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GUIDE TO PERSONAL STATEMENTS & WIDER READING

Shadab Ahmed, Access & Funding Officer 2018-19

The application process is a confusing one when there is little guidance. Austerity has meant that teachers are not properly paid, they are overworked and do not have the time to learn about the intricacies of different admissions systems across the UK and the globe. This puts some students at a significant disadvantage, or at least a perceived one, which is just as harmful.

Cambridge itself has additional steps to take in order to get through the admissions process, including interviews and assessments, when added to an earlier deadline, this puts off many talented individuals from applying to university.

This guide aims to help demystify what Cambridge expects from a personal statement, but is also useful for anyone trying to get to grips with writing one for any university, and will allow students to hopefully engage with wider reading so they can truly see what they want to study.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

How to apply - HE

UCAS and Personal Statements

Writing a great personal statement is a vital part of getting onto an ideal University course. These documents can give you some hints and tips about what to include, what to leave out, and how to structure your statement to best effect! The documents include:

• a video presentation on personal statements
• a pdf presentation on personal statements
• a pdf presentation on UCAS and personal statements
• a key points summary document
• a quick reference guide for structure

(All documents can be downloaded below)

UCAS Personal Statements Video

• Introduction To Writing A Personal Statement pdf Download
• Presentation UCAS Applications Personal Statements pdf Download
• Personal+Statement+Structure (3) pdf Download
• Personal Statement Fact Sheet (6) pdf Download

Top Tips for Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Personal Statement

Your personal statement should show Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences tutors that you are interested in and engaged with Psychology, and demonstrate why you would be a great candidate for the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences course (PBS). Read on to find out how to make a great impression with your personal statement!

1. Start preparing early!

A great Cambridge PBS personal statement will include lots of super-curricular activities (this means things you’ve done related to Psychology above and beyond what you’ve done as part of your school curriculum). You want to give yourself plenty of time to read things you’re interested in and perhaps even discover some new areas of interest, so start preparing for this early.

2. Figure out what areas of Psychology interest you

Psychology is a broad topic, and you would never be able to talk about all of it in a Cambridge PBS personal statement. Instead you need to focus on what areas interest you the most. If you’re studying Psychology already, think about which aspects of your course you enjoy the most and try and seek out some wider reading that goes beyond what you’ve been taught. If you’ve never studied it before, there must be a reason you want to study it at degree level so focus on what got you into Psychology as a starting point. Cambridge want to know why you want to study the subject at degree level – what specific aspects captured your interest?

3. Be reflective about your super-curricular activities

Your Cambridge PBS personal statement shouldn’t just read like a big list of all the things you’ve read/seen/done that relate to Psychology. Try taking a more reflective and critical approach – what did you learn from what you did? You can also try making links between different things you’ve done, and how one piece of reading might have led you to another idea and a different activity. This helps to show you are engaging with the subject.

4. Don’t worry if you don’t have relevant work experience

Cambridge does not require or expect you to have any work experience. It is not always easy to organise and is not a requirement for the course. If you have work experience, it is important to demonstrate how this has changed your perspective on Psychology and what you learned from it. This doesn’t necessarily have to be work experience that is directly subject relevant as long as it had an impact on your approach to the subject. For example – someone who had work experience volunteering with children learning to read might be inspired to read up on the psychological theories of how reading skills develop.

5. Use a variety of sources to explore Psychology

The bulk of your Cambridge PBS personal statement will be about your super-curricular activities, and this is a really broad category. Basically anything you can relate to Psychology counts, whether that’s some volunteering you did, a book or article you read, a documentary you watched, a MOOC you completed or anything else you can think of! Plenty of these resources will be free too.

6. Structure your Cambridge PBS personal statement appropriately

Admissions tutors will be reading loads of statements, so you need to make yours clear and easy to read – if it’s structured confusingly and full of unnecessarily complicated language they may not have the extra time to make sense of what you’re trying to say. Separate your ideas into paragraphs, and have a short introduction and conclusion to bring it all together. Also be aware of the Cambridge PBS personal statement word limit – you only have 4000 characters (47 lines of text). Therefore it’s important to be concise in the language you use. Use formal language, but make sure it’s natural for you to use – if you use flowery and complex language you wouldn’t normally use to try and impress the reader, it’s not going to work. All that really shows is you know how to use a thesaurus!

7. Your Cambridge PBS personal statement should be personal

Asking others for advice, whether that’s teachers, friends, parents etc. can be useful but remember it is YOUR Cambridge PBS personal statement, not theirs! Don’t change anything you don’t want to change just because someone else says you should. And don’t let anyone else write it for you – it is really obvious when students haven’t used their own words in a statement and have let someone else have too much control. Everyone will have their opinions on how a Cambridge PBS personal statement should sound – your opinion on how your Cambridge PBS personal statement should sound is the only one that matters.

8. Give yourself plenty of time to write it

The UCAS deadline for applying to Cambridge is always in mid-October, which is much earlier than for applicants to other universities. This deadline is also inflexible – you won’t be able to apply late. Therefore it’s important you start writing well in advance of the deadline to have enough time to carefully consider what to write, get feedback from others, and refine your Cambridge PBS personal statement. It’s worth thinking about starting it towards the end of the summer before you apply. You can’t write the best Cambridge PBS personal statement possible if you’re rushing it the night before the deadline!

9. Make sure you know the content of your statement well, and don’t lie about what you’ve done

Cambridge says that they may use your PBS personal statement as a basis for interview questions. Therefore, it is vital that you don’t put anything on it if you wouldn’t be comfortable having a conversation about it. Also remember that it is unlikely but entirely possible that the person who conducts your interview has actually written one of the books on your Cambridge PBS personal statement. Therefore you really don’t want to put anything on there that you haven’t read properly, and it might be a good idea to reread things before interview.

10. Try to avoid cliches

Admissions tutors will be reading loads of Cambridge PBS personal statements so you want yours to seem original. Avoid cliched phrases like ‘I have always been interested in…’ ‘For as long as I can remember…’ ‘From a young age…’ (this is by no means an exhaustive list!). Opening with a quote is also rather overdone and doesn’t add much to your statement. Don’t just say vague things about how ‘passionate’ or ‘fascinated’ you are about Psychology – you’re applying to study it at Cambridge so passion for the subject is a given! Your statement should demonstrate your fascination for Psychology without you needing to use the cliche of saying that directly.

11. Proofread

Don’t neglect the proofreading! The last thing you want is to submit a Cambridge PBS personal statement that is full of typos – it doesn’t look very professional. PBS at Cambridge is primarily an essay based subject, and while the Cambridge PBS personal statement isn’t the main way they assess your writing ability, it can’t hurt to make sure your Cambridge PBS personal statement is well-written.

12. Don’t worry too much about extra-curriculars

You might want to add some extra-curricular activities that don’t relate to Psychology to your statement, particularly if you are also applying to other universities too that might value them, but keep it brief. Cambridge do not care about what you have done outside of your subject, however impressive it might be. It’s good to put this sort of thing in as other universities you are applying to will be looking for it, but keep it to a couple of sentences as it’s not really relevant for your Cambridge application.

13. Avoid mentioning Oxford by name (or any other university you’re applying to).

Chances are Cambridge isn’t the only university you’re applying to, and all universities you apply to through UCAS will see identical versions of your Cambridge PBS personal statement. It’s not a good idea to mention any university by name or be too specific in any way, as it may put off other universities from giving you an offer. Keep your Cambridge PBS personal statement applicable to everywhere you are applying to. However, there is a way to tell Cambridge what it is about their course you especially like, bringing us nicely on to…

14. Don’t forget the Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ)

The SAQ is an additional piece of the application that Cambridge will ask for after you’ve submitted your UCAS. It is mainly for extra admin information but there is also space to write an additional 1,200 character PBS personal statement that is only seen by Cambridge. This is a great opportunity to let them know what specific aspects of the course attracted you to apply to study it. You don’t have to write one, but if you do have anything you’d like to add about the Cambridge course specifically this is the place to do it. The SAQ deadline is usually around a week after the October UCAS deadline (be aware that an earlier deadline may apply for international students) so think about what you might want to say on the SAQ in plenty of time.

