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The purpose of the personal statement is for the school to see your motivations, interests and writing skills, but it also an opportunity to show off your talents. You should be aiming for a statement that covers 3 main points: what you love, your plan for the future and why this school. All of your points must be backed up as much as possible with evidence of your achievements, or by showing that you have researched the matter. You should aim to write at least 500-1000 words.

A good personal statement, like an essay, will contain a basic structure which will help you present yourself in the best light possible. This can be broken down into the following sections:

1. Introduction

2. Your main passion (academic/non-academic)

3. Your chosen subjects for A-Level/ GCSE

4. Other interests

5. Conclusion

Of course, there will be overlap between the sections, and the end result may not completely resemble this structure, but it is a good way to help you prepare your first draft.

Introduction – Who are you?

In your introduction, you should summarise your argument. Briefly describe where you currently study, what your aims and objectives are and why this college is the right choice for you. Remember, this is your core pitch, it should be concise, clear and individual to you.

Your Passion – what do you love?

Here is where you get to talk about what makes you, you. You should be able to talk about your greatest achievements and plans for the future. Your greatest passion could be an academic subject, sport, hobby or musical instrument, but whatever it is, you need to be able to demonstrate how the school can help you develop this passion and why you love it.

Your chosen subjects for A-Level

Here you need to be able to demonstrate why it is that you have chosen these subjects. You should mention what it is about the subject you love, examples of particular topics that you find interesting, and how studying this at A-level will help you succeed in the future. You may want to add something specific about how you’ve followed up on your interest in this subject outside of school. Furthermore, you should be able to describe how your other interests have helped you grow into the person you are today. Also your A-Level choices should reflect what you want to do in the future, if can draw links between your future, your studies and your interests, this is how you create a lasting impact.

Other Interests

You should here mention anything else about yourself that you believe will help your application. Talk about your other interests, achievements, books you have read, and your background. If you have recently read a news article recently that is relevant to your chosen subjects or yourself, say what you thought about it. Don’t be afraid to let your personality come through!

Conclusion

Here you should concisely reiterate your main argument of why you want to study and the college, and why you are an ideal candidate for the school.

 

Have a read of this example to give you a rough guide:

Natalya Y. Personal Statement for Sevenoaks

I currently study in Russia and I am really looking forward to the challenge of coming to the UK for sixth form. After school I would like to continue my education in the UK and I am thinking about doing a degree in nutrition and then doing research in this area. I believe Sevenoaks will prepare me for this very well.
I am looking forward to the academic challenges at Sevenoaks, especially in my Higher Level subjects. I chose English because I enjoy the language and literature a lot. One of the latest books I read was Romeo and Juliet and I loved every single bit of it. It offers the reader so much to think about, for example, uncontrollable, passionate young love and the meaning of your family and your inner nature. I have always admired the talent of Shakespeare and his ability to write such fascinating works and would love the opportunity to study his works further. In 2015 I won first place (after coming second in 2014) in the City Level of a State Academic Competition in English. I have also won a regional competition called “British Bulldog” that tests your English language on topics beyond the school curriculum. Biology and Chemistry are also two of my favourite subjects. As well as achieving the highest grades at school, I have also had some success in these subjects outside the classroom. For example, in 2015, after passing the school level of a State Academic Competition in Chemistry, I participated in the city level contest and came 22nd out of 200 participants. But most important is my personal interest in these subjects. I find it so peculiar how perfectly everything in our body is constructed and functions. Not only do I want to find out even more about this sphere of study, I would also like to choose a career in this field. I love that Sevenoaks focuses not just on academic results, but on making its students well-rounded, independent people ready for their future university life and career. I actively participate in my school life outside the classroom and I hope to continue to do so at Sevenoaks.

My main passion in life is dancing as it allows me to express my creativity, to push my limits, and to test myself. I have been doing it for 8 years and received a diploma in choreography. Dancing has taught me discipline, dedication, and how to give myself fully to something I enjoy and consider important. It has also improved my ability to work with others and my sense of responsibility because you cannot afford to have a bad relationship with your coach and teammates and you must not let them down. My team has performed in many competitions, both national and international. When I am dancing, nothing else in the world matters, it is just my body, my movements, the music and my teammates. I would really like to continue to pursue dancing while in the UK.

Unfortunately, drama is not offered at my school but when I was at an English summer school we staged a small play and performed it at the end of the course. I played the main role and it was during this project that I fell in love with drama. Now I take part in staging and performing small plays for our school events. These have included "Song Kaleidoscope", which is a competition between classes where we have to choose and stage a song, and a more serious event for Russia’s National Victory Day.

In summer 2016 I worked as a guide in my school’s summer camp for children from elementary school. As there were 180 boys and girls aged 7-11, this camp helped me to understand how to work with young children and get them to listen. I also learned new skills such as how to organize events and how to behave in a stressful situation. Though I've never done any sport professionally, I enjoy trying different sports and playing them with my friends. I think sport is a really good way to meet new people so I would like to take part in it at my new school. I would love to play in a team because it develops your ability to work with people and allows you to prove that people can rely on you. Team sports also teach you to trust others and to not be upset when you lose, but to notice what the mistakes were and learn from them.

I would like to come to Sevenoaks because it is an international school. It would be a fantastic experience to meet people from all over the globe, and I think I would be able to contribute to the diversity, coming from Siberia in Russia.

Thank you for considering my application.

 

You should always keep in mind these 5 points when writing your personal statement to help keep it relevant, persuasive and interesting:

1. Do your research: The school wants to know why you want to go there, think about why they're your number one choice and what makes this school stand out for you.

2. Be concise: No need to ramble on or use unnecessary language, you'll make a bigger impact if you stick to the most important points. If you're given a word count, make sure you stick to it.

3. Think about your future: Make sure you demonstrate how this is an essential stepping stone for your future education or career. They want to see someone who has a clear idea of their future and what will be required to get there.

4. Be passionate about your subjects: Have conviction in your subject choices and use examples of how you've previously shown interest or aptitude for them.

5. Be yourself: Don't be afraid to let a bit of your personality out as well

 

Writing a personal statement will help with any interview preparation as well. It gives you the chance to think about what you’ve achieved and what you want to do with your future. It is also great essay practise!

 

Best of luck, and remember this is your chance to sell yourself on paper!