personal statement for greenwich university

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How to write a postgraduate personal statement

29 th September 2021

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Applying for postgraduate study? This guide supports you in writing a great postgraduate personal statement that’s tailored to your course.

• What do admissions tutors look for

How to write a personal statement

• What to write

Check and check again

What do admissions tutors look for in a postgraduate personal statement.

A personal statement is part of your university application. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your suitability for a course. Admissions tutors want to know why you want to study the course and how your experiences make you the ideal candidate.

The difference between a postgraduate application from an undergraduate one is that it is fully tailored to a particular university’s course. As an undergraduate, your statement is more generic as it can be sent to five universities. Whereas your postgraduate personal statement is for one course only – it should be a lot more specific to what and where you’re applying for.

Postgraduate study is also a significant level up from undergraduate, so avoid using the statement you wrote for your bachelor’s course as a template. The admissions team is interested in how you’ve grown since your previous studies.

Writing a personal statement for university is different to writing one for a job application. It should show your academic interests and explain why the university will help develop your learning and research. You’re not trying to charm the reader. Instead, you're providing insight into who you are, your achievements and your enthusiasm for the course.

Before putting pen to paper, read through all information about the course and what you need to do to apply.

If you can, arrange to speak with one of the course tutors or a current student to discuss what admissions tutors are looking for. Are you able to see examples of successful personal statements from previous applicants?

• Your relevant academic and practical experiences
• The bits about the course that particularly interest you
• Anything else the university has asked you to include

You can then use this to structure your plan.

Carefully plan what you’re going to write in each paragraph to ensure you include all the important information and present it coherently. Your course will demand effective communication from you, and admissions tutors will look for evidence of this in your writing.

• An interesting introduction that outlines your academic background and relevant experiences
• Engaging middle paragraphs that detail, with examples, how your interests, achievements and experiences make you right for the course
• A strong conclusion that pulls together the main points and summarises why you want to study it

Each paragraph and sentence should flow logically into the next. If you want, you can split up sections with headings (like ‘Academic achievements’ or ‘Career goals’) to make the statement easy to navigate.

For the word count, check with the university you’re applying to, as each may ask for different things.

What to write in a personal statement 

You want to show how your interests and experiences make you the right person.

• How will the course help with your future goals?
• What experiences do you have that provide evidence of your interest in the course?
• What modules or projects in your undergraduate degree really challenged your thinking?
• How has any employment shaped your ambitions?
• Have any personal or public events inspired you?
• Which books have you read, or activities have you been involved in, that have influenced you?

Rather than just listing experiences, explain how they shaped you and how they will help you succeed. There’s no need to write down your qualifications as the admissions tutor will have these details with the rest of your application.

• What are your hobbies?
• Are you part of any sports teams or societies?
• Do you volunteer?

This builds a picture of who you are and what you’ll be like as a student. If you want to and if relevant, refer to challenges you encountered during the pandemic – but in a positive way.

You don’t need to include everything in your statement. It should highlight the key information and leave the reader wanting to interview you to find out more.

The admissions team will be looking through many personal statements – they want to see a variety of experiences and stories. You can reflect this in your writing style; avoid repetition and use a variety of words to paint a unique picture.

Try not to use obvious phrases such as ‘I have always been interested in...’ or a gimmicky opening line like a famous quote. Instead, get to the point quickly and say in your voice why you’re excited about the course.

Be concise and make every word count. What you write should be relevant and honest, demonstrating your potential. Everything should be balanced; you can be confident in your abilities but try not to come across as arrogant. Show why you should be given the place, but don’t beg.

• First-person narrative
• Correct use of spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Varied and interesting vocabulary
• A positive and friendly, yet professional tone
• Paragraphs that flow logically into the next
• Clear and concise points backed up with evidence
• Clichéd language
• Waffle or too much irrelevant information
• Vague or confusing sentences
• Excuses for gaps in your experience

Proofread your statement to check that your points are clear and there are no spelling or grammatical errors. You can use spellchecking tools and free writing assistants like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to perfect your work. Reading your statement aloud can be helpful to see if it makes sense and flows well.

Ask at least one other person to read through and check it. This could be a friend, family member, careers adviser or a tutor if you’re still at university. A second pair of eyes may spot anything that doesn’t make sense or errors that you’ve missed.

Personal statement tips

• Give yourself plenty of time to write, edit and check
• Take lots of breaks and return to your work with fresh eyes
• Make sure your statement is unique and written by you
• If you’re an international student, say why you want to study in the UK
• Be prepared to talk about what you’ve written in an interview
• And if you’re applying for more than one course, make sure to write a different, tailored statement for each application!

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How to write a personal statement for your university application

For all university applications, wherever in the world you are applying, you need to write a personal statement. But what is a personal statement and how can it help?

