Succeeding in Your Application to University

by Matt Green

As the competition for university places continues to increase, the Personal Statement section of the university application has never been so important. In approximately 600 words, a prospective university student must capture and hold the attention of the admissions tutors - in essence, it may be their first and last chance to justify why they should be offered a place to study their chosen course. And yet, despite this, many perfectly able candidates squander this opportunity by neglecting their Personal Statement, perhaps wrongly assuming that their predicted grades or reference will 'do the talking . This guide aims to help school leavers, overseas and mature individuals applying to a UK university, together with parents and teachers, to make their Personal Statement both compelling and convincing reading. In this guide, Matt Green describes the context of the university Personal Statement within the application, offers advice and guidance on a range of factors which influence the Personal Statement, such as course choice, university choice and the pros and cons of taking a gap year. The book sets out the essential contents of the Personal Statement and the key steps in its preparation and shows how to draft and refine a fictitious Personal Statement, providing a valuable case study through which all of the important, key principles are brought to life. New to this edition are 98 high quality Personal Statement examples to provide inspiration during the writing process. This comprehensive guide is essential reading for anyone serious about producing an expertly written, compelling and ultimately successful Personal Statement as part of their application to study at a UK university."

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Matt Green, BSc, MPhil After completing his BSc in Biochemistry, Matt went on to complete an MPhil at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. This involved working closely with medical professionals on a number of projects developing novel drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer. After establishing a private tuition service in 2004, Matt went on to found Apply2Uni in 2005, and for the last six years has been supporting university students secure their first choice university place.