→What is the Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (PBS) program?

The Cambridge PBS program is an undergraduate degree program offered by the University of Cambridge’s Department of Psychology. The program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of human behaviour and the factors that influence it, including social, cognitive, and biological perspectives.

→What are some tips for writing a strong Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences personal statement?

Some tips for writing a strong Cambridge PBS personal statement include demonstrating a clear understanding of the subject and why it interests the candidate, highlighting relevant academic achievements and extracurricular activities, showcasing research experience and analytical skills, and demonstrating a genuine passion for psychology and behavioural sciences.

→What should be included in a Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences personal statement?

A Cambridge PBS personal statement should include information about the candidate’s academic achievements, extracurricular activities, research experience, and personal qualities that are relevant to the program. It should also include specific examples of how the candidate has demonstrated analytical skills, critical thinking, and an understanding of the subject.

→How long should a Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences personal statement be?

The Cambridge PBS personal statement should be no more than 4,000 characters or 47 lines, whichever comes first. Candidates should use this space wisely to showcase their strengths and demonstrate their suitability for the program.

→Is it important to tailor the personal statement to the Cambridge PBS program specifically?

Yes, it is important to tailor the personal statement to the Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences program specifically. This includes researching the program and understanding its unique features and requirements, as well as demonstrating a genuine interest in the subject and a strong motivation to study at the University of Cambridge.

→How important is the personal statement for the Cambridge Psychological and Behavioural Sciences program?

The personal statement is a crucial part of the Cambridge PBS application process as it allows candidates to showcase their passion for the subject and their potential to succeed in the program. The personal statement also provides the admissions team with insight into a candidate’s motivation, academic background, and personal qualities.

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Advice and feedback from our expert tutors on writing a standout personal statement

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How to Write a Psychology Personal Statement Worthy of Oxbridge!

This blog leads you through some of U2’s Oxford and Cambridge-educated Psychology graduates’ tips for building content for, writing and structuring your Psychology personal statement. Most University level Psychology courses do not require that students have taken Psychology at A-level or IB (in fact, some professors advise that students don’t take it, because the A-Level/ IB syllabus is so different from what you learn at University). So, how do you demonstrate your aptitude for the course at university level? Whether you have studied Psychology at school, or are starting afresh, this blog will teach you how to ensure your Psychology personal statement stands out to interviewers for the top UK universities.

Tips for your Psychology Personal Statement

Few students will have written anything like a UCAS personal statement before - an approximate side of A4 on what exactly you have to offer. For some general tips on how to write a high-level and original personal statement, check out our blog on 10 Top Tips for Writing a Standout Oxbridge Personal Statement .

Your personal statement should integrate your personal interests, subject knowledge and extracurricular experience. For Psychology, we suggest focusing on three main areas: (1) highlight your personal interest in psychology and link this more explicitly to the range of ways you have explored the subject; (2) emphasise your academic abilities and how these will ensure you suit the course e.g. You may mention your mathematical/ scientific abilities and how this complements/ facilitates your interest in empirically studying human behaviour; (3) discuss extra-curricular activities and how these also relate to your subject interest. E.g. Essay competitions, projects, lectures etc. We have provided guidance on each of the three key points below, how to weave them together and structure your personal statement. Take heed and you should have all the tools you need for writing a standout Psychology personal statement!

(1) Highlight your personal interest in psychology and link this more explicitly to the range of ways you have explored the subject

If you have an initial interest in Psychology, but have not had a chance to explore it in-depth, or beyond the school syllabus, this should be the first step. Do not regurgitate your school syllabus. You’ll need to read and research the subject, refining your interests and building evidence of your wider exploration e.g. through reading books, articles and scientific research papers.

Ideas to direct your wider subject exploration:

One way of developing an early understanding of key aspects of Psychology is to briefly look at the compulsory modules of the courses that interest you and gain an initial overview of key themes/ topics through reading and research. E.g. The undergraduate psychology course at Oxford University covers: Social Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Neuroscience, so you could try to gain a quick appreciation of each module through research. Cambridge also provide a useful A-Z of key topics in Psychology.

After an initial introduction into broad areas of psychology and what they involve, focus in. Which areas pique your interest most? Keep a file with notes on each topic, read articles to extend your knowledge, and remember to relate concepts to your personal experience (e.g. examples from everyday life, real-world applications of concepts) so you don’t end up turning your personal statement into an essay. Why does [Insert topic] make you want to study Psychology at degree level? What catalysed your interest in [Insert topic]? Can you think of examples in your everyday life that relate? :

E.g. Following some research, you may find you are interested in Social Psychology, in particular group identity. What interests you about it? You may have read about ‘outgroup homogeneity’: the failure to see differences between members of out-group. Can you think of examples in your everyday experience? E.g. Racial prejudice?

Conversely, you may have started with thinking about racial prejudice, if that is something you are particularly passionate about, and that could have led you to research the psychology behind it, which could have brought you to Outgroup homogeneity. Either method is great. When it comes to writing your personal statement, it can be best to start with the personal experience/ interest and mention how this spurred you on to the academic research/ how your interest deepened with wider exploration.

Psychology Personal Statement Reading Recommendations

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat – Oliver Saks: This book provides case histories of patients who have suffered a range of neurological disorders. E.g. Patients who have lost their memories, patients with violent tics, those with disabilities, but who are mathematical geniuses.

Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman : Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences laureate, Kahneman, developed ‘Prospect theory’, a theory of the psychology of choice, which has been central to the relatively new field of behavioural economics. The book provides a good overview of a variety of key topics and is particularly useful for those with a penchant for economics (thinking about interdisciplinarity and how your subjects of interest link is always great for your personal statement), or for those simply interested in real-world applications of theories. Try to think of examples from your everyday life e.g. How decision making can be influenced by advertising and product placement.

Bad Science - Ben Goldachre: Dr Ben Goldacre is the author of the Bad Science column in the Guardian. This humorous book should encourage you to critically appraise articles that you read and stimulate a broader discussion on subjectivity/objectivity and empiricism in psychological research. Humans introduce bias into all research - e.g. Look into the spurious findings of fMRI research when researchers do not adequately account for ‘noise’ in the data.

The Memory Illusion – Dr Julia Shaw: Forensic psychologist and memory specialist, Dr Julia Shaw, uses the latest research to show the many ways in which our brains can be led astray by memory. Learn about how errors in reconstructing memory reflect inherent biases. If you would like to learn more about memory, check out our co-curricular division, Minds Underground™’s Mind-Enhancing Articles for Psychology, where our Oxbridge psychologists examine the role of memory and other key psychology topics/ questions.

Also try to read some scientific papers and start thinking critically about them, and stay updated on developments in psychology and psychology in the news. E.g. Through reading The New Scientist - Psychology News , Neuroscience News , Naked Scientist Psychology articles & podcasts, or the Royal Society of Psychology research articles, podcasts and blog posts.

(2) Emphasise your academic abilities and how these will ensure you suit the Psychology course

Throughout your personal statement, you should demonstrate how you have built skills in preparation for university and for studying Psychology . To begin preparation, brainstorm your academic abilities and skills, and how these ensure you will suit the course/s you are applying for. Extensively research your top university choices, and see if they have a page dedicated to what they want from applicants. Fill a table as in the example below to help you relate your skills to the study of Psychology.