For all university applications, wherever in the world you are applying, you need to write a personal statement. But what is a personal statement and how can it help? Put simply, it is your chance to articulate to the university or college that you would like to apply to, to let them know why you’d like to study there, why the particular course, and showcase the experience and skills that you have that will help you during the course. If you’re wondering how to write a personal statement, then read on for the techniques and the information that will help you to have a personal statement that will stand out from the crowd.

Write about you

It can feel awkward for some to talk about themselves, especially in a way that highlights strengths and positive attributes, but you do need to write about yourself. It is your chance to let admissions staff know why you are an ideal candidate for the course you’re applying for and why you’d be a good addition for the institution you are applying to. That being said, you usually just get the chance to write one personal statement, so avoid using university names.

Ideas to help you get started with your personal statement

Look at the course that you are interested in applying for, and think what skills or experience would be beneficial. Make sure you highlight those points in your personal statement. Include why you are interested in the particular course, such as a stepping stone to your dream career, or because you are keen to learn the course subject matter. Talk about your wider personal life in your personal statement, to give the admissions officer an idea about you for a while and how you’d fit into university life there. If you’re a member of a club or a team, for example, then let them know and let them know how it helps you in life. Discussing other areas of interest and experience in your life, such as volunteering or different awards that you have achieved are also good to talk about in your personal statement. Make sure that each element that you discuss is brought back to how it has helped your life, what you’ve learned from it, or how it has improved you and your skills and why it makes you a suitable candidate for the course you are applying for.

When you’re writing about yourself you might be tempted to ‘bend’ the truth a little to make you sound more appealing. As tempting as it might be, you need to always be honest. Don’t write that you’re fluent in French, for example, when you only know some basic conversational French. Highlight what you can do and make that sound more appealing, rather than filling the personal statement with things that aren’t quite true.

When it comes to your personal statement, you need to remember that everyone is different and has a unique voice. You might find reading some others helpful, but remember to not copy and keep it unique and personal to you. And one last thing, make sure someone proofreads it before you send it (a simple thing that many people can forget).

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Use our personal statement examples listed by university together with our template to write your own unique statement. If you need a little extra help, please see our personal statement editing services .  

Cambridge (89) UEA (36) Essex (16) Lancaster (31) Reading (26) Sheffield (80) Southampton (56) Aberdeen (28) Aberystwyth (10) Aston (18) Bath (66) Birmingham (86) Bristol (111) Brunel (28) Cardiff (39) City (21) Dundee (28) Durham (84) Edinburgh (117) Exeter (57) Glasgow (46) Heriot-watt (18) Hull (21) Imperial (55) Keele (18) Kent (43) King's College (73) Leeds (82) Leicester (49) Liverpool (52) LSE (70) Manchester (116) UMIST (1) Newcastle (47) Nottingham (96) Oxford (81) Oxford Brookes (18) Queen Mary (50) Queen's, Belfast (5) Royal Holloway (26) SOAS (32) St Andrews (59) Stirling (27) Strathclyde (17) Surrey (31) Sussex (33) Swansea (15) UCL (126) Warwick (98) York (84) Nottingham Trent (19) Loughborough (26)

NFL distances itself from Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker's university speech

Sport NFL distances itself from Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker's university speech

The National Football League is distancing itself from Kansas City Chiefs' kicker Harrison Butker, saying "his views are not those of the NFL as an organisation".

Butker appeared as the commencement speaker last week at Benedictine College, a private Catholic liberal arts school in Kansas, and said most of the women receiving degrees were probably more excited about getting married and having children.

Butker also said some Catholic leaders were "pushing dangerous gender ideologies onto the youth of America."

"Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity," Jonathan Beane, NFL senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer, said in a statement released Thursday.

"His views are not those of the NFL as an organisation. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger."

The three-time Super Bowl champion delivered his roughly 20-minute address Saturday (local time) at the school in Atchison, Kansas, which is located about 97 kilometres north of Kansas City. He received a standing ovation from graduates and other attendees.

Butker, who's made his conservative Catholic beliefs well known, also assailed Pride month, a particularly important time for the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and US President Joe Biden's stance on abortion.

"I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you," Butker added in his speech.

"Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife Isabelle would be the first to say that her life truly started when she started living her vocation as a wife and as a mother," he said.

Butker, 28, said his wife embraced "one of the most important titles of all, homemaker".

Butker also referred to a "deadly sin sort of pride that has a month dedicated to it" in an oblique reference to Pride month. Butker also took aim at Biden's policies, including his condemnation of the Supreme Court's reversal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and advocacy for freedom of choice — a key campaign issue in the 2024 presidential race.

The 2017 seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech has become one of the NFL's best kickers, breaking the Chiefs' franchise record with a 62-yard field goal in 2022.

Butker helped them win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in 2020, added a second Lombardi Trophy in 2023, and he kicked the field goal that forced overtime in a Super Bowl win over San Francisco in February.

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