U.C.A.S. Application (Law) - - Personal Statement ???
Discussion
Evening All, I'm after a little help please...
My step-daughter is 17, has just started her final year of A levels, and wants to study Law. We went to the open day at Reading last weekend, and she is going to fill-in the application soon, although we do have other Universities to look at!
Anyway, on the applications there seem to be extra emphasis now being placed on the "Personal Statement", and she is having a little difficulty trying to make herself sound like the ideal candidate. She needs to appear studious, but not geeky. She also needs to put across her absolute determination to study Law, but no so much that she comes across as being a freak!!!
So, can anyone help with guidelines on how best to prepare a personal statement. The guidelines can come from any source, i.e. a recent student, a past student, a University lecturer, an admissions head-honcho, that sort of thing. Any guidelines and feedback much appreciated.
TIA,
Garrett
My step-daughter is 17, has just started her final year of A levels, and wants to study Law. We went to the open day at Reading last weekend, and she is going to fill-in the application soon, although we do have other Universities to look at!
Anyway, on the applications there seem to be extra emphasis now being placed on the "Personal Statement", and she is having a little difficulty trying to make herself sound like the ideal candidate. She needs to appear studious, but not geeky. She also needs to put across her absolute determination to study Law, but no so much that she comes across as being a freak!!!
So, can anyone help with guidelines on how best to prepare a personal statement. The guidelines can come from any source, i.e. a recent student, a past student, a University lecturer, an admissions head-honcho, that sort of thing. Any guidelines and feedback much appreciated.
TIA,
Garrett
Not sure how good these two are, but worth a look?
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/education/18/ucas_form.shtml
www.personalstatement.info
Good luck to her, law can be very hard to get into at Uni!
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/education/18/ucas_form.shtml
www.personalstatement.info
Good luck to her, law can be very hard to get into at Uni!
One of the things i think that they like to hear about is a well rounded individual.
Not that they eat lots of pies but that the applicant has some understanding of the way the world turns. Her exam results will tell them what they want to know about whether or not she should be able to cope academically.
The Personal Statement is her opportunity to sell herself and make her stand out form the 1000 other applicants.
Does she follow current affairs? if not she really should start to watch the news every day. You would be surprised how the law impacts on this so much.
Is she interested in sport? What are her hobbies? is she planning on taking a gap year before or after uni? if so what does she want to do in it? (if it is more than earn money to pay of student debts.)
That’s a starter.
ps I did the CPE in 1997/8 straight after my degree and specialise in land law
Thanks for the replies. I will check the two sites mentioned.
R988 - she's not that way inclined, wants to do Human Rights stuff, not immigration, accident or anything £££, she actually wants to right wrongs.
However, after a few years of that crap she can join some city firm and earn enough to buy me a Pagani Zonda, and bo11ocks to human rights, say I...
R988 - she's not that way inclined, wants to do Human Rights stuff, not immigration, accident or anything £££, she actually wants to right wrongs.
However, after a few years of that crap she can join some city firm and earn enough to buy me a Pagani Zonda, and bo11ocks to human rights, say I...
my personal statement way back in 2003 was mainly what I was interested in, nothing about my previous studies - just how I am as an individual and what I would like to be, how I see myself inmpacting on the world in the future...it was bollocks of course but it was very well reviewed indeed. so the lesson here is...lie! 
seriously though, talk about how aware she is of the world around her, the way economics finance and law make the world go round and her perception of their roles and how she sees herself fitting in to this. good luck
seriously though, talk about how aware she is of the world around her, the way economics finance and law make the world go round and her perception of their roles and how she sees herself fitting in to this. good luck
ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Reading and Law. That would be me then. Its not a bad uni to do law at, but I suspect she got snared in the ABB trap. Tell her to get some work experience done, tell her to sound sincere in her application, and tell her to make sure its spell checked.
my personal tutor (with whom i am fairly good friends, said she rejected 1/3 of the applications that landed in her in tray cos the applicant hadnt bothered to spell check it)
any specifics feel free to drop me a pm
>> Edited by princeperch on Tuesday 27th September 00:42
my personal tutor (with whom i am fairly good friends, said she rejected 1/3 of the applications that landed in her in tray cos the applicant hadnt bothered to spell check it)
any specifics feel free to drop me a pm
>> Edited by princeperch on Tuesday 27th September 00:42
GarrettMacD said:
R988 - she's not that way inclined, wants to do Human Rights stuff, not immigration, accident or anything £££, she actually wants to right wrongs.
Don't forget pretty well all first year law students want to right wrongs and fight the injustice in the world. Then after fighting their way through four years of legal study and two years of a training contract they'll settle for a job that pays well!!
As has been said she needs to demonstrate that she is well rounded and that she has the basic ability to have an open mind and to see a situation from a number of different viewpoints rather than just in black and white.
Piglet (another land lawyer...
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