How can I write a Personal Statement fit for Oxbridge?

Writing a Personal Statement when applying to Oxford or Cambridge is a different process to any other Personal Statement, particularly for an Arts degree. I teach my students the process of writing the personal statement, starting with a 'brain dump', effectively a stream of consciousness where everything is written down on the page, without regard for a word count. The next stage is the most important - the edit, which is the shaping of the personal statement. In order to write as high quality a personal statement as possible, the acronym 'PASS' can be used.
P - Personal. The personal statement should not just be a regurgitation of what you know. The professors who will be reading your personal statement already know the information you are sharing - they have not picked up the personal statement in order to learn something new, they have picked it up to understand how the topics you have studied have shaped your intellectual development as an individual. When bringing up a text or a topic that interests you, the majority of words should link back to why this text interests you, or how it developed your skillset/how it explains why you want to study your subject.
A - Academia focused. The bulk of the personal statement should not be about your extra-curriculars, unless you can explicitly link them to your subject or to the improvement of skill (e.g a music exam might indicate your commitment, organisational skills etc). Read books and essays, go to lectures or watch lectures online (I have a great deal of links that I can share), and make sure you can talk about them in interview. Do not reveal everything you have to say about these books or lectures, so that you can prove you know more at interview.
S - Style of writing. As an Arts student, it is absolutely key that your personal statement shows the best of your writing ability. Personal statements should not be full of overly long words and concepts you don't understand: these professors will be meeting you at interview, and will immediately know if the individual in front of them does not reflect the individual on the page. Personal statements should be clear, without overly long sentences. Furthermore, personal statements should not be written in the way that you speak - correct grammar is essential, and small mistakes can often go unnoticed when writing the personal statement. Read it aloud to yourself and others to ensure you're not caught out.
S - Structured. Your structure is absolutely key. This will vary depending on whether you are writing a statement for a single subject or for a joint honours. Personal statements need a short introduction and conclusion, which should be succinct in explaining why you enjoy your subject. Students tend to struggle on how to begin their personal statements, and I always advice starting, very simply, with 'I wish to study XYZ because' and then summing up your reasons in one sentence. Your conclusion should hark back to this reason, whilst extending it through the more detailed explanation you have given throughout your personal statement.

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