How do I write the best personal statement?

A personal statement gives an idea to the admissions committee of who you are and your interests in the intended field including your future career goals. A good personal statement will help you stand out ahead of fellow course applicants (more so for international students, there might be intake quotas).

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts of writing a personal statement:

Do’s

• Do understand the course you’re applying for and demonstrate to the University that you’re the best candidate for the course
• Do “Walk the Talk”. Justify your interest in the course by explaining why you are interested in a particular field of study; what book/materials you have studied; why would you be a suitable student for the course
• Do show your graduating plans. How will graduating from this course benefit your future career? Will this degree gives you an advantage when pitted against fellow graduates/job hunters? How do you plan to use your skills and knowledge gained from studying this course?
• Do sell yourself. Outline your attributes in a clear and precise manner. Make the interviewer understand your personality as much as possible
• Do personalised statements, not generic. Every university has a different course outline and method of assessments, despite applying for the same course or major.
• Do get it proof-read. Get your family, friends or peers to help proof-read your statement before submitting them

Don’ts

• Don’t copy paste course and subject descriptions from the university’s contents. The interviewers from the University are definitely familiar with their promotional wordings.
• Don’t oversell. It is crucial to know your limitations of what you wrote. If deemed unrealistic by the interviewer, you may be asked to explain certain statements of achievements during the interview so please be prepared to answer what has been pitched
• Don’t sound generic. Everyone is supposed to be ‘friendly’ & ‘hardworking’. If you would like to use the term ‘hardworking’ and ‘good team-player’, do back them up with a previous college/school group project and how you made a difference to your team back then
• Don’t procrastinate. A rushed last-minute effort will reflect on the outcome. You cannot expect to achieve much if the quality of work wasn’t much, to begin with

Worried that your written statement is not convincing enough? Need an experienced professional to proof-read your statements? Contact your nearest AUG office, and our counsellors are ready to guide you!