(3) Discuss extra-curricular activities and how these relate to your subject interests

Many students mistake “extra-curricular activities” for non-subject-related activities such as sport, art, or music. Whilst you can mention these at the end of your personal statement, you are much better off mentioning co-curriculars that directly link to your subject, especially if applying to Oxford or Cambridge (non-academic activities should be 2-3 lines maximum to round-off your personal statement in this case).

If you can’t think of co-curricular activities to mention, now is the time to start finding opportunities to take part in! Here are some ideas:

Psychology Essay Competitions

Minds Underground hosts a Psychology Essay Competition each year. This year, the competition includes a Psychology Research Proposal Challenge, which is perfect for demonstrating independent research & initiative, and will encourage you to learn about experimental design, data collection, handling and analysis.

Also check out Oxford and Cambridge-run essay competitions e.g. Newnham College runs a Psychological & Behavioural Sciences competition each year.

Research Projects

You could task yourself with curating your own independent research project to mention on your personal statement.

3 Example Psychology Projects:

Investigating the effects of colour, word type, or other non-semantic factors on memory/reaction time/false memory recall of word lists

Influence of age/gender/multilingualism or any number of other factors on memory, number & word processing, any easily quantifiable metric.

An investigation into behavioural economics in the style of Kahneman & Tversky, looking at Type 1 & 2 decision making and how this can be influenced, for example, by advertising and product placement.

If you are looking to undertake a project under the tutelage of a Psychology subject expert, we also run specialised guided research projects through Minds Underground, usually a month in duration, with weekly project tutorial sessions (these are paid). E.g. “A Psychology or Medicine Project with a Research Associate for the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Oxford University Hospital Trust (NHS)” or “Psychiatrists & Pharmaceuticals: Alzheimer’s Research Project” with Psychology & Philosophy Oxford graduate, Georgia, who is studying for an MSc in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at UCL.

The aim is to combine teaching of high-level subject-specific content with exposure to real-world applications of these concepts, giving you the opportunity to undertake a project that is both useful for a university application and potential future career. The projects are great to mention on personal statements, and make impressive talking points at interview, particularly for top UK universities such as Oxbridge (our project hosts are all Oxbridge-educated), who favour applicants with an interest in scientific research. 

Societies, Summer Schools & Lectures/ Talks

 Are you part of your school’s Psychology Society ? If the school doesn’t have one, could you start one up? Or if they have a STEM society, could you introduce a Psychology element or invite speakers for lectures?

We host a fantastic Psychology Summer School for university applicants, hosted by our team of Psychology Oxbridge graduates. The weekly sessions, running from July to September, will provide a taster of University level Psychology, to provide material which students can write about in personal statements, an discuss during their interviews

There are a plethora of online lectures and talks for you to access online - E.g. Gresham College Psychology lectures, or Ted Talks on Psychology

Additional Psychology Personal Statement Advice for those applying to Oxbridge: Oxford, Cambridge

Applying to leading courses like Cambridge's Psychological and Behavioural Sciences or Oxford's Experimental Psychology course requires a tailored approach in your personal statement. Here's how you can make your statement stand out for these Oxbridge courses, compared to non-Oxbridge programmes:

Research-Centric Focus:

Highlight your interest in research from the very beginning. Discuss specific research projects you've been involved in or research findings that have fascinated you.

Look into the cutting-edge research conducted at Cambridge or Oxford and see if anything aligns with your academic interests.

Interdisciplinary Connections:

Emphasise your readiness to explore the interdisciplinary aspects of psychology. These Oxbridge courses often connect psychology with other fields. Mention your interest in related subjects such as neuroscience, biology, or even philosophy, if relevant.

Discuss how these interdisciplinary connections will enrich your understanding of psychology and your research capabilities.

Critical Thinking and Independent Study:

Both Cambridge and Oxford value independent learning and critical thinking. Share your experiences with independent research, coursework, or self-study that demonstrate your ability to think critically and engage deeply with psychology.

Specific Course Features:

Relate some of your content to the unique features of the course at either Cambridge or Oxford. For example, Cambridge's Psychological and Behavioural Sciences course includes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding human behaviour. Oxford's Experimental Psychology course focuses on research design and data analysis.

Explain how these aspects align with your academic goals and career aspirations.

Use of Research Methods:

Try to demonstrate your familiarity with research methods and data analysis tools, as these are central to both courses. Highlight any coursework or projects that have developed your skills in these areas.

Looking Beyond the Classroom:

Mention your involvement in psychology-related co-curricular activities, such as higher level topic areas, clubs, volunteer work, or internships, to demonstrate your dedication to the field beyond academic requirements.

You could seek guidance from your teachers or one of U2’s Oxbridge Psychology tutors, who are familiar with the specific requirements and expectations of Oxbridge courses. They can provide invaluable insights and help you refine your personal statement. Contact us if you’d like to learn more.

Next Steps: Drafting & Structuring Your Psychology Personal Statement

Try to narrow your interests down to 2 or 3 topic areas which you can use as overarching themes for your personal statement, e.g. (1) Theories of Mind, of Consciousness, (2) Psychology & Gender, (3) Social Psychology - Group Identity.

Ensure you can address these themes in depth. Have a range of resources to draw from e.g. a scientific paper, a book, research you undertook as part of an essay competition.

Ensure a strong narrative , including linking of concepts between key sections.

Demonstrate personal critical analysis to show your engagement and interest in the subject.

Example Psychology Personal Statement Structure

Aim for around four main paragraphs:

1st paragraph (introductory): What is your motivation to study Psychology? Be specific: what do you want to explore at university? What is distinctive about studying Psychology that makes it worthwhile? Ensure you talk about what motivates your study of the subject now, not a catalyst from your childhood as the interviewer will find it clichéd and less relevant.

2nd paragraph: Explore your interest in [Insert topic] through [Insert activity: e.g. Summer School]. Which of your abilities did this highlight? Link the topic to an interest in [Insert research form: An experiment, article etc.]. Link this to [Insert another activity e.g. a Cambridge lecture on X].

3rd paragraph: Link to paragraph two. This paragraph can follow the same format, but deal with a different topic/ theme.

4th paragraph: Mention extra-curricular activities that don’t relate to your subject interests really briefly (e.g., music, volunteering, anything else of relevance) and demonstrate how these have built skills in preparation for university and for studying Psychology.

You could mention your other A-Level/ IB subjects, perhaps describing how they have enhanced your study of Psychology. 

You could mention any prizes or roles of responsibility which you have had at school, including any clubs that you might organise, such as the school newspaper or student council.

It can be useful to conclude your personal statement by returning to your aptitude for studying the subject in a final few lines . Which core skills do you possess which will equip you to excel at degree level? It’s important to strike a balance between enthusiasm for the subject and evidence of skills.

Example Successful Psychology Personal Statement

Below, we have included an example successful Cambridge Psychology personal statement, written by one of our 1st Class Cambridge PBS tutors. N.B. The statement is by no means perfect, but should provide an exemplar for how to weave your academic interests and co-curricular endeavours into your statement.

