Farewell to the university love letter? Reforming personal statements will help level the playing field of university admissions

The love letter from a university applicant to their chosen subject has for decades been an uncontested element of the university admissions process. The opportunity to sell yourself in under 500 words (officially, under 4,000 characters) is seen as a chance for applicants to express their passion for their chosen study. Otherwise, admissions officers only have A-level grade predictions, teacher references and a few other criteria to go on. Most don’t have time to interview thousands of hopeful candidates.

 

My own book, The Good Parent Educator, has added to a vast industry offering tips on how best to write the statement. This covers everything from how to stand out from the crowd, to showing off your academic credentials, to avoiding writing that poor opening sentence. Read More