Description
Lettre de motivation
A personal statement is a critical part of your university application. It's your chance to express your passion for your chosen field of study and demonstrate your understanding of it. This document should explain your goals, what you plan to do after completing your course, and why you've chosen this particular university.
Key Components
Your personal statement should include:
- Career Aspirations: Discuss your future career goals.
- Interest in Field: Explain how you became interested in your field of study.
- Relevant Experience: Mention any relevant work or academic experience related to your course.
- Previous Education: Highlight what aspects of your previous education you found most interesting.
- University Choice: Explain what led you to choose this university.
- Other Interests: Discuss other relevant academic interests and passions that highlight positive character traits.
Length
The length of a personal statement varies depending on the university. For undergraduate applications, it typically falls within the range of 400-600 words or one side of A4 paper, with a maximum of 47 lines. Certain postgraduate programs may require a 1000-word personal statement. Always stay within the given character limit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Too Short/Long: The personal statement does not meet the required length.
- Lacks Important Information: The personal statement omits crucial details or includes negative information.
- Confusing Structure: The personal statement is not well-organized.
- Dishonesty: Avoid exaggerating or lying about any aspect of your personal life and education history.
Tips for Writing an Effective Personal Statement
- Passion: Express a passion for your field of study.
- Strong Start: Begin your statement strongly to capture the admission officer’s attention.
- Connect Interests: Connect your outside interests and passions to your course of study.
- Honesty: Be honest and avoid negative information.
- Simplicity: Avoid attempting to sound overly intellectual.
- Preparation: Plan and prepare well in advance of the deadline.
- Review: Have friends and family review your personal statement.
- Avoid Duplication: Avoid duplicating information from your CV/resume.
- Structure: Structure your statement into five clear paragraphs of text in a legible font like Arial or Times New Roman, with a maximum font size of 12.