Over 100 trillion synapses connect to form neural networks in the brain – an engine so close to home yet more enigmatic than some of the cosmos. How can the very matter we use to think and learn unlock mysteries of the universe, yet not know exactly how it stores memories? It is these existential questions that fuel my fascination for studying the delicate mechanisms of our minds. Year one of my A-levels, what started as curiosity became increasingly interesting to me. Psychology lessons were deeply thought-provoking, particularly when biological and cognitive psychology were the topics of study. The biology behind the metaphysics of consciousness and perception has since captured me, especially when considering neurological disorders. Fascinated by these phenomena, last year I attended a lecture by Baland Jalal; he discussed his own research into a cure for sleep paralysis, as well as demonstrating his enthusiasm for the field which was a perfect cross-section of various disciplines that I love. To further explore this new intricate field of interest, I read “The New Science of Consciousness” by Paul Nunez; this book offered me a profound insight into the philosophy and “hard problems” that this science faces; whilst explanations for Alzheimer’s and Free Will are difficult to retrieve, the questions we need to ask are even harder to formulate. Cures for neurodegenerative diseases are currently beyond our grasp, which I believe will be changed with further years of research that I would be honoured to be a part of. The challenges and speculations associated with understanding the brain and our behaviour draws me into the subject as I enjoy combining abstract and logical thinking to decipher problems. Both studying logical programming in Computer Science and my EPQ (an investigation into creating a handmade Wilson Cloud Chamber) showcase the interface of these types of thinking. Self-teaching has been a critical aspect of advancing my knowledge of Neuropsychology as at A-Level there is no depth into more peculiar cases (many of which I discovered after reading “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat” by Oliver Sacks) such as Anton-Babinski Syndrome – a rare symptom of brain damage that causes people to be “cortically blind”, yet inexplicably deny their blindness. Using my own learning techniques, in Year 12 I helped tutor students in Year 7 physics classes. The significant change in learning style developed my methods of tutoring, teaching me to work with and teach peers of varying ages and enhance my ability to describe difficult concepts in an appropriate and understandable way. During year 12 I was accepted onto the Sutton Trust US Programme – a competitive Fulbright programme for high-achieving state-school students. I was one of 150 students picked from 1000+ applicants. Learning to deal with additional, international examinations and workload alongside school, being the guitarist in a band, and rock-climbing has been essential for my personal development, allowing me to handle substantial pressure. I was awarded a visit to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s graduate laboratories where I saw leading research into many disciplines of science. This year however I decided that the more specialised curriculum offered in the UK was better suited for me – nevertheless, I am still an alum and volunteer for the programme and was chosen to be an advisor at USA college day this year. I gave individual advice to hundreds of young people, ensuring they had information and advice they needed to pursue undergraduate studies ideal for them. As a member of my school’s Student Wellbeing team, it is evident to anyone that a distinct and recurring interest of mine is to help people. I believe this perfectly ties into my desire to research the brain, as I am driven to be part of the research that will prevent neurodegeneration, aid mental illness and answer the fundamental questions that make us human. As written by Paul Nunez, “The phenomenon of consciousness is the major unsolved challenge of our age”.

Finally, remember not to start thinking about your personal statement too late! The content building part is by far the most important - without well-thought out content and a wide range of evidence for your independent exploration, you will not be able to write an engaging personal statement. The writing part will be easy if you have lots of exciting content to draw from.

Best of luck!

Looking for a Personal Statement Tutor or Support For Your Wider Psychology Application?

Psychology personal statement tutoring.

U2’s Oxbridge-educated mentors have a close insight into what admissions tutors like to see in a Psychology personal statement, and can help students to convey their skills, motivations, and long term goals, in order to stand out from other applicants. The statement should be the candidates own work, but our mentors will provide direction and guide you through the process of content building and writing. We offer offline drafting as well as tuition sessions.

Oxbridge Psychology Tutoring

We have a large team of Oxbridge-educated Psychology mentors including 1st Class, Master’s and PhD level graduates, who support students throughout the process, including personal statement, admissions test and interview preparation.

The Process:

1) We suggest an Oxbridge Psychology graduate as a mentor and send their full CV for review. Our mentors are deeply familiar with the admissions process to study Psychology at the University of Oxford and Cambridge, and are well-placed to guide you through personal statement curation and the interview process. We may suggest a range of application tutors to choose from with slightly differing rates depending on qualifications and level of experience.

2) We typically suggest beginning with a 1.5 hour diagnostic session , where the mentor will informally assess the student’s current performance level for application. Following this, we issue a report with feedback, and structure a plan to best prepare.

3) U2’s approach for regular Psychology application sessions: The main focus of tutorial sessions will be to explore material that can be discussed in the personal statement and at interview - this may sometimes stretch from A-Level standard to First Year Undergraduate. Mentors ensure each student refines their interests within Psychology, and is exposed to a range of key themes and topics. Throughout there will be a focus on the experimental side of psychology, by centring the course on real studies, and discussing the techniques and limitations involved in psychological experiments. Together, we build a case for the student, solidifying the stance and direction they will take during interview.

Frequency of sessions can be decided between student and mentor. Students can take either ad hoc sessions, or we structure a full programme for preparation, which may include further co-curricular opportunities such as our research projects , Psychology summer school and Oxbridge mock interview days . Honing the skills necessary to succeed for Oxbridge ideally requires long-term preparation and mentoring presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from some of the very best Oxbridge has produced.

Sessions from £75/h + VAT.

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Cambridge Medicine Personal Statement

A finely-crafted Cambridge medicine personal statement could mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. Play your cards wrong, and you might wind up asking yourself the question, “ Should I reapply to medical school next year ?” If you’re looking for success, you need to put in time, effort, and careful consideration – this is a critical part of your application, after all.

Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious, and competitive, medical schools in the UK , so it is absolutely imperative that you put tremendous effort into your application.

Advice is good, and information is helpful, but both are best used in combination with examples. Your mind learns faster with multiple types of information. So, looking at UCAS personal statement examples will make a big difference with how to make your medical school application stand out . To that end, we will include a statement example in this article as well, to be paired with the advice sections.

In this article, we will see what a personal statement’s purpose is, talk about Cambridge’s medicine personal statement specifically, and go over a sample personal statement. Plus, we will include notes on the sample statement so you know why it should look that way.

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Article Contents 12 min read

Purpose of a personal statement.

In the first place, the main thing to do with your personal statement is to, essentially, answer the question, “ Why do you want to become a doctor ?” This should be the main argument you put forward throughout your personal statement. However, there are nuances to the statement you also should pay attention to.

The nomenclature of that phrase, “personal statement,” is well chosen. Each word tells us something about what is looked for in the object itself.

First, it must be personal. Statements must reveal something of yourself to the application committee. They don’t want you to tell them about anybody else but you, so your statement should be about key aspects of who you are. Anything you write about yourself should be something unique. Go past your test scores, past your a-levels, beyond something you’d just put on your C.V.

What is it about you that makes you special or stand out? Let’s consider some ways your personal history and life’s story can – and should – affect your statement.

Did you grow up in a rural area – a farm, or deep in the country? If so, you have had a unique experience that you can talk about. Conversely, you might have been shaped by growing up in an urban environment. What effects has your urban upbringing had on your life? How has your environment shaped your goals and who you are?

Who are your family? Your family background can provide excellent fuel for your statement.

For example, if your family are first-generation immigrants, you probably have faced a lot of adversity to get where you are, and you have a unique perspective to offer the institution you are applying to. Many colleges have diversity requirements, and Cambridge is no exception.

A personal statement should have the same structure as an academic essay. The content differs, to some degree, but there is a lot of overlap in terms of how you will construct both a traditional, academic essay and your personal statement. Generally speaking, it follows the same standard used in most personal statements for UK medical school applications .

You don’t need to be recreating the idea of structure itself here. Keep in mind your goal: to introduce yourself to the application committee in such a way that you stand out from other applicants. If you start messing around with structure, your “innovations” might get in the way of your reader understanding what you’re saying and appreciating who you are. Avoid this by sticking to an essay format.

There isn’t much of a difference between writing a Cambridge medical school personal statement and a personal statement for another medical school. You will speak about roughly the same things, emphasizing the same points, and if you can write a personal statement that is only applicable to one institution, then you will find yourself struggle while applying to multiple schools, anyway.

