{"id":1179,"date":"2014-10-06T14:53:43","date_gmt":"2014-10-06T14:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mytutorweb.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1179"},"modified":"2022-06-30T10:01:34","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T10:01:34","slug":"personal-statement-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/students\/personal-statement-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Personal Statement Mistakes You Might Be Making"},"content":{"rendered":"

Googled \u2018personal statement help\u2019? Found yourself bombarded with horror stories of trauma, pain and distress? Here are 5 personal statement mistakes to avoid.<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t start with a cheesy quotation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Albert Einstein once said \u201cIf you judge a student by their ability to Google \u2018inspirational quotes\u2019 and stick it at the top of their personal statement…\u201d
\nJust don\u2019t do it. The people reading your statement want to hear what you<\/strong> have to say, not some (probably irrelevant) academic from the past.<\/p>\n

2. Avoid \u201cX-factor\u201d style clich\u00e9s<\/strong><\/p>\n

Very common among personal statement mistakes. Suggesting that you were \u2018born with a love of Anatomical Sciences with Industrial\/Professional Experience<\/a>\u2019<\/span> or that \u2018Quadratic equations are my LIFE\u2019 will not impress administrators, and nor will overused expressions, such as these linked below!<\/p>\n

The 10 most overused personal statement opening sentences<\/a><\/p>\n

Try and be original in what you say, but ensure that you are also being honest!<\/p>\n

3. Don\u2019t come across as arrogant<\/strong><\/p>\n

No one likes a show-off, and while your personal statement is an opportunity to, well, show off, every time you say something about yourself try and back it up with some evidence. Be honest and specific about your interests, rather than listing qualities you think the administrator wants to hear. A statement like \u201cI\u2019m a high achiever and a perfectionist\u201d is meaningless until you back it up with \u201cas demonstrated by my victory at the National Rubik\u2019s Cube competition last year\u201d.<\/p>\n

(Yes \u2013 that is a real thing. This guy\u2019s fingers move faster than my brain: Rubik’s Cube World Championship winner solves in 7.36 seconds<\/a>)<\/p>\n

but saying that\u2026.<\/p>\n

4. Avoid listing useless facts about yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even if you are world Rubik\u2019s cube champion, imagine the admissions officer thinking \u201cSo what?\u201d. It is important to include extracurricular achievements to show that you are well rounded, focused and have good time management, but as universities are primarily interested in academia avoid listing all the grades you have achieve on the bongos and the positions you finished in last year\u2019s sports day.<\/p>\n

5. Don\u2019t go it alone!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to find someone to give you a fresh perspective on what you\u2019ve written or even help start you off. A fresh pair of (experienced) eyes could quickly eradicate obvious errors. MyTutorWeb offers a specific service for personal statement writing, with help from people who know exactly what you\u2019re going through! For more details, follow this link:<\/p>\n

Personalised help from a current undergrad
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Written by Emma C, an English Literature tutor<\/a> with MyTutor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Googled \u2018personal statement help\u2019? Found yourself bombarded with horror stories of trauma, pain and distress? 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