contain the right information. It has to be relevant and engaging, giving the reader a reason to read further into it in order to learn more about you. What this means is that your personal statement has to include the correct details that indicate your reasons for studying and what makes you a suitable candidate for the course.
So, your personal statement should include the following information:
Reasons For Choosing the Course - To begin with, you will need to clearly state why you want to study your chosen course. You will need to be specific with the reasons such as having a passion for it or wanting to explore a certain career after completing your studies. Discuss why the subject appeals to you and what drives you to choose it. You can also explore how your interest developed but the main thing to show the reader is that you have genuine reasons for choosing the course as this will translate into you being considered a student that the tutor would want to teach.
What Makes You Suitable - Having a desire to study the course is one thing but you also need to fit the criteria. At this point, it is crucial that you cover the skills and experience that you have and how they fit in with the course and your goals. Research is also key because you need to show that you fully understand what the course entails and how that ties in with your potential career choice.
The Relevance of Your Currency Study - You might be studying subjects that naturally lead into the university course that you want to study. In contrast, you might have studied subjects that are not aligned with your chosen course but there is still a lot you can take from this. This is a crucial part of your Oxbridge personal statement but if there is no link between previous studies and the course, you should look to explore the skills you have and how they relate to the course.
Hobbies and Interests - The reader is not only interested in how you have performed academically because they consider who you are as a person. By discussing your hobbies and interests, it will show that you are someone who is well-rounded. Whether you’re a member of societies and clubs or enjoy playing sport, it all helps to build a bigger picture. It can help to show that you are versatile, adaptable and committed, proving that you could be adequate for the course.
Skills and Achievements - Your skills and achievements can have a significant influence on the success of your personal statement. They will show how you can transfer them into your chosen course but it can help to explain how you achieved them. This involves exploring examples that help the reader to understand how you got them. From working in groups where you improved your communication skills to creating solutions to problems, they will show you admissions tutors exactly what you are capable of.
Work Experience - Work experience enables you to learn a wide range of skills and these can be extremely useful when it comes to being accepted. It might be full-time or part-time work experience as well as placements, internships and volunteering, all of which will give you many practical skills. Consider the roles and discuss those that are relevant to the course you have chosen.
How to Write an Oxbridge Personal Statement?
Create it in line with the requirements - It’s vital that you follow the requirements included in the application as this will show that you can follow instructions. It’s likely that it will contain some guidance when it comes to what you should include while it might also explain the areas that they want you to include in it.
Enhance your knowledge of the course - Your personal statement will need to align with the course you are applying for. Through researching the course, you will improve your knowledge and have the ability to link elements of your personal statement to it. This will enable you to create a tailored personal statement that will show the reader that you have carried out the research.
Consider the reasons - Think about the reasons why you want to study this particular course and what motivates you to succeed. Put a list together of the reasons and then look at how they can be worked into your personal statement.
It’s about you - Your personal statement is about you, so it is your opportunity to give it a personal touch. Include any personal links or reasons that have made you want to study the course. Perhaps you are a member of a club or society that has enabled you to enjoy the area you wish to study or perhaps a parent works in a role that you want to pursue which is the reason for choosing this course. This personal element will make your personal statement more memorable to the reader.
Finish by proofreading - Once you are satisfied with the content, you should aim to proofread your personal statement several times. It has to be perfect in terms of grammar and how it reads. You want to make sure it makes an impact for all the right reasons. You should also consider asking friends or family to read it as their feedback could help to finalise your personal statement.
How Long Should My Oxbridge Personal Statement Be?
You will only be given a certain amount of words in which to write your Oxbridge personal statement. You should aim to capture all of the information in around 1,000 words, although your application form will state how many words it should be.
Your statement should be simple to read and to the point while you should avoid going over the word count as this might not work in your favour. So, make any necessary changes to make sure that it fits the guidelines provided.
The Best Opening Sentences For Oxbridge Personal Statement?
Your statement has to connect with the reader which means they have the desire to continue reading. Therefore, you should avoid certain opening sentences such as:
I am applying for this course because…
Ever since a young age…
I have had a lifelong passion…
You should make your personal statement stand out from the beginning and the above examples are likely to be used frequently by other applicants. Starting your personal statement can prove challenging but it can help to complete your personal statement before going back to write the opening sentence. This can help you to link the opening sentence up with the rest of the content.
Best Practice Template
Your personal statement should have a certain structure to it. This will make it easier to read, so you should avoid creating one single block of text. So, the template below will enable you to create the perfect personal template:
Paragraph 1 - Discuss why you want to study the course by including a story or reasons why.
Paragraph 2 - Talk about your work experience and qualifications as well as any certifications you might have that relate to the course.
Paragraph 3 - Discuss particular skills that you have that you can transfer into your studies and the course and provide evidence where possible.
Paragraph 4 - Cover why you are suitable for the course and what makes you the ideal student.
Conclusion - End your statement so that it links back to your first paragraph and discuss why you believe the course is right for you.
Personal Statement for Oxbridge Example
You can use the example as a guide for your Oxbridge personal statement. This will provide you with guidance, enabling you to structure and write your statement correctly.