With that said, there is a technical word count you need to pay attention.

UCAS – University and College Admissions Service – is the system used by Cambridge University to apply to their institution, and the personal statement section in UCAS is capped at 4,000 characters and/or 47 lines. That’s roughly 850 words, but very roughly, and of course lines matter.

Keep this in mind while formatting because sometimes you might be tempted to set a line apart for emphasis on a particular paragraph.

But that eats up multiple lines for very little content. Be economical with both your characters and your line usage. Remember that spaces count! Don’t measure your characters without spaces or you’ll wind up with an overlong essay.

You should also consider Cambridge’s specific values while writing your essay. Cambridge is highly competitive, as any look at medical school acceptance rates in the UK will tell you. So you should make sure your statement aligns with Cambridge’s values. They list their core values as freedom of thought and freedom from discrimination. They also promote the encouragement of a questioning spirit; a quality and depth across subjects; and an inter-relationship between teaching, scholarship, and research.

However, at the end of the day, your primary consideration should be to worry about the efficacy of your personal statement through these tips:

Reflect on everything you put down. When you write out something in your personal statement, it should be richer than just a fact. Bare facts are sparse and unhelpful. To really make an effective personal statement, you need to expand on those facts.

Reflection means taking those facts and talking about them with a little more depth to make sure a reader knows why they are important to you and your journey. Focus on their importance and relation to you.

Winning an award or contest is a fact. Showing why that win changed you, and how that change moved you to become a doctor is reflecting on that event; that shows a reader how the fact – winning an award – ties in to your message – why you want to become a doctor.

“In high school I took a university-level course in chemistry and another in biochemistry. I enjoyed them very much and they will be useful in medical school.”

“I challenged myself with chemistry, taking both chemistry and biochemistry at the university level while in high school. At first, I resented these courses because of their difficulty, but I used that adversity to strengthen not only my scientific knowledge but my study habits. Once my studying improved, I could relax and enjoy the courses more. In my biochemistry lab, I wound up creating an experiment which further pushed me to my limit.”

Presumably, “B” will move on to discuss the experiment next. But do you see how that relates to the author? They explain how they moved through the course, what they learned, and how they are moving forward due to that experience. Reflect instead of just relating.

Tell a Well-Rounded Story

When selecting your experiences to highlight, choose major events, but try and think of ways that these signposts highlight your diverse experiences and capabilities, as well as how they tie together into a story, instead of just being disjointed events that happened in your life.

This plays into reflection as well, because the same events can be emphasized in different ways. Some events might be used to just constantly remark on scientific or medical interest, but if you use the same events to speak of expanding your palette of experiences, you can show that you are a well-rounded person.

For instance: let’s say that the person was drawn to medicine by an elderly grandparent needing care, volunteered at a care facility, and then studied geriatric medicine.

If those points are delivered emphasizing medical science each time, the writer has presented themselves as one-note. If, on the other hand, they highlight the importance of hands-on, personalized care for the first point, a frustration and difficulty that they had to overcome – or lesson learned – with the second point, and intellectual achievement – such as an award won – with the third point, they will come across as more diverse in their background.

Throwing in oblique or direct references to your life – outside interests, sports, intellectual pursuits, family background, etc. – will underline how well-rounded you are.

Most importantly, you need to tie all of these events together to tell a complete story. They cannot be disparate, but must be connected, to show why you will be a great doctor and why you want to be one.

Can you show a progression of important skills?

If you have skills outside of pure academics, make sure to mention them. Of particular interest will be communication skills, how well you organize or lead a team, and your abilities in teaching others.

Full Circle

Bring your essay around full circle. You have set up an expectation with your introduction and you must pay that off at the end of the personal statement. You are making an argument, through a story, that you will be a great doctor someday. The conclusion ends the story – thus, it must connect with the introduction – and must also tie together the story to show what you hope to achieve as a medical student and future physician.

If your hook talked about, as we did above, your rural upbringing, pay it off by talking about how you will be a doctor in a small community, that your goal is to be a family doctor where it is often difficult to get great medical care. The more altruistic and thoughtful the goal the better, but remember that it also must continue to be meaningful specifically to you . This is your goal that you are using to show the admissions committee why you are the best candidate to select for admission.

Example Statement and Breakdown 

I grew up across the street from a sheep that the family named Ned, and far enough away from a city that I didn’t think that was unusual. We were farmers, and all of my early experiences with medicine were a combination of scrapes and bruises – from my siblings and myself playing rough – and veterinarian sciences. In fact, I first wanted to be a vet, changing to medical doctor only after my family’s hardships with my grandfather’s illness.

When my grandfather was sick and needed care, my family went to stay with relatives so we could visit and support our Grandad. While visiting, I interacted with the expert staff, who made us comfortable, answered our questions, and most importantly, clearly took their jobs as care providers very seriously.

After our stay to support Grandad, I volunteered at a care facility, dedicating a few hours a week throughout high school to helping with elderly patients. My job was to help with food, cleaning, and physical mobility, but I found that the real job was just offering my time. Spending extra time with each patient to look at pictures of grandchildren with them, to hear a reminiscence, or just to talk and joke was appreciated by the residents of the facility.

My joy in the healing power of medicine through care workers was strengthened and reinforced every time I worked there. I learned that healing came not only through medicine, but truly holistic care. I learned empathy skills by observing the staff and interacting with the residents. Furthermore, I read on the history of care and how far we have advanced, particularly in terms of ethical care; this has made me extremely interested in medical ethics.

One of the facility’s nurses recommended the book Medical Ethics and the Elderly. I loved the book, particularly its essay on informed consent, and began writing my own thoughts and ideas down. I eventually wrote several essays of my own on the topic. One of these papers, Who Speaks for Who? An Ethical Consideration of Power of Attorney, was first runner-up in two different essay competitions. I appreciated the recognition, but being able to get my thoughts down and work my way through thorny issues has been invaluable.

Last year, I stopped volunteering at the elderly care facility and started a part-time job at a hospital. Although I am on the janitorial staff, I have approached the health care professionals there and asked, as a student, for help. Most have replied positively and are giving me insight into a wide array of medical areas and specialties. Some have allowed me to shadow them, others have answered my questions about specialties like oncology and pediatrics, and shown me around the different units in the hospital.

A big surprise for me was in the hospital’s pathology lab. I was shadowing a pathologist and I was fascinated by her work. She was testing tissue samples and concluded that her patient’s problems were stemming from an auto-immune disorder – probably genetic.

Since that time, I have spent more time in the laboratory myself, taking lab-specific courses at school. I enjoyed my bio-chemistry lab the most. My enthusiasm for the subject led me to doing extra readings and experiments, and ultimately led to my highest score in my a-levels in chemistry.

My journey started as a farm boy with dreams of being a veterinarian, but I have wound up as somebody interested in a wide variety of medicinal areas. At the moment, geriatric care still holds a strong place in my heart, but I am more and more drawn to pathology. I want to explore all options, but ultimately I want most of all to help people and contribute to their health.

A good introduction hook connects this student’s past and personal life to their present goals. It also introduces their medical interest, and shows us the start of a journey where they did not envision themselves as a physician. That’s okay! Don’t feel the need to say that being a doctor was a lifelong dream. Be honest to your real story. Just because you have changed your mind doesn’t make your dream less evocative in the eyes of an admissions committee. The main thing is to hook them on your story, whatever that is. Something compelled you to change, so hopefully it will compel them, too.

The writer moves chronologically, using the body of their personal statement to cover their switch to human medicine, followed by examples of work, academics, and volunteer positions that have brought them closer to their goals, let them grow as a person, and have shown several desirable attributes. Notice that we can see that this person is enthusiastic, engaged, proactive, hard-working, dedicated, open-minded, curious, intelligent, and thoughtful through their stories.

For instance, they don’t have to say , “I’m curious,” after speaking of their love of laboratory experiments. Open-mindedness comes from their ability to change opinions about medicine or learn about ethics – which also displays conscientiousness.

In short: show, don’t tell – that old maxim – is on full display here. You get a feel for this person without them needing to say anything directly. How do you know they’re intelligent? They placed in two essay competitions. How do you know they’re proactive? They reached out to hospital workers for help and advice to advance their goals.

The conclusion references the beginning of the story, bringing the whole thing to a neat close in such a way as to finalize their journey.

Want to hear expert admissions consultants share medical school personal statement introduction examples that impressed them? Watch this video:

Make sure that your personal statement is unique to you, says something important about yourself, and sticks to a structure that increases readability and coherence. Put yourself out there, show your best side, and take your time to get it right. It is just one aspect of your medical school application, but it is just as important as any other. That is to say: it’s very, very important.

UCAS is the system that Cambridge University uses for students to apply to their medical program. Most UK schools use UCAS, which is the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service and helps students apply to post-secondary educational institutions.

If you want to know more, check out some UCAS reference letter examples .

There are two limits imposed on a UCAS personal statement: 4,000 characters and 47 lines. Never exceed those limits. Triple-check that your word processor hasn’t added a line you don’t know about and do not type the 4,001 st character expecting it to be read. 

Focus what you’re writing about and pare down. If you have too much, pick the events of paramount importance to your journey and use only those to form “signposts” of your journey to medical school.

Uplifting is good; you don’t want a downer statement. Of course, a professional tone – one which avoids colloquialism and slang – is required. However else you construct your tone, make sure that it is professional and academic. The only exception is that most essays aren’t written in the first-person and your personal statement will be. This is acceptable because it’s understood that you are writing from a personal place.

We recommend that you give yourself enough schools to cast a wide net but not so many that you cannot fill out that many forms. Between six and eight is a good number.

UCAS allows five applications, so do all five, and if possible, one or two outside of the UCAS system. If you cannot, just do those five.

More time is better, and we recommend taking six-eight weeks to work on the statement. Write and re-write, optimize your drafts, and come up with the best possible work to show yourself off.

No. Don’t push the “submit” button until you’re ready.

Ideally you will have a mix of experiences in medicine and in your personal life, or you can blend them together. If you only talk about personal experiences, you won’t look like a candidate with a meaningful understanding of medicine. If you only talk about medicine, you might stray too close to the “resume in paragraph form” mistake.

Think about what medical school requirements are, or about extracurriculars for medical school . That will help you know which experiences to highlight.

The best experiences to highlight are the ones that moved you forward on your journey as a person and why you have grown along that journey. Remember to reflect on your journey and experiences to show your best qualities.

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Cambridge University Personal Statements

We hope our collection of cambridge university personal statements provides inspiration for writing your own. please do not plagiarise them in any way, or ucas will penalise your application. our  personal statement editing & review services  are availble if you feel you need a little extra help..

History Personal Statement Example 2 I am captivated by the diversity and depth offered by a History degree; attracted by the way it encourages us to be analytical of the values and patterns of past societies. It was in my final year of secondary school that I was awarded the History Attainment Award, although my desire to study History dates back to an earlier age when I visited the site of the allied landings in Normandy at just eleven years old...

Linguistics Personal Statement Example 1 My most memorable Christmas came with a parcel of Harry Potter audio books and this was where my quest to understanding language began. The moment Stephen Fry started to narrate chapter one, I fell in love with words and all they could achieve...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 2 Psychology surrounds us. I often observe my class mates and ask myself why they are so different, struggling with attention or eating disorders. While looking for reasons, I also want to find ways to help them and I am confident that psychology will give me the means to do so...

Politics and International Relations Personal Statement Example 4 The era in which we live goes through constant turmoil and shifting powers. Not a day goes by without a change somewhere on our planet, which in turn has an effect on yet another change to come elsewhere...

Education and Drama Personal Statement Example (Oxbridge) "I shall have poetry in my life. And adventure. Unbiddable, ungovernable, like a riot in the heart, come ruin or rapture." Perhaps one should not begin with the words of another when presenting oneself, but as an actress, utilising the words of others is something that has become second nature...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 6 It was the odd behavioural traits displayed by my uncle, who has Asperger’s syndrome that first generated from a young age my questioning about why he acted so ‘differently’ to the rest of us. This was part of what led to my interest of studying psychology, as it made me question how and why humans are so disparate from one another, and what part the brain plays in running our everyday lives...

Politics & International Relations Personal Statement Example 2 It was November 1989. My parents were rattling their keys in the main square of Bratislava with other Czechoslovak youngsters asking for the democracy that was denied by the Communist regime. They raised me in an environment, where appreciation of freedom, expressing my thoughts and being an active citizen have been essential...

Mathematics and Physics Personal Statement Example 1 Mathematics is a fundamental tool for understanding our world: it can be used to define the symmetry of flowers or to manage global companies. What is so appealing about mathematics is the opportunity of applying it in the physical world...

Aerospace Engineering Personal Statement Example 1 Fire, the wheel, boats, book printing, electricity, engines, automobiles, planes, spaceships, wireless information transfer: engineering is determining this progress. Leading engineers are the creators of our future...

Maths and Spanish Personal Statement Example For as long as I have recognised words and numbers, I have seen a connection between the two. As I progressed in the AS Mathematics course I realised how drawn I was to the subject, motivating me to spend 2 weeks at school over the summer holidays learning 2 entire AS Further Maths modules, in order to take the full A-level course in one year...

Languages Personal Statement Example 10 At the age of eight, a friend introduced me to Guy Hamilton's 1969 film 'Battle of Britain'. This instilled in me two things: my doomed childhood ambition to be a Spitfire pilot, long since grudgingly abandoned, but also, perhaps ironically, a love for the sound and feel of the German language that has stayed with me all through the intervening decade...

English Personal Statement Example (Mature Student) Having worked on a secure psychiatric unit for two years, caring for many people unable to or precluded from following their dreams due to mental illness, as well as over a decade employed in positions just to pay the bills, I am finally pursuing my dream of becoming a published novelist...

History Personal Statement Example 7 It isn't an exaggeration to say my devotion to History has moulded me into the diligent and ambitious person I am today. History continues to shape our contemporary world and my opinions have been formed from an intellectual curiosity about the resonances between the past and the present...

Chemistry Personal Statement Example 2 Science is not just a subject taken in school, or a body of knowledge; it is a state of mind as well – always inquisitive and wondering. As a child, the world around me constantly captivated me and inspired questions, and I found delight in having my questions answered, always wanting to learn more, from fundamental particles, to atoms and molecules, to organisms, planets, and the universe...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 2 My fascination with human behaviour and the motivations behind human actions has existed for most of my adult life, to determine a cause however I would accredit this to the voluntary work I participated in with Crisis Single Persons Homeless charity...

Mathematics and Economics Personal Statement Example 2 Every day we make decisions and interact with others; the laws of economics help us make rational choices and consider the irrationality of others, as well as understand the world better. Maths and statistics are the necessary tools for me to understand the modern economics...

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 2 The ability to apply what I have learnt in the classroom to the outside world is an aspect of physics and maths that I particularly enjoy. An example of this was being able to calculate the coefficient of friction between a book and a table, by knowing the weight and measuring the angle at which it started to move...

Pure Mathematics Personal Statement Example Mathematics is beautiful to me because of the deep and meaningful ideas touched upon by it, the vastness of these ideas, the clearness and elegance of their representation. Mathematics gives me the ability to apply knowledge by approaching things logically, and thinking clearly...

Civil Engineering Personal Statement Example 9 Civil engineering is a discipline which is essential in the modern world: roads, bridges, airports, railways, sewage works and power stations all provide the fabric of today's society, and without them the world would be a very different place...

Mathematics and Engineering Personal Statement Example Questions regarding the reason for my liking of mathematics have only one answer: mathematical logic and concepts contribute to a practical approach in every aspect of life. It is the diversity and universal applicability of this subject that encourages me to delve further and study it in depth...

Maths and Science Personal Statement Example Maths and science, in particular physics, have always been my favourite subjects in school. I have an inquisitive mind and am always asking "how?" and "why?" to find out how things work. I chose maths, physics and biology for my A levels, yet only realised I wanted to do engineering when I started studying topics such as mechanics...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 48 Given that over ninety nine percent of the body consists of just six elements, it is hard to imagine the human body as an intricately synchronised and immensely complex machine. Yet, it has done well to puzzle even the brightest minds in history-but I am drawn to a challenge; I cannot think of anything else more fascinating to work with...

Geography Personal Statement Example (Human/Environmental) The possibility of the human race’s days being numbered by our destructive lifestyles, as planted in my mind by Al Gore’s sensationalised and controversial ‘The Inconvenient Truth’, has fuelled my interest in the global warming phenomenon, forcing me to question society’s reluctance to tackle it and realise the worldwide impact of each of our daily lives...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 51 There is a reason behind everything we do, a purpose to our actions. The cognition behind any decision that we make is one of the many aspects of psychology that I am fascinated by. The following five words, as said by the Prophet Muhammad, I believe explain such a suggestion: "Actions are but by intentions"...

Mathematics Personal Statement Example 12 Mathematics is at the root of many academic subjects, such as mechanics in Physics, organic Chemistry and even Music and this is why I find it so fascinating. The process of starting from a simple set of formulae and deriving nearly all mathematical truth from these is what makes Mathematics a leading academic subject...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 20 Overcoming economic hurdles tempered by ecological limits requires innovative solutions. For centuries mathematical and analytical skills have fused to solve practical problems. The diverse nature of engineering has made advancements possible in an array of fields from the wheel to The International Space Station...

Architecture Personal Statement Example 16 I vividly remember the moment when I knew I wanted to be an architect. I had been taken to Barcelona to see ‘the wavy buildings’, at the time I didn’t know anything about Gaudí or his work so I was relatively unenthusiastic...

History Personal Statement Example 37 My interest in history lies in the simple fact that I have always been fascinated by the past. At eleven I won a full academic bursary to attend my current school. This was a way into a community in which my intellectual curiosity would be valued and where I could further my enthusiasm for history...

Medicine Personal Statement Example 61 While the idea to care for others is appealing to me, the applications of medicine for finding remedies to the complexities of the human body fascinates me even more. Studying medicine opens several career options from general practice to clinical research! Having the interest and aptitude for scientific knowledge and the awareness to promote health safety, it encourages me to choose this highly rewarding and satisfying course...

Aerospace Engineering Personal Statement Example 17 While other children fell asleep to the sound of their parents reading them bedtime fairytales, I was busy re-reading Ladybirds Explorer’s, “Flight” for probably the fourth time that day. I’ve been enthralled by the concept of flight and aerodynamics ever since I was young...

Chemistry Personal Statement Example 17 The realisation I wanted to study Chemistry at degree level came with my growing appreciation of its contribution and significance in shaping modern society, coupled with an increasing interest in the subject as my knowledge and understanding have developed...

History Personal Statement Example 40 History has always fascinated me because of what it can tell us about humanity; the decisions taken, the actions chosen and the mistakes made can all make us reflect on what it means to be human. I firmly believe history is not simply a case of learning facts and dates but rather a chance to analyse the past, enhancing our understanding of how we interact with each other today...

Maths Personal Statement Example 12 Mathematics dictates our understanding of the universe; the sciences that the world depends on today are founded and dependant on maths. Scientists and mathematicians spend their lives making remarkable discoveries contributing to the development of humanity, the findings we have been making in fields like quantum mechanics would be completely impossible without maths...

English Personal Statement Example 30 English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 67 I first became interested in psychology whilst discussing the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and non-conformity with my father. The nature-nurture debate gave me a huge desire to increase my knowledge and understanding of the human condition...

Economics Personal Statement Example 31 Since my parents were busy with the financial income throughout my childhood, I have been raised up by my grandmother. She was the oldest of 8 siblings in a family who were living in impoverished conditions...

Natural Sciences Personal Statement Example 4 Why and How? I believe these are the two most important question words as they express mankind’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and they have lain the foundation of sciences and have helped us find answers and solutions to problems throughout history from the domestication of fire to Darwin’s theory of evolution, to landing on the moon and so on...

Archaeology Personal Statement Example 6 I have always enjoyed learning about different cultures and civilisations, reflected in my enduring love of history, and more recently, archaeology. Compared to modern history, archaeology carries a sense of enigma which makes it much more stimulating for an imaginative and inquisitive mind...

Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Example 19 These days, we are surrounded by engineering marvels. From radios to space shuttles, everything involves a vital feat of engineering. That is what I find most attractive about this field as its application is everywhere...

Land Economy Personal Statement Example (Cambridge University) Having been born and lived all my life in Hungary, with an English father and Hungarian mother, I have always wanted to go to university in England and spend most of my summers working in England. Being bilingual gives me an ability to see both sides of the question, and examine things from different perspectives which I feel will be useful for my studies...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 23 As I triggered the release mechanism and watched two pounds of rock hurtle skywards I thought to myself, "trebuchets are awesome!". Years passed before I realised that this was my first engineering project...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 24 When I was a child, most of the sentences I spoke out finished with a question mark, asking how everyday things work. Receiving answers to these questions and learning more about Mathematics and Physics has enlarged my desire to make human life easier and become an Engineer...

Linguistics Personal Statement Example 3 Have you ever heard the Tuvan throat singing technique? Beautiful and intriguing at the same time. The question that's bound to accompany a throat singing performance is how the human voice could possibly produce such a sound...

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 56 Computer Science - the most exciting insight into humanity's mission to conquer the future. It has been my favourite and most fascinating preoccupation since childhood, though back then I did not even know it...

History Personal Statement Example (Oxbridge) 2 Whether considering the real world applications of Bentham's utilitarianism in Religious Studies, analysing the context of a changing Victorian society in English Literature, or debating the evolving ideology of the Labour Party in Politics, there is one common thread connecting what I enjoy most about my studies: history...

Sociology Personal Statement Example 14 The need for the study of Sociology in society is, arguably, universally fundamental. The study of society is of paramount importance in solving social problems of great magnitude such as poverty and family disorganisation...

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Successful Personal Statement For Engineering At Cambridge

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Chloe Hewitt

• Engineering

Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through an Engineering applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure them a place at Cambridge. The Engineering course at Cambridge is unique in that it allows you to keep your options open whilst equipping you with all the analytical, design and computing skills that underpin modern Engineering, so let’s see how the applicant navigated around this to write a strong Personal Statement. 

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement:

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

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Engineering Personal Statement

As a child being driven over London’s Albert Bridge I was intrigued by the sign saying somewhat cryptically ‘all ranks must break step’. Years later at school next to the Millennium Bridge I wanted to understand what had caused the bridge to be closed just after it was opened and discovered the connection. The same principle applies to both situations. I observed the side to side motion of pedestrians on the reopened bridge and understood how the engineers designing it had not accounted for these lateral forces that were acting at the bridge’s natural frequency, half that of the downward forces. The designers of the older and more rigid bridge had relied on written instructions to avoid the downward forces from soldiers walking in step synchronising with the bridge’s natural frequency. In 2001 the unforeseen problem was resolved using dampers and stiffening against lateral deflection. These bridges and their weaknesses opened my eyes to engineering.

I take pleasure in the challenge of solving problems that require more than just knowledge of how to use an equation and instead necessitate logical thought to work out how the problem can be approached. This includes applying maths to resolve a physical situation, an area which I enjoy very much. I have spent time following up differential equation (simple harmonic motion) and mechanics questions (projectiles) which are also relevant to engineering. My coursework presentation on Kevlar instigated an interest in materials, by understanding how its chemical properties, notably the aromatic bond, combined to make such a strong, flexible and low-density material with uses in many areas of engineering from bikes to bullet proof vests.

During work experience at Halcrow Yolles I witnessed engineering in action in Structural, Mechanical and Facade engineering. In the building services department I partook in a competition for an eco-friendly building in a hot climate by researching ways to achieve HVAC efficiency by designing structures which encourage the stack effect to improve ventilation and using window film to filter out UV rays, reducing the need for air conditioning. My findings were then discussed with my team. I relished my involvement and have since kept up my interest in environmental engineering, particularly geo-engineering, which is likely to become an important field as a last resort to counteract climate change. I would be interested to pursue this as a graduate. This placement introduced me to the analytical, mathematical and problem-solving skills involved in the processes of engineering which I feel well suited to.

Engineering at a top university will provide a challenge that I will enjoy confronting. I have a desire to gain an understanding of the principles that govern our world and how we manipulate them for our own uses as well as enjoying a balance between applied mathematics and the physical aspects of engineering. I will defer entry to university to give myself experience in both the mathematical and practical side of engineering by spending a year in industry. I am looking for a placement in the automotive industry with SEAT to enhance my Spanish. The experience will help me conceptualise the more theoretical aspects of engineering courses. I will allow time to get back up to speed with maths before university begins.

As a senior prefect who mentors Year 9s in maths and takes part in CCF and CSO I have developed my teamwork and organisational skills. Determination and focusing on my targets help me fulfill my objectives. I devised, organised, and encouraged others to train for and join in a 300 mile cycle ride from London to Paris, raising GBP 6000 for our school charity. I enjoy sports, playing football for school in my free time, but also ensure that I complete work efficiently and to a high standard.

For more inspiration, take a look through our other successful Personal Statement a nalysis articles:

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

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Download our Free Personal Statement Starter Guide 

We have developed an 80-page E-Book filled with expert Personal Statement Advice . Inside, you’ll find guides on planning and writing your personal statement, as well as our full collection of 25+ Successful Oxbridge Personal Statements .

Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This is a very good statement. The statement is well-written, and structured. The student clearly explains their motivation for wanting to pursue engineering. The statement mentions and describes the student’s desire to pursue a number of different engineering disciplines, which is very good as this makes the statement relevant to applications for courses of a single engineering discipline, and to those for general engineering. The student’ use of their desire to study Engineering ‘at a top university’ is very good, as the student does not mention any one university specifically. This makes it clear that the student has taken their application to every university in their UCAS application seriously, something which is often not the case for students who are applying to Oxbridge.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

The student uses several acronyms which are not written out in full. This assumes that the reader will be familiar with such acronyms, which may not be the case. This reader has no idea what ‘CSO’ means, rendering its inclusion in the statement useless. There are commas missing in places, however this is a minor error.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This is a very good statement, however the reader is left to work out what the meanings of several acronyms are for themselves. With a little more attention to the reader, this statement would be excellent.

This Personal Statement for Engineering is a great example of a statement done right. The candidate’s interest is clearly shown which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Cambridge, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years so you need to appeal directly to them.

There are plenty more successful personal statements and expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Our expert tutors are on hand to help you craft the perfect Personal Statement for your Cambridge Engineering application.

With our  Oxbridge Engineering Premium Programme we help you craft the perfect Personal   Statement , produce and submit the best Written Work  and teach you how to  Interview effectively .

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2023 was the hottest summer in two thousand years

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Researchers have found that 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere in the past two thousand years, almost four degrees warmer than the coldest summer during the same period.

When you look at the long sweep of history, you can see just how dramatic recent global warming is Ulf Büntgen

Although 2023 has been reported as the hottest year on record, the instrumental evidence only reaches back as far as 1850 at best, and most records are limited to certain regions.

Now, by using past climate information from annually resolved tree rings over two millennia, scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have shown how exceptional the summer of 2023 was.

Even allowing for natural climate variations over hundreds of years, 2023 was still the hottest summer since the height of the Roman Empire, exceeding the extremes of natural climate variability by half a degree Celsius.

“When you look at the long sweep of history, you can see just how dramatic recent global warming is,” said co-author Professor Ulf Büntgen, from Cambridge’s Department of Geography. “2023 was an exceptionally hot year, and this trend will continue unless we reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically.”

The results , reported in the journal Nature , also demonstrate that in the Northern Hemisphere, the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels has already been breached.

Early instrumental temperature records, from 1850-1900, are sparse and inconsistent. The researchers compared early instrumental data with a large-scale tree ring dataset and found the 19th century temperature baseline used to contextualise global warming is several tenths of a degree Celsius colder than previously thought. By re-calibrating this baseline, the researchers calculated that summer 2023 conditions in the Northern Hemisphere were 2.07C warmer than mean summer temperatures between 1850 and 1900.

“Many of the conversations we have around global warming are tied to a baseline temperature from the mid-19th century, but why is this the baseline? What is normal, in the context of a constantly-changing climate, when we’ve only got 150 years of meteorological measurements?” said Büntgen. “Only when we look at climate reconstructions can we better account for natural variability and put recent anthropogenic climate change into context.”

Tree rings can provide that context, since they contain annually-resolved and absolutely-dated information about past summer temperatures. Using tree-ring chronologies allows researchers to look much further back in time without the uncertainty associated with some early instrumental measurements.

The available tree-ring data reveals that most of the cooler periods over the past 2000 years, such as the Little Antique Ice Age in the 6th century and the Little Ice Age in the early 19th century, followed large-sulphur-rich volcanic eruptions. These eruptions spew huge amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere, triggering rapid surface cooling. The coldest summer of the past two thousand years, in 536 CE, followed one such eruption, and was 3.93C colder than the summer of 2023.

Most of the warmer periods covered by the tree ring data can be attributed to the El Niño climate pattern, or El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño affects weather worldwide due to weakened trade winds in the Pacific Ocean and often results in warmer summers in the Northern Hemisphere. While El Niño events were first noted by fisherman in the 17th century, they can be observed in the tree ring data much further back in time.

However, over the past 60 years, global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions are causing El Niño events to become stronger, resulting in hotter summers. The current El Niño event is expected to continue into early summer 2024, making it likely that this summer will break temperature records once again.

“It’s true that the climate is always changing, but the warming in 2023, caused by greenhouse gases, is additionally amplified by El Niño conditions, so we end up with longer and more severe heat waves and extended periods of drought,” said Professor Jan Esper, the lead author of the study from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany. “When you look at the big picture, it shows just how urgent it is that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions immediately.”

The researchers note that while their results are robust for the Northern Hemisphere, it is difficult to obtain global averages for the same period since data is sparse for the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere also responds differently to climate change, since it is far more ocean-covered than the Northern Hemisphere.

The research was supported in part by the European Research Council.

Reference: Jan Esper, Max Torbenson, Ulf Büntgen. ‘ 2023 summer warmth unparalleled over the past 2,000 years .’ Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07512-y

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